Greetings from a thrilled new T@B owner!

Vermonster

Just wanting to say hi, tell our short story, and then a couple of questions. We're just graduating from tenting, and after looking at various small campers decided the T@B was perfect for us. We have a tight budget and couldn't imagine we could afford one, so imagine our excitement when we found a 2004 for sale just an hour and a half from us that we could afford! After lots of negotiation and soul searching about the cost, she's ours. We're the fourth owner and, though somewhat neglected over the last couple of years, overall is lightly used and generally in good shape. I've taken care of most of what needed repairing except the propane function for the Norcold 3 way fridge and I don't think that will be too expensive. Now for my questions- We've spent a few nights in it off the grid and it's apparent that we need more electrical capacity. I did put in a new battery when we bought it. So, should I consider adding a second 12 volt battery? From my reading it sounds like golf cart 6 volts are a good way to go but I'm not ready to make that jump yet. I've look into a portable solar system for recharging but it seems like maybe I should increase battery capacity first. Any thoughts? One thing I've noticed is a 75 milliamp draw from the LP detector, which sounds normal, and a 50 milliamp draw from the fantastic fan even when turned off. Does this sound normal? I've installed a battery shutoff so I don't have these draws when it's sitting. Thanks for any input!

Nomad

Congrats!
Fridge/Propane - Only three things in that chain. Thermocouple is the easiest and about $25. Gas valve is harder to find and usually has to be ordered from Norcold. The circuit board is expensive $160 or so. Easy to install if you can get one. It's usually a Norcold order also. If it's not the thermocouple, it more than likely the board. Just went thru the whole routine :-(
Battery - I'm a single battery with solar fan. As long as there's sun, I'm good to go and that's with just a Group-24. The caviets are...I don't watch TV and I don't use the fantastic fan except during the day with good solar.

dragonsdofly

Welcome! Sounds like you've got this under control. When you've handled all the bugs, happy camping!

Vermonster

Hey, thanks for the replies.  Being in the northeast, we don't get so much sun and will commonly be under tree canopies.  We're not big power users (don't even have a tv at home) thus my thinking that with another battery could comfortably go 2-3 days unless running the furnace a lot

PXLated I am hoping it's the thermocouple on the fridge too. 

Its snowing and cold cold here now but hope to spend another night or two locally before they start salting the roads.  Salt kills trailers real fast so we'll keep it in the garage then!

Nomad

I'm a big park under the trees guy. If there's a tree, I'll find it :-)
Have an extender cabke to get the solar out from beneith. With just my small G24 battery I can go a couple days. Fridge takes nothing on propane. I have the miserly Alde for heat though.

ColoradoJon

I went the two 6 volt golf cart battery route and have been amazed at the capacity reserve they have.  I went from 80 amp hours to 230 amp hours for just over $200.  Even if you intend to go solar I would highly suggest installing two 6 volts.  If you do not go with two 6 volts then don't even bother with a second 12 volt, just get a good solar set up.

Installing a second 12 volt battery is no different than installing two 6 volt batteries, except the 12 volts are connected in parallel.  Space is the only concern with either setup, though.

ScottG

I upgraded to a larger group 27 battery and a 100W solar panel. With judicious power use (we're also reformed tent campers), we can go three, even four days without needing to recharge. However, even in a mostly shaded site, the panel will provide a little top-up if left out all day.

I had to do some minor modifications to fit the group 27. Obviously dual batteries will provide a much larger margin of power, but getting them on board will be a bit more of a challenge. If you take some time to evaluate your needs and observe how your battery behaves, you'll come up with a solution that is economical and practical for your specific purposes.  

Sharon_is_SAM

Scott, you say you can go 3-4 days without recharging.  Don't you hook up your solar daily to recover what you used?

Sharon

ScottG

SAM said:

Scott, you say you can go 3-4 days without recharging.  Don't you hook up your solar daily to recover what you used?

Sharon

Usually I do, but not always. We didn't use solar at all on our last three-day trip, and the battery at minimum load was just dipping below 12.3 volts when we pulled out.

Note that this requires pretty parsimonious power usage. We run the fridge on propane, use the water pump as needed, burn a few inside lights for a short time in the evening, and run the Alde once, sometimes twice a day (again on propane) to heat water for dishes. The water pump is the only power hog, but it runs relatively little.

If you start running things like the fan, the outside light, and the entertainment system, your battery power will drop off more rapidly. 

ChanW

Jon, would you happen to have photo of how you fit your twin batteries in? I'd love some ideas. Thanks.

ColoradoJon said:

I went the two 6 volt golf cart battery route and have been amazed at the capacity reserve they have.  I went from 80 amp hours to 230 amp hours for just over $200.  Even if you intend to go solar I would highly suggest installing two 6 volts.  If you do not go with two 6 volts then don't even bother with a second 12 volt, just get a good solar set up.

Installing a second 12 volt battery is no different than installing two 6 volt batteries, except the 12 volts are connected in parallel.  Space is the only concern with either setup, though.

ColoradoJon

Chan - Sorry I don't have pics, and my batteries are now inside on the charger for the winter.  I have the Outback tub which is larger and had just enough space to fit two 6 volts.  I removed the 12V box, placed a plywood spacer on the bottom, and the batteries simply slid right in next to the propane tank.  I did not install a dual battery box.

Edit - I wasn't sure about the dual 6 volt batteries so this install was done as cheaply as possible.  I used two GC2 230 amp hour batteries from Batteries Plus (made by Deka I believe).  At $109 each and a $5 cross connect cable, and a cool %10 discount from Batteries Plus, it cost me just over $200 with tax.  I am very, very pleased with the result and will run these batteries until they die, then pick up better ones.

Vermonster

Thanks for all the comments.  I have a long list of upgrades to spend money on so its one thing at a time.  Still thinking better battery capacity first then solar, since we can go many days at a time here without any sun at all.  Right now I'm looking out at heavy wet snow and the power is out at home so we're spending the night in the T@b! (In the garage)

ericnliz

Home, sweet home away [sort of!] from home. Hope you get your power back soon! Last wind storm ours was out for 10 days & no T@B.

Photomom

Vermonster said:

Thanks for all the comments.  I have a long list of upgrades to spend money on so its one thing at a time.  Still thinking better battery capacity first then solar, since we can go many days at a time here without any sun at all.  Right now I'm looking out at heavy wet snow and the power is out at home so we're spending the night in the T@b! (In the garage)

If you are heating with propane be sure to ventilate the garage well!

Dalehelman

Where are you in the Pacific Northwest that you are getting snow already? You must be in the mountains. I hope it is a few more weeks before we see snow in Spokane.

ericnliz

Dale, I'd have to say maybe East Coast, perhaps Vermont? I'm with you though, don't need snow as yet!

Dalehelman

Oh I thought they said northwest.

irvingj

Nope, it was here (Northeast). We've had wet snow and a snow/rain mix a few times already. I'm only at about 1500', but I guess we had a good 1/2 inch last weekend.

Vermonster (Ben & Jerry's fan?), where you at? We just sold our 2004-05 T@B (apparently some question as to actual model year), and I miss it already... though I know it went to a good home. Since ours was of the same vintage (made by Dutchmen), if you have questions I'd be happy to help. Congratulations, they are neat campers -- and a heck of a lot easier on the body than tenting!

Walt (irvingj)

ChanW

Ok, thanks Jon. I guess I'll have to take some measurements before I have a desperate need to replace our battery. Give me time to figure things out.

ColoradoJon said:

Chan - Sorry I don't have pics, and my batteries are now inside on the charger for the winter.  I have the Outback tub which is larger and had just enough space to fit two 6 volts.  I removed the 12V box, placed a plywood spacer on the bottom, and the batteries simply slid right in next to the propane tank.  I did not install a dual battery box.

Edit - I wasn't sure about the dual 6 volt batteries so this install was done as cheaply as possible.  I used two GC2 230 amp hour batteries from Batteries Plus (made by Deka I believe).  At $109 each and a $5 cross connect cable, and a cool %10 discount from Batteries Plus, it cost me just over $200 with tax.  I am very, very pleased with the result and will run these batteries until they die, then pick up better ones.

Ratkity

@Vermonster, Welcome! I can't believe I missed saying that in your post. I love all the new folks and hearing the new things in the newer T@Bs and, of course, how inventive people are with decor and mods.

Cyclonic

Welcome aboard!  Don't forget the pictures!

Vermonster

Hi all. Thanks for all the replies!   Our 2004 t@b is pretty basic but that is what we like.  It's our "bed on wheels", being just graduating from tenting.  Irvingj, Ben and Jerrys?   Sure, once I a while.  We're in southern Vt at 1500 ft, lots of gmnf to camp in.  Sorry to hear you sold your t@b, would like to compare notes.  Ours came from Grafton NY.  

photomom, not to worry.  My garage is my year round workshop and heated with a wood stove so didn't need to run heat in the camper

Still plan to get out a couple of times before the roads are salted.  We'll keep posted.  Lots of ideas for mods and ideas for this winter but at this point are holding off from drilling holes inside or out until we know more about what we want

Vermonster

Irvingj, where did your t@b go to?   Just curious.  We've never seen another one around VT.  We were looking at Scamps and such until stopping at a dealer in Rutland (Dan Kearley) and fell in love with the t@b.  Then promptly found ours for sale in Grafton NY. 

irvingj

Ours went to a family that had had a T@B T2 like ours. Apparently their floor got really bad (check out this problem on this forum!) and totally let go, even damaging the frame, they said. They really preferred the simplicity of the earlier Dutchmen models and so bought ours, reading about it here in the "For Sale" section. They're from a small town on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie, NY, so that's where our T@B now lives. They were quite happy to have found ours.

That was our first camper, and a nice step up from tenting; we really appreciated it when it rained!

Vermonster

Still camping.  Dead creek wildlife preserve to see the snow geese.  Got some awesome video.  Cold and rainy

Vermonster

Irving, what are you doing now without your tab?   

irvingj

Wow, our old stomping grounds! When kids were young & we were still tenting, we often went to nearby Button Bay.

Wife had been wanting us to get an RV for years, but I resisted mightily. I've always been, since 1973 or so, an advocate of diesel power, and so wouldn't entertain any kind of an RV that wasn't diesel, but the huge Class A's were never an option. Enter the Mercedes Sprinter-based RVs: relatively small, decent fuel mileage... we're both retired now, everything was paid off, and we mistakenly went to check out a Roadtrek based on the short wheelbase Sprinter. One test drive was all it took!

I still miss the T@B, it was so simple yet functional, have met some fantastic folks on this forum, but now we've sold the T@B and use the Roadtrek "SS Agile." Went all the way, mostly on US Rte 2 (yep, it goes all the way!), to Seattle a year ago last summer, down to LA, diagonally back up & home. 11,000+ miles, @ 20 mpg. Too much going on at home this summer, but did manage a trip to Paducah, KY in early spring. Roughly 3500 miles, again @ 20 mpg. Not too shabby. And, I can still bring my boat! That was a bit of a conundrum with the T@B, unless we used two cars.

But I still hang out on this forum, it's so entertaining!

Ratkity

@irvingj, dang that is NICE. I peeked inside of one when I was cruising RV places for tiny trailers. It'd be nice to pull the motorcycle behind it. Then I could visit places without packing up camp. I just don't want a payment. Them things are awesome inside!

Vermonster

Hi boo.  Bought the racks at Home Depot for $300.  We carry 2 kayaks no problem.  I've been thinking the same about a generator but also will try solar next summer.  But getting by on the battery even in cold sub freezing weather we only use the furnace for a few minutes evening and morning.  After all we're used to tenting!  (And down comforter plus sleeping bags)

irvingj, love Button Bay!   I'm working on kayaking the entire shoreline of Lake Champlain.  One of the reasons for the t@b, to make camping easier on kayak trips

Vermonster

Boo, I forgot about your question about removing the racks.  They basically clamp on to the side rails of the pickup with what amounts to c-clamps, so wouldn't be too hard to remove but would take enough time that I wouldn't want to do it too often

Lesley_and_Ian

Hi Vermonster.  
Glad to see someone else likes the older simpler T@Bs.  We just got our 2007 T@B but as we are in Wisconsin it is now safely in a barn for the winter.  In the spring we plan to get it out and go to Michigan and Canada.  I think we will have lots of questions about the older versions so will look out for your comments.
One question right now.  Our T@B is silver and grey but my heart wants something with color!  Has anyone had experience with painting the panels?  I have an artist friend who will help me in the spring.  We thought we would remove the pannels, sparay paint them and re-attaceh.  Any opinions?