CSS is at the top of my (most recent) RV search

jeffp1105

Hi All, 

New to the forum and the 320 CSS has recently climbed to first place in my RV search.  I'm excited to see other CSS owners active. I love the outdoor kitchen as I don't cook at home much and want to be camping to be outside.  Just my preference.  Does anyone want to share happy surprises or sad surprises after you got your CSS?  What sealed the deal for you when you were looking.  TIA.

Slackers

We have a 2019 CSS and love the outdoor galley. The galley and hatch offer a natural hang-out spot. Note, one gives up bed length from front to back, but in our case the both of us are under 5'-9" which is short enough to sleep wheel to wheel. The CSS replaces an S's indoor kitchen (stove and fridge) with a drawer/dresser cabinet which again works great for us.

ColleenD2

We ended up NOT with the CSS because of the bed size. It's 58"x71" I think which is about a full size mattress but sleeping sideways on it. Fold a blanket to this size and try to sleep on it on your bed and see how it goes. We got to lay down for 20 minutes in one at the dealer. My husband is 5'11 and I am 5'4". We don't really cook much when we camp but if we do, we have a small single burner we put on the lagun table on the outside mount. We also have an awning for the side.

Mickerly

We have a 2018 CSS. I can't think of a better trailer to go camping. That being said, as my wife and I get older we plan on longer trips to tourist destinations in addition to camping. We will probably be selling our CSS this winter or next spring.

Marceline

jeffp1105 said:

Hi All, 

New to the forum and the 320 CSS has recently climbed to first place in my RV search.  I'm excited to see other CSS owners active. I love the outdoor kitchen as I don't cook at home much and want to be camping to be outside.  Just my preference.  Does anyone want to share happy surprises or sad surprises after you got your CSS?  What sealed the deal for you when you were looking.  TIA.

I think that the CSS is a good choice for people who are coming from experience in tent camping. The inside kitchen is probably better for people looking for a more RV-type experience. I love my CS-S but I'm in the west and I rarely camp in the rain (although I've come up with a rainfly for the galley). I mostly camp in state parks and national forests. 

One thing that I really enjoy is sharing my campsite with friends who are still tent campers. They don't have to bring any cooking gear because they can access and use the galley. I hadn't thought about that when I bought my camper.

Slackers

Great points @Marceline - We came from the tent experience and your point on camping with other tent campers sometimes pertains to us. However, we're in the Midwest and deal with the rain by using what this forum calls an EZ-up tailgate tent.

jeffp1105

Marceline said:

jeffp1105 said:

Hi All, 

I am new to the forum, and the 320 CSS has recently climbed to first place in my RV search.  I'm excited to see other CSS owners active. I love the outdoor kitchen as I don't cook at home much and want to be camping to be outside.  Just my preference.  Does anyone want to share happy surprises or sad surprises after you got your CSS?  What sealed the deal for you when you were looking.  TIA.

I think that the CSS is a good choice for people who are coming from experience in tent camping. The inside kitchen is probably better for people looking for a more RV-type experience. I love my CS-S but I'm in the west and I rarely camp in the rain (although I've come up with a rainfly for the galley). I mostly camp in state parks and national forests. 

One thing that I really enjoy is sharing my campsite with friends who are still tent campers. They don't have to bring any cooking gear because they can access and use the galley. I hadn't thought about that when I bought my camper.

My thoughts exactly. For me this is an upgrade from car camping and a way to carry "stuff".  Having the open kitchen allows friends to gather around.  It reminds me of an old western "chuck wagon" experience. :-)

jbajor

Have you looked at the Ultimate Toys camper?  The best of both worlds AND a full length bed!  It is built by NuCamp
https://www.ultimatetoys.com/towables/ultimate-camper-dealers/   

Mickerly

In Texas we have rain and sun. We deal with rain and August sun with a 13x13ft canopy. I added casters to the canopy so I can move it around by myself. In late summer, we pull it over the trailer. It is much cooler inside when the trailer is in the shade. In the rain we slide it back to protect the kitchen area or to the side depending on what we are doing.

rfuss928

jeffp1105 said:

My thoughts exactly. For me this is an upgrade from car camping and a way to carry "stuff".  Having the open kitchen allows friends to gather around.  It reminds me of an old western "chuck wagon" experience. :-)

That 's how I've described the trailer layout to folks for years... - A nice bedroom with a chuck wagon kitchen out back.
The clamshell has been the perfect layout for us.  Our version of an upgrade after a dozen years in our first CS was the wider Ultimate Toys teardrop.  The extra bed length and more room everywhere was a dream come true for this six foot tall guy.
Good luck in your search...

nbrandt

We have had a journey through NuCamp products - a T@G then a T@B 400 and actually went back to a 320 CSS (2021 - with the Cassette toilet).   Why?  Because we loved the outdoor kitchen.  It just suits us. I will also say, the more I have used it the more I like the Cassette Toilet.  It is down right easy. 

The Bed - a major obstacle.  We have slept wheel to wheel and we can do it, but it isn't ideal for us.  My wife likes to sit up in the middle of the night and read a little while.  I have used a portable urinal that really helps with sleeping on the far side.

I have an idea for NuCamp - but they will are coming out with the 360 so my idea is probably dead in the water.  My idea was to expand the window on one side or the other and create a "pop-out" rather than a slide out to allow for a longer bed size. They came back to me saying that the framing bars of the trailer would not allow for a larger window size.

OK - plan B.  I have probably killed my trailer for resale - but I'm retired and we have had it for four years.   So, in essence, I don't care.   I investigated the contents of the bathroom wall.  That would let us set up two single beds and sleep the other way.  It's kind of weird to sleep with your feet poking into the bathroom - but in essence, unless you are using the bathroom - it is valuable wasted space when sleeping.    The bathroom wall (on our 2021) has four issues:  

1) A styro-foam insulated conduit for the air conditioner.  

2) A vent pipe (1.5")  that exits the trailer on the side near the roof on the driver side.  It vents the gray water tank and is the only vent for the tank, kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower drain. 

3) There is a 1.5" gray electrical conduit in that bathroom wall.  I discovered that it carries the 12 volt connections for the Jensen, the roof fan, and center ceiling light.

4) There is a 110 volt 14-2 line that descends from the outlet straight down into the space below the bed on the driver's side and it enters the power station like all other 110 volt lines.

The wall on the bed side is 1/2" plywood.  The wall on the bathroom side is 1/4" plywood.  I cut an opening all the way from the trim of the bathroom door to the wall on the driver's side.  It is 25 inches wide and I made it  19 inches tall.  I made the bottom cut level with the original foam cushions of the 2021 T@B (which get horrible reviews and we have added the REI ExPed to the top of those original cushions for a good night's sleep).  

I removed the TV and the plastic cover behind the TV.  While I have maintained all of the wiring for the TV, I don't think I am going to reinstall it.  We haven't used it in four years.  We watch TV at home.  My wife would like a mirror that would let her put in her contacts.  There is wood blocking behind the the plastic trim that will let me install just such a mirror. 

Now the various obstacles:

1)  I removed the AC vent and merely had it exit the compartment on the floor.  It already does that in two other places.  While there is certainly good engineering in pushing that cold air up high (it descends naturally) - for as often as we use that AC in the northwest, not an issue!

2.  The vent pipe.  Code allows for a new vent device that is available from Home D... for about $29.  I cut the vent pipe off about 2 inches above the coupler and installed the new vent device.  It allows pipes to drain without allowing gases from the gray water tank to seep into the cabin.  An easy fix and therefore the vent pipe was removed.  I cut it off also close to the 90 degree at the exit point and plugged it with insulation and steel wool (keeping out air and rodents and bugs).

3.  The electrical work - tedious but step by step very doable.  There are four speaker wires.  There's a power wire for the Jensen as well as RCA cables and HDMI cables.  There are three 12 volt wires for the fan and lighting.  All of those need to be extended because I routed all wires from the far left driver side of the trailer (below the bed) to the space the thickness of the trim by the bathroom door.  Therefore the passage way into the bathroom is completely clear.

4.  You do have to buy a longer 14-2 piece of wire and rout the 110 volt wire around the new opening just as you did with the with the 12 volt wires.  Piece of cake.

Wood trim finishes the bed side.  The 1/4 inch panel in the bathroom is hinged.  I beefed up that panel with additional trim wood and it rests on the lid of the toilet during the night.  We have been married long enough that we both get up in the middle of the night about the same time anyway - so yes there is some commotion in the middle of the night as the extra mattress is pulled back into the cabin - but then everything is settled and we get back to sleep - and the space is "aaah" long enough.

Sorry this is so long - but it is that important to us.  We love our T@B 320 CSS.  We have pulled it from the northwest (Oregon) to the midwest (St. Louis) three times.  We have great camping in the northwest.  Harvest Host Wineries.  Great National Parks.  Camping does seem to be changing in many ways.  Reservations are almost necessary - but it hasn't deterred us.  Retirement is made up of three phases:  The Go-Go years, the Slow-Go years and the No-Go years.  Better go while you can because the slow-go and no go are coming!

SLJ

We cook outdoors on a camp stove with our 320S most of the time. The beds in the CSS are too short for us. Nice to have the indoor kitchen as we overnight sometimes in places where you can't cook outdoors (rest areas, music festivals, etc.). Nice to have the choice when the weather or bugs are bad.

Slackers

We have never needed to cook inside of our CSS. On the rare occasion we can't use our rear galley, we adjust by either dining out, or eating items not needing to be heated (bagels, PB&J, CliffBars, cheese & crackers with wine of course). If we are attached to shore power, we have a small Keurig coffee maker that covers our breakfast/afternoon coffee fixes.

rfuss928

When we are on the road we never hesitate to use our kitchen almost anywhere we stop.  We're never looking to cook but often make sandwiches, wash fruit and gather from or place things in the fridge or cabinets.  Shopping centers, parks, road side tables are all reasonable to us.  It doesn't seem any different than opening the tailgate on our SUV.  When overnighting, we'll often buy prepared food shortly before or where we plan to stop.
When camped and it's time to cook, we've a nicer kitchen with more prep area than many trailers twice our size.

StepheninDen

We love our CS-S! I think having a good system for still being able to use the kitchen when it rains is key. There are a lot of good options out there. Last season I bought the REI Trailgate that we really like. It’s easy to set up, is just right for 2 people and has kept us dry while cooking in some heavy storms. 

https://www.rei.com/product/227905/rei-co-op-trailgate-shelter?sku=2279050001&store=18&CAWELAID=120217890018364324&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113279951513&CATCI=pla-366418484527&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2279050001%7C92700058208451648%7CBA%7C71700000074422505&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTlyNgkj3XAHFUSP5IcBu1fq6b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImtiAjqudhwMVKDqtBh1UEgVWEAQYAiABEgLK3_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Marceline

StepheninDen said:

We love our CS-S! I think having a good system for still being able to use the kitchen when it rains is key. There are a lot of good options out there. Last season I bought the REI Trailgate that we really like. It’s easy to set up, is just right for 2 people and has kept us dry while cooking in some heavy storms. 

https://www.rei.com/product/227905/rei-co-op-trailgate-shelter?sku=2279050001&store=18&CAWELAID=120217890018364324&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113279951513&CATCI=pla-366418484527&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2279050001%7C92700058208451648%7CBA%7C71700000074422505&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTlyNgkj3XAHFUSP5IcBu1fq6b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImtiAjqudhwMVKDqtBh1UEgVWEAQYAiABEgLK3_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I was wondering about this. If you have a chance, can you take a photo and post it here the next time you have it set up on your T@B.

StepheninDen

Here you go @Marceline. I took a few pics last fall. For scale, the table is 3 foot wide. It’s nice for shade and rain. You have to cinch it down and tie it to the lock handles when you close the hatch at night.

Marceline

Thank you! I've been putting a Clam shelter behind my galley, but this looks like a nice solution. May try to pick one up during the next REI sale. Do you set it up on your own? Does it take 2 people? How much of a pain is it? 

StepheninDen

I can easily set it up by myself. Had someone else help the first few times while we were figuring it out. If it’s windy, solo might be tricky but still doable. Just one long pole in the middle. It does require tent stakes, so won’t work on paved parking.

Slackers

@Marceline here's your on-sale link. Be sure to use your own location.
https://www.rei.com/product/193121/rei-co-op-trailgate-vehicle-shelter?sku=1931210001&store=&CAWELAID=120217890012252646&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=109431034708&CATCI=pla-529258729432&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|21700000001700551_1931210001|92700053582160500|TOF|71700000066692663&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw4ri0BhAvEiwA8oo6F3HMmUiUbiBuaPqmnAA1FFnmUCJ27drbJI-7ArnNZkuuuSMBi6l3wBoCZHUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Slackers

Thanks @StepheninDen for posting photos so quickly. Plus our CSS is trimmed in the same blue so there's no guessing as to how it will look! We just bought one based on your info.

Marceline

Slackers said:

Thanks @StepheninDen for posting photos so quickly. Plus our CSS is trimmed in the same blue so there's no guessing as to how it will look! We just bought one based on your info.

I bought one too. 

StepheninDen

Excellent! We should get a bulk discount 😂

Slackers

We finally got around to setting up the tailgate awning today. There may be some benefit to adding pipe-insulation or pool noodles on the tailgate corners. @StepheninDen have you had any issues there?

StepheninDen

Hi @slackers. I assume you mean the sharp corners of the hatch door when it’s raised. I haven’t had any issues yet but I can see what you mean. Hmm… I know that they make coffee table bumpers for childproofing coffee tables. I might get a pair of those.

Other than that concern, what did you think?

Sharon_is_SAM

We have used pool noodles to pad the edges of the hatch while using our sun shelter.  It woks well.

Slackers

Thanks, everyone we'll use something like that on the corners.