Good evening, everyone!
I bought a lightly used ‘23 T@b 400 on Tuesday and I’ve been thrilled with it. I came from a Flagstaff A-frame trailer that I bought for towing efficiency with my EV pickup, an F150 Lightning. The Flagstaff was good for efficiency, but it wasn’t holding up to the 12,000 miles I pulled over the last year, and I was seeing signs that I needed something more robust. The T@b build quality is in another world from Forest River, and I’m really enjoying it.
The downside is efficiency. I settled on Nucamp because I was looking for something that could efficiently slide through the wind. The only models I could find had the Boondock package and its 3” lift, and I’ve been disappointed with the efficiency. I’m consuming 30% more power than I was, which makes it difficult to make it more than 140 miles between charge stops. I’m planning to replace the aggressive 235/75R15 tires with the standard 205s when I get home, but that’s only going to get me an inch lower. What’s the difference in suspension between the Boondock and standard package? Is there a way to remove the lift and bring it down to regular height?
Thanks, everyone!
Comments
The misconception with the teardrop shape (especially the taller 400) is that it’s aerodynamically friendly. Somebody on here did some modeling and found that it really isn’t…especially when paired with a truck. There tends to be some turbulence between the bed of the truck and the tall front wall of the trailer. It acts like a huge wall.
2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road
2013 Toyota Highlander 3.5L V6
I mentioned tires in my initial post; the base shoes are almost 2” shorter than the rubbers on the Boondock. I’ll probably replace them in the springtime.
I asked about the axle because some manufacturers use lift brackets that bolt to the bottom of the frame. I almost bought an Airstream Basecamp with that setup because it would be easy to remove the blocks. It’s almost impossible to find the Basecamp without the X package, much like every Tab 400 I found had the Boondock package. It’s apparently not as easy to lower this one.
I appreciate the feedback, and look forward to getting to know the community on here. Other than towing efficiency, I’ve been really impressed so far!
2015 RAM 1500 Outdoorsman Quad Cab
South Jersey
Gas is cheap, so I’m probably using my old Expedition to pull to Texas next month. That’s got a similar rear profile to my truck with a topper, so I’m curious if I lose 40% of my unloaded fuel economy. If less, it might be worth buying at a topper. I came really close last spring, but opted for a Retrax tonneau cover instead.
St Catharines, ON
2013 CS-S us@gi
2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
Switching to the standard axle lowers 2in.
"Just Enough"
2021 T@B 320S Boondock/ 2012 Tacoma 4 cylinder truck / 2023 Tacoma 6 cyl. truck
2024 T@B 400 Boondock Black Canyon
2024 Kia EV9
This is my fourth EV since 2019, but the first one I’ve had with decent towing capacity. I’ve pulled nearly 15,000 miles with it so far, and it’s a much more pleasant towing experience in every way except range and charging. The efficiency loss with a trailer is similar to an ICE truck, but you’re starting out with less to work with.
My truck is rated for 320 miles of range, which is closer to 250-260 miles in the real world. That gets cut to about 170 miles at 60 MPH with the folded A-frame, and about 140 with the T@B 400. That’s a similar drop to my ‘04 Expedition, which is down to 10-11 MPG instead of the 16-17 I’d normally get. Charging infrastructure is getting better every day, and my last trip to the west coast was the least-stressful I’ve had because there were Superchargers every 100-120 miles. I averaged 30-45 minutes for each charge stop, so I have to plan for fewer miles in a given day. The breaks are nice, though.
There’s no comparison with the towing experience, though. My Lightning has 580 HP, which is good to accelerate to 60 MPH in about 4 seconds unloaded. It’ll accelerate faster with the trailer than my old Expedition can empty, and it does it with out any hesitation, downshifting, or noise.
My favorite part is being able to power the camper with the truck’s in-bed power outlets instead of running a generator. It can power the camper all night long and lose 7-10% of the battery.
I left Monday on a trip to the Gulf coast and New England with my Expedition, and it’s nowhere near as nice of a driving experience. It’s nice to not have to manage charge stops and short range, though.
2022 NuCamp T@B 320S Boondock
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S Plus AWD
2022 NuCamp T@B 320S Boondock
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S Plus AWD
Tires are ST205/75/14 Goodyear endurance, load D.