New Tab Owner

foxden

Picking up my new Tab next week.  Know nothing about trailers OR towing them so I will be relying on this forum for all the help I can get!  A bit more than a little nervous about the whole thing but ready for the adventure.

ericnliz

@foxden, Everyone here was new to this at one time or another. Please know you came to the right place for good info & help. Welcome aboard, and don't be afraid to ask questions. By the way, your trailer name should be St@rdust!  Just sayin'. The more you get accustomed to both towing, and your trailer, the anxiety level will go down tremendously. Hang in there, and most of all, have fun! 

foxden

@ericnliz, Thanks for that!  Your are right and I will be changing that to St@rdust.  Looking forward to time on the road and meeting fellow Tab owners.

Homebodyatheart

Congratulations! This forum is a great place for all sorts of info. We just brought our T@B MaxS home last Friday, same colors as yours, same towing experience.  We practiced on an almost empty road by the dealer then headed home. We did just fine, and you will, too! Have fun with it!

dragonsdofly

Congrats, welcome aboard, and you will have happy t@bbing! We picked our t@b up May 14, 2016 and like you had no experience with rv's or any type of camping, but we took the leap and had the greatest trip of our lives a few months later. We had only one weekend for practice and then embarked on the epic adventure of our family: 6 weeks, 10,000 miles, 21 states and every national park we could make out west. The t@b made it possible and allowed us to meet nice people everywhere we travelled. With the forum close at hand we felt we would be able to handle any unusual or unfortunate mechanical instances that might occur. Nothing but wonderful, adventurous times happened. Look forward and you'll go there!

drpprmt

Sounds like you did very well.  We just downsized from a 32ft class A so this forum on storage has been very useful.  We'll find out in 3 days when we leave.

texasaubiefan

As a follow Texan - welcome to the f@mily!   If there's any advice I can share so far - take it slow and easy.  Many newbies (like me) are all about the destination and visiting as many places as they can.   But I've read so much from the veterans - it's the journey too so my plans are after 35 years in corporate America of busting my butt (still not retired) around deadlines - is to slow down and enjoy the journey!  A very wise mentor of mine said many years ago...it's not the things you have, but the memories AND values you have and leave behind.  

foxden

Well, I did it.  Picked up my new Tab from Princess Craft in Round Rock.  First let me say that were really great.  I was terrified about towing a trailer and they really worked on getting my confidence up.  They even found an alternate route so that I didn't have to drive through the middle of Austin to get back home.  And I learned a few things along the way:

1. When you step into a Tab for the first time you think "gee, it looks smaller than the pictures" but when you see it attached to your TV for the first time you think "gee, it looks bigger than the pictures".  Hmmm
2. Just because you feel like you are going to pass out when you have to merge onto I-35 the first time doesn't mean you will
3.  Where I went, my Tab went right along with me.  Turns, stops, everything.  And every time I looked in my rearview mirror, there it was!  Who knew?
4.  There is a sweet spot for speed.  It is where you feel comfortable and where the Tab settles in to a nice "routine".  Which leads to the next one....
5.  People can go around you!
6.  I finally realized that you don't ALWAYS have to be in a hurry to get somewhere!  Enjoy the journey.  Wish I had learned that one a long time ago!
7.  THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!!

Looking forward to getting out on the road soon (after a little backyard camping)

Michigan_Mike

Congratulations!   

Some good observations above and with time and travel you will settle in to becoming a "seasoned & confident" hand setting up, using and towing your trailer as we were all newbies out of the gate and with familiarity and practice you'll be just fine!

One thing you'll find out when driving is that there will always be some inconsiderate individual(s) who will tailgate your trailer or suddenly dart in front of you and about 2-4' in front of you (what are these folks thinking!!?) trying to get into the next lane in an effort to exit the expressway.   This raises my ire and when I do feel someone is too close for comfort I will occasionally flip on my 4-way flashers to let them know they are too close and normally these people do back off and increase the interval of travel behind me.   

Settling in at a comfortable speed is the key and staying away from high speed travel will reduce heating of your tires and creating a possible blow out.  Do maintain and check your tire pressure often too, especially before heading out on each trip to ensure proper inflation and do a thorough walk around pre-trip inspection as well to make sure you've got everything hooked up properly, things are stowed properly inside the trailer and that everything is as it should be.  

Have a blast and post up some shots of your new trailer when time permits!

Safe travels!  

ericnliz

@foxden, What Mike said, absolutely agree. Have fun out there & congrats!

DebM11

Even when something untold happens you survive and go out again to enjoy the next journey. We picked up our T@b last November from North Carolina and on the way back had a car accident. Young guy on I-95 middle of Richmond, Va decides to enter the highway in front of us, trouble is his entrance lane was to short to speed ahead of us. He hit our front passenger fender and by a miracle missed our trailer. Husband was driving, swerved and brought us back into our lane safely with no one hurt. 
So fully agree that people can and should go around you! Although I still flinch in the passenger seat when people are entering the highway next to us, so just try to close my eyes and think happy thoughts. 

foxden

@DebM11 Glad to hear that you made it through ok.  Heads up driving always!  I have definitely learned to relax while towing but I hope I never let down my guard.

clinck

Take  the long way home! I mean when it makes sense, stay off the freeways. Freeways or interstates are for truckers and those that want to travel at 80 mph. Our gear is not designed for hi speed travel nor is it safe..
i like the two lane hi ways where I can travel at my favorite cruising speed of 50-55 mph. Yes, you cant get there as quickly, but that just the point. You get to see America and not as a blur. Stop when you want, have lunch at a local diner with the folks. Pull off to read the historical markers...let your dog have a great pee in an alphalfa field.
Thats really what it's all about.
sometimes you have to go by interstate. There's just no other way but when the map shows an alternative...take it and you will benefit from the slower pace.

mickietucs

@clinck - that's my favorite speed as well. So although CA traffic can be insane, I LOVE their law --- anyone towing has a max of 55mph. Wish all the states were like that so if one has to be on an interstate, it's a much calmer atmosphere. 

foxden

Well said @clinck I have always been the person on the road trip who packed sandwiches/snacks and only stopped to get gas and hit the bathroom (and always in combination).  Decided my arrival time before the trip and usually was accurate within just a few minutes no matter how long the trip.  The goal was to get where I was going as efficiently as possible.  Recent retirement and my new Tab are teaching me that it really is the journey that counts and I am (slowly) learning to enjoy the ride!

TabberJohn

Agreed. The interstate highway system is the easiest way to bypass America.

Photomom

TabberJohn said:

Agreed. The interstate highway system is the easiest way to bypass America.

On back roads someone drives and someone navigates and hopes he or she doesn't make mistakes on unfamiliar roads. On interstates the driver can yell at the Garmin.

Lesley_and_Ian

Loved reading your first impressions.  I could have written them myself.  it is amazing to see the T@B following right behind!!  And good to read about optimum speeds and safe driving tips.  We are going to Michigan with our "new" T@B in 2 weeks and are not looking forward to driving through Chicago.   Any tips?  Going to Lansing from Wisconsin so through the UP is not really an option!