new or used?

nolagringa

I'm looking seriously at getting a T@b trailer and wondering if a used one is a good option.  Obviously the lower price point is appealing, but I wonder about how I know what kind of quality I'm getting and how to handle repairs, etc., so  warranty sounds better. 

What do y'all advise?  I would be traveling solo with an overly belligerent dog, so being stranded wouldn't be appealing.

Could a regular mechanic do a check-over like with a car or is this more specialized? 

Thanks!

jgram2

Welcome @nolagringa!  We bought used and after more than a year, have no regrets, we were given all of the Manuals the owner had received, including for individual component parts, like the Alde furnace and water heater, the fridge and AC, etc. Those were helpful to have.

rkj__

I bought used, through an RV dealer.  They provide warranties on used purchases.  I'm sure my dealer is not the only one who does that.
 
Buying used saved thousands.  No regrets.

There is not much that would leave you stranded.  Checking wheel bearings is not very specialized. 

jason330i

Used is especially good if the previous owner took good care of the trailer and fixed all the little things wrong with it.

marknjudy

I have a used one for sale and it’s immaculate. Always kept indoors and in like new condition. Just sayin’

nolagringa

Thanks all - very helpful!  Marknjudy - where are you?

GailandJohn

We bought ours new because my husband wanted new, but I was more inclined to buy used and save $$. I still wish we had gone used, but I love the one we purchased. I would be a little intimidated buying used without a warranty because we are newbies to owning an RV. We've learned a lot from this forum but we have a long way to go. Having a warranty through a dealer might be a good thing, unless you know someone who is knowledgeable about trailers that could help you shop. Another issue for us is time. We bought sight unseen from a dealer, which was easier buying new. It's kind of hard to imagine traveling to different parts of the country to look at used ones, though @Marknjudy now have one for sale right where we live. I wish it had been available in August.

nolagringa

@GailandJohn - I'm a total newbie, too, and don't know where I'd go for help.  I'm sure I can figure things out to an extent, but yeah - time is definitely an issue for me, too; not just for driving around to check things out but also with having time to figure out issues. I wish I could rent one and try it out.  But it sounds like buying used might still be a good idea.

marknjudy

In Texas. Near Dallas/ Ft Worth. I have pictures posted in the for sale section. I’d be happy to send more. I’d  link to it but don’t know how. Look for For Sale and Texas. 

jgram2

@nolagringa see the categories column to the left-for sale, new and used trailers!

marknjudy

Ok. I think I figured it out @nolagringa. Here is the link to the trailer. Again, I’d be happy to provide anything else you might want to know or see. 

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/5756/for-sale-2016-t-b-320-s-max-in-north-texas-16-000#latest

Sharon_is_SAM

@nolagringa We are newbies, too.  You mentioned not having time to figure things out.  I understand and would recommend that in advance of a purchase, really study the threads in the forum and learn about the common issues.  Much better to have the up front knowledge when an issue with the TaB occurs.  It will save a lot of frustration and you will have some tricks in your bag to resolve minor things when they occur from time to time.  More importantly, you will know when a pro needs to handle something - saves time and money.  

Because we are not handy with construction or repair work, and knowing we would never see any modifications without taking it somewhere, we ordered our TaB with all the mods we needed done up front.  Did not save any money that way, but we saved a lot of time, frustration, and we have all of our hair!  Good luck with your decision.  TaBs are great!

nolagringa

Thanks, @SAM. What sort of modifications did you have made? 

Sharon_is_SAM

Mods with our order:  MaxxAir fan, bench converted to counter and cabinets, eliminated USB ports and added 110 and 12 volt outlets, altered front tub to accomodate a large AGM battery, Victron battery monitor, altered galley cabinets and had ARB frig and slide installed, added under cabinet and galley lighting, added Lagun mount outside, upgraded table and counters to Sofitel style.  We would have never been able to do these changes - no skills!  

Sharon_is_SAM

Boo are you looking at the 400?

atlasb

I for one would not be afraid of a used T@B.  Would of course check things out and ask questions.  I find a lot of T@B owners are very versed in all things T@B.  Most are hands on and you find most have been modded in some way.  The T@B in most cases becomes a family member and is pretty well taken care of.  Many owners know more about the T@B than most dealers.  The T@B is in itself, a quality product with excellent factory support.  The forum affords a tremendous amount of owner information.  True, with a new T@B you get a warranty, usually for one year unless you purchase the extended plan.  That year tends to go by pretty fast so the advantage of new for warranty purpose is short lived to a point.  Purchasing a used T@B from an owner also in most cases allows an owner to move up to a different or larger T@B so it can be a win win for both parties.  It's really hard to go wrong with a T@B!

nolagringa

Thanks, @atlasb - good points! @boo - I"m in New Orleans.  @SAM - those are amazing upgrades!  So smart!  What was the purpose of the additional battery?   

Sharon_is_SAM

It was not an additional battery, it replaced the usual 75 amp wet cell battery that most dealers provide.  We wanted a battery with higher amperage (150 amps) to allow for longer time to dry camp and needed/wanted AGM as it requires much less maintenance (sealed), charges faster (lower resistance), tolerates deeper discharges, and very limited self discharge per month - important since we store off site and do not need to keep it on a charger.  Getting 2 - 6 volt AGMs would have given us even more amps, but we were concerned about the extra tongue weight.  NuCamp did a fabulous job making it fit in the tub and even built a custom aluminum battery box which we did not expect in addition to resizing the steel battery framing.  Could not be happier.

dsatwork

@nolagringa We wanted a very specific build and ordered it the way we wanted. However, at the time we were looking there were precious few used ones available. Not the bountiful supply available right now.

nolagringa

@dsatwork - I'm wondering if the route for me would be to get a used one for some time and figure out what my preferences are and then trade in for a custom build. 

Sharon_is_SAM

nolagringa, if you don't mind taking a big hit with a dealer trade in.  Most people sell their Tabs outright as their is a market and it limits the depreciation.

jgram2

@nolagringa @FishDoctor posted his walk-through list some time ago and I've saved it in my iBooks. Some "Used" sellers won't know a lot because they discovered they do not love the camping life, some like @marknjudy know their T@Bs very well. I like lists, so here you go: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/37/567tu4xtgdrd.pdf 

db_cooper

We bought ours used and no regrets.  I've read a lot of threads about poor dealer walk throughs and poor service even if you have warranty. Our seller gave us a thourough walk through and a binder of info they had gathered.  Plus they even delivered!   When I go to sell the new owner will get a bunch of upgrades and a full primer.  But not any time soon!

2Cougs

We also bought ours used and no regrets.  We didn't even have a hitch on the TV yet, so they towed it to our house.  They gave us a very thorough walk thru ( half of what we couldn't remember the next day because we knew nothing going in to this)... Then we had "happy hour" in the driveway before they headed 90 minutes home.  We knew then that T@b owners are fun loving people who share their knowledge freely and treat their trailer like a member of the family.  A year later ... still no regrets!

TABaker

Bought mine used in 2010 and still love her