Lusting for T@b 400-family and friends think I'm nuts. Too small they say. I want your feedback.

Mira

Hi all,

New member here. A little background on me.  I've never been rving.  I've tent camped and LOVED it.  However, the older I get (53) the more I wish for a bathroom in the middle of the night.  And just plain other conveniences.  I'll be a empty nester next year, and I've dreamed of toodling around the US seeing all the places I've never seen.  I've been eyeing the Tabs for over a year.  I've been to an RV show and looked at all the generic white huge boxes.  So it's not like I'm being impulsive.  

I really want to enjoy traveling for weeks at a time.  Some in dispersed campgrounds.  I would be traveling mainly by myself.  Husband isn't a huge traveler and we have dogs, horses, chickens.  Hard for both of us to get away. 


I wanted something on the smaller side.  Just seems more doable for me.  
I'd love your opinion on why you like your choice of smaller.  I'd love to rent a T@b to see if its for me, but alas have never seen them for rent. I"m located outside St. Louis MO.   


So my question is:  Do you find the small space of the T@bs to be limiting?  

Mira

Oh, for what it's worth I just looked at a T@b 400 in person at a dealer.

jrhamel

And?

Mira

I loved the T@b!  Just letting you know I've actually stepped in one and looked at it in person.  

MiquelCamo

We looked at several larger trailers which did not have the same feel we get from our T@B 320 S. They definitely did not have the fit and finish. To us, it has a more relaxing, open feel (probably the windows surrounding you) than the 400. We spend most of our time outside the camper but when we finish the day and sit inside it's a wonderful cocoon, we watch the news and weather and feel as comfortable as we do at home except the view to the outside is more serene. We do have to be considerate of each other's space as we move around but it's only for a few moments as we get settled or prepare the bed. That's with two of us, alone I couldn't imagine "needing" more room. As with many things, less is more.   

MiquelCamo

As with any trailer you have to get from point A to point B. Towing is easy, this was a huge consideration for us. 

elbereth

@Mira you’re asking a biased group here!   

We LOVE our 320 CS-S, so a 400 would feel palatial!  We were enthusiastic tent campers, and bought for the same reasons you’re thinking about.  I love that everything I need for camping fits in my T@B.  I love having an organized kitchen.  I love having a comfy bed that I don’t have to set up every time. I love the fan (more than I ever would have imagined). I love my drawers to organize my clothes, and I can stand up to get dressed and undressed. I love the Alde for hot dish washing water and a little heat when I’m camping in shoulder season.  I love feeling more secure with a solid door that locks if my camping neighbor is a little drunk and sketchy-seeming, and I love having a solid roof on a stormy night.  And, oh, do I love that potty for the middle of the night!

Sure, the small size is “limiting” - in the 320 you can’t have the bed and the dinette set up at the same time.  And we certainly can’t bring 5 guests into the trailer to watch cable TV. But, I camp to be outside, not to have a rolling apartment.  I also think it’s great that I don’t have to buy a new car to tow the T@B.  I can easily set up/tear down, on my own, in 30 minutes - and that’s if I do all the accoutrements including hanging the fairy lights off the visor.  For a quick one-night stop I don’t even un-hitch: it takes less than 2 minutes to drop the rear stabilizer jacks and pull out the step, and into bed I go.

And the thing is darned cute!  I mean, that’s the real reason to buy it.  Because it’s adorable.  And you’ll get to chat with lots of friendly people in the campground as they come by and ask to see your trailer.

LisaTucson

Ditto! I could have written your post myself about a year ago. I, too, was predominately using a tent but decided I wanted...wait...deserved...a bit more room and a bathroom.
It’s been a year since I bought my T@B and I haven’t regretted it one moment! I LOVE it. I travel with my dogs and sometimes just me. (My spouse isn’t a traveler as well). I rendezvous with friends in various places or just head up to the mountains by myself. I love the compactness and efficiency of the T@B. Is it small (read cute)...yes. Is it enough room for sleeping and peeing and cooking - Absolutely! Besides...you have the great outdoors as your patio (weather permitting, of course.)
So, in a nutshell...I say go for it! T@B’s are easy to pull and back up. They can get into places bigger rigs can not and heck...if need be...their resale value is very good if by chance it isn’t what you ultimately want. Good luck. Keep us posted!

Verna

I just love traveling around. I’m on my 4th teardrop (yes, the T@B 400 is still teardrop shaped).

There is one dealer in Missouri that does rent T@B’s. I “think” it is Missouri Teardrops in Centerview, MO, phone # 660-909-3553. If not, hopefully someone from the “Show Me” state will chime in and give the correct one. 

Good luck!

DenisP

The choice of the perfect RV is a very personal thing. For my particular situation a 400 has been perfect for my wife and I and sometimes our Lab or our two grandsons. We have just returned from a 9500 mile/35 day trip to the northern west coast which included 16 National Parks (12 Us and 4 Canadian.). We camped in a variety of campsites. We had electricity hookups 11 nights out of 35 without any sacrifice. I owned my Tundra before the purchase of the 400 so no issue towing or tongue weight. 
The 400 tows easily any we have never had a issue fitting in a campsite. It allows us to travel the country with comfort and piece of mind. 
NuCamp makes a great quality trailer which it is obvious that the engineers had the upper hand instead of the accountants. One of our best decisions. 
We are off to go on a four day camping trip to the beach with my two grandsons (7&8).   Best of luck. 

VictoriaP

A 400 is an excellent size for one person, and a decent size for two. Don’t listen to naysayers; most people think bigger is better in all things—just look at restaurant portions, cars/trucks/SUVs, and new houses. Very few people build small nowadays, and you will be questioned for wanting to go against the norm. 

Personally, I wouldn’t want to tow anything bigger than a 400. I went smaller still, with a 320. Everyone who looks at it from the outside remarks on how tiny it is. Then they go in and rave about how much more spacious it feels than they expected, and how well designed/crafted it looks. You do have to think and plan small...storage is limited, so you simplify what you carry. But I never feel cramped in mine.

Go back to the dealer and tell them you want to be left alone for a bit. Then really visualize what actually staying in one is like. Get in and out of the bed a few times. Go in the bathroom and mime showering. Where would you put everything? Would you use the table or leave it in couch mode? The 400 has options you need to think about...big or little fridge? Do you really need the microwave? (Will you be in parks with electric hookups often enough to use it?) What would it be like to be stuck in there alone  through multiple stormy days?

Going through that exercise should tell you if it’s right for you. If it is, then it’s just a matter of making sure you have the right tow vehicle before getting out on the road. 

davidden

My wife and I just bought a 2020 400 BD Lite. I drive to Oregon next week to pick it up. We’re recent empty nesters with a dog, and we think this will be the perfect size. I’m not much for roughing it, but I love to take surf trips. I’ve been looking at campers and RVs for 6 years, ever since I sold my VW Eurovan Camper...which I found way too small and weak on comfort and conveniences for any longer term camping. My wife hasn’t wanted to buy a camper, but I convinced her to “at least go look at” a 2019 Tab 400 at a local dealer. I had researched them for a few weeks and read a lot on this forum. She spent 5 minutes in it and said, “Let’s get it!” We checked every feature and space and went home to research some more. I realized that there were a few issues with the 2019, nothing major, but we decided to splurge and get the latest model. I’m driving it down the coast to Santa Cruz next week behind my Tacoma. I’m planning to surf along the way and, likely, to stay at private spots found on the Hipcamp app. Given my lack of towing experience, I had the truck outfitted with push-button inflating air springs, and I will have the dealer put on a weight distribution system. I’m already realizing that this thing will cost more than planned. I just keep telling our kids that they can drop out of college so we can afford it 😉. The only problem so far is that we don’t have a place to store it. The RV storage place near our house is full, and I hadn’t planned for that. It’s probably a good thing that I bought the camper first as the lack of storage availability might have delayed our decision and kept us from getting the exact model we wanted for a while. I’m looking forward to the long trip home next week. I’ll take it slow, deal with the lower gas mileage, and hopefully find some good surf! 

jrhamel

My wife and I lucked out and found a barely used 2019 400 BD lite, we had ordered a new 2020 but things didn't work out with our dealer so we pulled our order. Originally we were going to by the 320 BD Lite but after some thought decided we wanted the 400 for more space and a separate dinette area. 

As others have said you can't go wrong, they are manufactured well and hold their value. 

If you think its right for you don't hesitate, you won't regret it.

I would also say shop around, look on Craigslist, FB Marketplace and any of the T@B forums for used one. 

Good luck.

morey000

it will only feel small if it is replacing your house.   It will be huge if it's replacing your tent.

Verna

It feels just right to me, and I did sell my house last year and move into the 400. I do not regret my decision. 

wooper

If you buy one, be prepared for naysayers.  And certainly the size is limiting, but then again, so is the size of a tent.  So what.  I am also a tent camper and love to camp, but my wife doesn't like sleeping in a tent.  What a perfect alternative!!  And we can hit the road together on new adventures.  

We bought a used 2017 T@B 320S...it's small but has everything we need.  Think about it...when you travel and stay in a hotel, how much time do you spend in the hotel room?  Pretty much just to sleep or rest.  Our 320S, and certainly the 400, has plenty of room for that.  Just bring your other camping supplies and set up around the trailer.  

The Mark Twain National Forest is calling you....and don't be surprised is a friend or two show interest in coming with you.

PJ123

  Mira, in southern Louisiana we sometimes have weather related trips to take (read:hurricane evacuation).  The process before our first trailer was load car,drive to where the hurricane hopefully won't be and again, hopefully (and this is the biggie!) to find a hotel for a few days. 

  Now we evacuate for fun to wherever we wish, whenever we wish, weather notwithstanding.  Just think, where ever you go.... o.k. so there you are... but with your own bed,bedding,pots and pans, dog,fuzzy bunny slippers and just all your own....stuff.

   Oh, I also have to mention that camping spots are a whole LOTS more plentiful than hotel rooms when at least one quarter of the country is looking for someplace "else"to live for a few days.  One year pre-trailer we wound up in Missouri.  Now Muzzura was a nice place to visit and now when we want to....we can... in our own bed.

  Like VictoraP said, try it on for size...fuzzy bunny slippers are optional.

   See you guys around the campfire...   Pete, Jeanne and Beaux and Zeaux the Wonder Poodles....

jameskuzman

@Mira - I think I may have found my kindred camping spirt here as I posted a similar question a couple of weeks back, we're the same age, at the same life stage, and have a similar camping background! 

We just took delivery of our 2019 T@B 400 - we named him @stro - last week, and chose it for very specific reasons. 

There's no doubt you can get more room, sleeping space, and storage space for less money. After talking with friends who have owned campers before, most were focused on this "more for less" proposition, but after looking at a variety of options, this way of thinking failed to resonate with me on a couple of levels. 

First, "bigger" does not automatically equate to "better". When I camp, I'm not looking to take my house with me. I have a house. It's lovely. And if I want all of its comforts, I can just stay there. If I was full-timing and my camper WAS my house, my outlook would be different. To me, more space for "stuff" just ensures that I'll find stuff to fill the space. I have to look no further than my basement and part of my garage to find evidence of this phenomenon. I personally like that a smaller camper forces me to make good choices when it comes to what to bring along.

Second, quality is a more important value proposition to me than space. This is a personal choice and others will never get their heads around this concept, but with everything I buy, build quality and the overall user experience matters a great deal to me. I'll take a 1,200 square foot house with hardwood floors, custom trim work, a high-end HVAC system, and 100% useable space over a 3,500 square foot McMansion with cheap builder-grade components and useless cathedral ceilings any day. The same holds true with the T@B. 

There were things about the 320 that I actually preferred to the 400 (the dinette comes to mind) but we liked the idea of having a table up full time, the option to sleep a third person (in case one of the grandkids wants to tag along), and the bigger wet bath and taller shower. 

Our first excursion will be to a nearby state park over Labor Day weekend and we can't wait! 

Mira

Ah I can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to explain your experience and perspectives!

This is a wonderful group of folks who really get it.  I'd much rather have a wonderful quality product, than just bigger.  The 400 size just sings to me.  I love the open feeling of the 320's, but I want to stand up in the shower.   

I actually started to doubt myself in what I wanted when all friends and family started saying it was too claustrophobic.    However, I really know myself and what I want out of a traveling experience.  Most of them also hate to tent camp or have never been tent camping. Lol  

Plus I just think the T@bs are just so darn cute!  

I'll keep everyone updated on my adventure and WHEN I get my T@b !!!!!

Homebodyatheart

@Mira you know your own heart and your wants and your needs. That’s all you need to decide, not those who don’t share your dreams. I bought a 2017 320S and have never regretted it for a moment! DH isn’t much for camping anymore so I go anyway! While the 400 bathroom is huge and nice I wouldn’t trade up! I love the openness of the three large windows, my 320 holds everything I need and then some. The bathroom is just fine for me (I’m 5’3”) and after years of tenting is a wonderful luxury! I wanted a hard side, door to lock at night and be fully self contained. She is my first RV and I love it! I’ve found a group of local women who camp together once a month during camping season. I was just camping with them last weekend, there were 11 of us camping with everything from tents to the back of a minivan to those of us with trailers. It’s a wonderful life! Best of luck with your decisions!

DanManz

In addition to all the excellent points others have made here is one more perspective.  My wife and I have concluded our 400 actually has four rooms in it.  There is a bedroom, a kitchen/galley, the bathroom and a dining room.  For the two of us, each of those spaces is perfectly adequate and actually pretty roomy.  The only time it feels a little cozy is when the two of us are moving around inside the camper and have to pass in the hallway.  The other part is, we use our camper to go CAMPING!  Our version of that includes hiking, swimming, sightseeing, fishing, outdoor cooking, campfires, etc.  We use our 400 to sleep in, clean up, carry food, listen to the weather and news, use the bathroom and get out of the rain during a big storm.  Our goal is to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  For us, the 400 hit that sweet intersection of easy to tow, well made, big enough to be comfortable, small enough to get into fairly remote sites and enough water/power capacity to be off the grid for several days.  We know people that have big 5th wheels and other campers with huge slide-outs, etc.  A lot of those folks pull their unit out to the lake, park it and stay in one place all season.  We prefer moving around from place to place and having a comfortable way to live while we are away from our bricks and mortar home. Our guess is you will love it!

Sharon_is_SAM

I will also add that there are lots of RV owners who after awhile elect to downsize.  Smaller has advantages.

VictoriaP

Sharon_is_SAM said:

I will also add that there are lots of RV owners who after awhile elect to downsize.  Smaller has advantages.

This, exactly. One of my camping neighbors has a fairly new 28’ class A, and for them, that was a recent downsize from one of the giant buses. Not surprisingly, they also recently downsized their house. First comment the lady made about the T@b was, “Oh, that would be so easy to clean!” 😁

JohnDanielsCPA

I own an F350 dually and a 30’ fifth wheel.  We found we were having problems getting into some of our favorite sites.  We also found a dually is not a good offroad vehicle for exploring! So we kept our rig for “glamping” but bought a Jeep, then looked around to see what trailer would best fit it.  We decided on the 320S. We really love it and found we tend to go out more often in the T@B then we do our fifth wheel, especially, for shorter duration trips.  That said, for the two of us, the 320 is a bit on the small side, but it works just fine for us.  I would “move up” to a 400, but the Jeep just won’t pull it safely.  So, if you have the tow vehicle, the 400 would be a nice choice.  If not, the 320 is great too!

tombeaux

You got my attention when you said you were a tent camper. My wife and I are life long tent campers. We went camping on an early date. We also backpacked when we were young, and then took it up again just recently for one trip a year with family. We are retired now. Our quest when camping is for the more secluded and smaller spots, the sort of spot we had when we tent camped. "Parking lot" camping is not our deal. The T@B fits our needs perfectly We have a 320S, so the 400 would be considered "big" to us. We tend to end up in bear country, so we wanted something hard-sided, and we wanted an indoor bathroom. We are about 18 months into to ownership and love it. We are taking off on a 7-week trip in late September. It is really a matter of what you want. That's why there is chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Everyone has a different idea of what they want.

ColleenD2

And hello from downtown St. Louis @Mira! I have to tell you we drove about 3 hours to Missouri Teardrop for our T@B and are soooo glad we did. The local-ish dealer wasn’t easy to work with. I would suggest calling Dana at Missouri Teardrop. (660) 909-3553. He is a VERY low overhead dealership and a heck of a nice guy. The T@B friends I’ve sent to him have been very happy with the prices and prompt service. You can tell him I sent ya. I don’t get a kickback, I just like him to know.

TNOutback

Going small opens up a whole new world of campgrounds, backroads, and dispersed camping options not available to larger RVs. We go RV camping to get into the outdoors, enjoy the quiet, and not spend it inside the camper.  We can watch TV, play music and stare at our computers at home. The camper is for secure, comfortable, sleeping, bathing, sometimes cooking, so it doesn’t need to be big, but we appreciate the comforts that an RV brings.  We spent a year looking for our next camper, and the NuCamp products stood head and shoulders above everyone else.  We had narrowed down our list to 3 RVs until we stepped into a 400,  and then we stopped looking.  We are anxiously awaiting our camper back from the factory.

DigitalSorceress

I'm 49 and also quite tall (6'2") I have a T@B 320s Boondock Edge it's certainly tiny but it's perfect for my needs.. I'm fairly slim so I can use the very small bathroom in there and take a shower sitting down (though I prefer the outdoor shower when possible)  and for one person I think the 320S is tight but cozy.. I do more weekend events and "driveway camping" though I just finished a 2 week long medieval reenactment event where I was truly boondocking it.. been doing that event for 25 years..in the past always in tents.. what a difference!!

If I were to full time, I think I'd upgrade to a 400 for that extra headroom, longer bed, bigger bathroom, more storage, and extra kitchen space..

I don't cook in my T@B except for heating water for coffee or a quick heat up of something canned, I also don't spend a lot of time IN my T@B except for sleeping, changing, and working remotely (I sit at the Lagun table which I've added an extension to for my keyboard and mouse when working)

So for 1 person, a 320 is cozy but very doable.. a 400 would feel palatial to me.

If I were going to camp longer stays I would likely get a side tent or at least an awning.. for my 2 week event, I set up a 3 walled "cook shack" tent I had to give me a big changing room (medieval reenactment means lots of clothing.. especially for renaissance garb .. so many skirts ....)

laurelt

I've wanted a camper for all of the 57 years I can remember... finally did it!  My husband and I are (now were!) tent campers.  We looked for the past year or so, climbing into a number of trailers.  We decided that the T@B had the best fit & finish, then thought hard about the 320 CS-S clamshell.  Although we preferred the outdoor kitchen, I wasn't crazy about having to switch the bed into a dinette if we wanted to eat or work at the tiny table.  I'd also fallen in love with the Sofitel package, which was hard to find.  The bathroom wall finish in the "non-Sofitel" models wasn't very appealing.  Another factor leading to our decision was that the extra dinette space in the 400 would be good for working or might come in handy if one of our kids decided to join us.

We picked up our new 2019 T@B 400 in June.  On the orientation, we both thought "oh dear, what have we done?!"  It looked a lot bigger than we remembered.  It didn't seem like there was enough storage.  The generator/heating/cooling/etc. seemed ridiculously complicated (I swear, it's way nicer than our house!)  We'd researched our Honda Pilot's towing capability and it all seemed ok, but once at the dealer, getting it set up for towing involved anti-sway modifications to the hitch.  And then the ride home (six hours) was spent white-knuckled, watching the rearview mirrors and saying "is it supposed to be doing that?!"  We actually called the dealer and asked if we could return it for a 320.

The next weekend, we took her for her maiden voyage.  And fell utterly and completely in love.  We'd loaded her up with everything we could possibly need and there was room to spare.  Of course, we bought a used Touareg a couple of weeks later, because the Pilot really wasn't happy about towing that much.  So add $15K to the trailer purchase price...

She's now hosted us for three trips, and we're headed out again in November.  The last trip, our kids and my mom joined us.  Although they slept in tents, we did manage to fit all five of us inside for a little while.  Three can sit at that table, four if you really squeeze.  I've used the shower twice - I love being able to clean up before going to bed.  Not to mention not having to schlep all the way to the campground toilets/showers.

I have to admit that the thought of taking her out by myself is intimidating.  I've been watching as my husband gets everything connected and have been taking my turns at the wheel.  In time I think I'd be able to do it, but not yet.  For someone doing it alone, I'd think that the 320 is probably all you need, and certainly easier to tow.

In closing, I seem to find myself whispering "I love you!" to our trailer each time I go out to the driveway.  'Nuff said.

Good luck and happy travels, Mira!

JP2558

My wife and I too were tent people. Now both of us are retired and a few weeks ago she found a used 2018 T@B 320-CS, that had only been used twice, and it spent the last year stored in a barn. We picked it up on 8/23 and immediately went to a Michigan State park less than 70 miles from home for two nights. Neither of us knew anything about campers, but this forum and the very fine folks here have helped us along the way. I’m 6’2” and we’ve already figured out our version of the bed extension (a covered camping accessory tote is the perfect height), and yesterday we pulled the mattress off the lazy-boy hide-a-bed in the basement and tested using it as a mattress topper. The sleeping bags and air mattresses will be staying home from now on! We will mostly go places that have shower and restroom facilities, and when tenting camping we spend almost all our time awake outside. For us our T@B is just our new tent on wheels, and that’s all we really want (well something less leaky too 🤪).

Rerail

Hi Folks, we traded our 2019 T@B 320 BD for a 2020 T@B 400 and picked it up last Saturday. We loved the T@B 320 BD but did find it a little tight. Our previous trailer was a 25' Airstream so the 320 was tiny for us.
Our decision to upgrade fro the 320 was primarily for the shower and toilet as we often dry camp and we both need the bathroom. 
I am 70 yrs of age and the 400 seems the perfect fit.
We plan on towing the trailer with a 2016 Honda Pilot AWD. 
Our maiden voyage will be the a State Park in upstate New York. We live in Southern Ontario. 
You cannot beat the quality of the NuCamp products.
Regards,
Keith

2020 T@B 400 Silver 
2016 Honda Pilot AWD