Our First 400 BD Experience

marchule

We couldn't wait to get on the road for our first camping experience this season.  What would be the highlights of going from a 2018 320S to a 2022 400BD?  (I know the more seasoned Tabbers will be thinking, "If he had read my post, he wouldn't have that problem.") Items in bold were tips picked up from other posts in this absolutely invaluable forum. I've written this because it shows my observations, goof-ups as well as ah-ha moments. Enjoy.

Our KIA Telluride with Fastway e2 Hitch weight distribution/anti-sway pulled really well.  Pushed against 25 mph winds for most of 180 mile out bound trip.  (Our destination was Fremont Indian State Park, Utah.) Averaged 10 mpg  on that portion of the trip and 12 mpg  on the return.  (Our KIA Sorento averaged about 15 with the 320S.) Average speed was about 65. Plenty of power to go over 3 mountain passes (6% grades) at this speed.  Trucks would blow past us at 80mph and there was no sway. Spent $200 on fuel for whole trip and side excursions. Engine temperature was constant and no different than no trailer. Rpms would range from 2500 to 3500. I should add that we travel with other couples and our vehicle becomes the go-to "scenic" coach. One of our traveling companions got 12mpg with their F-150 and EZ-Pro trailer.

Backed into site.  This was my first time with loaded trailer and e2 Hitch. Checked left/right leveling and needed to use my Lynx Levelers blocks on driver side.  Then, I unhitched tension bars with great difficulty.  Later I noticed the trailer is not level.  Lesson here is to take off tension bars before leveling.  I get it, now, but must have missed that.

The DeWalt storage containers simplify my camp setup. They give lots of extra room for bulky items and now I'm not having to worry about squeezing every inch out of the center bin. And, yes, the RhinoFLEX 20 foot sewer hose tucks nicely in center bin.

Hooked up Zero-G hose. It was coiled neatly in the Nautilus access bin.  Did not use an external pressure regulator.  Could not get it tight enough on city water connection and there was a slight drip.  Next day I switched to my regular white hose which has a regulator.  No drip at city water.   Put the regulator on the ez hose and now there was no drip at city water.  Lesson here is to still use a regulator. And, as a side note, the Nautilus setup is terrific. I did remove my hose from the spigot at night but there was still enough moisture left to cause is it to freeze. The good news is placing it on the bathroom floor where it fits easily and pouring boiling water over it thawed that problem.

For whatever reason, I did not have the 30amp electric plugged in securely. Came back late afternoon to notice that the time was off on the microwave. (I know, why does anyone set the time?) So now I'm checking GFCIs to see if there was a problem. Wasted a little too much time. The good news is how automatic everything is: Refrigerator was on. Alde was running just fine. A quick check of the Mopeka app on my phone said I was now at 57% on propane.

Our 400 is much quieter than a 320.  Did notice there is a tiny crack where I could see light coming through around the door.  Good thing mosquito and gnat season hadn't arrived. We found the storage space inside the 400 to be such a great improvement over the 320. I was always going out to the car to get something that just wouldn't fit in the 320 conveniently.

Hooking up Monkemon Propane Elbow to our 22" Blackstone Grill was easy and made outdoor cooking and fun. Yea! No more green bottles!

Going into a warm bathroom is a pleasant experience.  Yes, the shower curtain is annoying.  Yes, the draining of the sink requires lifting it.  Instant and plentiful hot water is a delight.  The fan is great. The lighting is great. Superior to our 320.  My wife was always complimenting on the bathroom during this trip.  Ikea soap holder works great.

I had tested the television monitor and Jensen audio before embarking. Everything worked, looked and sounded great. I hooked up my laptop and was able to screen cast to the monitor. I even tested my phone to screen cast but didn't care for the visual results. When we got to our site and decided to watch a movie, it was a no-go. I had never played a DVD on my laptop before. Without any WiFi service there was no way to download an app to the pc. Oh well, it was back to old school and reading books.

After hooking up to the vehicle and turning on the 3-way fridge to battery I noticed the readout had a code 7. Oops.  Forgot to flip the little green switch above fridge.  Code 7 went away.  Temperature was about 38 the whole time on shore power.  I was able to get a 7lb bag of ice into the freezer. (We like ice.)

I'm still baffled by the thermometer of the Alde. I thought everything was calibrated before leaving. But when outside temperatures dipped into the low 20s there is about a 5 degree difference between what the readout says and my adjacent thermometer. Had this same issue with the 320.

On return and in trying to park in my garage, I scuffed up some of the trim. Looks like it might buff out. Oh well, better hone my backup skills. I used to be able to maneuver the 320S by hand to tuck it in the garage.   An extra 1000 pounds makes it really hard for this 72yo to push around.

Now we're looking forward to our next trip with lots of newly acquired experience. Hope all your travels are pleasantly memorable.

[Deleted User]

Cool recap of events! I had my maiden voyage in my new 2022 400 this weekend, but I'm a veteran T@B owner, so the only thing I had to get used to was not having my screen door yet!

Thought you might find my post helpful in case you want to add a DVD player.  I can't camp without my Netflix DVDs, so this was an instant mod for me!

Here is the link:

Update Project Complete: Anyone Install a DVD Player in a T@b 400 2020 or newer? - Page 2 (vanillacommunity.com)

N7SHG_Ham

I chase the temp all the time, it greatly depends on where the sun is, at night the offset stays pretty constant. I just don't worry about it, it is a guide, comfortable is what I want, i could do that with no readout. I think due to both Alde and AC thermostats placement you will never get accurate reliable readings.

Denny16

I agree, the thermostats are both by the door and reading the temp at the entrance way, not in the trailer proper.  So sun hitting the passenger side, and if the door window shade is open, it will read higher.  I noticed the temp above the did window is often several degrees higher than the read out panels by the door.
I just set the temp at a level that is comfortable, and do not worry about the read outs.
 Cheers 

Dutch061

There is a temperature offset adjustment on the control panel that will allow you to make it match another temperature source.

Brad

Denny16

Correct Brad, but that can also change, depending on the time of day and temp outside.  I noticed the temp above the front window in our TaB400 will be reading higher midday with a bigger temp difference than in the early morning or late evening.  Unless you have a circulation fan going, the temp between the floor, middle and at the roof will be much different, especially midday.  

I set the temp difference between my inside thermometer and the Alde control panel in early morning after the Alde was running all night.  This way the difference was only the location, without external variables like the sun heating up the outside of the TaB.
Cheers 

Binghi

Generally there is 6-7 deg F difference between the Alde ambient temp reading and the reading of the thermometer we keep on the dinette table. I attribute the difference to the placement of the Alde control panel high on the wall.