New T@B owner in Washington State

LaurieOregonGal

Hi everyone - well, I did it..........I bought a T@B. Yay!  I'm so very excited!  Been looking for a used one for some time and found one I like and can afford.  It's a 2004 T@B with absolutely no frills - just a fridge, two burner stove, U shaped seating and table, and some storage.  Oh, and a furnace.  No A/C, but when you live in Washington, that's not too essential.  So, I'm in learning mode - been reading these forums a lot and they are very helpful!  Thanks so much.  The T@B has been used very little but has been stored in a garage, so that's nice.  Whew! 

The first issue I'm facing is figuring out how much I need to modify my vehicle to get it home!  I drive a 2012 V6 Toyota RAV 4 with a tow package but I don't think I have brake wiring included in that. And the plug is all wrong.  So that's number one. The second issue is new tires for the trailer, and the wheel bearings need greasing (so I'm told). So that'll have to be done. And the battery is dead.  Will it charge while towing?  (Is that a stupid question or what?) Like I said, lots to learn! 

So any helpful hints you all wish to throw my way, I'd be grateful. I can't wait to get it home and out camping! I'm already thinking about how I'm gonna nest in it.  As soon as I get it home, I'm going camping in my driveway!  Let the fun begin!  

Laurie

Vermonster

Hi Laurie, congratulations!   We just bought a 2004 in September and am loving it.  Ours has surge brakes not electric.  Not sure if they made them with electric brakes at that time, maybe they did.  If your battery is dead you may find yourself needing a new one but worth charging to find out. It charges while towing but starting with it dead you should put a charger on it to get it fully charged.  Have fun!

dragonsdofly

Congratulations, and welcome to the unlimited world of possibilities, oooh, and adventure. I'm sure you'll get it handed and worked out. At this point, literally, the sky's the limit. Happy holidays to you! 

Geo

LaurieOregonGal,
Welcome to the wonderful world of T@Bbing.

All early DM (Dutchman) built T@B's use a surge brake system - no brake controller needed. The wheel bearings are a sealed type - cannot be greased (replacement only). You can tow it home with a 4 pin to 7 pin adapter for the plug, will not have a battery charging wire.  

Hope this helps

TabberJohn

What is easiest way for Laurie to test the surge brakes?
Is there a pin or lever that indicates towing vs. backup position?

ericnliz

LaurieOregonGal, Congrats, and welcome! First question I have for you: Where in Washington State?
                                                                 Second question: Do you know the model of your T@B? Sounds like a U, or perhaps Q model?
                                                                 Third Question: Do you know of a reputable dealer close by that deals with T@B trailers?
I don't know how handy you are, but some of the issues you have brought up are pretty simple to address. The wiring, trailer to tow vehicle would be first on my priority list, so you will have lights while towing, charging the battery, the tires, and having the bearings checked would take a definite second. Like Geo said, a 4 to 7 pin adapter would most likely fit the bill for towing it home. Camping in your driveway is an excellent idea! Familiarize yourself with everything in your [to you] new T@B. Any more questions, feel free to ask, you'll find friendly, helpful folks here!

Vermonster

Thanks for the input above Geo.  I'm not aware of a pin or lever for backing up with the surge brakes.  My brakes (as tested with the trailer on jacks and using the parking brake) only hold going forward, not backwards.  Not sure if that's the way they are supposed to be but that allows for being able to back up.  My pickup is rated for towing 6300#, so I can hardly tell the t@b is back there, let alone be able to feel if the surge brakes work (and don't care totally not needed for me!)

ontheroad

congrats on your t@b, lots of great info here, but if you have a kindle also go on line and get Richard Lewis's e-book, type in t@da...wealth of info, in Canada all for $5.00...enjoy your trailer

Geo

TabberJohn,Vermonster,
There is no pin for backing up, the brakes release automatically when backing up. However we do have a hand brake that may be considered a lever.

IMPORTANT - the hand brake must be in the down/forward position for towing, and in the up or skyward position for parking.  The hand brake in the up/on position should be approximately at an 11:00 o'clock angle, that indicates the mechanism is adjusted properly.  A 12:00 o'clock (straight up) indicates too loose or minimal brake action.  Less than a 10:00 o'clock or 45 degree angle indicates too tight or too much braking action.
You can test your brakes by hitching up, engage the hand brake, and put the vehicle in drive (no gas pedal) - if you roll forward easily you have no brakes, if you do not roll forward gently apply a little gas to test how much resistance you encounter (if the trailer tires slide and do not roll you have excellent brakes)

Does this make sense ?
 Go easy on the gas peddle for this test ! 

Homebodyatheart

LaurieOregonGal welcome! First off, UHaul installs hitches and wiring and all, and could answer your questions about all that. You have a V6, so towing should be no problem from what I've heard and read. 

Seconding Eric's question - what part of Washington are you in? Since you didn't mention snow you might be across the hills from us here in Eastern Washington, but if you are over here we have an active group of T@bbers that meets for breakfast the second Saturday each month and we love new friends!

I like your driveway camping idea, too. Our T@B MaxS is supposed to arrive mid-January I think (& hope!). Driveway camping once we can get her home is on my agenda. This forum is such a wealth of information, and a lot of really nice people, too!

Oh, and as someone said here more than once...if there's no pictures it didn't happen/doesn't exist... :-)
Becky

LaurieOregonGal

Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful information! Love it!

To answer a few questions:

I believe I have the U basic design. No toilet/shower. Kitchen counter with sink/stove along front edge, u shaped sitting area with table in middle. 

I live in Olympia........so I'm on the west side of the state. I spend a lot of time at Rainier and use the Forest Service campgrounds a lot. I do a lot of hiking/backpacking and such and am looking to extend my seasons a bit on both sides of summer. Day hiking in cloudy/cool/drippy weather is ok with me, but camping/cooking/sleeping in it? Naw. 

When I asked the previous owner about brakes, he said "yep, electric brakes!" But it's sounding like that's not possible so will have to sort that one out. There's a T@B dealer north of here near Tacoma, so I may have to visit them. And thanks for the good idea about visiting the UHaul! I like that idea. I talked to the local Toyota dealer and wasn't too impressed with the answers (or lack there of) that I was getting.  

Like I said! Lots to learn! But I'm on my way! 

db_cooper

Welcome LaurieOregonGal!    You definitely have surge brakes, so I'll let others help you out with that.  I work in Oly and use Gary's Auto for my vehicles.  If you take your T@B by there, they can check the plug to see if it's putting out enough juice to charge your battery.  If you need a new battery,  Costco carries Interstate deep cycle batteries at a good price.  If you see a silver Xterra with a silver/black Outback be sure and wave.

Vermonster

Geo, yes I "tested" the parking brake by forgetting to release it pulling out of a campsite.  The wheels just slid, so the brakes work awesome!  Glad to know freewheeling backwards is normal.  Wouldn't make sense otherwise, you couldn't back up.  Still have no way of telling if the surge mechanism works.  I wonder if there is a spec of how many lbs it should take to compress the plunger on the hitch.  

LaurieOregonGal, any reasonably intelligent mechanic should be able to check out you brakes.  I had never seen surge brakes before and had no trouble figuring it out

Verna

The utility trailer company who greases and repacks my wheel bearings every year (PV 2014 T@B) checks my surge brakes when I take it in. I "had" to check the effectiveness of the surge brakes twice this year due to the lack of good judgement of two other drivers. The surge brakes work very well

j_ntabowners

LaurieOregonGal - Welcome, Once upon a time I lived in Olympia near Black Lake, but now I live on the 'other' side of the mountains.  I saw on one of the earlier posts that there is going to be a gathering of t@b-ers in June at Grayland state park.  you should see if that fits into your plans. My wife and I are planning on going and looking forward to meeting some members of the group to put some faces to the posters.  Here is the link to the post  http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/4115/pnw-glampers-rally-june-2017#latest

LaurieOregonGal

j_ntabowners said:

 I saw on one of the earlier posts that there is going to be a gathering of t@b-ers in June at Grayland state park. 

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for this information!  I'll check it out and see if I can make it.  I ought to be able to at least make the F-S-S dates.  L. 

LaurieOregonGal

db_cooper said:

 I work in Oly and use Gary's Auto for my vehicles.  If you take your T@B by there, they can check the plug to see if it's putting out enough juice to charge your battery.  If you need a new battery,  Costco carries Interstate deep cycle batteries at a good price.  If you see a silver Xterra with a silver/black Outback be sure and wave.

Thanks for this!  I'll check out Gary's Auto - nice to know a local auto shop that's well recommended.  I'm hopeful the battery is still ok - we'll see.  Merry Christmas!  

sbhtennis

I don't have any answers to your technical questions, but i had really good  service and help at "Rack n Road " in Seattle. Ask for Jamie. he got my brake lights and all that technical stuff hooked up even when my Ford dealer did not have an answer. 

ThomasW0001

Hi Laurie,
We live at Boston Harbor, north of Olympia - Plum Street turns into Bay View and then Boston Harbor. We have camped for  years in our 1985 Mercedes diesel Gwagen, which is our tow vehicle. Our 2013 T@B extends our camping range and expands the seasons a bit more in the spring and fall - the shoulder seasons. We generally do not camp in summer, since those three months are just too wonderful here to travel. Our T@B has shower/toilet, and air conditioning,  etc. We have AC in our house, but as you noted too, have never used it since we both are close to the Puget Sound.

I sounds as though you are working toward learning about all systems. The brake discussion was interesting. I recently towed our T@B home from Central California. The brakes were helpful coming down passes and through Portland with lots of ice remaining on the road way. I grew up on a ranch in the Midwest and school in New Hampshire, so winter driving is no big challenge - except for the other drivers who are still experimenting wildly. :  )

Good luck with your T@B. 

Best wishes, 

Tom

LaurieOregonGal

ThomasW0001 said:

I sounds as though you are working toward learning about all systems. The brake discussion was interesting. I recently towed our T@B home from Central California. The brakes were helpful coming down passes and through Portland with lots of ice remaining on the road way. I grew up on a ranch in the Midwest and school in New Hampshire, so winter driving is no big challenge - except for the other drivers who are still experimenting wildly. :  )

Tom

Thanks Tom.  You're right!  I need to learn about a lot of things on this new toy.  I'll be bringing my new baby home next weekend and am excited to get familiar with how everything works.  I have a lot of unanswered questions right now.  The furnace has never been used.  The owner says it's electric but I'm wondering if it's also gas.  Hope so!  Same with fridge.  I just don't know.  But we'll find out!  It's an adventure.   I live in an apartment complex, so the first challenge was finding an affordable, safe place to store it.  Done!  Then I needed to get my SUV rewired.  Done!  Batteries, tires, and brakes are next.  

Laurie

ericnliz

LaurieOregonGal, Sounds like you're on the right track. Do you have a place close by to camp & test everything out? If so, that would be my first trip, test & play with everything. It will probably bring up a lot of questions, but you're in the right place for that too! At any rate, have fun!

Homebodyatheart

Laurie, don't forget to keep your T@B secured (wheel locks maybe?) even in storage. I'm excited for you and your new adventures!

LaurieOregonGal

ericnliz said:

LaurieOregonGal, Sounds like you're on the right track. Do you have a place close by to camp & test everything out? If so, that would be my first trip, test & play with everything. 

I do!  I'm planning a shake-down trip soon. I figure I'll be able to trial everything while not too far from the comforts of home.  Wish me luck!  

LaurieOregonGal

Homebodyatheart said:

Laurie, don't forget to keep your T@B secured (wheel locks maybe?) even in storage. I'm excited for you and your new adventures!

Thanks!  Yeah - I figured it'd be way to easy for someone to simply back up to the trailer, hitch it up and take it away.  So I have a lock for the tongue.  Seems pretty secure.  

LaurieOregonGal

Brought home my new-to-me T@B today!  Yay!  So exciting.  Lots of things to sort out.  I think I need a primer on this whole electric vs gas vs battery thing.  It's a lingo that has me a bit confused.  Any introductory pamphlets/booklets/videos out there that anyone can recommend?  I'll start my search of the internet tonight!  The owner's manual has been NO help.  It's mostly about installing new appliances, wiring them, safety concerns of installation etc.  I just want to know how to safely turn all the things on..............ha ha ha.  Having gas and electric choices in one seems a bit scary ...........I guess I just need to spend some time playing with it all.  And yep, that tire there is a little low.  That's #1 on the list.  

Homebodyatheart

Thats a really pretty T@B! The Little Guy website has an amazing forum with loads of info for you. Ive learned a lot there, and met some great new friends, too. Have fun!

drpprmt

Where is this E. WA breakfast club?  We are new T&B owners in Spokane

ericnliz

drpprmt, I'll bump the info up again for you.

mash2

I have an '06 and love the simplicity of the older Dutchman T@B'a.

I think there were two options for heating... the kool cat (which would be visible panel on right wall area in the "kitchen" as I recall) or the hydroflame heater (actually a propane system).  (If you shoot some pictures on the inside, it would be easy to tell).  If you have hydroflame, it is under the rear bench seat on the driver side of the T@B.  On mine,  the hydroflame thermostat is on the right hand side of TAB wall between upper and lower cabinets (little 2" square box).     You need propane and battery power to get the Hydroflame to work.  

Looks like you have a 3 way frig (vent near front on outside).  Note that the 3-way is an electrical hog and generally the frig should be run on propane.  If you are hooked to power no issue, but without electrical hookup, the frig sucks electricity from the battery. 

Emergency surge brake cable is smaller clip on thinner cable by the (mine is reddish).  Others have described how to check if they are okay.  (as someone noted, the manual brake needs to be set in vertical position to engage when parked and needs to be lowered to use while driving.  

Wheel bearings can be a bit hard to get on a timely basis for maintenance.  I actually keep a spare so I have them when I need them and replace when they are used (makes maintenance activities more timely).  

I have a digital copy of the '06 owners manual if that would help (just PM me and I could email to you.  The yahoo group has copies of most of the user manual for components on the old T@B's.  I'd download the 3-way frig manual from there or other locations on the internet ( think it is the Norcold 3163).  Note that it is an electrical hog in electric mode so will drain battery quickly ... most use in LP mode to limit draw on battery).  There is also a manual for the thermostat (note, the top of the thermostat has an on off toggle and the bottom adjustor sets the temperature).    

I have the user manual for the AKLO hitch in PDF form as well.

Have a great time with the new toy.

tabasco

Congrats Laurie, I have a 2005 (built in 2004) My mileage is around  30000 now and no problems, just the usual maintenance. My hobby seems to be fooling around
modifying T@basco but only because its fun, not essential! More storage by mounting spare wheel under the floor, 27 series battery instead of a 24, 2 ten lb propane tanks instead of one 20 so I dont get caught out in the boonies when one runs out! With our pretty basic electric needs a 40 watt solar panel seems plenty since I went 
to LED lights
Have fun getting used to your new toy! Cheers Jen and Bern.