nüCamp revised — Purchasing from the Parts Department effective 1/1/2019

Verna

2019 T@B 400 parts:
Corner clip for window blind
Black rubber screw covers for sink
Lagun table parts (non-standard part for T@B 400)

ChanW

As I commented to @Verna about her Lagun table install, Lagun USA website offers kits and parts, so no need to try to go through NuCamp. 

Awca12a said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of parts are people trying to source?   While creating a spare parts listing I posted on the 400 manual thread, it’s clear that so many of these components are purchased off the shelf by NuCamp.  Other than physical accident damage or the front tub, what parts do people need to get from nuCamp specifically?

alanerickson

Unfortunately the dealer I purchased my 2018 from turned out to be worthless when I needed some minor warranty work done.   The shore power indicator light on the Norcold fridge went out after about six months of ownership (a not uncommon problem if you search the board).   After getting the run around for a while they said I would need to bring it in to get it taken care of.   Brought it in (which was a 3 hour round trip) and all they actually did was confirm that it was broken, as apparently some people don't realize that it needs to be on shore power for the shore power light to be on (or so I was told).   So they supposedly ordered the part(s) but that was 4 months ago and I've never heard anything from them.  At this point even though it was under warranty I'll just fix it myself since it will be quicker than I can drive there and back and less money (gas).  On the other hand when our cats got into one of the screens and I ordered it from nuCamp it was on my door step in two days and took about five minutes to get it coming.

rcuomo

Alan- the Norcold AC indicator light issue is common and under warranty nuCamp would be referring you to a Norcold dealer for repair.  In my case the local warranty dealer was clueless and the replacement neon bulb was also defective.  I have posted my fix, a replacement LED bulb and if you are careful you can lift the face plate decal to access the bulb.

Luckyj

It really seams that nucamp have set-up their mind of not give any more direct service to the trailer owners.  

Even the moderators seams to have got the word from Nucamp about not comenting on this.

alanerickson

Luckyj said:

It really seems that nucamp have set-up their mind of not give any more direct service to the trailer owners.  

I'm not really sure this was nuCamp's idea.   Kind of sounds like some of the dealers were complaining about customers going directly to nucamp instead of through the dealer who could get a small cut of the profit.  Not sure but that's my two cents.

alanerickson

rcuomo said: 

Alan- the Norcold AC indicator light issue is common and under warranty nuCamp would be referring you to a Norcold dealer for repair. 

On the Norcold website my RV dealer also comes up as Norcold service center.   I have the LED and the label off.  I'm just waiting for warmer weather and better access since my t@b is somewhat tucked away and not real easy to access.   As you said it should have been an easy fix but they just dropped the ball on it multiple times.   And since I have no confidence in them at this point I'll just do it myself instead of trying to get it done thru warranty.

BigGrover

Ok, let's look at it this way.  Biggest downside to T@b ownership - dealer support! So I see this as a logical move to improve that.  Hopefully there will be some who step up to improve service.  Unfortunately we know there will be gaps.  Nucamp will step up as needed to fill those gaps.  They did so for me and many other folks 

GreatWhiteNorth

I am not a fan of getting parts thru our local dealership.  I am MUCH happier in ordering factory direct.  This is the age of mail order - why should we have to order thru a dealer, who will both delay the process, and charge additional mark-up?  Not to mention the hassle and additional cost of driving to the dealer, who may be a considerable distance away.  Owners that live in more remote areas are more affected by this.

Daryl

Marceline

TaBle42 said:

Speaking for the 2018 TaB 400 parts:
Trash can - round inserts that hold the lid on
Window trim corners-inside
TaB 400 decals 
Dinette table back wall clips
Outside LED light - amber color
Froley plastic mattress springs 
Window latches. 

Froli: https://froli-systems.myshopify.com

It sounds like your trailer is still under warranty, so my next comment might not apply to you. Warranty stuff should be handled by T@B dealers (whether you bought the trailer from them or not) and if a dealer is unresponsive I would contact NuCamp so they know there's a problem with that dealer. I think that NuCamp really does want to have dealers that share its customer-centric ethos.

As someone else pointed out, a trailer is a collection of parts made by various vendors, with the walls and cabinets and assembly by NuCamp. There's no real reason to buy stock Dometic or Froli or Norcold or WFCO parts from NuCamp or a NuCamp dealer. I have contacted NuCamp for NuCamp-specific parts but I buy other stuff from etrailer and Amazon. What we really need is a parts list so we can just enter the part number in Google and find the replacement on our own. I think that NuCamp could tamp down a lot of this discontent if it would just add a "Support" section to its website with manuals for each model and parts lists (even if they just started with the most commonly requested parts). 

falcon1970

Unfortunately, the parts numbers you'll get are nuCamp part numbers, not the Mfg numbers.  The manufacturers have no idea what those part numbers reference.

Luckyj

falcon1970 said:

Unfortunately, the parts numbers you'll get are nuCamp part numbers, not the Mfg numbers.  The manufacturers have no idea what those part numbers reference.

In the Nucamp part number description, the manuf part number and description as to be in there, cause even them would not be able to order parts from supplier to make theire trailers.

so if they want t do it, they can and I really dought that the BOM is very large. With the sub assembly that they have, a would say a couple of hundread for the complet line.  Maybe a hundread more.  Since a lot of parts are interchangeable.  But this is just a guess on 10 year in the mgf buisness as production engineer.  .

But I have been wrong before, and I will be wrong again for sure.  

Tommy

Ok wow, this seems like an unfortunate turn of events. We bought our 2016 Outback new/used from a dealer that didn't even know what a T@b was. Nearest T@b dealer is very far away. Now we are in need of a replacement glass for the range top - can anyone steer me in the right direction on how to get one of those ordered?

N7SHG_Ham

@Tommy the range is a Dometic (at least the new ones and I assume the 2016's too), any dealer or RV place could probably order one given the model number of the range. Other than the walls, floor, roof and the cabinets there is very little in a NuCamp RV that is brand specific. Frames, tires, axles, ALL appliances and a host of other parts are bought from 3rd party suppliers.

morey000

LisaTucson said:

I bought my T@B from a private seller, not a dealer. When I called the dealer in Mesa, AZ (I live in Tucson) they said they can't/won't work with me (not even for parts) because I didn't buy my T@B from them. I'm assuming this change comes about because NuCamp has seen an increase in demand and have decided to focus more on production. However, due to the comments regarding dealer (non) support I've read on this string I'm afraid the demand will dwindle and we know what that means. Disappointing.

Oh- that's very disappointing news.  I'm also in Tucson and in the market for a TAB.  I've been to Tom's Camperland twice, and have gotten a decent price on a new '19 Boondock Lite. (they've got about a dozen in stock right now that they need to sell)  But, I'm looking around at good used units.  Now- I'm not sure if I should buy from Tom's to get the service... or be annoyed with them based on your experience and buy used.  but- I suffer from indecision.  Not sure if I really want the extra clearance of the boondock or not.  My tow vehicle only has 8.7" - so is it really useful to have a TAB with so much more?  (the aluminum rack on the front is worth it tho')

LisaTucson

Hey @morey000, don’t be discouraged! The T@B is a great camping trailer. And as someone on this string has stated anything that you need related to parts can be purchased from 3rd party companies and through T@B dealers. I’ve not tried to purchase T@B parts from Tom’s yet but given that NuCamp has transitioned to that I trust that Tom’s will be accommodating. If not, there are several other T@B dealers that have been recommended. And since you’re in Tucson I called Lazy Days and verified that they work on all brands trailers/RV’s. I bought my camper from someone in Tucson and they had it serviced at Camping World (Tucson) so that’s an option as well. A side note about clearance...I’ve been happy to have it. Let me know if I can help with anything else. I’m pretty new at this, too. (Bought mine April 2018)

Tommy

Nucamp can try all they want to sugar coat this change - with or without the help they get from the moderators here - but the reality is this is a such a mess they have created - RV Dealers ARE going to soak the consumer - it's what they do in every experience I've had with them. Nucamp has dumped their financial decision directly in the laps of their customers who faithfully bought their product while trying to make it sound like no big deal. In my case I quoted a new glass range lid directly through Elsie last summer and she quoted $135 delivered - unfortunately I did not pull the trigger at that time. Now that I'm being forced to go through a RV dealer the price has skyrocketed to $235 delivered. :(  Good move Nucamp - I'm sure it freed you up to lay off an employee or two and streamline your operations a bit but it's a major slap in the face to me personally and just on general principle I'm far more likely to go with a different brand for our next trailer.

lkc001

I'm still waiting to see a list of dealers that will actually be happy to work with Tab owners WITHOUT the attitude that "you didn't buy from me so I won't help you" and without the price gouging.

Sorry, but I find it unacceptable that Nucamp is going to allow their dealers to treat the people that have purchased Tabs in this manner.   Sad testament to an incredibly well built unit compared to other manufacturers out there, and the customer first ethics that Nucamp goes above and beyond to practice.   

Can we get a list please?

GreatWhiteNorth

I can appreciate the frustration folks are feeling.  I've ordered twice before directly thru NuCamp, and the orders came thru perfectly.  Whitney & Elsie are great to deal with.  As per the new policy, Elsie had to turn me down recently, for new back plastic for our T@B, a very expensive order.  Every T@B owner is liable to need that rear plastic panel on the back, as without a bumper, it takes very little to crack and break that rather fragile (especially in the cold) ABS plastic part.

Elsie dutifully pointed me to a list of nearby dealers, gave me the part number, told me to go thru our local dealer, so I did, and they were very good about it, put the order in straight away, all done thru e-mail, and over the phone to give them a credit card number - good experience overall. 

So here's the kicker, I read somewhere in another thread they were about $500 US, our local dealer charged me $828 Cdn, which includes shipping, but not taxes.  That's pretty good, not much mark-up.  But I'm still shocked that I'm paying $1000 Cdn by the time all is said and done (there are UPS charges on delivery) for a piece of vacuformed ABS plastic.

falcon1970

I, too, am rather unhappy with this change.  Given the paucity of dealers in the middle two-thirds of the country, the basic lack of information from nuCamp regarding the TABs and TAGs, and in general many dealer's lack of knowledge regarding nuCamp products, it is hard to get parts.
For those of us planning to attend UCamp 19 it would be good to present these concerns directly to nuCamp in one of the meetings.  This should NOT be done in an adversarial manner but with specific instances or experiences.  Vague, "I heard," or "the internet says" issues will not be helpful.

lkc001

@falcon1970   X2

Sharon_is_SAM

I don’t have a Facebook account.  For those of you on the TaB Facebook site, does the nuCamp administrator in charge of their Facebook site chime in regarding the parts issue?  Has that group created any “Best Dealers” list that someone can share and add to our list?

Verna

No dealer list on the FB nüCamp site, and I’m sure nüCamp cannot show favoritism to any one dealer. 

TerryV6

Well, my attitude toward NuCamp has not changed.  They are a great company and try their best for their customers.  This change was made perhaps to streamline things.. I don't know...  Too much company bashing taking place here.  
===========================================
If you need an answer, ask me.  I'll tell you I don't know....  But, someone else here might...  People here know stuff...

ChanW

Ditto @TerryV6.

Cbusguy

I have not drank the kool aid,  and view the changes with no small amount of skepticism.     

Most of the comments I have read are legitimate.     In one memo nucamp went from being a super solid choice and leading customer oriented RV manufacturer,    to just another manufacturer.   Sure they still build a fine camper,   One of the highest quality we have seen,  but RV's require repair and that requires parts.

The biggest issue is having only 90 dealers in the entire country and most of those nucamp is not a priority or their main brand,  and especially selling repair parts.  Airstream and winnebago is my local dealers bread and butter,  and as a T@B customer the amount of attention we get is very comparable to the price difference between the brands. 

I understand there are fan bois and the mods need to toe the company line,  but the points of concern and complaints brought up in this thread are legitimate.     The diminishing the communities concerns needs to stop.    I find it interesting the silence from nucamp about it,   zero feedback or responses to our concerns.

I am pulling the trigger on my order and I have zero doubt that my local dealer will not service or offer support because I am not buying from them.   So I am at the mercy of another dealer.   Buying a T@B went from a no brainer because of factory support to giving me a moment of pause.   

How much am I willing to struggle to keep it fully functional?

ChanW

@Cbusguy, I'm pretty sure that NuCamp does not monitor this user-group/forum. I believe the forum's only connection to NuCamp is that they provide the website, so that their customers and other folks with interest will have a place to connect with each other. (And the moderators don't work for NuCamp either)

If you want to speak with NuCamp, and want feedback from NuCamp, about your pre-purchase concerns, you'll need to contact them directly (email or phone would probably be best).

Your reservations are understandable, but the approach to parts distribution that NuCamp is pursuing is understandable too, at least from my point of view. I've had a few years of experience dealing with this manufacturer, so I'm able to say that with the tough problems, they do come through for their customers.

Nope, I'm not a fan-boi. In fact I had some pretty big criticisms/complaints early on in our ownership. But Little Guy/NuCamp was so responsive to my complaints, that I could no longer gripe!

They do try really hard to make sure their product is top-notch, and that includes their customer service. They now need to depend on a dealer network to be their face for parts ordering, but I'll bet they'll jump to fix any problems with the dealer network that they hear about. 

Concerning price markup, it's going to cost NuCamp the same overhead that you'd see at a competitive parts dealer, so I'd expect the prices to be close. We might have to hunt a bit for competitive prices, but what else is new?

I think the key is that NuCamp needs to hear about any problems that you're having with your dealer. The forum is not the place to reach out to NuCamp though. They don't participate here.

HTH!

DougH

The forum has been my service department and parts advisory council so I've not noticed the change.  And with nüCamp we still have high quality construction, better support than most RV companies, and we're not likely to experience the nightmare event sequence that befell owners of RoadTreks from the now defunct(ish) Erwin Hymer North America group.  I don't think their CEO, CFO, COO are under arrest yet, but they did end up cutting 800 skilled jobs and went into receivership. 

TerryV6

The use of the term fan boi is an attempt to diminish someone else thoughts on the matter.  Putting people in a category in subjects like computers, games, sports and politics is a poor choice.  The discussion was about ordering parts and ways it can be done.  I contributed the idea of a parts list online.
  So to say I like NuCamp, or I like Apple computers ( I don’t have one) doesn’t make me less than someone who doesn’t...  
  This is a great forum.  You want thoughts on solar, camping sites, battery setups etc. , this is the place to come.  I’ve always gotten help.  Great bunch of people here, these fan bois...  Annnd this is a company website where there is very little if any interference.  If you take a tour of the factory and meet the main man , Joe, you also would see why I say I like NuCamp. We got the opportunity to meet many employees at the last camp out and they were great...
   So.... sorry, getting off the soapbox now...

Cbusguy

@ChanW  In the current age of social media you are a fool to believe any company worth its salt isn't actively monitoring every mention of it image in public's opinion on the web.    I had  an experience on another forum which I mentioned storm damage to a tent using the name of the manufacture and was contacted by a CSR from the company wanting to replace the damaged parts.   It was within a couple of hours of the post....the company had set up a google queries that notifys them when they are mentioned any where on the web.

So,  while nucamp is not actively participating here,   I am absolutely positive they are at least reading it. 

While the mods are not direct employees,  they all have deep company ties/relationships and the associated loyalty's  that may  jade their opinions and attitudes.   

Edit,  Deep company ties is a reach or assumption my part, there is more than a casual relationship.  I did not change my  original comment 


finally fan bois will be who they are.   I was aggressively attacked by one of these on the facebook group.