Greetings and question regarding significant T@B changes over the years

Denverite

Greetings, all. My wife and I are semi-retired and are looking to buy a T@B for occasional trips out of Denver into Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. Over the years we've had a Eurovan, an A-Liner, and a Casita and are happy to stay with a lighter trailer (we'll be pulling with a Highlander Hybrid which has a rated towing capacity of 3,500 lbs).

I've been reading through the forums to get a sense of what to look for in a T@B and, more importantly, what to avoid or watch for. I've run across several 2008s that seemed reasonably priced but the reports of floor issues have me concerned. So I am now looking at newish models.

I would appreciate it very much if someone could tell me or point me to a resource that outlines the major changes that have been made to the T@B materials over the years and what I should keep in mind as I look at used units for sale. Ideally, I would like to identify the oldest year that doesn't have issues that involve significant costs to remedy if they were to occur.

I am also hoping to understand why the most recent T@Bs seem to be priced significantly higher that models from a year or two earlier. The jump in prices appears to align with the pandemic during which, I am guessing, demand and prices went up significantly. But I wonder whether Nucamp happened to adopt new materials and construction techniques at a time that happened to coincide with the pandemic.

I will appreciate any insight you care to share. Thank you.

Reed

Grumpy_G

The important piece of the T@b history is that thy have been made by two different companies. The design originated in Germany by a company named Tabbert (still around) and was initially built in license by Dutchmen. After 2010 the rights went to Pleasant Valley Teardrop who have been manufacturing the T@b ever since, although with different distribution channels. The Dutchmen T@bs are very different from the later ones in many aspects, so you do want one made by PVT unless you like tracking down obscure parts and/or deal with the quality issues (just google what reputation Dutchmen has in general). Since 2015 I believe T@bs feature the Alde combined heating/hot water system which is compact, quiet and convenient although more complicated than the typical RV water heater and furnace. 
Prices have gone up quite a bit in the past couple of years, and besides rising costs for materials and appliances there certainly was a increased focus on profits as some cost cutting measures appeared. The plastic cladding on the outside is gone, the bathroom door is not glass any longer, seat cushions got less comfortable to name a few. Still a better product than pretty much anything from Forest River or Thor families of RV brands. 

Marceline

Denverite said:

I am also hoping to understand why the most recent T@Bs seem to be priced significantly higher that models from a year or two earlier. The jump in prices appears to align with the pandemic during which, I am guessing, demand and prices went up significantly. But I wonder whether Nucamp happened to adopt new materials and construction techniques at a time that happened to coincide with the pandemic.

I addition to what @Grumpy_G has said, I'd agree that there was a fairly big increase in price with the switch to the Alde heating system. As someone with a very early Pleasant Valley-built T@B, I'm sorry that I don't have the Alde. There was also a change to a synthetic (rather than plywood) floor, which should help trailer longevity. I'm not sure of the year of that. Maybe 2015 or so. The switch to the under bench air-conditioning was another big, expensive change. I have a standard window unit repurposed for the T@B and I'm not fond of it. I'm glad that I don't have to use it often. I don't think that the colored plastic trim was necessarily removed as a cost-cutting measure. The trim has a nasty habit of breaking (maybe due to temperature changes). The newer T@Bs all come with a metal front tub, which must be more expensive than the original plastic tubs and they're certainly more durable (mine was one of many plastic tubs that self-destructed). Pleasant Valley has also added more battery management/charging capabilities (battery monitor, solar controller, solar panel) over the years, which of course costs money. Component prices jumped sharply during the pandemic, and that had to be passed on (I don't think any of use want NuCamp going out of business). 

I think that NuCamp should consider offering a cheaper version without the TV, stereo, speakers and maybe even without the fridge, but with the addition of lithium batteries it looks like their niche is going to be a high quality small camper with absolutely all the bells and whistles.

Sharon_is_SAM

Here is a thread and a PDF of model year changes through the 2021 models.  Scroll down to my March 2021 entry.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/4983/tab-model-year-features-updated-list-3-2021/p1

Denverite

Thank you @Grumpy_G, @Marceline, and @Sharon_is_SAM. That information was very helpful in getting me oriented and the thread was full of little nuggets that got me to focus a bit more on my needs.

I'm currently leaning towards a 2018 to 2020 320 Boondock. Local prices seem to range from $18k to $22k, respectively before jumping to $30k+ for later model years.