Air8 Performance in T@B 400 & Resolution (Coming Soon!)

TNOutback

@ecstatic don’t have answer to your question, but everything I’ve experienced thus far makes me confident that Nucamp will make things right with owners. 

SadieFay

Is it worthwhile to have the dealer "fix" the Air8 issue with nuCamp's Service Bulletin fix--replace the exhaust vents from the bottom of the trailer and replace them with hardware cloth?  We have this scheduled to be done later this week and I wonder if it is even worth the trouble.  

TNOutback

@SadieFay I would have to say it may not be worth the current service bulletin fix, especially if you won’t be using your a/c for the next few months (assuming yet another fix is on the way).  Mine came with the hardware cloth, and while it may improve on the issue with the louvers, it doesn’t really solve the problem completely.  The hardware cloth fix doesn’t evacuate the hot exhaust air from underneath the camper.  My observations, backed up with temperature tests, showed that the hot air tended to remain “trapped” underneath the camper, so the intake was taking in hotter air than the surrounding ambient air away from the camper.  However, Nucamp sent me a prototype deflector made from the tub diamond plate material to install over the exhaust port, and that made a noticeable improvement in evacuating the exhaust air from underneath the camper and also significantly reducing the outside noise on the door side of the camper (I installed the diverter so it sent the air to the street side of the camper).

So, the hardware cloth fix probably helps resolve the louver issue, but to me seems to be an incomplete fix.  If you plan on using your a/c in the next few weeks/months, then it may be worth it; otherwise, you might consider waiting for an ‘improved’ service bulletin fix.  Or, if you are handy or know someone who can do sheet metal work, a diverter that kicks the exhaust air from underneath the camper is a better solution.

[Deleted User]

Is NuCamp aware that there seems to be multiple 2020 Tab 400 trailer owners with A/C concerns ?  Do I need to 'register' my concern with my dealer or contact the factory ?  

Sharon_is_SAM

nuCamp is aware.  You should contact your dealer.

TNOutback

Nucamp and the a/c manufacturer are aware and actively working on a solution. I would suggest going ahead and talking with your dealer.  Give them time. Winter is a good time to solve a/c issues. 

[Deleted User]

Will contact dealer. Thanks for taking the lead on this.  

jimcenname

@jameskuzman
Thank you for the details on the cool cat AC. I also thank the other who posted about the Air8 issue. Using info like that several weeks ago I searched for and found a new 2019 T@B400 in Sacramento (450 miles away) even though there was a 2020 at a nearby dealer. The 2019 I bought was a year old and still sold as new. The trailer aged a bit sitting on a lot that long so I have a few aging issues to deal with but I don't expect the AC to be one of them (I haven't field-tested it yet). The greatest concern I have is about the label on each window that says to leave the blinds open when the T@B is in the sun. That's going to make it very tough on the interior though time. I put a cover on the RV that reduces the light but on a recent 99 degree day the inside of the RV was 120 degrees. I had the fan on and the windows cracked open under the cover but not sure that helped.

rh5555

@jameskuzman, see this post.  And welcome to the community!

Marceline

The greatest concern I have is about the label on each window that says to leave the blinds open when the T@B is in the sun. 

You’ve misinterpreted the label. 

It says you should have windows closed and shades open while traveling. 

Amazonica

I know NuCamp doesn’t monitor theses sites, so I contacted my Dealer. I am in South Texas currently. On a day with a sunny high of about 83dF, I left my pup for about 2 hours to go grocery shopping, with the Air8 set to 74dF. Came back to a trailer that was 92dF. Luckily she’s ok, the day wasn’t any hotter than it was, and I wasn’t detained longer. Yes it was on “Snowflake” and not just fan circulation, shades were drawn, windows closed, no vents blocked. I am getting a remote monitor (should’ve done that earlier), but am afraid for higher temps when summer comes. Thank you all for posting, and your updates are greatly appreciated.

Tundra57

I have a 2019 tab 400 with cool cat. One other thing no one has mentioned about the air 8 is that the heat pump feature is also gone. I use this often specially in fall. It keeps the 400 warm as long as the outside temp stays away from freezing. Mine works well down to 50C outside and the heating is fast.

JCALD

We searched for and found a new 2019 400 back in October specifically due to the Air8 issues.  It was about 300 miles away and was the show room display model with full factory warranty.  We couldn’t be happier.  NuCamp made a huge mistake by providing an air conditioner with approximately 60% of the cooling capacity when compared to the cool cat.  The cool cat provides 12,000 BTUs while the Air8 is somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000.  Even the ducts are substantially smaller on the Air8. We are in Texas as well and there is no way the Air8 can keep up with the heat here even on a relatively cool Texas day.

falcon1970

For those non-Texans in the crowd, anything under 90 degrees F here is considered "a relatively cool Texas day!"

TNOutback

Amazonica said:

I know NuCamp doesn’t monitor theses sites, so I contacted my Dealer. I am in South Texas currently. On a day with a sunny high of about 83dF, I left my pup for about 2 hours to go grocery shopping, with the Air8 set to 74dF. Came back to a trailer that was 92dF. Luckily she’s ok, the day wasn’t any hotter than it was, and I wasn’t detained longer. Yes it was on “Snowflake” and not just fan circulation, shades were drawn, windows closed, no vents blocked. I am getting a remote monitor (should’ve done that earlier), but am afraid for higher temps when summer comes. Thank you all for posting, and your updates are greatly appreciated.

Part of what you are experiencing is the thermocouple’s location (where the air temperature is being measured).  The design has it located right in front of the a/c’s intake, which as you know is down low, inside the compartment underneath the bed; a terrible place to measure the cabin air temperature!  I’ve had direct conversations with both NuCamp and Elwell’s engineers, and Elwell is working on a kit to relocate the thermocouple out into the cabin.  My 400 is at the dealer right now, and as of this week, NuCamp has the instructions for the retrofit, but are waiting on the kit itself to ship to the dealer for the fix.  Back in October, I understood Elwell was prototyping a more powerful unit as a retrofit, but I have not heard anything lately about that.

I will add that both NuCamp and Elwell’s folks have been great to work with and seem genuinely interested in getting things right.  I feel good about getting to a good resolution.

Russel

I am scheduled to pick up my new 2020 Tab 400 Boondock Lite on 1/15/2020.  After reading all of these issues with the AC I am leaning towards not buying it.  Living in SC we need a good AC.

ChrisFix

I'm am ready to purchase as well, and had been prepared to order a new T@B400 (after lots of comparison shopping)...and then the Elwell issue happened. I plan on using my travel trailer in some warm places (not to mention how warm NC gets), and really need a proper AC system. Hope this is actually resolved very soon.

N7SHG_Ham

For the brand new solo version of the 400 they have gone back to the cool cat, it might be worth seeing if that is across the board, before making a go or no go decision on a new one.

Russel

Hi Will,

​

Thank you for your interest in our company and products

​

We noticed early in the production process that the AIR 8 was not operating to it's full capacity. We have taken steps to boost the performance of the AIR 8 to help cool the trailer. We have alerted the dealers for units that left our building and have changed the production on the units here at the factory to maximize the performance of the AIR 8. 

​

We understand your concerns and we have done our best to address this in the AIR 8 to make it work to the best of it's ability.

​

If you have any other questions please let us know.

​

Have a wonderful day,

Raphael Yutzy

Customer Experience

844.823.9112

customerservice@nucamprv.com

On Mon, 13 Jan at 11:05 AM , Wbrogers40 <wbrogers40@yahoo.com> wrote:

Russel

I emailed NuCamp about the AC issues and this was their reply. For now I am going to hold off on buying one until I see if they do anything else to fix the problem. 

VictoriaP

... “make it work to the best of its ability” doesn’t mean much if it’s actually underpowered for the space of the 400. I think your decision to wait is a sensible one, @Russel. It will be interesting to see in a few months when the 2021 starts coming off the line whether they’ve kept the Elwell or gone back to the CoolCat as they did on the 400 Solo model.

dutsmiller

I agree with that sentiment.

As the owner of a 2020 T@B 400 BDL (purchased in May of 2019, i.e. prior to it being warm enough to test the A/C), I paid a premium for a well made camper from a manufacturer with a track record of great customer service.  One of the features of this camper was air conditioning and I expect it to function when it is warm outside.  If it wasn't cutting it on a 100F day in the direct sun, perhaps I would be more forgiving, but it couldn't keep up on a cloudy 85F day in the shade.

My expectation is that NuCamp should stand by their product, that product being a fully functioning camper, and do whatever is necessary to make things right.

My fear is that they will slow-play the "fixes" (the ones that don't actually fix things) until the warranty runs out, then shrug their shoulders.

I truly hope my fears are not realized.

Verna

@dutsmiller, please send an email to customerservice@nucamprv.com expressing your above mentioned concerns. What you are “guessing” is not how nüCamp does business. But rather than hearing it from me, a T@B forum Administrator, you need to be reassured by the factory. Please share with them that Verna asked you to write to alleviate your fears. 

Please do share the responses with us so others can be reassured. 

splatmatt

I just sent their customer service an email too. 

splatmatt

I spoke (phone call) with Raphael (nuCamp Customer Service) and found out that the current fix on the line is hardware mesh only.  Below is picture sent to me (in email from from Raphael) of what the production line now is doing now.




I also asked if nuCamp and Elwell were discussing replacing the unit entirely with a more powerful unit and he said was not aware of that.  He did confirm that originally they believed the unit was 8000 BTUs and he said it is really 6500 BTUs.

TabberJohn

That's looks like the 400 bottom. With the 320 the in/out vents are separated by a section of the trailer frame.
I thought the interim fix included some type of baffle to redirect the exhaust outflow away from intake.

dutsmiller

6500 BTUs seems rather low compared to the previous Cool Cat (which was 13,500?).

splatmatt

dutsmiller said:

6500 BTUs seems rather low compared to the previous Cool Cat (which was 13,500?).

Yep really low, nuCamp was told by Elwell it would be 8000 BTUs.  However it turned out to be 6500 BTUs.  This is straight from nuCamp.

splatmatt

TabberJohn said:

I thought the interim fix included some type of baffle to redirect the exhaust outflow away from intake.

This picture was taken this morning 1/15/2020 (I did check the exif data) right from the production line.

MandMs

We are in the process of buying a Tab 400 and have been told by the nuCamp rep that they are going back to the Cool Cat AC in the Tab 400’s. The Air 8 would have been a showstopper for us.