T@B 400 quality issues

RyanAndLulu

Don't get me wrong... I love my T@B 400. I just upgraded to it from a 2015 T@B Sofitel. Besides one problem with the refrigerator on the Sofitel, the trailer had no issues. Whenever anyone did a tour of the trailer (and there were a lot of people!) everyone's first comment was on how well it was built (and I would have to agree!). Enter T@B 400... while it is still built very well, I have noticed a few things that are on the cheap side. I have only used it once for 2 days and many of the plastic trim end pieces are already falling off on several of the windows. The screen on the window in the kitchen doesn't stay up, it keeps falling down as well as the trim is drooping. The shade on the front window completely buckles when you try and pull it down. The stargazer window has started leaking and drips on the bed. The little counter top that folds up above the bed has already fallen off. Anyone else having these problems? Any words of wisdom? I am taking it to the dealer in 2 weeks to have it winterized and am hoping they will address these issues. 

Thanks!

Estancio

If its any consolation, first year models usually come with issues. I've experienced this with cars, tools, and also with my first-year Little Guy T@B. It's just the nature of first runs. You just need to be patient and keep NuCamp informed about the problems so they can fix them. 

Michigan_Mike

RyanAndLulu said:

Don't get me wrong... I love my T@B 400. I just upgraded to it from a 2015 T@B Sofitel. Besides one problem with the refrigerator on the Sofitel, the trailer had no issues. Whenever anyone did a tour of the trailer (and there were a lot of people!) everyone's first comment was on how well it was built (and I would have to agree!). Enter T@B 400... while it is still built very well, I have noticed a few things that are on the cheap side. I have only used it once for 2 days and many of the plastic trim end pieces are already falling off on several of the windows. The screen on the window in the kitchen doesn't stay up, it keeps falling down as well as the trim is drooping. The shade on the front window completely buckles when you try and pull it down. The stargazer window has started leaking and drips on the bed. The little counter top that folds up above the bed has already fallen off. Anyone else having these problems? Any words of wisdom? I am taking it to the dealer in 2 weeks to have it winterized and am hoping they will address these issues. 

Thanks!

Have you contacted the factory?   It sounds like your dealer is aware of the issues and you might want to call Marvin Raber as he's a great guy and can be additional support in remedying your issues.   I would at least give him a heads up and discuss things with him too.  

Keep us posted!  

Mark_and_Sue

We just got our Tab 400. Having the same issue of the plastic corner pieces falling off the window shade/screens. Did you get a fix for that? 

atlasb

We found the corner pieces on the front window at the lower corners came off easily.  We just watch how we place the cushions beneath and haven't had any more problem.  We kinda sandwich the cushion in place to hold the trim in place. None of the others have been a problem.  Thought a little glue may remedy the problem.  When raising or lowering the screen or shade, I unhook  the shade from the screen then spread out  my reach toward the ends of the screen or shade to raise or lower.  Same way with the front door screen.  Helps to protect the screens and shades.

cj5fanatic

We replaced the shade/screens in our DM Tab with the newer ones, and had the same issue with the corners.  So we weren't surprised to encounter that problem in our 400.  The only other issue we have had is a broken clip on one of the shades.  I attribute this to overuse by customers while sitting on the dealer's lot.  We contacted Nucamp, and they sent us 4 new clips.  Some of the things you mentioned sound like they might also be a result of overuse by "not so careful" customers looking at the trailer.We have owned ours since August, and have not had the issues you are talking about.  You should contact Nucamp (especially about the leak).  They are very proactive, and pride themselves in the quality of their products.

Haloo

I think I will try a little double-face 3M tape to keep the window trim in place.

When we were shopping for a trailer we looked at everything — Airstream, Lance, RPod...  I signed up for every forum and spent time lurking.  The Lance forum is particularly helpful and populated by really nice folks.  I found that every brand has issues.  To me, the most distinguishing characteristic is how well the manufacturer deals with the issues.  Lance?  Very well. Folks are pretty happy with that trailer.  Airstream?  It seems the price people have to pay for that brand increases expectations, and dissatisfaction when things don’t go well.  Paradoxically, Airstreamers also put up with a lot of issues because....well...it’s an Airstream.

After lurking on this forum for a while, I got the sense that folks here had a pretty reasonable set of expectations regarding performance of their T@Bs, and the manufacturer typically meets these expectations.  That, and what we consider the best design on the market, is what sold us on T@B.

Mark_and_Sue

 New T@b 400. Those shade/screen end caps are not staying on. I did send a message to NuCamp but nothing back from them yet. Now noticing dripping from the stargazer window. One of the end caps was full of water. Bedding was quite wet. My hope is that this is just condensation. Need to figure out how to deal with that. I could not find an issue with the seal around the window. Frustrating as we have yet to spend a night in the camper. 

Haloo

I just checked our 400 after our trip home to western Washington (think rain rain rain).  We are still unpacking, doing laundry, etc...  So haven’t cleaned and winterized our camper yet.  I have the 400 plugged into our house power.  The fridge is still running, though empty.  And I have a small electric heater running inside.

I noticed that the backs of the cushions, which are vinyl or something like it, are a bit damp.  So I turned them all vinyl side up to keep condensation from developing between them and cold surfaces.

Oh, and I popped a piece of window corner trim back into place.  Haven’t resorted to double faced tape yet.

BigGrover

Just wondering if folks who posted about stargazer window leaks got their problem resolved?  Was it just a sealant issue or something more?

Thanks

Mark_and_Sue

We worked at decreasing the humidity in the trailer yesterday. Some venting and something called Damprid. Checked this morning and everything is dry. It did rain the other day and not last night, so not ready to rule that out as of yet. Though, checking the seal around the window I can’t imagine how it would leak. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Really run your fan on exhaust during and after a hot shower.  You will see a lot of condensation on the ceiling in cooler weather.  The fan helps a lot to get rid of extra humidity. 

Haloo

Mark_and_Sue said:

We worked at decreasing the humidity in the trailer yesterday. Some venting and something called Damprid. Checked this morning and everything is dry. It did rain the other day and not last night, so not ready to rule that out as of yet. Though, checking the seal around the window I can’t imagine how it would leak. 

I think the designers of the 400 have done a great job of disguising just how small the interior space of the camper is.  Two adults exhale a lot of moisture into that space.  Even so, while we were in warm and dry Utah last week, not a drop of moisture appeared on any surface...except in the bath when we showered.  And the bath fan got rid of most of that.  Overnight the bath would almost completely dry out.  Just a little dampness left on the shower curtain.

When we arrived back in Washington the story was very different.  Despite driving home through a rainstorm in Oregon, the 400 took in no water.  But parked at our house, the humidity in the camper was definitely higher.  It’s been in the 30s with a rain/snow mix here.  The surfaces of the inside of the camper are cool to the touch, and the air temp inside the camper is a bit higher than outside.  Perfect for condensation.

We decided to take the cushions and bedding out of the camper while it is stored this winter.  Western Washington is relentlessly damp. We want to take out most of the things that easily absorb moisture.  And we will periodically run a small heater to keep the level of moisture under control.

DaisyM

Is the fabric on the ceiling above the bed in the 400 intended to absorb condensation?  And if so, is it effective?   

Haloo

DaisyM said:

Is the fabric on the ceiling above the bed in the 400 intended to absorb condensation?  And if so, is it effective?   

I’m guessing it’s there so that you don’t end up pressed against a cold exterior wall while sleeping.  So I think it is intended more as an insulator, and decorative, than to absorb moisture.

The most effective thing to do to prevent moisture build-up is to vent the camper.

RyanAndLulu

Thanks for all the comments! I did contact NuCamp and they were super helpful. They requested I take some pictures and then take the trailer to the dealership to be fixed. The trailer is still there so I don't know the verdict... but I am hoping all turns out well. I also live in Seattle and we have had some bad rain recently which might have contributed to the leaking. I'll keep ya'll posted! 

knoxville1915

I’m sorry I just saw this thread! We had the same leaking problem and it was from the clearance lights on the outside of the T@b, located above the Stargazer window; they were not sealed properly. It took having our dealer let nüCamp diagnose and fix it.

robpt

Having owned truck campers before, with the more recent one having been a Cirrus by NuCamp, I know that running lights have usually been the blame for a lot of leaks. My first truck camper leaked around from a running light until fixed with caulk. I had problems with the Cirrus's running lights shorting for some reason and found that they were not sealed well. 

The Cirrus also had the same Stargazer window over the bed - a location that historically on other truck camper makes and designs had usually resulted in leaks and wood rot. Some people in the truck camper community thought that NuCamp was insane for including that feature in a truck camper and would not touch the Cirrus because of it. I loved it (it opened up the sleeping area), and for the time I had the camper, I never had a leak. I would imagine the seals though over time would need attention as they dried out.  

The plastic trim corner pieces have the same problem with the 320S, at least the one I have now that is being traded in for the 400, as I have found one sitting under the cushion when putting down the bed. It had popped off when a cushion was dragged over it in a prior bed operation. As long as it never gets lost and it pops back on, I try to be aware of it next time I move the cushions. 

chugo

We looked at multiple models and we loved the T@B.  However, the one we picked up seems to be a bit of lemon.  We have had a little over a month and finally took it for it's maiden voyage this weekend and found several things wrong.  It has to go back to the factory for some repairs.  I will be anxious to see how long we are without it.  Here's the things we found.  I would be curious what others are seeing:

1)Sub flooring coming up/delaminating (this is the issue that's causing it to go back to the factory.  It started here but is now throughout the trailer.


A crack appeared in the bathroom between the floor material and the wall.  This is probably just a gap in the caulk but still unacceptable and a gap that (in my opinion) is too large to be sealed with caulk:

Shower knobs mislabeled (minor but still aggravating)


No hot water (actually 10-15 seconds of hot water).  Mixing knob turned all the way to hot, hot water boost on, bypass valve set to normal.  The heat in the trailer in the trailer works beautifully so I know the Alde is working.

Closet door does not unlatch when pressing the knob button in.  It comes out partly, but won't open.  The door must be pressed against the frame tightly then the knob will unlatch:


We are not happy campers at this point (pun intended).  Having had our camper a little over a month we are going to be without it now for some unspecified period of time.  We will go from unhappy to downright irate if it's gone for more than 2 or 3 weeks.  

KRG

I'm having several issues with my new T@B 400 that I bought in December and have only used three times. First the ALDE heater didn't work on my second trip out.  Since that didn't work, I tried using the heat pump on the air conditioner. Well that didn't work either. The dealer fixed the ALDE heating system and told me there was no heat pump (I later verified with NUCamp that there is a heat pump on the CoolCat air conditioner). Third time out with the camper, water started leaking from under the closet, the bathroom fan broke, a high pitched noise was coming from the USB port by the bed, the inverter started alarming during the night, and the electrical braking system I had added is bouncing like crazy when I apply the brakes. My new camper is now at the dealer for repairs, including the heat pump.   Hope the issues are resolved soon and no new issues crop up!  

Sharon_is_SAM

KRG, as routine, electric brakes on the TaB require adjustment after only 100-200 miles.  NuCamp can adjust them if you let them know.  Grabby brakes sounds to me like your brake controller needs to be turned down to a more usable level.  Also, a trailer that does not have a lot of weight will feel bouncy.  Hope your other issues are remedied.

robpt

Thanks, @SAM, when I move my trailer last, it was grabbing and I got a little concern after reading this. Yes, I have taken it about 200 miles by now, and I might need to read up on adjusting - my dealer is over 500 miles away. The brake controller (same one I used with the 320S) was adjusted up when first got the 400 so maybe I need to turn it down a few notches....

I too have the sticky closet latch, but it hasn't been a big deal to me. Maybe if I had those other issues happening (especially the flooring) I would be pretty irritated. Hopefully it gets worked out, which I am sure it will.

Photomom

robpt said:

Thanks, @SAM, when I move my trailer last, it was grabbing and I got a little concern after reading this. Yes, I have taken it about 200 miles by now, and I might need to read up on adjusting - my dealer is over 500 miles away. The brake controller (same one I used with the 320S) was adjusted up when first got the 400 so maybe I need to turn it down a few notches....

I too have the sticky closet latch, but it hasn't been a big deal to me. Maybe if I had those other issues happening (especially the flooring) I would be pretty irritated. Hopefully it gets worked out, which I am sure it will.

We had our brakes adjusted after a couple hundred miles by a local trailer shop that services horse trailers. Your brake controller manual should have instructions for setting the controller.

sdenhof

Our closet door was hung wrong and after a few uses it would not close. It was also slightly warped at the top so we have a new one on order.

LSkrabut

Our 400 also has some caulking pulling away in 2 area behind the toilet. not as bad as shown above, but again it is happening. Odds are I will just re-caulk and chalk these areas to yearly maintenance vs taking the T@B to the dealer and have them do the same.

?, on the shower faucet and hot water pressure, my hot water pressure is a lot lower than the cold water. Considering all of the other faucets, the hot water for the shower is not even close to the pressure of the rest of the hot water faucets in 400. Anyone else notice this on their 400?

Sharon_is_SAM

@LSkrabut, Is your hot water pressure different using the fresh water tank/pump vs the city water connection?  I am going to trial both out here while still in Utah.  

LSkrabut

Same on either source. 

I am guessing the issue is either within the input area of the faucet or after where the plex line T's up to the shower faucet. Neither one is simple to address.

Sharon_is_SAM

Interesting, our water pressure when we open the hot tap greatly improves after the water has had a chance for the Alde to heat it.  Both galley and bathroom.  

ScottG

The hot water has a lot further to go to reach the taps than the cold water. The increased resistance is probably the culprit causing the lower flow at the hot taps. I notice the same thing in my 320.

LSkrabut

My issue is only with the shower hot faucet.  In the 400 case, the kitchen faucet is a lot further and from what I can tell the shower hot is T off of the kitchen straight run.

I am just delaying either taking the T@B to the dealer or opening up the closet wall and Alde holding tank cover and wall to see the back side of the shower faucet.

KRG

SAM said:

KRG, as routine, electric brakes on the TaB require adjustment after only 100-200 miles.  NuCamp can adjust them if you let them know.  Grabby brakes sounds to me like your brake controller needs to be turned down to a more usable level.  Also, a trailer that does not have a lot of weight will feel bouncy.  Hope your other issues are remedied.

Thanks for the brake info. Still waiting to get my camper back.