Recent TAB 400 Changes!

falcon1970

As of the early Nov builds nuCamp has installed two support arms for the middle section of the bed in the TAB 400's.  ALSO, instead of a P-trap taking up so much room under the sink they are now installing Hepvo valves!!  Makes the under sink cabinet much more useful.  However the Owners manual is still the January 2017 version and still full of typos and other errors.

N7SHG_Ham

Also now have an access door for the AC filter on the driver side bench.

Michigan_Mike

My 2019 has both changes thanks to the recommendations of friends at uCamp 2018.  I also had a battery back-up added to the Alde digital thermostat and an external probe to the thermostat to record outside temperatures.   The above changes you listed are a great example of how nuCamp listens, pays attention and incorporates suggestions and recommendations made by owners and forum members into their trailer builds in real time.  

atlasb

Hey Mike, Did you get the outside temp sensor through Elsie at NU Camp.  Been considering it for our 2018.  What was the cost also if you remember  Thanks,  Fred

BigGrover

I heard that they also upgraded to an Alde system that has the tankless water heatet?  Is that so?

falcon1970

@BigGrover By "tankless" do you mean that there is no longer a water jacket around the glycol heater?  I do not believe this is the case.  The Alde manual that came with my Dec 2018 build TAB 400 states that there is a "built-in hot water boiler" with a "volume of approximately 2.5 gallons of fresh water."

peterac50

Yes, I believe my new 2019 400 Boondock has the new Alde flow system for continuous hot water - at least there is a manual for it in my bag.

BigGrover

Continuous flow is what I heard, not sure if it is tankless or some sort of hybrid.

falcon1970

@peterac50 I have the Alde flow system also.  from what I can tell from the booklet it is a boost system that heats the water to a higher temp for 30 minutes.  I can't tell if it has an additional water tank or if it is just an additional heat system.  Or it may be the "tankless system" referenced by @BigGrover.

BigGrover

I have heard it is some sort of "attachment" on the side of the tank.  Don't know for sure.  We are trading in for a 2019 soon.

peterac50

Alde describes the "flow box" as a heat exchanger. From the web site: "With the Alde Flow system, your hot showers are limited only by the size of your water tank." So this is a continuous flow system.

peterac50

peterac50

From Alde web site: "Cold water comes into the Alde Flow, where it is warmed, taking the chill off, and is then carried to the Alde 3020 Compact HE boiler. There it's topped up with heat. The glycol fluid and domestic water never touch, but this process allows the boiler to provide continuous hot water at 104 °F.

It does this only by using the full power of the propane and electric heating in the Alde 3020 Compact HE boiler."

Pretty neat! 

Michigan_Mike

atlasb said:

Hey Mike, Did you get the outside temp sensor through Elsie at NU Camp.  Been considering it for our 2018.  What was the cost also if you remember  Thanks,  Fred

I had it added into my build, but am sure that Elsie can get one for you as it’s a purchase/add-on item from Alde.    

N7SHG_Ham

What is the OAT sensor for? Is it an external sensor for inside the camper or displaying the outside (weather) temperature?

Awca12a

Our December Build 2019 400 came with the Alde Flow and the 3020 system so I did some homework on it.    A standard indirect water heater contains a large volume of water that is heated by coils surrounding the water tank using a zone from a hot water boiler.   When the temperature in the very well insulated tank falls below a set temperature, instead of firing its own boiler to bring up the heat, it triggers the main furnace to send water as if it were a radiator until the temperature was reached. 

The Alde flow is a red tank that sits to the left of the Alde 3020.  The way this system works is to bring-up the temperature of the incoming domestic water to a "warm" state by using a coil of glycol from the Alde 3020 and to maintain it at a warm state.  When hot water is called for, warm water goes from the flow unit to the Alde 3020 compact boiler to be brought up to full heat.  This speeds-up the time it takes to get the shower hot enough to use which directly extends the length of time the grey tank can be used by wasting less water.   This buffer or "flow" tank gives you more or less continuous flow of hot water as compared to a system without it given that the tank stores water and there are two stages of heat.   The controller lets you program whether you want to maintain a warm state and has a summer mode as well.  Pretty clever.

atlasb

Thanks Mike for the heads up on the OAT sensor.  Wonder if we could adapt the Alde flow system to our 3010 System in our 2018?