Picking up your T@B at the factory.

falcon1970

Has anyone collected their T@B at the factory rather than having it shipped to a dealer?  I am told that this is doable and I am considering doing so.  Not only would I save the delivery charge ($1400 to $2000--differing guesses from the sales people) but I would get a nice little road trip out of it as well as an opportunity to see the factory.
When you do collect your trailer at the factory do they give you a walk-around?  does NuCamp charge to pick it up?  Again, I get (as with most questions) varying answers from the dealer's people.  The straightest answers always seem to come from this forum.

atlasb

Our dealer told us we could pick it up at NU Camp, but would have to bring it to him so he could install the propane , and cover and set it up for us.  Have heard that others have picked it up and got the tour also.

Sharon_is_SAM

How do you pull a TaB home without a battery installed?  Your break-away brakes require the TaB battery.  No front tub, no propane, no battery.  You really do want to do a complete check on all systems before you take delivery, and you can’t do that unless you have the battery and propane installed.  I would call nuCamp.  They operate through a dealer system for that purpose.  

Mouseketab

I do know of one couple that picked it up at the factory the week of Tearstock (2016). They had a battery with them. The front tub was installed for them at the factory. Then they had several hundred T@B owners right there to help them set it up and troubleshoot.

MuttonChops

falcon1970 said:

. . . save the delivery charge ($1400 to $2000--differing guesses from the sales people)

Like the idea. I completely lacked the foresight to do the same on my factory order build . . . but then I was scheduled for a February build and getting back to the PNW in winter was not vary inviting & I had an in-the-water boat to sell so I could start RV'ing.

So tell your Dealer to credit you for the standard start/deep cycle group 24 battery and put the $$ into a real group 24 deep cycle battery and any propane dealer can fill the tank.  Plus I bet NuCamp Quality Control will make sure your pick-up unit is perfect.

IMHO.  Doing some planning ( + read the online manual & all the equipment manuals will be more useful than any Dealer walk through) so go for it!

Jaxie985

Anyone showing up at the factory Mon through Thurs can get a nice, full tour of the Sugarcreek factory just by showing up. I called first, but didn’t need to. As far as picking it up ready to go==I don’t know, but suspect dealer setup is part of the deal.

falcon1970

It is my understanding (although I could be wrong) that Nucamp installs the batteries rather than the dealer and the propane tank (although empty), propane hoses, and shore power cable are all part of the basic trailer equipment.  I can't imagine that the dealer would be responsible for installing the front tub.

rajamar

falcon1970 said:

It is my understanding (although I could be wrong) that Nucamp installs the batteries rather than the dealer and the propane tank (although empty), propane hoses, and shore power cable are all part of the basic trailer equipment.  I can't imagine that the dealer would be responsible for installing the front tub.

A year ago we were looking all over the western U.S. for a T@B. I remember seeing a dealer YouTube walkthrough that mentioned the T@Bs come to the dealer with the tub inside the trailer and they install it. There were a couple of T@Bs in the background that had bare tongues. Don't know about batteries or propane tanks.

dragonsdofly

@falcon1970, nüCamp installs the batteries on the t@b 400, but, previously, dealers installed the battery in the 320's. That's why there are so many discussions about the best battery, or longer lived batteries or more amp hour batteries, etc. Almost all of us, prior to 2019 owners have so many different brands, sizes and types of batteries. The heavier the product, the more it costs to ship, so sans battery and propane tank makes sense. A couple of years ago, a forum member posted a picture of how the 320's are shipped in a thread titled "new 4 bedroom t@b" or something similar. I've kept the photo, and am taking the liberty of posting it again. Please look closely, the front tubs are clearly not mounted when shipped. Ours was inside our trailer the first time I saw it, on the floor. I am sure that if you arranged to pick the trailer up at the factory, it would be completely assembled by the arranged pick-up time. That's the  company mission. Service. To customers, fellow employees, everyone they can be of service to. -But as @Sharon_is_SAM said, you also might want to consider establishing a relationship with your dealer, if you are going to depend on them for maintenance, warranty and general assistance. Not everyone depends on their dealer, but for those who do, it is important.

Mouseketab

The dealers still install the tub, propane tank, and they source and provide the battery for the 320s and T@Gs. Even though I'm not in the market, we spend Sunday afternoons sometimes going around the Ford dealer and the local T@B dealer. Many times there are new T@Bs and T@Gs on the lots with the tub still inside the trailer. They generally don't install the battery until sold to keep theft down.

falcon1970

Thanks all, very illuminating about batteries of yore.  I have seen trailers with the spare tire in a box in the basement and I guess propane tanks and front tubs could be delivered the same way for security reasons.

jkjenn

falcon1970 said:

Thanks all, very illuminating about batteries of yore.  I have seen trailers with the spare tire in a box in the basement and I guess propane tanks and front tubs could be delivered the same way for security reasons.

I would imagine the risk to damage is too great in transit to install at the factory.

atlasb

atlasb

The above pictures show how the T@B' s are shipped to the dealer.  A lot of times NU Camp will hold the trailer until the dealer has a full load.  The Tubs and bottles are inside and usually the spare is inside also.  Our Dealer charged the freight by splitting the cost of the load between all the trailers on the load.  NU Camp charges the dealer a price, the dealer pays the freight and sets his own price.  Usually the farther from the factory the more the freight cost is.  The dealer will install the battery (except in the 400) the tub and check all the systems.  Depending on the dealer what else they do is up to them.  Many dealers will give you a quick walk around, hand you the keys , take your money and say good by.  If you follow this forum, most new owners will know more than the dealer.  Of course,  everyone is different and some don't get too involved in what goes into making one of these units and we all at some time will do some sort of enhancement to make it better suit our style.  Far and away, probably the best value for your money if the application is right for you.  Love our 400 and Nu Camp has been the best company we have ever worked with, Bar None! 

Sharon_is_SAM

So, @falcon1970, what did you find out about picking up your TaB at the factory?  Have you ordered it yet?

falcon1970

OK, TAB 400 has been ordered.  Delivery is scheduled for 3 December.  NuCamp says they no longer do factory pickups although they didn't seem very adamant about it.  However, it is getting rather late in the year with a likelihood of snow in Ohio and I decided that I didn't want the shakedown trip to be through a blizzard so I didn't push to pick it up.  The delivery charge to Texas was $1500 (that seems rather high) and the dealer had to have a full trailer in order to get delivery. 

jkjenn

falcon1970 said:

OK, TAB 400 has been ordered.  Delivery is scheduled for 3 December.  NuCamp says they no longer do factory pickups although they didn't seem very adamant about it.  However, it is getting rather late in the year with a likelihood of snow in Ohio and I decided that I didn't want the shakedown trip to be through a blizzard so I didn't push to pick it up.  The delivery charge to Texas was $1500 (that seems rather high) and the dealer had to have a full trailer in order to get delivery. 

There is a high demand on drivers, right now, so shipping costs are up. I have heard from a number of sources that finding commercial drivers who pass all of the checks is very difficult right now.

B0atguy

jkjenn said:

falcon1970 said:

OK, TAB 400 has been ordered.  Delivery is scheduled for 3 December.  NuCamp says they no longer do factory pickups although they didn't seem very adamant about it.  However, it is getting rather late in the year with a likelihood of snow in Ohio and I decided that I didn't want the shakedown trip to be through a blizzard so I didn't push to pick it up.  The delivery charge to Texas was $1500 (that seems rather high) and the dealer had to have a full trailer in order to get delivery. 

There is a high demand on drivers, right now, so shipping costs are up. I have heard from a number of sources that finding commercial drivers who pass all of the checks is very difficult right now.

This is SO true . With so many RV sales happening this year, RV delivery driver shortages are one of the main choke points in getting the RV's to dealers and then on to customers . Most of the RV's except for the micros (like our T@Bs ), are all delivered ONE at a time !  
We have taken several trips on route 80 , driving through Indiana this year (RV capitol of the world !) and every single RV manufacturer had signs out for "Drivers Wanted , TOP pay !" . Heck , there were even help wanted billboards advertising for "RV delivery drivers - TOP pay" .  
Its a problem ......

N7SHG_Ham

It is hard to make a long term career out of delivering RV's, their top dollar and mine vary quite a bit. Mostly how it works is RV transport companies recruit folks with a suitable tow vehicle, usually at a minimum a one ton dually and then they pay you by the mile. When you get to wherever, you return empty and load again. The problem is your vehicle wears out and you have to buy a new one, some folks make it in the business, but a lot more tap out with nothing but a worn out truck. Good retirement gig for a while I suppose if you want to see a lot of the USA from the interstates.