2019 T@B 400 - Users Manual Update

Awca12a

The users manual which came with my new 400 is dated 2017 and doesn't cover many of the new features including something as simple as how to change a flat tire.  Seeing how the unit doesn't come with a jack nor any stickers saying "PLACE HERE" and the factory video for the 320 jacking procedure conflicts directly with the owners manual on the use of the stabilizers, I'm looking to put together an update to the manual both for my family and the NuCamp community at large.   My rationale here is that the manual should be a "go-to" tool for when you are stressed and everything has gone sour and you just need a simple direct answer to what seems at the time to be a monumental issue.   So, while things are calm between now and the next outing, I've started that process.  

That said, I can really use some help as we've only owned our trailer for a few weeks although we've traveled in a 2017 for a month.  Please use this discussion to post suggestions for what to add so this Users Manual can become a reliable tool.   As a personal appeal, could someone please post an accurate procedure for changing a tire that applies to the 400 and not the factory video for the 320.  Any postings by NuCamp would be greatly appreciated.  

I'd also like to point out that the manual, with all its limitations, is far ahead of what NuCamp's competitors put out.  Its just that it can be better and there has been so much change.  Something as simple as the recommendation for cleaning the filter on the Cool Cat says to slide it out of the unit but there isn't anything explaining where it is and how to slide it out.  What may seem obvious to one person is not to another making this forum both valuable and a tool to maintain a continually updated users manual.

If others think this is helpful then great.  If not, I'll just update for my family and move on.  Curious to see what the feedback is and hoping someone knows how to change a tire on this thing.

falcon1970

@Awca12a I agree with you.  Despite all of nuCamp's outstanding qualities as a manufacturer--build quality, constant improvements, use of high quality equipment, customer service, contact with their customers, etc.--they are sorely lacking in documentation.  Updating the owners manual at least once a year would seem essential.  There have been many improvements and/or changes since 2017!  I do like their willingness to incorporate improvements throughout the year rather than waiting for a new model year though.  I just wish those improvements were documented.  If nothing else they could post those changes somewhere on their website.
If you find an approved solution for changing a tire on the TAB 400 I would sure like to hear about it.

GrayGhost

Awca12a, Thank you for your making the manual.  I am very interested in it.  I have a 2019 T@b 400 boondock lite.  I have the solar kit on mine also. Please keep me informed of the manual.  Thank you!

Awca12a

Been working on the project and after writing a few dozen pages, I decided it will be a companion spiral book instead of re-writing the nuCAMP manual.  It will have a GREEN section where someone borrowing/using our trailer for the first time will find out what they need to know to operate the unit and a RED section with all the key warnings they must know before heading out.  The core is a YELLOW section that is component/topic based with detailed information on how a system is designed, repair-replacement-setup specifications, schematics if necessary and so forth.  Basic theory is the GREEN section tells you how to read the KIB tank display including a custom chart detailing in gallons or volts what the LED is saying while the YELLOW section explains theory of operation, wiring diagram and procedures to troubleshoot various erratic readings.    Same for fuses although the GREEN section will be simplistic in having a decision tree that either keeps them there or points them to the YELLOW section which details the 10 hidden fuses.

Awca12a

All that said, we've made some progress on the jacking location.  I plan to make and affix labels to make it easy to find in the dark and change the wording of what I received from nuCAMP so it becomes a proper procedure, but the short answer is you use the :L shaped lip between the wheel and the axle as shown in this photo.  The lip measures 1" wide by 9' long and is 4.5" from the tire wall.  After a short internal debate, I'm skipping the bottle jack solution as to do it safely you'd need a U adapter on the top and a plate for the bottom otherwise you have upwards of 3500# where a slightly curved L is resting on a 1" round disk which itself is held-up by somewhat unreliable hydraulics with a 3" round base.  Seems like a good way to lose body parts so I'm looking for a 3500# scissor jack that can mount perpendicular to a normal car jack and catch the 1" lip.   After testing it on our unit here in both flat and dirt road conditions, I'll post what I came up with.

Or, if someone has figured out a good way to jack without hauling around the floor jack that is the recommended method, please chime in.

The verbatim confirmation of the location is here and my photo is my interpretation of these words.  A photo was provided of a 320 that is also on this forum but not of the 400 although was told both will look the same.

"There should be a rectangular platform right behind the wheel where the Axle is attached to the Frame, It is the strongest point of the trailer. I would recommend placing the bottleneck/scissor jack there"

ScottG

It's interesting that there is a very similar structural element just behind the wheel of the 320. It's never been mentioned as a jacking point, but I've eyeballed it several times as a better alternative to the sloping rear frame rail where the instructions say to position the jack.

Regardless, it may be a moot point for the 320 as I've found the easiest and stablest approach is to use the rear stabilizers and tongue jack method. Is it absolutely clear that this method won't also work for the 400? I know it's heavier but those stabilizers can support a pretty big load so long as they are anchored to a robust location on the frame.

Awca12a

Was specifically advised not to use the stabilizers.  For the 320, that's a neat way to go about lifting the trailer though.

falcon1970

@Awca12a was your "specific advice" because of the fragility of the stabilizers or the fragility of the frame at that point?
I agree with your analysis of the 400 jacking point and the danger of a bottle jack.  I've been looking for a small, light scissor jack.  I had a 2000# capacity in mind since one would not be lifting the entire trailer at once.  Unfortunately I have not found any scissor jack--at any rating-- that has a large footprint, a large saddle and a hex nut for turning the jack screw.  Most of the jacks I have found don't seem stable enough to support themselves even without a load.  And the saddles are hardly larger than a bottle jack.  What to do, what to do?

DougH

@falcon1970 : That's why we picked up a long throw electric hydraulic for both TV and trailer... 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7Y678W/

BigGrover

A user's manual is a great idea. We are trading our 2018 in on a 2019 tomorrow.  Something with picures of the Alde fuse location and types would be good. As for a jack, why not use an automotive scissor jack?  OneOlike came with my old gord ranger looks like it would work. I am going to go to a junkyard to localo one and have a U bracket welded to it.

Awca12a

The fuses section is mostly completed except for confirming the existence of the refrigerator fuses & location so for now, this might be helpful.

Note - additional fuses were found while diagramming the electrical system so this section has been reposed below.

falcon1970

@Awca12a Bloody Outstanding!

Bayliss

@Awca12a , I don't own the 400, but I downloaded a copy for future reference for use with my 320 S.  No use allowing all your hard work go unappreciated or unused.  Thank you!

pthomas745

The rationale for using the 320 rear stabilizers to hold up the trailer is they are rated for 1600 pounds each, so together they would hold up 3200 pounds.

Are the stabilizers on the 400 the same as on the 320, or do they have a higher rating?

How much does the 400 weigh? And what kind of stabilizers does it have?

BigGrover

AWCA you have done an excellent job with what I've seen.  I have printed the picture of the jackpoint and the pdf on the fuses.  I notice it started at page 29 and ended at page 32.  How many pages total have you completed so far?  This is high quality work I'd be willing to pay for a complete manual!

PamandJohnUpNorth2

@Awca12a I must commend the professional grade work.The fuses segment of the unofficial 400 resource guide you posted is impressive. Further I had no clue about these fuses! Many thanks.

Awca12a

Thank You for the kind feedback and I’m glad it’s of use to fellow owners.  
Based on the completed topic index and general outline sketch, the first working daft will be around 45 pages and should be done in the next couple of weeks.  Most difficult part is figuring out what is installed on the TAB so it can be described, documented and a troubleshooting series created.  For example, I’ll be dropping the belly pan this weekend to figure out what axle is actually installed so a spare parts list can be made for the bearings.  While I’m there, I’ll be measuring to figure out how to install the black and grey tank heaters.  I really only have the weekends to work on this hence the intermittent responses. 

BigGrover

Awca, whete are you located?

Awca12a

New York but the heaters are for winter travel in general

BigGrover

Good luck.  Wish they offered the heaters as an option at purchase

Awca12a

If I had any build suggestions for them at all it would be to modify their wiring harness so a battery monitor and tank heaters could be an easy dealer upgrade and to weld a safe lifting point to each side.  It’s a great trailer for the price.  

rcuomo

pthomas745 said:

The rationale for using the 320 rear stabilizers to hold up the trailer is they are rated for 1600 pounds each, so together they would hold up 3200 pounds.

Are the stabilizers on the 400 the same as on the 320, or do they have a higher rating?

How much does the 400 weigh? And what kind of stabilizers does it have?

I believe the jacks on my 2018 320S are BAL model 23025 rated at 1000# static capacity. 

PamandJohnUpNorth2

@Awca12a @skwhee I'm sure interested in anything that anyone has done or is planning as far as heating tanks on the 400. I envision times when we may be in the mid-south/southern parts in winter and a cold front produces a long enough cold snap or other times and places camping at elevation that we find ourselves in the 20's for a period of time and would be glad for a little warmth to the tanks! I think that Karen and Steve are experimenting with a low voltage heat tape and insulation wrap added to a couple key places on the 400 but I think they were still evaluating the effectiveness, and I don't know the details on it.

Awca12a

Hoping it stops raining for a few days so we can drop the belly pans to see the tank dimensions and placement.  Plan is to use these stick-on tank heaters from Etrailer switched individually.  Wouldn’t be using fresh water in the teens due to pipes freezing but would for Grey or black.  Depending on the configuration of the knife valves, would probably heat trace that as appropriate.  What do you think of these pads assuming we find out the dimensions work?  
4.8 amps DC each

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Fresh-Water/LaSalle-Bristol/277-000164.html

Sharon_is_SAM

One of the reviews said that the temperature needed to be above 60 to apply the pads.  It seems like an easy answer as long as you are on shorepower.

skwhee

@PamandJohnUpNorth2 @Awca12a

Yes, we do in fact have some stick on heating pads from etrailer on our fresh and gray water tanks and valves in our T@B 400. We wanted to avoid the need to winterize just for a night or two of subfreezing weather in places like Crater Lake in September or the mountains of New Hampshire during Fall Foliage but wanted to be sure the amp draw would allow us to continue to camp off grid.  We purchased some ThermaHeat RV Dump Valve Pipe and Elbow Pads and a switch from etrailer.com. NüCamp R&D is aware of our design and we had it and piping insulation installed by Austin at the nüCamp Service Center. 

The four 13"x3"  (two per tank) and two 8"x3" pads (on the piping next to the gray and black valves) have a collective amp draw of just over 3 amps and are wired to a single rocker switch (located just above the monitor panel near the entry). We successfully used it a couple of times this fall both off grid and on shore power. 

4 - Item # 277-000161 ThermaHeat RV Valve Pipe and Elbow Pad 13"x3"
2 - Item # 277-000162 ThermaHeat RV Valve Pipe and Elbow Pad 8"x3"
1 - Item # PK34310 Universal Design Rocker Switch 

PamandJohnUpNorth2

@skwhee Thanks for providing the detailed information on your setup, and being first to break ground on the options for heated tanks on the 400. I want to clarify are the 13" x 3" on the fresh and gray as you wrote and just one 8" x 3" for heat on the black tank valve alone but no other heat to the black tank?

skwhee

@PamandJohnUpNorth2
Our plan was to extend our camping to 3+ seasons, giving us the chance to stay out when overnight temperatures drop enough below freezing to be a concern but we don't personally plan to be out in really cold situations when the temp is below freezing all day. The Black tank is in the interior of the trailer (under the toilet, on top of the floor) and since we plan to use the tank heaters only when we are using and thus heating the trailer, we didn't add any heat to the black tank therefore keeping the amp draw down. 

Awca12a

Found some additional fuses and clarification from Norcold on the refrigerator so the fuses section is reposted here as revised.

This has been revised 1-17-19 below

NCNative

Thank you for all of this valuable information. I hope to eventually install tank heaters, etc so I can use my 400 year round. The jack placement has been most valuable, thank you!

atlasb

Be careful with the scissor jack.  I used one until it slid off the frame and punctured the under belly protector.  No real damage but the jack was destroyed and no a goofy looking boat anchor! As our 400 raised up it tilted to the side and slid of to the side of the jack upper cradle which caused the jack to collapse.