Why would you want to do THAT?

jameskuzman · August 2019

As we have navigated the murky waters of buying our first trailer, we have come to the conclusion that we want a T@B 400. If everything goes as planned, we'll have that deal closed by week's end (which will be the topic of another thread) but in the course of sharing our decision with friends and family who have many more years of camping experience behind them, we've been met with some curious reactions.

Most are just gobsmacked as to why anyone would pay close to $30K for a small camper that sleeps 3 people when you can spend half as much for for one that sleeps six, has 5 slides, an 8-burner commercial range, a 500 cubic foot refrigerator, and the aesthetics of the Brady Bunch's rumpus room.

We've chosen the T@B for many of the same reasons I'm sure you all have: The quality of the materials and construction, the excellent customer service reputation, resale value, the on-line community, the design and aesthetics, and other "intangible" qualities when compared to your run-of-the-mill trailer. These things have value to us, but we seem to be in the minority.

At the end of the day, everyone needs to do what's right for them of course, and we're not letting anyone make our decision for us - but I'm curious as to whether or not anyone else got met with the same raised eyebrows when choosing what I'll admit is not a "mainstream" camper.

VictoriaP · August 2019

Nope. Everyone so far, whether they have an RV or not, who has stepped into my 320 has immediately grasped the quality and understands the price tag that goes along with that. Most think it lives bigger than it looks, love that a truck isn’t mandatory to tow it, marvel that it fits neatly in my carport, and don’t seem fazed at all by the lack of a microwave, etc. If someone did make a comparison comment of the type you mention, I suspect my response would be, “Yes, but I’d like any RV I bought to be intact, functional, and still worth a nice chunk of change ten years from now, thanks.” A few people have admitted they would personally need more room—the 320 is pretty small, obviously—and then they start asking about other trailers nuCamp might make.

Attitudes might change once you bring it home and they get a chance to see for themselves. Or they might not, but they’ll get used to it once they see you are happy with your choice. Congrats on your new rig!

Cbusguy · August 2019

Ya, had a few friends give me that sort of grief.......

Picked up my trailer the first of June and have been out 6 times with it in that short period.

Ask them how often they get out in theirs.......most of the guys I work with get out 3 or so times a year......

Who cares what they think, Chase your own dreams.

NorthIsUp · August 2019

Your friends are correct. It's crazy. I blame @Travels_with_delaney and their propaganda videos. I'm now a nuCamp fanboy. It ain't perfect, but it's an excellent travel trailer.

GatorEgg · August 2019

We run into this with our family all the time. A few in the family are “gotta buy it now” folks. They’ll purchase things for the moment and price. They don’t understand waiting, saving and buying quality. One good example is my Toyota Tacoma’s. I’ve owned them before they were called Tacoma’s. I’ll usually have to pay a bit more for them over a different brand truck on initial purchase. And I never buy brand new off dealer lot. After driving them for a few years I’ll sell at or close to the same price I bought it for. They hold their value. Airstreams are similar. Which we may move up to someday. But I’ll need more truck. Buy-in is higher but the almost equal resale justifies it.
I just try to teach the questioners about smarter money and enjoy my “cool stuff”!

Michigan_Mike · August 2019

I know a former 320 T@B owner who looked at and purchased a Max. I’m sure pricing (lower cost) was the bottom line bullet point that sealed the deal. But have heard that this individual is making plenty of visits back to the dealer repair shop and obviously kicking themselves for heading down that pathway, after previously having a trailer that required minimal maintenance. Nothing is ever perfect in life, we all have choices and you get what you pay for in most instances. We have enjoyed our 2019 T@B 400, it allows us comfort, the ability to travel on a moments notice and gives us freedom to expand our horizons.

jameskuzman · August 2019

@NorthIsUp - Yes! @Travels_with_delaney has been a significant contributor (enabler?) in our going down this path. @MandyLea has had a hand in it too. Plenty of blame to go around ;-)

jameskuzman · August 2019

@Michigan_Mike - And the Max is a cut above most of what I call the "stapled together in a pole tent" brands.

Indeed, nothing is perfect, and my expectations - while high - are not unreasonable given how the T@B is built and considering the general ownership experience.

I have a friend with a 10 year old Jayco Fifth Wheel who paid about half what we'll pay for the 400. It's roomy alright, but it's not how we want to camp and it doesn't exactly ooze quality. Another friend has a Bounder Class A and has spent a ton of time and money out of pocket to fix slides, A/C, generator controllers, crumbling trim, and the like - and it only hits the road 2 or 3 times a year. Again, not our style, and not holding up terribly well for its age and miles.

Love the blue LED strip by the way! Very cool.

gspdx · August 2019

Bigger isn't always better. A big cheaply built box on a big, cheaply built trailer frame certainly isn't better - it is just bigger. I can get my camper and truck into areas they would only dream about. Easier to store, easier to tow, etc.

And the quality build and appliances cost money. I had a pop-up camper when my son was young and it had particle board wood inside and pieces of plastic with staples through it to act as hinges for under seat storage and the like. If you just show people how it is built they will see the difference, although they might not admit it!

Also - we want to camp! We don't plan to spend too much time inside. If we were going to sit inside we might as well just stay home.

Michigan_Mike · August 2019

gspdx said:

Also - we want to camp! We don't plan to spend too much time inside. If we were going to sit inside we might as well just stay home.

That’s my moto too! 🤣 I tell people the same thing, if I wanted to bring my living room with me I would have just stayed home! 😀👍🏻

DenisP · August 2019

“I will take it under advisement “ is a polite response to someone who has a different understanding of value and quality. For the same reason it would be an exercise in futility to explain why I previously owned two Land Cruisers instead of a cheaper SUV. My first camper was a used R-Pod which required extensive repair due to poor design and after rebuilding the water heater, replacing the air conditioner... I traded it in on a new 2018 400. After a year of ownership and a host of memories that will last a lifetime gathered over 15000 miles of travel, the decision to upgrade to a 400 ranks as one of my best decisions.

ScottG · August 2019

Funny, I recently had the opposite experience... we were approached by a retired couple who had downsized through various campers, including a Casita which they both made clear they hated. They were currently in a class B van, and thought even that was too big. To top it off, when I sheepishly told them the price of my little camper they thought that was very reasonable as well for such a nice trailer.

I guess it takes all types. :-)

morey000 · August 2019

in no particular order:
1. The larger the RV... the more time you spend inside.
2. To not have to own a truck to tow it
3. the smaller it is, the more likely you'll take it along and use it
4. style: cuteness counts.
5. resale value
6. Build quality
7. Much easier to take into smaller campsites, 4-digit forest service roads, boondocking...
8. A certain pride of ownership/ emotional attachment, rather than just a utilitarian roof and bed.
9. It's not replacing your house (for most of us). It's replacing your tent. You probably already have a house.

For us, it has so far proven to be the perfect size (320S Boondock). Tiny, but offers everything we wanted. Wish it had a 25 gal fresh water tank tho'.

jameskuzman · August 2019

@DenisP - Excellent suggestion. I completely understand the Land Cruiser example. Choosing the T@B parallels most of my buying decisions, from audio gear to musical instruments to cameras, I've rarely been attracted to the "obvious" choice and will happily opt for quality over quantity any time. It's funny you should mention making memories, as that's one of the primary goals associated with this purchase.

@morey000 - I agree with everything you've listed. #8 especially resonates with me. Expounding upon my previous mention of musical instruments and cameras, certain ones just call to you and say "pick me up and play me" or "let's go make pictures". People either get that or they don't, but for those of us that do, it's a critical if somewhat intangible factor.

IslandJo · August 2019

It's all relative, I met an owner of a Vestibule in Organ Pipe. A Vistibule is the size of a T@g but sells for 25K or more depending on options. They thought what I paid for my T@b was cheap.

TNOutback · August 2019

@Michigan_Mike I see in your photo some old hand-hewn timber framing around your T@B “garage”. Nice barn!

Michigan_Mike · August 2019

TNOutback said:

@Michigan_Mike I see in your photo some old hand-hewn timber framing around your T@B “garage”. Nice barn!

We really like the barn and hope to keep it preserved as best as possible. I’m actually installing some windows today on the addition portion of the barn. I guess years ago they use to hold square dances in it and am also told that the farmer had buried some of his animals just outside and away from the barn. I know I have harvested tons of rocks in an effort to clean up around the building and allow for me to easily mow around the barn.

Great place to store the 400 for sure!

MandyLea · August 2019

jameskuzman said:

@NorthIsUp - Yes! @Travels_with_delaney has been a significant contributor (enabler?) in our going down this path. @MandyLea has had a hand in it too. Plenty of blame to go around ;-)

I'm happy to be at fault :P

Deb55 · August 2019

Everyone loves our T@B 400! I think that some people would find it too small for their needs, but they still like it. We bought ours on a whim, after going to the dealer to look at Rpods. BTW, if you're willing to take a leftover 2018, you can get a brand new camper for a lot less than $30K. We bought our new 2018 T@B 400 in April of this year for $21,300. It's been great!

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