Questions from a (soon to be) first-time owner

Jay_and_Kat

While we're waiting for our T@B 400 BoonDock to wend its slow way through assembly and shipment to our dealer for pickup, the wife and I are doing our best to get a jump on our camping fun. So, some of these are probably going to be REAL basic questions, but we gotta start somewhere!

• When you call it quits for the season, do you leave at least the non-textile camping supplies in your camper? Things like your silverware, cookware, etc?
• We've got a Jack-It Wing bike carrier for ours, what about storing the "wings" in the trailer?
• When we park the camper in our storage spot, should we close the "blackout" blinds, or leave them open?
• Also when in storage, should we leave maybe one of the fan vents a little open to let the interior "breathe?" Note, we live in Michigan and our storage spot is outdoors.
• How often should we put sanitizer in the fresh water tank? Every trip, every season?
• And, on the previous, how safe is the water from the tank (presuming we fill up at home from our water lines)? Drinkable? Or use it for cooking and cleaning and not much else?

(BTW, if there's a better category for this, please let me know)

[Deleted User]

1) everything stays in the camper over winter except things that can freeze like spray cleaners, dish soap, condiments. 
2) I don't have wings :-)
3) closed. You don't need people peeking inside.
4) some people leave a crack in the vent but I have never done that in the 7 seasons I've owned a Tab and have never had moisture issues in Maryland. 
5) you should sanitize the tank (1/4 cup bleach in gallon of water. Run all faucets and shower till you smell bleach. Let sit for 3 hours) at the start of the  season and mid season. 
6) water is not drinkable or for cooking unless you are more of a risk taker than I am. I brush my teeth with bottled water also. 

pthomas745

The water won't kill you.  Many owners just drain the tanks between trips. Many choose not to use it for "drinking".  There are many threads on sanitizing the camper. I do mine at least twice a year.  Note the comments in this thread from Dr. Ratkity, our resident immunologist.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/3164/need-some-help-with-sanitizing-the-fresh-water-tank

Sanitizing isn't very hard, and it will get you plenty of practice with your trailer.  This list is from 2017, and isn't truly applicable to your 400, but it will give you an idea.  If you are looking for some night time reading, find the Nautilus 3.0 manual over in the "Winterizing Manuals" section.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/116923/#Comment_116923

Mickerly

We leave one window in the 'vent' position and a top vent open slightly. Humidity is an issue in Texas.

The water system is perfectly safe, based on your own preferences and care. The problem in the fresh water system is leaving water stagnant in the system. We try to use every faucet on each trip. We drain on the way home at the end of each trip.

Once you dispense your home water in the tank, the chlorine will evaporate off in a couple of hours. If your on an extended trip and add new chlorinated water every 4 days or so, everything will be fine. If you don't have that option, adding "Clear Tabs" will keep anything from growing.

If we're using external water, use at least an inline filter. We carry a jug of known fresh water for drinking.

Sanitation is recommended once per year. We do it after the last freeze.

We have a cover to protect the trailer from the sun. If you don't have a cover you may want to keep the privacy blinds closed.

Some people leave things in the trailer all the time. We leave almost everything in the trailer most of the time. It makes departing in the next trip more simple. We have found value in completely emptying the trailer for a deep cleaning during the winter. Our trailer stores along side our house. If yours is in a lot somewhere, you may have other considerations. It depends on what works best for you.

Slackers

We follow all the practices mentioned by Mickerly.  We don't store our Jack-It wings in the trailer.  If you often carry your bikes on your trips then you may want to store the wings in your 400 during travel season. Note we store our trailer at home so that may make a difference regarding some of these practices.

VictoriaP

• When you call it quits for the season, do you leave at least the non-textile camping supplies in your camper? Things like your silverware, cookware, etc? I take out food, & any liquids/toiletries that could freeze. Everything else stays put. But my trailer is stored at home, with a monitoring camera watching over it. If it were stored offsite, I’d probably remove anything I wasn’t willing to lose to potential theft. Also, make sure to add both wheel locks and a good lock to the coupler. Trailers are popular theft targets.

• When we park the camper in our storage spot, should we close the "blackout" blinds, or leave them open? I mostly leave mine open. There’s nothing of value in sight anyway. Note too the manufacturer states the blinds need to be OPEN while in motion. The blinds can be a pain in the backside to reconnect if the strings dislodge. 

• Also when in storage, should we leave maybe one of the fan vents a little open to let the interior "breathe?" Note, we live in Michigan and our storage spot is outdoors. Most people leave a vent cracked or a window opened to the vent position. I don’t; my trailer is at home and plugged in, with both a low temp heater and a dehumidfier plugged in. On year three with no condensation issues in a damp climate. Adding DampRid or DriZAir buckets are never a bad idea if you’re in a higher humidity area.

• How often should we put sanitizer in the fresh water tank? Every trip, every season? The tank should be sanitized at the beginning of the season, and drained fully after every trip. Re-sanitize as you feel the need…some like me do this after they use water from anywhere but home. Some do it before or after every trip. Some are comfortable only doing it once a year.

• And, on the previous, how safe is the water from the tank (presuming we fill up at home from our water lines)? Drinkable? Or use it for cooking and cleaning and not much else? Your water system is made up of the same components found in a house. As long as you dump the water between trips and don’t let it sit, it should be fine. BUT…water from any source other than my house? I assume it’s suspect. Plenty of waterborne bacteria out there. I use an extremely good filtering water pitcher for my drinking/cooking/toothbrush water (Epic Water’s Nano pitcher), which unlike a Brita or most other pitchers can actually be used to purify water that’s under a boil order. So I’m very comfortable drinking from it, and happy to not have to carry the extra weight of bottled water. Use a carbon filter on your water hose when filling up to remove sediment and keep that out of your tank…this filter should be replaced at least at the beginning of camping season, more often if you’re a frequent traveler.