How long did it take you to settle in with your camper and just camp.

crobo · November 4

Bought our first camper this year. A 2024 tab 320 Black Canyon. Have taken a few trips and love it. We used to camp out of a Honda Element. There is a lot to learn, some causing anxiety and some causing the joy of learning new things.

Although the Web is full of good advice it comes with a myriad of opinions, causing some confusion and second guessing. Learning about the proper way to winterize, the anti-freeze vs no anti-freeze debate, when to change the glycol, greasing the axle-another debate, tongue weight and payload, tires—how much pressure to run and when to change them, solar issues, moisture issues, and on and on

So thought it might be interesting to hear from everyone. After buying your camper when did you start to feel comfortable with your maintenance routine, what ever you chose to do, your towing situation, and general workings of your camper? When did you stop modifying things or is that just an ongoing thing? And are there things you still struggle with?

qhumberd · November 4

@crobo You pose a good question and after 6 years of using our 2019 400 we are still learning. My experience was only having a tent camper back in the 80s, so I had limited knowledge of trailers, tow vehicles and overall care of a camper. In fact, after I learned on the this forum about axles and bearings, I realized I towed that 80s tent camper all across the country for like 10 years and never did a thing to the bearings or had it serviced. Just lucky on that one.

As far as getting comfortable with the routine, it for me took about 1 year and it was a learning curve with all the systems in the T@B. We got ours from the orginal owner, and never took it to a dealer (too far). But with the support of this forum things seemed to fall into place. I must admit that most of the threads are about stuff that is NOT working, so that will increase your anxiety, but in reality there are more things that can go wrong than will go wrong. After about a year I stopped checking every time we moved the trailer for some catastrophic failure about to happen. I just did the basic checks and my spouse came behind to make sure I did not miss something.

So give yourself some time and things will tend to work out, and if they don't you can ask and there are lots of helpful folks that can lend a hand.

Beartooth · November 5

@crobo Sage advice from @qhumberd. Suggest you concentrate on what you do know and be eager to learn.

We bought our 2024 320 - and "go big or go home" was our motto, so first camping trip was a 250-mile drive to the 2024 nuCamp nat'l rally. Figured there'd be over 500 people who could help out on any potential problems lol. Attended all the tech sessions with the goal of learning about TAB maintenance. Learned a LOT in the Truma session on the Alde. Also learned to get service work done at the nuCamp Service Center vs. local dealer (terrible service there, that's another story…). Or get the Alde work done at the nat'l rally (Truma came to the campsite) or Truma service ctr in Indiana or Florida.

Already experienced towing a small tent trailer plus tent camping… still applying those experiences to the 320: Tend to pack light & efficient as possible. No mods needed (yet) but some upgrades after seeing items at natl rally (teak floor for bathroom, quiet telescoping MaXx fan w remote :D & thermostat). No plans for an awning either.

Dewinterizing/winterizing was new to us but lots of videos plus good advice on forum. Figured in desperation, we could come up with a camping trip in Ohio that would just happen to be near the nuCamp Service Center.

Suggest you come up with your own checklist for trips and maintenance - that reduces newbie anxiety. There are several checklist postings on forum as examples. Also make list of suggested maintenance intervals for Alde, Dexter Axle, tires. Customize the list for your application - some things may depend on the places you tow such as mountains, high wind, etc.

andytabrv · November 5

I shared @crobo's experience. Took me about a year of several trips over all seasons to feel like I was comfortable with my 2024 T@b 400. I'd had a slightly larger camper for a year before, so the towing experience got better. But camping in it in different seasons helped my confidence as did learning at about what rate the tanks filled (or emptied in regard to the fresh tank.). I've had it 3 years and I'm still learning little tricks. I've lived through a solar panel repair via warranty (nuCamp got a bad batch of panels in the 2024 T@b's) but that was a just minor headache.

The more I use the trailer the more I loved it and the more relaxed I feel. The checklist advice is very helpful. I used them religiously with my first camper and at first with my T@b. But, I've gotten comfortable enough I know what to check now (well, most of the time.). Where I really need a checklist now is in packing as I inevitably forget something.

phillm47 · 12:36AM

I read, and re-read, your question/OP several times. My wife and I purchased our 2025 T@B 320 S Boondock Black Canyon April of this year - new old stock. When we took delivery, we were told "don't go buy a bunch of things you 'think' you will need, just go camping and find your style…we did a combination of "forum buying" and shakedown camping, figuring things out how we camp. Without getting into minute details, here are some things we have learned, and our approach.

The internet is good and bad, I have learned a lot in the forums, but everyone has an opinion. Opinions are like A____s, and many stink! More stink in the Facebook forums than here I will add.

You focused on maintenance - let the owners manual and product manuals be your guide, not the internet. To address some of your points:

Winterize - I follow the nuCamp procedure outline in their tech home HERE.
Glycol change is every two years - this is time dependent, not use dependent.
The axle is not "greased", the wheel bearings are re-packed once a year.
"Tongue weight, payload and tires…" inflate the tires to the decal PSI on the side of your trailer, change them every five years from the date on the tires - tongue weight and payload? read my blog post HERE, and interpret for your situation.
Most all this information can be learned from the manuals, I had to go around the barn first before going back to that.

We did a lot of "shake down" camping this summer - figuring out what works for us, what doesn't. I keep notes on my phone in Google Keep. The week before last we did out first long distance trip, Fort Wayne to Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama. It was awesome! It was low stress…and yes, more notes went into Google Keep, but we are finding our groove, and we "just camped", as you say. Will there be an end to the learning, probably when we die, but as Hunter S. Thompson said “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” - camp/travel like that.

Edit - we still struggle with space, and what adds, or subtracts, from our traveling experience, but I believe we are in the 301 classroom now, not the 101.

How long did it take you to settle in with your camper and just camp.

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