Off road use of TaB 320s vs boondock or outback

telecamper

hi anybody take your 320s off road not the boondock or outback model?

morey000

the difference is 4 inches.  Which won't matter- until it matters.  I've got a boondock, and my spare tire hits when I leave my driveway.  (but, I'm gonna' move that to the front).  So, at least plan on moving your spare (which is easy).  If you don't get the boondock for the clearance... get it for the front rack.  

db_cooper

The outback/boondock is great for forest service roads and mellow fire roads.  Not "offroading".  With a regular 320s you'll get lucky on some FS roads until you don't.  

rkj__

Poor clearance, and suspension without much travel or damping results in an experience that is less than pleasurable.  If you do take the T@b off road, you won't be going too fast.  The bumps on rough campground roads seem to toss the trailer quite a bit if you take them at more than a crawling pace.

pthomas745

Mandy Lea has a nice video that shows the capabilities of the Outback/Boondock 320.  Mandy and Kendrick are obviously experienced off road drivers, and you can see how careful they are with the trailer.  See for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImacFS-4vwA&list=PLeeYJ1qijRivzvzZ7fKOC6TAcE-u7n0-0&index=30

Luckyj

This is always a nice vid to watch.  

But this is the first time I am paying attention to the fact that many of the section of vid have been accelerated.  You can see it in the fast motion of the trailer rocking and bouncing.  

Sneakle

I bought a 2018 boondock 320s. If I had it to do again I think i would opt for the regular 320s and save some money. Neither model has shocks and was built to withstand 4-wheel'n action. The boondock has additional clearance but how much clearance do you really expect to need? I haven't needed the boondock extras but maybe I'm living a sheltered life.

Cbusguy

For those who have actually gone 4 wheeling or true off roading we know that the Boondock trailers are not truly offroad trailers.      Forest service roads,  logging roads,   absolutely.    But overland?  not so much.     

I purchased the boondock for more ground clearance so I do not drag the rear coming out of gas stations and so I don't have to worry about spearing the bottom of the trailer on two track township roads.     

there are purpose built trailers for offroading and none of them look anything like a tab.    

Cherokee

We've taken our Boondock down dirt roads with ease. However, we are going to install a Lock & Roll hitch system to increase our ability to transverse rough roads - the whoop-de-do's on the way to the hot springs in Death Valley for example.   

EDITED FOR PHOTO SIZE - Sharon

jkjenn

The lock & roll hitch or a Maxx Coupler would both be great choices. I am more concerned about the constant jiggling of screw and bolts. They take beating in every day highways and the wear and tear would be significantly amplified with a lot of off road use. 

Tabaz

I carry a small, portable 12V compressor.  Airing down the tires to 10 psi while on the "rough" stuff makes a huge difference in performance on long stretches of washboard roads.  There is a thread on the forum about the pros and cons of doing this.  Because the Outback has actual truck tires (not "trailer" tires), I feel comfortable doing with this procedure. 

pthomas745

During those nice down times at a campsite I'll grab my screwdrivers and walk around the trailer tightening things.....

Boulderjay

We bought our 2018 320-CS from Sun City in Colorado Springs...i believe the owner specifically orders his T@Bs with the outback axle.  Absolutely love and need the extra clearance for boondocking in the Colorado mountains!  Makes the level of the kitchen in the back a bit higher but no big deal

Sharon_is_SAM

This is the first time that I have seen nuCamp list the availability of the Boondock Lite package for the clamshell!

db_cooper

@Boulderjay

Did you remove the plastic trim around the edges, or the previous owner?   I like the look, and I'm sure ours will break at some point.

The extra clearance is great for forest roads, and snow.  We've found that the axle has softened up a bit since new, and doesn't bounce as bad as earlier.  With the light truck tires, we run 35 psi and it tows great with no heat buildup.  Nice Jeep!

4ncar

I too have a outback, and run 38 lbs. Th is took the bounce out of the expansion joints and other road obstacles that would otherwise get the tab to bounce...

Cherokee

jkjenn said:

The lock & roll hitch or a Maxx Coupler would both be great choices. I am more concerned about the constant jiggling of screw and bolts. They take beating in every day highways and the wear and tear would be significantly amplified with a lot of off road use. 

Jenn Grover you are right about the bolts taking a beating. And everyone I've talked to recommends welding a lock & roll hitch to the T@B frame assembly

VictoriaP

db_cooper said:

@Boulderjay

Did you remove the plastic trim around the edges, or the previous owner?   I like the look, and I'm sure ours will break at some point.

I’d guess neither. Judging by the level rear end, it’s a Clamshell, which has no upper trim to remove. S models have a back end that slopes upward.

Cherokee

Sharon_is_SAM said:

This is the first time that I have seen nuCamp list the availability of the Boondock Lite package for the clamshell!

I haven't seen a clamshall with Boondock tires and piched axels ether, it must be a custom order. However, the lower rear of the clamshall limits the departure angle more then the factory Boondock Tab S&U where it kicks up. 

Cherokee

Boulderjay said:

We bought our 2018 320-CS from Sun City in Colorado Springs...i believe the owner specifically orders his T@Bs with the outback axle.  Absolutely love and need the extra clearance for boondocking in the Colorado mountains!  Makes the level of the kitchen in the back a bit higher but no big deal

Fine shots and a cool looking Jeep! I haven't seen a clamshall with Boondock tires and pitched axles before, it must be a custom order? However, the lower rear of the clamshall limits the departure angle more then the factory Boondock Tab S&U where it kicks up.  Have you had problems with the rear scrapping on trails?

Sharon_is_SAM

I know out west there is a dealer who ordered all his TaBs with the raised axle.  I saw my first one at uCamp last week.  The slightly higher galley counter was not a problem.  I found this on the updated nuCamp website:

Luckyj

Boulderjay said:

We bought our 2018 320-CS from Sun City in Colorado Springs...i believe the owner specifically orders his T@Bs with the outback axle.  Absolutely love and need the extra clearance for boondocking in the Colorado mountains!  Makes the level of the kitchen in the back a bit higher but no big deal

I can only say this.  Nice set-up!  

Luckyj

Cbusguy said:

For those who have actually gone 4 wheeling or true off roading we know that the Boondock trailers are not truly offroad trailers.      Forest service roads,  logging roads,   absolutely.    But overland?  not so much.     

They are actually more overlander than off roader.

and overland rig is not by definition and off road rig.  And off road rig will allow more remote location in an overland trip, but many overland trip have been made in 2 wheel drive cars and I am not talking about crossing the US, but the complet panam.

And The TJ Wrangler that we see up here is a better off roader than let say a stock 4wheel drive pickup (that some will still take off road). There are many shades of offroading.

just a tought!  

Cherokee

Sharon_is_SAM said:

I know out west there is a dealer who ordered all his TaBs with the raised axle.  I saw my first one at uCamp last week.  The slightly higher galley counter was not a problem.  I found this on the updated nuCamp website:

Pitched Axles abound! But I know my 5'-3" wife and high counters are not a good combination - guess the trip to the dealer should include additional ergonomic considerations before one buys.  

N7SHG_Ham

Depends on what you call a road, almost none truly go off road (unless that includes all off pavement), but there are some roads I will take my pickup on where I wouldn't want to pull a trailer. Really all the Boondock package adds is a bit more ground clearance, there is nothing else really beefed up for rough road use. Of course the Boondock allows traversing a bit rough roads with smaller scattered rocks without tearing something up, including steep driveways with deep gutters, but truly off road, naw.

Arwen

My tow vehicle is a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. When I was shopping for a camper trailer last year, one of my main priorities was that the camper would be able to go most places that my Jeep could go (as long as I went slow). 

I looked at a LOT of campers, including many that were more off-road capable than the T@Bs, but most were either too small (T@G size) or way more expensive than what I could afford.  I really liked the TAXA Outdoors Cricket, but there are no dealers anywhere near me (and I really didn't want to be more than a few hours away from my first camper dealer.)

I ended up with a new 2018 T@B 320S Boondock and it has worked very well for us so far. In reality, I didn't really need an off-road capable camper, just one that had enough clearance to handle the rough forest roads now and then.

What I did find is that there are camping sites in some state park campgrounds that I've backed down into (in 4WD-Low) where I'm pretty sure a non-Boondock model would have bottomed out. Very happy with our Boondock!

I am quite interested in the Lock & Roll hitch system that others have posted about in this thread.  How expensive is this upgrade?  I this a bolt on, or cut and weld trailer conversion?

ScottG

While it may not be designed for true off-roading, one thing I would guess the T@B does have in its favor is it's arched all-aluminum ladder frame. I would expect this to be more robust than the stick-built wood framing used on most mainstream campers. After watching a few assembly videos, I was amazed that many campers are just little wooden houses built on a trailer chassis.

ginsbuj

We taken Boondock on some rough forest roads a few times already with no problems but keep in mind this is not an overland trailer. I just like the idea that it is far more usable than a standard low profile trailer. We backed into a camp stop over a pretty big rock easily. Just remember to take it slow. 

klenger

^^  In Arizona we have many (usually) dry, but sometimes very steep, washes which can easily cause a conventional trailer to bottom out because the entry and departure angles are so bad.  I got the Boondock Lite so that I could safely cross such washes.  This issue is not specific to off roading as many of these washes are on well traveled paved roads.  Same applies to entry and exits into gas stations, etc. 

N7SHG_Ham

@klenger spot on, I don't worry about getting into and out of deep valley gutters even in the city, I would never even think of taking my Tab someplace that required me to engage the 4WD on the TV, but gives that extra clearance for minor bumps and ditches. Most "off road" packages on vehicles aren't really either, but that stuff sells and NuCamp knows that and so they do a couple things to a standard trailer, re-badge it and sell it for more money

Emma62

Just finished a trip driving on forest service roads in the Superior National Forest.  The roads were soft and muddy but otherwise in good shape with almost no washboarding and the T@B handled them fine. 

When we were looking at the T@Bs I called NuCamp and they said the axle of the Boondock and 320 were the same.  Since the 320 is the same height as my tow vehicle (8.7") I figured I wouldn't be taking it anywhere that my tow vehicle can't go.