Considering a T@b questions...

3ladybugs

I stumbled upon these when looking around. I was shocked that I could find something that my minivan could tow! My question is, are my husband I nuts for considering one of these for our family of 4? We have 2 boys, 7 and 2, and I was thinking that with the tent attached, it would be perfect for us. As the boys get older they would have their own area where they could be away from mom and dad, yet we could all be inside if it started raining. Best of all, our dog (25 lbs on a heavy day) that HATES camping could be in AC heaven and not have to sit in the dirt when he wants to rest (which honestly he has more in common with a cat then a dog in that respect). I should also mention that we like tiny living. So tiny doesn't scare us. 

Are there other families out there that have made this work? We are leaning to the clamshell with the bathroom. My baby is still small (even for his age) and so he would probably sleep on the bench I am thinking. 

Is anyone given a hard time with the 16 foot square that the tent and trailer take up? We have a 16 foot by 10 foot tent now that sometimes I have issues with when making reservations. Is the trailer with the tent in a similar boat?

With all the stuff up near the tongue (waste hook ups, and the box) is there anything we should know before we get a weight distribution hitch? Any problems with them?

I notice that the bathroom doesn't have a shower curtain. Do most people put up a shower curtain in there to protect the walls? I don't think we would use the shower that often, nor the toilet for that matter, but I would want to be prepared. How big is the storage in the bathroom? I have yet to see a video on this. 

Is there a way to get a bigger refrigerator in the clam shell models? My husband looked at that and thought it would be perfect for beer, but not much else. 

What does the yearly maintenance look like on these? I know I would have to winterize the plumbing, but aside from that, is it just caulking as needed? Anything else that is normally done on them yearly? 

Thank you for all the help!

Ratkity

Wow, lots of questions. First, what make, year, model, engine size of mini van? Not all are created equal. Before anyone can answer those questions, check out forums for your mini van specs and see if anyone else has tried to tow with it. Hitch weight is generally 10% of the trailer weight. 

Shower and frig: The shower enclosure is waterproof, a curtain would be for privacy and jkjenn has a graphic she put on the shower door (a towel clipped to the outside door would be a cheap alternative). Many people who full-time have supplemental coolers or electric frig/coolers they take with them. Many items can be added and customized, but I'm not sure about the size of the frig.

Tent: I put up the T@B tent by myself and I'm a 5'6 average female with a bad hip - takes about 20 min to get it perfect (OCD Scientist here). If you get the tent, please get the under floor protector or since you've tent camped with something about the same size, use what you normally use for under the tent floor. I usually use the Visor XL because it takes me way less setup time and it dries from dew/rain fast and the tent is a pain to dry out properly unless I'm somewhere for a while.

Maintenance: Check for loose screws (in the camper, not the campees), loose or cracked caulking, for any water in places it doesn't belong, clean the screen in the water pump (especially after the first few trips).

Things you need: Make sure you carry a water pressure regulator and spare. I also have a water filter. You'll need a hose specially made for drinking water, sewer hoses and connects, black tank deodorizer (of some sort)... all these things are in a Master List thread here on the forum. An RV dealer will be happy to sell you a starter kit and a good RV dealer will suggest better quality needed accessories, how they work and take time to take you through a good walk through with your new purchase - take your time and be armed with questions.

You might want to see one of clamshells in person and make sure you and your hubby will comfortably fit on the bed (height/length). You don't want to be cooking in the clamshell and be hitting your head!

Best of luck in your quest for answers. I hope I gave you a starting point.

Photomom

I can't answer most of your questions since we don't have our trailer yet, but as a mom I'd encourage you to think through the sleeping accommodations not just now but for the next few years. There will be a time when the littlest won't fit on the bench. Will you be comfortable with 3 or 4 people in the relatively small clamshell bed? How old will the kids need to be before you are comfortable with them sleeping outside? Where will the dog sleep?

Cyclonic

I am going to be completely honest with you.  While I love my T@B, and it is an excellent, well constructed camper, it is not for everyone.

With a family of four as well as a dog, I think you are going to want something a little bit bigger.  Part of the advantage of having a camper is to be able to pick up and go quickly.  By having to set up a tent every time, you are losing that advantage, as well as having to dry the tent out every time you get home.

You really need to think about where your kids will be in just a few years.  Something that can accommodate all of you, within the confines of the trailer, may be a better option.

3ladybugs

Thank you everyone for the replies! Let me see if I can answer some questions you had for me.

- We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey. We are it's only owner and we purchased it within a week of it getting to the dealer. So we know it has been well taken care of. From what I have seen, we would need to get a transmission cooler, power steering cooler and have a hitch that has weight distribution on it. We live in New Jersey and I am from Washington state. So to me, there are no mountains out here. I don't see us going out west with our trailer though stranger things have happened in our life. From what I have seen the older Odyssey's were bad, the year I have is good.

- Nice to know about the tent. I figure we would be dealing with that to a certain extent.

-  The list of things I would need sounds typical. My family has been camping in trailers/motor homes since the end of WWII so I am not a complete newbie to them. I have just never owned one myself. Has anyone seen something that I could make the water inlet (for the tank) lockable? That is something I want for when we have it sitting and are not camping. 

- My oldest is 7. I know he is only going to get bigger and older. I imagine that is the same for my baby too but on a smaller scale. I figure with the tent they could have the experience of tent camping but not really be away from us. I could invision us having the boys with cots in the tent and hubby and I in the trailer. They would probably stay up to all hours and we would end up waking them up because we were hungry and wanted to start breakfast in the morning. Once they get even older (maybe another 6-10 years) they may want a separate tent that they can sleep in. My boys are best friends. 

- How I found the T@b was we have chuck boxes right now that we made for camping. I was thinking about what would make our life easier when we camp, and the first thing I thought of was a trailer for these chuck boxes. I know it probably sounds silly, but those normally need to be packed the night before we go camping, so my husband can take them out to the van, so the next day (I homeschool) I can load up the van with everything else. Then when he gets home we can go. It is a long process. One that was made longer last November (in the cold up here) when we went camping in the Keys. Packing for a week with the chuck boxes was interesting. 

We were looking at larger trailers but ALL of them require us to get a bigger truck (more then likely) to pull them. I live in New Jersey, I rarely see a pick up truck unless I go out in the farmland. So I would pay a ton of money for a vehicle that sole purpose was to tow something else. Even if we used it every weekend from April to October that didn't seem right. When it comes right down to it we don't mind tent camping, we have that down to a science with our coleman sink and cots. We need a kitchen that we can tow. Well those don't exist, so this is the next best thing and might as well get a bathroom as sometimes those can be far in campgrounds. 

Yes it will be small. We know that. We are a very close knit family though. We love camping and all of our friends don't. We also live far from family so we rely on each other for most things. By the looks of what I have found online about the T@b, it would solve all of our problems. I need a towable kitchen. The dog currently gets boarded whenever we go camping. An expensive hobby! So our dog could then go with us. I think he would sleep in the floor though I could see us moving his bed into a cabinet for at night (we wouldn't close the door!). We also like the idea of having AC when we camp. We got lucky in the Keys! And I could load the whole thing myself before hubby got home even if we decided to go camping on a Friday morning (which if you knew us, is not really a possibility, but stranger things have happened!).

Photomom

Have you taken a look at pop up tent trailers? Some are light enough to tow with a van, most are cheaper than the T@B, and all have more sleeping and living space. Many of the families I know who camp and still have kids at home use pop ups. 

3ladybugs

Pop up trailers would make it so we still couldn't take the dog. From what I have seen, most campgrounds will only let you leave a dog alone in a trailer, not a tent. I would assume a pop up is considered a tent. Our dog doesn't really bark but we have never wanted to chance it. Pop up's would also have an indoor kitchen and we honestly would prefer the outdoor one. 

We are thinking that we would pack the camper very minimally. I am already thinking that we need to get different camp chairs that are smaller and lighter. I also want to get different dishes. We would want to purchase a Mini Max Big Green Egg to take with us and I am unsure of that weight. However the rest of the things we would take would be minimalist. That would also make it easier for me to pack. We would likely make do with the fridge. Hubby just has his beer in a fridge that big now so he thinks that it is only used for that. LOL

Ratkity

3ladybugs, I think you've considered all the pros and cons of minimalist T@B living and a family. The tent (as all tents) gets easier and easier to set up each time you use it and you've got "built-in" labor - especially when the kiddos become "luggage carrying" age LOL. If it takes me 20 min to set up, you and your family experience says you'll break speed records.

I also carry chuck boxes, but just call them different things. When I went from the smaller teardrop (5x10 bed) to the T@B, I found myself overpacking yet again! My sis and SO were teasing me when I complained my "anything box" (shoebox sized for anything small enough that might escape a storage area) was too full and I think I had duplicate items in there. Of course there were! Sis and BF got things they didn't have when I found myself having duplicates for no good reason other than I tossed them in there the previous season. 

This forum is great. There are so many great ideas to maximize space and products suggested as safe/lightweight alternatives for traditional items. 

Best of luck and let us know if a particular T@B somewhere whispers to you off the lot somewhere!! Picts or it didn't happen