When my wife and I decided to invest in a small travel trailer we finally narrowed in on the nuCamp Tab 400 Boondock. We looked at several different models and this one came out on top (a recap of our decision criteria is in: ). The excitement of the new purchase was at an all-time high as we signed on the dotted line.
Our excitement quickly turned into the “hurry up and wait” game. The ‘wait’ for our camper to be built at the factory was going to be several weeks. December finally comes around and our new travel trailer arrives. As soon as it’s ready for pickup, we make the 45 minute drive to Traverse City to lay eyes on our new Tab 400, fresh from the factory.
What a beauty! What great lines! And, the camper just looks cool. Here’s a photo of Sheen’s Bean on the road:
Nature and Me RV took us through many safety and setup steps. Their goal? To ensure we were up and ready to operate and tow this new addition. Eager and anxious to take it on it’s first drive, it too was short-lived. Michigan snow fell all the way home. Taking it to a storage facility for the rest of the winter, the “hurry up and wait” begins again.
Time to Travel with Our nuCamp Tab 400 Boondock
Then, spring arrives and it’s time to roll.
Most sane people would probably start out with a much shorter first trip than we did. 6 weeks for our first trip, what were we thinking? Similar to diving in head-first into a lake (not knowing how cold/warm it will be) and hoping for the best.
Finally, March madness begins. No, I am not talking about the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I am talking about getting our new toy on the road. The “hurry up and wait” is over. We make our way to the storage facility to bring our new toy home.
Once we get it home the real fun begins. Did I just say “real fun”?
The Learning Curve
We dove in head-first, and I must say the water was bathtub warm. I clearly under-estimated the time and steps to really get this new toy ‘travel ready.’
Can we do this? Doubts started to kick in. But after a few google searches, our confidence grew with knowledge.
Yes, yes, yes. In fact, it’s very doable. After diving in, the learning and doing was fun. Plenty of fun after we broke the learning into 5 steps: 1) de-winterizing & sanitizing; 2) connecting, towing and leveling (driving too.*; 3) power: electrical, battery, propane and & solar 4) water and 5) sewage. After working through each of these a few times, our first trip is next.
*Note: If your planning your first trip, or are buying and looking at getting started, check out The 1st Glamp Trip: Planning for a Successful Adventure.
Tuscan Hills Winery (Effingham, IL) was our first stop along a nine state route. In short, it was a grand slam. For non-baseball fans this is a walk-off bases loaded home run. For more details on this first Harvest Hosts stop check out Sheen’s blog of: Harvest Hosts for Glampers: How to Travel in RV Style
Each stop along our six week travels so far has been beyond memorable. As I type this blog we are approaching the last week of our first journey. Other favorites? Sierra Vista (pictured above) and White Sands, New Mexico (see below)
I must say that traveling with the Tab 400 (nicknamed Sheen’s Bean) has more than exceeded my expectations. One of my biggest concerns was the compact size of the Tab 400.
Planning and Organization Keeps the Space Liveable
The design is incredibly usable space and functional. Having the queen bed and a separate eating/cafe area gives room and work space. The idea of having to break down a bed to eat was not for me. The bathroom is very efficient with the fold up sink and streamlined shower.
At the same time, it is still a small travel trailer. I can honestly say that during this journey that only on a few occasions did it seem crowded, small and claustrophobic.
We also camp with our two dogs. If they could talk outside of their tails wagging and happy barks, they were quite content during the vacation. They crashed at night just like we did.
Organization Makes a Difference
Thanks to some ingenious planning and packing ideas for the Tab 400 (Hmmm… I wonder who came up with those ideas) we were able to comfortably camp for the almost 6 week adventure. We lined drawers and shelves with non-skid liners. Storage bins, boxes and cloth baskets kept items accessible and organized.
Thanks to Sheen’s ingenious packing of the camper and incredible cooking skills (just ask her about her 1 skillet dinners) we totally embraced this close quarters living.
We’re ready to get back out on the camping trail soon.
Check out a few of our recent posts:
Bosque Del Apache: A Rustic Gem in New Mexico
How to De-Winterize and Sanitize Your nuCamp Tab 400 2021
4 comments
Looks like fun Dave! Morgan & Paula
Thanks Morgan and Paula. It was a great trip. Look forward to seeing you both when we are in Arkansas again.
Nice to hear Dave’s perspective. Wow, you both have started a whole new life. Happy trails!
Dave, So excited about your blog. Love it!
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