New T@B

LittleredTab

I am the happy owner of a red and white 2015 T@B Max S being towed by a Tacoma Tacoma. I have found the discussions here very helpful in making my decision to get my T@B. I plan to take it out for the first trip in 2 weeks. I am a female solo camper. I am bit nervous about backing up the trailer but so far I am doing well. The Tacoma handles the towing wonderfully.

RZRBUG

Congratulations!  Looks a lot like mine, and I have a red truck as well.  These short trailers are not the easiest to back up.  I always have to make several attempts to get it in the position I want.  I just keep trying until I "git 'er done."  Good luck and safe travels.

SunnyTAB

Welcome! How exciting LittleRedTab! Don't forget to add your signature so we learn a little more about you.

TabyDD

Congrats little red T@b!  What kind of Tacoma truck do you have?  4 or 6 cyl  2 or 4 wd?  D

Torres2906tab

Welcome LittleRedtab! Fairly new myself and have found the folks here to be very friendly and helpful. Let us know how your maiden voyage goes. Hope you have a blast.

LittleredTab

Thank you for all your wonderful encouragement! My Tacoma is 2wd and 6 cyl.

mickietucs

Hi LittleRedtab - Love how your T@B and truck match! I will also be a solo camper (retiring in the not too distant future) and will be ordering my new home and also getting a tow vehicle. The Tacoma is on my list of possibilities. What year is yours?  Welcome! Michele

DurangoTaB

PJ...where did you (or will you) install the brake controller on your Tacoma? I had a battle with our Toyota dealer who mis-installed my P3. I have a 2012 Tacoma TRD with tow package, 4WD 6cyl, and after 5 trips and 2,000 miles in the last 2 months we get around 15mpg towing...but we have BIG hills in Colorado and that makes a difference. We love the combination...especially the storage in the back of the truck. Backing up is easy once you've done it a couple times...I love the backup camera on my truck...makes it easy to hitch!

LittleredTab

Hi Durango TaB. From your comment, this is the first time I have heard about a "brake controller". What is it? I expected to get around 18 MPG, but from what you are getting I assume I will be getting around the same as you. Wow! Sounds like you have been traveling quite a bit. I can't wait to get out on the road. This week I intend to play house with my T@B in my backyard packing it and making sure everything works. The Alde system sound a bit complicated but I think I can figure it out.

Wanderoo

Durango T@B -- I will probably be getting a Tacoma in the next year. How/why did your RV dealer misinstall the brake controller?  Any tips?  Did you get the factory tow package? :-/

Wanderoo

Hi, Little Red T@B!!!  Welcome to the "family." The brake controller is installed and wired from your TV for the electric brakes on the T@B.  I have a proportional brake controller by Tekonsha.

I like the looks of your red T@B and your red Tacoma. Looks as though you have a topper, too.  I'm going to be getting a new TV in the next year, and the Tacoma is tops on my list to look at. 

Where are you taking Little Red on your maiden voyage?  I see you are from Arizona!!  Sweet.  Lots of places to roam out there.  Can't wait to take a trip to AZ myself.

LittleredTab

I should have known about needing a brake controller if I want the electric brakes on the T@B to work but I just assumed that the brake lights go on, thus the brakes are working. Thank you Durango TaB for telling me about them, something the trailer dealer should have done. Where in the Tacoma did you install yours? I have ordered a P2. Hopefully I will get it before I leave on my first trip and the connection fits. Wanderoo, I am going to Greer in the White Mountains of Az. Very nice place.

XPADREX

The brake controller is also nice, in that if you ever get a little sway in the trailer, you can active the trailer brakes slightly while continuing to drive, and this makes it settle down ASAP.

Jana

mickietucs said:

Hi LittleRedtab - Love how your T@B and truck match! I will also be a solo camper (retiring in the not too distant future) and will be ordering my new home and also getting a tow vehicle. The Tacoma is on my list of possibilities. What year is yours?  Welcome! Michele

I love my T@B, even bought a car to match.  2012 Flex.

Nomad

Seem to be a lot of solo T@B gals out there - The first two T@Bs I ran into on the road where around Lake Havasu and they were both solo gals - Neither visit this forum though.

mickietucs

Another solo T@B gal here - Although my T@B order will be a few months out (trying to save a bit more $$), I finally found a TV! Picked it up yesterday. Will have the P3 brake controller installed and some after-market back-up camera. Trying to decide on wired or wireless.

Nomad

mickietucs - Cool - Will your T@B make the TV?

mickietucs

PXLated - I'm old and blonde (ha!) - what did you mean by my T@B "making" the TV - did you mean match? If so, yes - Isl@nd Girl will be all white with aqua trim.

Nomad

Ooops - That should have been "match" not make - So your blondness nor age have anything to do with the confusion - all it takes to create confusion is creaky old typing fingers.

BethH

I'm also a soon to be solo T@B gal.  Also a new Tacoma owner.  But no, the truck does not match the trailer.  The Outback is scheduled to be delivered in March.

mawebb

Mickietucs I tried a wireless back up camera which I was planning on mounting to the rear of the T@B so I could see behind it while driving. My TV already has a built in camera, so I didn't need it to see behind the TV when hitching up. The wireless system worked okay distance wise and did not seem to be prone to interference. It used a digital signal for connection. The picture quality was rather poor and the image was reversed so I scrapped the idea and took the camera back. Have you considered getting the Garmin GPS with the optional camera? It's a little pricy, but I think it would be a really good setup. The model is the Nuvi 2798LMT with backup camera.

mickietucs

Martin - I am interested in a GPS unit so your suggestion is welcomed. I will check out that one (didn't know they make them with backup cameras!). Thanks.

DurangoTaB

PJ...I just noticed I didn't respond to your question.  My idiot dealer installed my P3 controller wrong (tilted), so I installed it on the left, above the "coin tray" by my left knee.  Works great.  Where did you put yours?  There aren't many options due to the dash layout...

Jana

mawebb said:

Mickietucs I tried a wireless back up camera which I was planning on mounting to the rear of the T@B so I could see behind it while driving. My TV already has a built in camera, so I didn't need it to see behind the TV when hitching up. The wireless system worked okay distance wise and did not seem to be prone to interference. It used a digital signal for connection. The picture quality was rather poor and the image was reversed so I scrapped the idea and took the camera back. Have you considered getting the Garmin GPS with the optional camera? It's a little pricy, but I think it would be a really good setup. The model is the Nuvi 2798LMT with backup camera.

You might think about a GoPro camera which also can be used for myriads of fun things, plus there is a bluetooth connection to a cell phone.  Maybe that could also be picked up by your TV.  I mounted mine on the front of my T@B for a trip down a very cool mountain road.  I wasn't happy with the suction cup connection permanence, but am looking into the surfboard mount.

Nomad

In one of the forum threads, someone used their iPhone as a backup camera ... As I recall, they had an iPad and an iPhone - Would attach the iPhone on the back of the TV then do an iMessage/iChat video FaceTime call between them. - Thought that was rather ingenious.
Since all smart phones have a myriad of gps apps available, I haven't used my dedicated Garmin gps for almost ever.

Michigan_Mike

I remember that post and it'd be my luck I'd either crack the screen of the iPad or IPhone by miscalculating the mark.  

If you had a helper as in a partner you could also make a face time call and accomplish similar results.   I'll have to try it out sometime.   

Sgtjohn

I had a 4 cyl Nissan frontier that I used to pull the T@B home with when we bought it and then bought another Frontier V6 which does pull better but...I forgot to take the 7-way hookup wiring from behind the passenger's kick panel.  I check the lights on the old pickup and they worked withe trailer and I assumed they'd work with the new Frontier.  I drove all the way to Tucson AZ from Oklahoma with No brake lights and only one signal light-plus no brake lights.  I sure was surprised to find that out so I bought another 7-way wiring unit and installed it when we were in AZ.
As for backing up, I agree with the camera idea and I've often wondered why they didn't put a protective rear bumper on the T@B.  If you back into something, it'll absolutely ruin the back of the trailer, there was one on EBay sometime back that had been backed into something.

Jana

A rear bumper would spoil the look!

mawebb

In terms of using a Smart Phone over a GPS I have only used Goggle Maps which needs data to work, so if no cell service, your out of luck. In Canada, we have many areas that don't have any cell service, so a GPS seems the way to go. 

In in terms of a camera on the back of the T@B, I am more interested in seeing vehicles behind me, rather than for backing up. The Go Pro sound interesting as long as the battery can last long enough and the range on the bluetooth is far enough.