trip notes

Stevie

Howdy! I've been enjoying this forum and learning a ton over the past month or so. Found the T@B 400 for us last week and brought it home yesterday. Camping locally tonight to get the ball rolling! So far so good getting oriented. Almost couldn't get out of the neighborhood tonight since so many wanted a tour!

Stevie

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jkjenn

Awesome! Congrats!

ericnliz

Now it's time to go have some fun! Congrats.

atlasb

Looking Great!  Know that the more you are in it the more you will love it!  The 400's are great!!

VickeyP

Great & welcome to the 400 club!

Ratkity

Many days of happy camping await! Congratz!

TerryV6

Happy Camping!  Stay with us and share your trips and pics...

GailandJohn

Congrats! Fun times ahead!

Stevie

This is my third night in the 400. Big test tomorrow as I break down camp alone and tow home. We're astounded at other people's response to the trailer.

dragonsdofly

Welcome! Congrats! Adventures! And happy tàbbing!

GailandJohn

Stevie said:

 A couple nights here at the beach in the T@B and I realize how nature deprived I've been. Feeling rejuvenated now!

Yes, we had our first experience with our new T@B this weekend and I loved being outside and in contact with nature. I didn't even realize how much I needed it, even though we bought the trailer for that reason! I came to work today feeling refreshed and ready to take on the week!

Stevie

Found the perfect storage container for underneath. Guess it was just waiting in our garage for the past couple years for Gus to show up. Ha!



I think I want to use something separate for the water hoses and other hook up gear. Maybe use this bin for family things...shoes, toys...packaged extra parts and tools.

Thinking maybe a clear leaf bag for water hose and filter? Drawstring bag for electric cord might be good. Wonder if a black garbage bag for would suffice for garden hose and related tank draining pieces besides the rhino?

I plan to search the forum for storage ideas later today or tonight. I'm a total nerd about have a filing place for everything. I don't want to dig around underneath for pieces just laying loose in there. 

Drewcarrie

Like a separate box for waste elbow. Someone used a Christmas cord doughnut shape container for hose. So far I also put my big outside trash bag in an army duffle then stick it in front propane covered area where the small battery goes. Lots of basket containers say for the bathroom goodies which won't stay on shelf while driving. Container store we found a few

Stevie

A little update...I set off from Virginia Beach on Oct 5 with kids for a coast-to-coast after hubby left to travel for work. We are still out and hubby joined us last Tuesday in CO Springs as we started our trek back east to Virginia Beach. All has gone beautifully and we've enjoyed staying in many types of venues including KOAs, State Parks, Passport America camps, and military fam camps. I'm actually using RVTripWizard for trip planning. What an amazing journey and we've been so comfortable and happy in our 400. We were to add a car top tent for when 3 became 4 for the last couple weeks of the trip but it didn't arrive in time so that has been a bit of a hiccup but we are managing just fine with 4 in the trailer. 

 

TABaker

VickeyP said:

Great & welcome to the 400 club!

I love that, the "400 Club"

One of the big disappointments to me when the 400 hit the lots was the tiny fridge.  I know many don't use the fridge in their 320, but I sure do.  I was hoping the 400 would have something larger.  For 400 owners, how is the fridge working, or not, for you?

skwhee

@TABaker

The refrigerator in the T@B 400 may appear smaller that those in the various T@B 320 models, but in fact is 50% larger. It's quite deep and for us on our four month long trip this summer easily held the produce and meats we needed to prepare a week's worth of meals. 

It may appear smaller than the 3 way in the 320s but it is a 12V refrigerator with a highly efficient compressor that consumes 75%  less power than is needed to run a 3way off battery or shore power and needs less space because it doesn't have to accommodate the equipment needed to run a refrigerator off of propane. It doesn't require sidewall penetrations to vent off the heat generated by the ammonia absorption technology and doesn't require the trailer to be perfectly level.

Coupled with the 235aH AGM battery that comes standard in the 400, this refrigerator provides reliable storage for perishables and is easy to use in off grid camping situations. 



Back in March when this question arose in another thread on this forum we posted:

skwhee said:

We contacted nüCamp today for some numbers. The refrigerator capacities are:
T@B-CS - 1.7 cf
3 way - 1.8 cf
400 - 2.7 cf
The refrigerator in the 400 does appear to be small but is quite  deep. 

manny

T@Baker   I have a cs-s  1.7 cu ft  ...   also mine  and the 400 have a FZ. no fins in the way too..   just saying...

Stevie

I’m a bit surprised to say the fridge has not been too small for us. I thought for sure we would need supplemental cooler but it’s done the job alone. I do keep the cooking simple and I do rotate in new drinks often but I haven’t felt pinched for space in it.

Stevie

Finally getting a chance to resize the photos and share. We went from Virginia Beach to Del Mar Beach with lots of adventures and family visits in between. The dates we traveled were Oct 5 - Nov 18. I'd like to do it again next year but maybe leave a couple weeks earlier.

Here is our route. I tracked everything using RVTripWizard.com. I started out planning several days ahead and by the end was just heading in the general direction required and winging a campsite each day. Quite a meandering route, huh? 



This can't be appreciated from the photo but this was a tight spot to back into at the edge of a big hill on our second night of the journey. Thirteen year old son did an excellent job spotting me in and we got it on the first try! We were at Norris Dam State Park in Lake City, TN.



Originally we were going to go to Yellowstone but by the time we finished with family and headed across in mid-Oct, lots about Yellowstone was closing for the season. We decided to divert to the Grand Canyon and catch Yellowstone another time.



We were so freaking excited to hit the other coast! We actually camped right on the beach and I cannot believe I didn't get a photo of Gus our T@B in the sand...next time.



After leaving the drizzle in CA for the dust of NV, Gus was in serious need of a bath. So he got his first in Las Vegas.



Red Rock Canyon was a bigtime favorite for kids. They love bouldering.


Camped with family in Ouray, CO. This was as cold as we got and I learned a lesson about leaving the water plugged up...don't do it! The hose froze but no damage to the trailer. Temps got up by mid-morning when the Sun came over the mountain and all defrosted fine. 


The boy got the chance to mountain bike in Fruita, CO with his uncle. I was the shuttle service at one point driving them up the hill so they could fly down.



We are amazed at the yellows in CO as we drove down the road. We must have been there at the perfect time in October. HOW BEAUTIFUL! Camera doesn't do it justice. 


Came back through south TX in mid-November and hubby had joined us by then. We rented a boat and had the whole lake to ourselves it seemed. This was Lake Travis in Austin.

This is my favorite shot taken at the Spotted Wolf Canyon rest area on I-70 approaching Moab. 


I spotted 4 other T@Bs on this 6-week journey. Saw one pass on the road and wasn't quick enough to get a photo. Camped right beside an Outback at the Petrified Forest KOA Oct 16. We arrived late and they left early so didn't get to say hi or get a pic. Saw a white with yellow trim pulled by a red truck in Fruita.

And looky here! Met a couple heading back to UT when I stopped for gas outside Las Vegas on Oct 21. We had a great chat and I gave a tour of Gus. So fun!


I must say all the honks and waves and thumbs up we got as we headed down the road was a delight! I gave several tours actually. Almost daily people had questions about Gus and I passed on the NuCamp website and this forum for more info. Felt business cards to hand over would have been nice as I was writing out the info for them! I was surprised too by all the folks with very large TTs who said they want to downsize. 

rkj__

Thanks for sharing a taste of your trip with us.  

jgram2

Love your summary and great photos! Also, the rvtripwizard map is cool-gonna look into that. Thanks for sharing!

ericnliz

@Stevie, Thanks for sharing your adventure & hope you have many more!!!!

Tammara

I enjoyed your photos and commentary. Thank you for sharing. Do take a trip in the late spring, early summer and hit Yellowstone along a northern route.

Stevie

@Tammara That sounds like an excellent plan. I take it you've been there done that?! Can you recommend a favorite Yellowstone campground?

Alan

We liked Yellowstone’s Edge

Tammara

@Stevie  Many years ago, our family did a cross country trip.  We left California May 1st and went towards Florida, covering the southern states before it became too hot. We hit all the states east of the Mississippi and took a northern route in July/August.

I have been to Yellowstone a half dozen times. Getting a campsite is difficult during the summer without reservations, but I have done it. I would go online and look at where the campgrounds are in relation to what you want to see; we liked the ones that had an evening ranger program. It is a BIG park, and the roads can be slow (traffic and 45mph max).  One of the campgrounds you must have a hard-sided RV (no tents) due to grizzlies.

I suggest going in through the North Entrance.  I think it is less busy than the West entrance.  Spend the night in Gardiner, MT just outside the park. I think we stayed at Rocky Mountain RV park. Close to town, nice views, and elk walked through in the evening to get to the river. There are Forest Service campgrounds nearby as well. Get up early and go to the park and get your campsite if you are doing one of the first come first serve campgrounds.  The northern visitor's centers and features are less crowded than Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake area. At the end of your stay, take the Rockefeller Parkway (south entrance) to see the Grand Tetons.

Stevie

@Alan Thanks so much for the recommendation on Yellowstone Edge!

@Tammara WOW, wow, WOW! I appreciate your insights. Thanks for sharing your tips. I'm gonna follow your route from the north through the park and shot for the springtime...maybe 2018, fingers crossed. Here are some links I researched based on your recommendations for others who might be following along (and for my own notes later...hee!hee!): Rocky Mountain RV Park (evening elk!), Yellowstone Ranger Programs, Yellowstone Campgrounds and Reservations, Yellowstone Visitor Centers.