Trailer Advice

CatDaddy · October 25

I could use some advice from the community. Here's the backstory:

I owned a 2022 320S Boondock briefly. It became clear to me after a year that I needed something bigger. I looked at the 360 and 400 very seriously. I decided that the kitchen in the 360 wasn't going to work for me. The 400 seemed to heavy at the time. I ultimately bought a 2027 Safari Condo Alto F1743X. I loved almost everything about it except it tended to get very warm. It towed better than my 320S (less hopping and jerking) and it had 570W of solar, a 3kW inverter and 520Ah of lithium battery. Great for the boondocking I love. All was well for 17 days. The first time I turned on the water heater, it exploded with me in it. Really scary. Fortunately, my cats were outside. I could easily have been killed but received only minor injuries. All the windows were blown out. The stove blew out of the countertop. The storage compartment blew open. My insurance company has declared it a total loss, but the insurance payoff will not be anywhere near enough to buy a new F1743X. The cause was determined to be a loose connection to the stove. Apparently, the leak-down test was performed by putting a manometer at the stove. When the manometer was removed, the propane was not properly reconnected. When I turned the propane on, propane flowed continuously into the cabinet beneath the stove and the compartment containing the furnace/water heater. The induction fan likely ignited the gas. Three insurance companies and their adjusters and lawyers are involved so nothing is happening very quickly.

In any case, I need advice on a new trailer. After much searching, I have a short list:

NuCamp Haven 190
NuCamp 400 Black Canyon
Lance 1475
Intech Sol Horizon
Big Foot 17.5
Safari Condo Alto F1743X

Priorities:

Mild off-road capability
Large amounts of solar and battery for at least 5 days off-grid
Minimum of 2kW inverter, 3kW preferred
Large enough tanks for 5 days off-grid
At least 72" of interior headroom
Easily towable with a 2014 VW Touareg TDI (diesel)
Some place for a litter box for my two adventure cats

I eliminated various Casita and Oliver models for various reasons, some of which are political some of which have to do with lead time. I think the Happy Camper, Scamp and Barefoot models don't have enough headroom and I will be back to feeling like I did in the 320S. I love the looks of the Awaken iMorninstar but it's too big, too heavy and too new. Various Escape models looked promising until I saw the tank sizes.

I haven't see the Haven 190 yet, but I like what I see online. I'm concerned about the short bed and I wasn't thrilled with the quality of my 2022 320S. When I put lithium in it, I saw how they're made and it was not impressed, especially with the wiring and the huge number of over driven screws. Has NuCamp quality improved? Does the Haven 190 have the Froli system under the mattress?

I don't immediately see how I would get enough solar on a NuCamp 400 to meet my needs.

The Lance 1475 is heavier than the F1743X but lighter than the Haven 190. I'm not sure of its build quality. I haven't seen one in person.

The Intech Sol Horizon is very nice, but its quite heavy and very wide (102") making it harder to tow and harder to fit onto a ferry.

The BigFoot 17.5 has a 25% tariff on it because it's made in Canada.

The Haven 190 and the Lance 1475 are probably my top choices, assuming I don't get another F1743X, but I haven't seen either of them in-person yet. I'm concerned about the build quality of the Haven. Does anybody know where the reservoir for the Alde system is in a Haven? I thought it was really horrible to have it behind the toilet in the 320S. There was no way to make it water tight so it could be used as a shower!

Am I missing any other options? Any recommendations?

andytabrv · October 26

I am very glad you weren't seriously injured. That must have been terrifying and so disheartening to have waited to get that camper and then be back to nothing. I really like the 1743 and was down to deciding between the 1743 and the T@b 400. Here is why I chose the T@b 400 and I am very glad I did.

I live in the southeast and it's more often hot than cold. The Safari Condo construction, while very strong, does not provide good insulation from heat or cold and I wanted to camp year round. I was more worried about being to hot in the Safari condo and from what I read this is a common experience.
Lead times for the Safari Condo were looooooong.
The dealership down the road from me carried nuCamp models (ironically they've recently had a few Safari Condo models so maybe distribution is better.)
(Totally a preference thing) the interior of the T@b felt homier.

Like the 1743, the T@b has the dual-pane acrylic windows. Having had a traditional larger trailer with single pane windows before the T@b 400, I don't think I could ever go back to a single pane window. They lose so much heat/cold. Thus that rules out many of the model you show above. While I like the Intech and their construction is good, the AC/Heat would have to run all the time unless the weather is perfect and condensation would be a constant enemy. Heat may not be as much issue in the Pacific NW (though I imagine cold is.). The dual-panes keep the T@b 400 so much quieter inside.

Also like the 1743, I love the radiant heat. That quiet heat is so nice.

I have been eyeing the Haven 190 as I think my wife would be more amiable to a dry bath. I am skeptical about the fan arrangement. It has two of the "bathroom-style" fans. They are single speed and I'm not sure you could run either in a drizzle. There is no fan over the cooking area so steam/smoke get pulled all the way through the camper to the bathroom to exhaust. Also, I often take friends with me and the T@b 400 can sleep two grown 6 ft adults in separate beds (the dinette bed works well.). The 190 cannot, unless my camping buddies are sub 5 feet tall or they sleep in the same bed and I like my friends but not that much.

I can only speak to the construction of my 2024 T@b 400, but I really think it's well made. So much so that I've become a snob about other trailer construction. The InTechs do seem well made. I haven't seen a recent Lance, but the ones I have been in have been good as well.

You've got plenty of towing capability if the 7700 lbs that Google tells me your Touareg provides is accurate. Wind resistance is the annoying part of any trailer and I'm not sure how the T@b compares to the 1743, but I think the teardrop shape is more of a benefit in theory rather than in actual practice. The 1743 is so light it was probably a dream to tow. The T@b 400 is almost 1000lbs less than my former trailer and a foot shorter, but I've only gained, maybe 1-2 mpg over that old trailer (still 10-14mpg depending on wind and hills in a 2022 Nissan Pathfinder). But, I feel very safe towing it. I do use an Anderson weight distribution hitch for stability and less bounce.

The Lance 1475 is very intriguing, but I've never been able to walk into one in person (at least a 1475 w/o the slide out.) I've seen many used Lance for sale so that makes me think they last longer. But, I don't know about recent construction.

CatDaddy · October 26

Thanks for your input!

Safari Condo recently got new dealerships in Texas, Florida and North Carolina. That might be why your dealership has them now.

I waited around 8 months for my 1743X, so the lead times have definitely come down from the days when people were waiting 2 years. Supposedly, Safari Condo designs their trailers specifically to reduce drag. I got about 16 mpg on the highway when towing the F1743X compared to about 31 mpg without the trailer. That's about the same mileage I got with the 320S.

I'm not sold on the Alde heating system. People say it's silent, but the Alde 3020 in my 320S wasn't silent. The ignition noise followed by the induction fan kicking on wasn't silent. Then there was the ticking and clicking of the convectors expanding and contracting. I actually think the Truma Eco Combi furnace in the 1743X was quieter or at least more consistent so it's easier to ignore. Having air blowing around with two cats in the trailer wasn't great, however. The $800 I spent having the Alde fluid flushed was a serious downside. That's $400 a year in preventative maintenance!

VW says not to use a weight distribution hitch on my 2014 Touareg TDI so I haven't used one. The F1743X had an option to add a Tuson electronic sway controller, which mine had. I don't know if that's why it towed better than the 320S but it was a dream to tow.

I agree that the NuCamp trailers are homier. The wood finish is warmer than the aluminum skin for sure. It's also heavier. I think NuCamp does a better job of finding little nooks and crannies to put storage.

My complaints about the NuCamp build quality had to do with over driven screws all over the place, amateurish wiring throughout, the stove lid wouldn't stay up because it hit the window frame before it got to the locking position, the flexible solar panels were absolute junk, and the shower wasn't usable because the cover behind the toilet wasn't sealed because that's where the Alde reservoir was.

The stove lid just drove me crazy. I did the modification NuCamp suggested so the stove could be moved toward the rear so the lid would open more, but it didn't fix it. Stupid design. This colors my opinion of NuCamp.

The WFCO was capable of providing 35A to the battery for charging, but it was fused at 30A, meaning that if the battery was dead and the full 35A was going to the battery, the fuse would blow. Who does that?

Most of the time, the flexible OEM solar panel on the roof of my 320S wouldn't even produce enough power to turn the MPPT controller on. Meanwhile, the 120W Renogy Shadowflex panel I added would be cranking out power like crazy.

Since the 320S was my first trailer, I have nothing to compare it to except the F1743X which I only had for 17 days. The 1743X was definitely built and wired better than the 320S and it towed MUCH better! I never figured out why the 320S hopped and jerked like a bronco unless it was on smooth pavement. The 1743X towed smoother.

I haven't seen a Haven 190 yet, but supposedly the local dealer is getting one this week. I will pay attention to the fan issue you brought up. I also need to know where they hid the Alde reservoir.

I will also have another look at the 400 but I still don't see a way to put a decent amount of solar on it. I would need to run portable panels. The lack of an awning is a big deal here in the rain.

The nearest Lance 1475 is about 4 hours away. I may just look for a used one to look at.

Mickerly · 12:24PM

We always thought the 320CS was the best design NuCamp had going. There is more storage for than the 400 and the kitchen was outside. All the gas, fumes, and steam stayed outside. The windows and the radiant heat were wonderful. I do agree, the 320 was the worst towing trailer I have ever pulled.

We went through the same exercise 2 years ago. We started with how we intended to use the trailer and worked backwards to determine the desired characteristics. Once you have a clear, achievable goal, choosing the right trailer is easy. You eliminate the ones that don't fit. With your short list, look at how they fit your needs. If the decision is not clear, rent one. A weekend in a trailer will tell you more than a month of looking at the dealership. The trailer has to fit you.

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