Hi I just got watching how to hook up your tow vehicle. Very good video. Glad you did the video. It was from a few years ago. Thank you again. Have safe travels. Sherri
As a new T@B 400 owner, I greatly appreciate this video. I would have never thought to remove the sway bar in difficult backing situations. Good to know. I always learn something useful from each and every one of your videos. Thanks!
We have been lucky over the years to not ruin a sway bar even though I have many times forgotten to remove it when backing up. I have seen sway bars though that were bent beyond repair when not taken off while backing up and making hard turns to get into camp sites.
Watching the step by step process is very helpful. Some of my anxiety about towing has lessened...and I don't even have my trailer yet! I have found those bendable ties quite useful for many situations. Good video.
Those bendable ties are amazing and I use them everywhere! And they come in different sizes...some are smaller and others are large like the one I use for the sway bar.
I watched this video a lot before my wife and I purchased our T@B 400, and it was extremely helpful in remembering all of the steps needed to get the trailer hitched to our Highlander. The one thing which I later learned was NOT recommended practice is twisting the chains to shorten them. The purpose of the chains is to prevent the trailer from being detached from the your vehicle in case it jumps off the ball. The chains are rated to withstand the shock of the trailer's weight pulling against the vehicle, but the ratings assume that the chains are straight. Twisting the chains adds extra stress to the links and reduces the ability of the chains to withstand sudden weight applied to them. The right thing to do is to add something to support the middle of the chains to prevent them from dragging. On Amazon, you can look for "safety chain hangers".
You can definitely twist them too much. I think I may have not have made it clear that you can't twist them several times to the point they are kinking. A turn or two will still allow them the be loose while taking up slack per the dealership.
Great, easy, I picked up a few little tips! Thank you! I've been towing RVs for 10 years, and you always learn something new! (the carabiner on the brake cable, or rubber twisties, for example) Another tip I saw recently was a person who keeps heavy lb-rated (1K+) carabiners on their tow vehicle's metal slots where the chains attach. So instead of having to screw/unscrew the chain link ends, they leave them closed and just clip the spring-loaded carabiner on & off the chains easily. No more WD40, no more cold fingers when the chain end threads are stuck or frozen!
That is a great suggestion for the chains! I too always seem to pick up ideas from other TH-camrs. I think that is what makes this a great community....being able to learn from each other.
Another great video Patrick. I appreciate the info on the sway controller. We always remove it as soon as we pull into the RV Park to make sure we don’t back up with it attached. We did not remove it on our first couple of trips and then we went to a park where the owner backed in our trailer due to the tight confines of the space. He recommended always remove the sway bar. Great advice. Hi to Patty.
Lots of good information in this video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Little thing I found useful. If you want to check your break lights and you are by yourself, grab your long handled ice scraper. Mine tends to be in the back of the truck somewhere. Put the scraping end against the brake peddle and the other end against the drivers seat. It should depress the brake enough for you to walk back and to check the lights. If it is a little to short, just move the seat forward. Thanks Again. JohnnyF
Liked the video on hitching up you did. One thing that I added to the process was putting a paper white cup on the ball and receiver because they are both so dark in color. A cheap way to make them easier to see. Now with our new truck there is a dotted line to help aim better also. We need all the help we can get. Thanks for the great videos!
These videos are informative, that's how I learned to do pretty much everything before we picked up our Little Guy Max. The only thing I would recommend is the "twisting the chain to reduce slack" bit. Now...one or maybe 2 twists may be fine, but I'm afraid people who are brand new may use this as a method of reducing significant amounts of slack. Twisting chains from an engineering standpoint can greatly reduce their effectiveness and cause unequal pressure reducing their weight load rating. Lets say the trailer dropped or the chain became tight for some reason, the chain can naturally twist itself if enough torque is applied and it will be ok because of the slack. If the chain is already twisted somewhat tightly and then the chain becomes tight, the torque from that can cause the chain links to bend or shatter. They should be able to twist up to 24 degrees on each individual link, but if you twist them manually and reduced that 24 degrees down to lets say 5-10, then you can end up potentially putting a ton of pressure on each link. Just a helpful tip for you!
I was only referring to a twist or two. That was something I have had two different dealerships show me. Definitely was referring to lots of twists to make them tight. Maybe I should have been more specific although I thought I said a "couple" of twists. Thanks for sharing.
Oh no, I understood you and what you meant lol, I just meant that people who are new it all together might think "well if I still have slack, I should keep twisting it to get more slack out.". 1-2 twists would be perfectly fine since that won't cause and preliminary binding.
Great advice thanks. In a previous video you showed the Coleman fold and go gas grill. Managed to see both models in the Coleman outlet store in Branson, MO. You’re right they will work great. Thanks again for the tip.
We have been very happy with our Coleman. I am sure there are better ones on the market but for the price and size, we think it works great for us. The Weber's are nice but are just too big for a teardrop trailer. Another viewer mentioned a Cuisinart Grill but I haven't seen that one before.
I enjoyed your video on hitching up a trailer! My wife and I have decided a travel trailer would be something we'd enjoy. It'll be a while before we can get one but I'm already watching videos about them. Thank you for making this one I like the way you present topics!
Good morning guys! Another one for the "RV Basics Playlist", thank you Patrick -very helpful and informative for those who are intimidated in the hitching process and even though may love a travel trailer, choose another type. It continues to surprise me how much easier it gets just by doing it a few times :-) Taking your time in the beginning is key (everyone has to go through that learning curve) and by just the 3rd or 4th time you're wondering what you were so worried about! We don't have a back up camera (that's me!) but our son bought us walkie-talkies that make communication so much better. With surrounding traffic noises and not always being able to see your spotter, not having to yell in the neighborhood/campground is always a plus. HaHa! ....and those gear ties!!? Didn't know about those, will be getting some soon! Safe travels, thanks again and see you #ondowntheroad PS: Just saw your new awning for C@rl...that's AWESOME! Didn't realize he didn't come with one :-D (between you and me, may just be easier to put on than Maximus awning is to put up, and more shade...?) The Comparison Continues, lol.....
Is the awning on Maximus difficult to put up? I saw that they came with one but I didn't think it was a typical electric awning like you see on larger travel trailers. This visor actually went up very easy and I am sure once i do it a couple of more times, I will get better at it. That is my next video...how it goes up.
Yes, it's a manual awning - we actually had to review a video to refresh our memory. There's some tabs to click open to rotate arms, buttons to push & lock, and another lever-like tab that actually takes a fair amount of pressure to push back to lock arms (that's what we forgot). But it's kind of smallish and really doesn't cover alot. When I showed Chris yours he was envious of the shade it would provide to the front entry and wondered if they made them for the Max...hehehe...
I was shocked how easy this visor is to put up. You literally just feed the cord into the silver rail and begin sliding onto the trailer. Then you insert the tent pole into the outside sleeve. Once it's in, you finish sliding the whole visor onto the trailer and then insert the two lines back to the trailer. It came with an overside storage bag to keep it in. We paid $300 for it. They are custom made so I didn't think that was too bad.
Thank you for that video. Wish I would have watched it sooner. My TaB 400 did not come with a sway bar. But it makes safety sense to put one on. That does to the top of the list. Thanks!
Some people think its overkill to use a sway bar on such a lightweight trailer but I just like the feel when pulling having it on there as a safety precaution.
I have those gear ties too, they're awesome and so multi-purpose for RVing and home. I think this is the 1st hitching video I've seen where y'all show the brake controller and what it looks like while braking, good to know for when I get my controller.
Nice video, again very good for the novice I’ve watched several videos by various content producers and yours is informative and simple. Maybe a good idea for a companion video would be to discuss a brake controller and how to properly operate one, ie delay, timing, and braking force. That is another area where novice RV’ers could benefit from some information.
Thank you. I am no expert but I do try to share what I do so that it might help others who are just starting out. Dealers tend to be very helpful when purchasing but they don't even come close in my experience to giving you all the information you need after you own the trailer.
Thank you. Good information for me as a new travel trailer owner. I still worry, however, that lowering the trailer to get the tongue jack up is putting TOO much weight on my tow vehicle, a 2023 Chevy Colorado. I'm having a lot of jerking while stopping. Is this normal? Can I take some of the weight off the truck a any point in the process? Thanks!!
We actually loved our 4Runner both as an everyday vehicle and as a tow vehicle for the T@B 400. It had both plenty of power and breaking for that trailer which wighted about 3500# fully loaded. We ended up going to a Tacoma only because we wanted a small truck to use around our home for hauling
Tony Borda Thank you for the response. We are a Toyota family and it’s good to know the hauling ability is good. One more question- why did you trade your jayco hummingbird? We are looking at them, especially the rear bath model with a dry bath. We are moving up from a tiny tent camper. Were the outside hoses secured or insulated in the jayco model? What didn’t you like about the jayco? Thank you very much
I love all of your video's. I am interested in the locking mechanisms you are using on the hitch. Where might I find the one that goes under the hitch and has a red attachment?
I have watched another video that not only talks about the front trailer locks but a boot that you put on the trailer wheel itself (this is of course when trailer is parked). The other video stated that if they cannot get to the ball they will take chains and pull the trailer with the trailer frame. With a boot, the wheel cannot move at all so another thief deterrent.
I just purchased a 2021 Tab 400 Boondock. For the trip home from the dealer, I had only basic ball and hitch, but want to get WDH, I have a Honda Ridgeline. Suggestions?
I noticed that your hitch goes out quite a bit further than the one I have that is close to the vehicle. I’m getting a tab 400. Is there a specific size of hitch that I need?
The only thing is the ball size and I if I recall, the 400 uses a 2”. Our hitch was beefy because we were using an old one we had that could also do weight distribution.
The 4Runner was a great tow vehicle for us with the 400. We hauled the 400 from Indiana all the way out west to Seattle and back. No issues going over the mountains in Washington and Montana.
Thanks for the message related to the continued circulation of the Glycol when Boondocking. My wife and I have a 2019 T@B320 Outback and love it. Oh there are things that I think Nucamp fell short on doing but we modify as necessary to meet our needs. What do you do with your sewage hose? We too have one just like yours and I created a place on my F150 to carry it but our most recent upgrade is a truck cap so more thought going into that subject. If by chance you have talked about that please send us the link. Since you were kind enough to contact me I certainly added you to the TH-cam group I follow. I was part of a T@B group but left it as I found people to be too set in their ways and my thinking "outside the box" was beyond what people could handle and felt stifled. Thanks for sharing your ideas keep in touch.
jMon Weight distribution bars transfer weight from the hitch to the trailer. It keeps your tow vehicle from squatting. We don’t need it since the 4RUNNER doesn’t squat much with this size trailer.
Great post-Patrick...could you tell me the diameter of the lock pin for the ball? Rv world forgot to give me the standard pin... I would appreciate that...
I always turn off the water pump. You don’t want it risk a faucet getting bumped on and having water running going down the road. Your batteries you would leave on.
They make a small V channel guide to help the tow cap align with the ball. If you miss it by 3 inches it just follows the V and aligns itself, then drop the hitch on the ball and done..
@@TravelswithDelaney Heres a link,,the tennis ball match works well too but this brings the ball and hitch together more easily. th-cam.com/video/6d75SHuYNkI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for your helpful videos! We are kind of newbies to trailer towing. I am going to be pulling a jay flight 174BH with a 4 runner. I am putting in the timbren suspension and sway control. Do I need an adjustable hitch like yours? The dry trailer rating is right at 3000lbs.
Our hitch is actually set up for weight distribution that we have used on other trailers in the past which is why it is adjustable. If you trailer is 3000# dry, it is not much heavier than our Tab 400 so you may be fine without weight distribution. If that is the case and you need to adjust your hitch height, you can find hitches with various levels of rise or drop to accommodate.
Thank you for pointing that out....I should have mentioned that I just put it in the back of the 4Runner so that when we unhitch, it is easily accessed to put it back on. I also keep my drill in the 4 runner as well so I can get to it to put the stabilizers down when we unhitch.
It's an old Husky weight distribution hitch that we have had for about 13 years now. We don't use the weight distribution bars with it on the Tab 400 but I still like the fact that I can adjust the height on it and it has the mount for our friction sway bar.
I have a 400 on order. It comes with a sway bar? If not, which one do you have? I also need to buy a hitch for a 2003 Sequoia SR5 4WD that has the factory towing package. What do you recommend? I like the safety and security on yours. Did I miss it in a video? Thank you.
Congratulations on the 400! I think you will really enjoy it and be impressed with the quality of the trailer. Unless you negotiated a hitch and sway bar into the deal with your dealership, you will need to purchase those. These two are ones you can find on Amazon that would work for you: amzn.to/2M6EdnL and amzn.to/2Ma3xcb You might check the prices on Amazon and compare them to what your dealer could offer you. My guess is that Amazon is cheaper though.
Thank you for the quick reply. No, I didn't negotiate those with the dealer. It's a large RV dealership but new to nuCamp. I will be only their second T@B sale. They did say that they had everything in stock and can install it and that was fine with me. How do we know that the drop of the CURT 45820 hitch is correct for my vehicle without sizing it up at the time that I pick up the T@B? I guess that I need a recommendation for a trailer ball, too, please. Thanks, again.
It probably will be hard to determine if you need rise or drop until you are actually trying to hitch up. You may want to either have the dealer assist with the initial setup. If they are too expensive, start with a straight hitch. After you are hitched, depending on how the trailer and tow vehicle look (you want them level to each other), you may need to buy a different hitch to provide rise or drop.
Great video, I just had a couple of questions. You are showing an electric brake controller connected to your Tab 400, my understanding is that the electric brakes are not standard equipment but an Option that must be purchased either when ordering the Tab 400 or a dealer installed option? Some of the Boondock packages come with electric brakes but otherwise not standard equipment. How expensive an option is this? Also I was curious as to what you use to shoot your videos - It appears you are just using your phone camera/video device. Yes or No? We haven't bought a Tab 400 yet but I'm sold on them as a very high quality trailer. Our local RV dealer has several on the lot and we've looked at all of them & the 400 is my pick. My wife is leaning toward the Winnie from a size/room standpoint. Needless to say we are torn between the Winnie Micro and the Tab 400 at this time. Not much unbiased information out there about the Winnie Micro - care to comment?
As far as I am aware, all of the 400's come standard with electric brakes. You can double check that by calling the NuCamp Factory but I feel almost certain that it is a standard feature. In regards to our video, we do shoot all of our video with our iPhone 8 Plus except when we do drone footage. That is done with a DJI Mavic Pro drone. In regards, to the Winnie Micro, I have never looked at one so it would be hard to compare. We did look at the Winnie Drop 2 years ago and we actually chose the Jayco Hummingbird over it as we thought it was better constructed although that didn't work out well for us! LOL As you know from our videos, we absolutely love our NuCamp trailer. It honestly is the best constructed trailer we have ever owned and we think NuCamp is top notch on the customer service side.
Nilda Silva Weight distribution bars transfer the weight off your tow vehicle to the trailer. You most likely won’t need them with a 400. A sway bar helps to stabilize the trailer going down the road so that it does sway as much side to side.
I didnt think the 400 would need a sway bar. Have you found it a necessity with the T@B, or is it something you do out of habit from your previous trailers?
More out of habit. We already owned it so I figured I might as well use it. I can tell a slight difference on the highway with it especially if semi's pass me.
Don't have a sway-bar with out Aliner, but good info for when we "upgrade" in a couple of years..... the kid that readied our Aliner threaded the break away cable through the chain.....UGH..... fixed that ASAP........
We had a dealer do the same thing Dwight only to find out later from another reputable dealer that it was incorrect. My understanding is you want to have the brakes lock on the trailer before the chains break free which makes sense. If the brake cable is in the chains, it could break before engaging the trailer brakes.
I think I understand....you want the break away cable a little shorter than the chains so that if the hitch comes off the ball, the shorter break away cable will activate the brakes before the chains get taut........as side note, when I was about 14 myself, my brother, and 2 cousins were riding in the back of my dad's pickup towing a boat.... it came loose and was following us down the road, slightly downhill..... we banged like crazy on the can window so he and my uncle could stop....it could have been more of a disaster than it turned out, as only the bottom of the tongue got ground down some.....
+Dwight Parker you are correct about that cable being a bit shorter than the changes. That must have been a sight seeing that boat following without being hitched.
+Cameron Garcia Most likely you would not have to install a sway bar of you didn’t want to. If the trailer has electric brakes then you would need a brake controller
Our dealer said the same thing. We already owned a sway bar so I went ahead and installed it. i have tried towing with and without it and I just feel it is a bit more "in control" with the sway bar on especially in windy conditions or when semi's pass me. It might be just mental but it gives me peace of mind. And you can get all the parts for under $100 if you decide to install one on your 400.
You should come film me and Amy hooking up the boat trailer. 10 minutes of swearing followed by her telling me to keep backing until the hitch goes through my license plate. .
Sure hope you unplug and disconnect water before you leave, LOL, I always disconnect everything before hitching, I'm sure you just left connected for the video and weren't actually leaving, thanks again
Hi I just got watching how to hook up your tow vehicle. Very good video. Glad you did the video. It was from a few years ago. Thank you again. Have safe travels.
Sherri
As a new T@B 400 owner, I greatly appreciate this video. I would have never thought to remove the sway bar in difficult backing situations. Good to know. I always learn something useful from each and every one of your videos. Thanks!
We have been lucky over the years to not ruin a sway bar even though I have many times forgotten to remove it when backing up. I have seen sway bars though that were bent beyond repair when not taken off while backing up and making hard turns to get into camp sites.
Watching the step by step process is very helpful. Some of my anxiety about towing has lessened...and I don't even have my trailer yet! I have found those bendable ties quite useful for many situations. Good video.
Those bendable ties are amazing and I use them everywhere! And they come in different sizes...some are smaller and others are large like the one I use for the sway bar.
I watched this video a lot before my wife and I purchased our T@B 400, and it was extremely helpful in remembering all of the steps needed to get the trailer hitched to our Highlander.
The one thing which I later learned was NOT recommended practice is twisting the chains to shorten them. The purpose of the chains is to prevent the trailer from being detached from the your vehicle in case it jumps off the ball. The chains are rated to withstand the shock of the trailer's weight pulling against the vehicle, but the ratings assume that the chains are straight. Twisting the chains adds extra stress to the links and reduces the ability of the chains to withstand sudden weight applied to them. The right thing to do is to add something to support the middle of the chains to prevent them from dragging. On Amazon, you can look for "safety chain hangers".
You can definitely twist them too much. I think I may have not have made it clear that you can't twist them several times to the point they are kinking. A turn or two will still allow them the be loose while taking up slack per the dealership.
Great, easy, I picked up a few little tips! Thank you! I've been towing RVs for 10 years, and you always learn something new! (the carabiner on the brake cable, or rubber twisties, for example) Another tip I saw recently was a person who keeps heavy lb-rated (1K+) carabiners on their tow vehicle's metal slots where the chains attach. So instead of having to screw/unscrew the chain link ends, they leave them closed and just clip the spring-loaded carabiner on & off the chains easily. No more WD40, no more cold fingers when the chain end threads are stuck or frozen!
That is a great suggestion for the chains! I too always seem to pick up ideas from other TH-camrs. I think that is what makes this a great community....being able to learn from each other.
Great video! I just bought a T@B and I haven’t towed in 15 years. You reminded me of the steps.
Congratulations on the new TaB! Towing is like riding a bicycle....it will come back to you very quickly!
Another great video Patrick. I appreciate the info on the sway controller. We always remove it as soon as we pull into the RV Park to make sure we don’t back up with it attached. We did not remove it on our first couple of trips and then we went to a park where the owner backed in our trailer due to the tight confines of the space. He recommended always remove the sway bar. Great advice. Hi to Patty.
+Paul Robb Thanks Paul!
Lots of good information in this video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Little thing I found useful. If you want to check your break lights and you are by yourself, grab your long handled ice scraper. Mine tends to be in the back of the truck somewhere. Put the scraping end against the brake peddle and the other end against the drivers seat. It should depress the brake enough for you to walk back and to check the lights. If it is a little to short, just move the seat forward. Thanks Again. JohnnyF
Thank you for sharing that great tip!
Liked the video on hitching up you did. One thing that I added to the process was putting a paper white cup on the ball and receiver because they are both so dark in color. A cheap way to make them easier to see. Now with our new truck there is a dotted line to help aim better also. We need all the help we can get. Thanks for the great videos!
Patricia Krueger That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing it.
These videos are informative, that's how I learned to do pretty much everything before we picked up our Little Guy Max. The only thing I would recommend is the "twisting the chain to reduce slack" bit. Now...one or maybe 2 twists may be fine, but I'm afraid people who are brand new may use this as a method of reducing significant amounts of slack. Twisting chains from an engineering standpoint can greatly reduce their effectiveness and cause unequal pressure reducing their weight load rating. Lets say the trailer dropped or the chain became tight for some reason, the chain can naturally twist itself if enough torque is applied and it will be ok because of the slack. If the chain is already twisted somewhat tightly and then the chain becomes tight, the torque from that can cause the chain links to bend or shatter. They should be able to twist up to 24 degrees on each individual link, but if you twist them manually and reduced that 24 degrees down to lets say 5-10, then you can end up potentially putting a ton of pressure on each link. Just a helpful tip for you!
I was only referring to a twist or two. That was something I have had two different dealerships show me. Definitely was referring to lots of twists to make them tight. Maybe I should have been more specific although I thought I said a "couple" of twists. Thanks for sharing.
Oh no, I understood you and what you meant lol, I just meant that people who are new it all together might think "well if I still have slack, I should keep twisting it to get more slack out.". 1-2 twists would be perfectly fine since that won't cause and preliminary binding.
Great advice thanks. In a previous video you showed the Coleman fold and go gas grill. Managed to see both models in the Coleman outlet store in Branson, MO. You’re right they will work great. Thanks again for the tip.
We have been very happy with our Coleman. I am sure there are better ones on the market but for the price and size, we think it works great for us. The Weber's are nice but are just too big for a teardrop trailer. Another viewer mentioned a Cuisinart Grill but I haven't seen that one before.
I enjoyed your video on hitching up a trailer! My wife and I have decided a travel trailer would be something we'd enjoy. It'll be a while before we can get one but I'm already watching videos about them. Thank you for making this one I like the way you present topics!
Good morning guys! Another one for the "RV Basics Playlist", thank you Patrick -very helpful and informative for those who are intimidated in the hitching process and even though may love a travel trailer, choose another type. It continues to surprise me how much easier it gets just by doing it a few times :-) Taking your time in the beginning is key (everyone has to go through that learning curve) and by just the 3rd or 4th time you're wondering what you were so worried about!
We don't have a back up camera (that's me!) but our son bought us walkie-talkies that make communication so much better. With surrounding traffic noises and not always being able to see your spotter, not having to yell in the neighborhood/campground is always a plus. HaHa!
....and those gear ties!!? Didn't know about those, will be getting some soon! Safe travels, thanks again and see you #ondowntheroad
PS: Just saw your new awning for C@rl...that's AWESOME! Didn't realize he didn't come with one :-D (between you and me, may just be easier to put on than Maximus awning is to put up, and more shade...?) The Comparison Continues, lol.....
Is the awning on Maximus difficult to put up? I saw that they came with one but I didn't think it was a typical electric awning like you see on larger travel trailers. This visor actually went up very easy and I am sure once i do it a couple of more times, I will get better at it. That is my next video...how it goes up.
Yes, it's a manual awning - we actually had to review a video to refresh our memory. There's some tabs to click open to rotate arms, buttons to push & lock, and another lever-like tab that actually takes a fair amount of pressure to push back to lock arms (that's what we forgot). But it's kind of smallish and really doesn't cover alot. When I showed Chris yours he was envious of the shade it would provide to the front entry and wondered if they made them for the Max...hehehe...
I was shocked how easy this visor is to put up. You literally just feed the cord into the silver rail and begin sliding onto the trailer. Then you insert the tent pole into the outside sleeve. Once it's in, you finish sliding the whole visor onto the trailer and then insert the two lines back to the trailer. It came with an overside storage bag to keep it in. We paid $300 for it. They are custom made so I didn't think that was too bad.
Great video Patrick....very simple and clear. I'm sure I will be referring to this in the future...Thanks for sharing. 😉😀👍💚
Thank you Donna! I will continue to do some of this RV Basics type videos throughout the summer. Hopefully they will be of help to others.
Thank you for that video. Wish I would have watched it sooner. My TaB 400 did not come with a sway bar. But it makes safety sense to put one on. That does to the top of the list. Thanks!
Some people think its overkill to use a sway bar on such a lightweight trailer but I just like the feel when pulling having it on there as a safety precaution.
Thank you, I'm about to rent a trailer to move some furniture and needed this, first time towing! *scurred*
Great video. Back up cameras are very helpful, my Nissan is the first truck that I owned that has one. Makes it a lot easier.
You are so right about the backup camera making it much easier to hitch up.
Great video and NEEDED! i gotta make list. Will use yr links for socket and locks. THX! Picking up tab next week.
Congrats on the new T@B!
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
I have those gear ties too, they're awesome and so multi-purpose for RVing and home. I think this is the 1st hitching video I've seen where y'all show the brake controller and what it looks like while braking, good to know for when I get my controller.
I love those gear ties and should probably pick up another pack next time were at an Eddie Bauer outlet store. They can be used for so many things.
Nice video, again very good for the novice I’ve watched several videos by various content producers and yours is informative and simple. Maybe a good idea for a companion video would be to discuss a brake controller and how to properly operate one, ie delay, timing, and braking force. That is another area where novice RV’ers could benefit from some information.
Thank you. I am no expert but I do try to share what I do so that it might help others who are just starting out. Dealers tend to be very helpful when purchasing but they don't even come close in my experience to giving you all the information you need after you own the trailer.
I realize it's quite randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to stream new tv shows online?
@Juelz Finley i would suggest FlixZone. You can find it on google :)
@Brett Lochlan Yea, I've been using FlixZone for years myself :)
@Brett Lochlan thanks, I signed up and it seems like a nice service :D I appreciate it !!
As always, thank you. This will be useful.
Thank you Mark!
Thank you. Good information for me as a new travel trailer owner. I still worry, however, that lowering the trailer to get the tongue jack up is putting TOO much weight on my tow vehicle, a 2023 Chevy Colorado. I'm having a lot of jerking while stopping. Is this normal? Can I take some of the weight off the truck a any point in the process? Thanks!!
Is it necessary to have a sway bar on a Tab 400. My dealer said pulling with a Tahoe I shouldn’t need one, but I’m wondering now.
Thank you, thank you, thank you 😁. This is a big help. Now I’ll wait on your ( unhitching) video....lol
Love & Light,
Nilda
+Nilda Silva I’m glad it was useful for you!
Great video as always. Thumbs up.
Thanks Lou! I had several people requesting this one and one on camp setup.
We are considering buying a Toyota 4 Runner and a small
We actually loved our 4Runner both as an everyday vehicle and as a tow vehicle for the T@B 400. It had both plenty of power and breaking for that trailer which wighted about 3500# fully loaded. We ended up going to a Tacoma only because we wanted a small truck to use around our home for hauling
Tony Borda Thank you for the response. We are a Toyota family and it’s good to know the hauling ability is good. One more question- why did you trade your jayco hummingbird? We are looking at them, especially the rear bath model with a dry bath. We are moving up from a tiny tent camper. Were the outside hoses secured or insulated in the jayco model? What didn’t you like about the jayco? Thank you very much
I love all of your video's. I am interested in the locking mechanisms you are using on the hitch. Where might I find the one that goes under the hitch and has a red attachment?
I have watched another video that not only talks about the front trailer locks but a boot that you put on the trailer wheel itself (this is of course when trailer is parked). The other video stated that if they cannot get to the ball they will take chains and pull the trailer with the trailer frame. With a boot, the wheel cannot move at all so another thief deterrent.
That is a Proven Industry Lock. They are considered one of the best on the market and I believe they are about $300.
I just purchased a 2021 Tab 400 Boondock. For the trip home from the dealer, I had only basic ball and hitch, but want to get WDH, I have a Honda Ridgeline. Suggestions?
Hi Patrick, thanks for the cool info!
+susan albert Thabk you!
Which hitch pin lock do you use? I didn’t see that in your list? And which ball lock?
I bought those both at our local Menards. Neither was very expensive.
I noticed that your hitch goes out quite a bit further than the one I have that is close to the vehicle. I’m getting a tab 400. Is there a specific size of hitch that I need?
The only thing is the ball size and I if I recall, the 400 uses a 2”. Our hitch was beefy because we were using an old one we had that could also do weight distribution.
Have a great week.
Thanks......You too Steven!
Great idea to attach the sway bar to trailer when not in use
It’s a really nice shortcut. Saves time
Looking at a Tab 400 - any issues using the 4Runner as a tow vehicle? Ever tow the Tab w the 4Runner up any mountain highways ?
The 4Runner was a great tow vehicle for us with the 400. We hauled the 400 from Indiana all the way out west to Seattle and back. No issues going over the mountains in Washington and Montana.
@@TravelswithDelaney thank you
Great channel, full of useful information !
Helpful video,Would my Auto insurance change if im towing a travel trailer?
Your auto insurance typically does not change with towing. You would need a policy on the trailer though to cover it.
This is great. Can you let me know the name of your drill and the bit you used? Thanks so much.
I currently am using a Dewalt cordless drill with the Camco Socket Drill Adapter
Thanks for the message related to the continued circulation of the Glycol when Boondocking. My wife and I have a 2019 T@B320 Outback and love it. Oh there are things that I think Nucamp fell short on doing but we modify as necessary to meet our needs.
What do you do with your sewage hose? We too have one just like yours and I created a place on my F150 to carry it but our most recent upgrade is a truck cap so more thought going into that subject. If by chance you have talked about that please send us the link.
Since you were kind enough to contact me I certainly added you to the TH-cam group I follow.
I was part of a T@B group but left it as I found people to be too set in their ways and my thinking "outside the box" was beyond what people could handle and felt stifled.
Thanks for sharing your ideas keep in touch.
Our T@B 400 has a built in sewer hose storage bin near the tail of the trailer. Our 15' hose and the fittings fit into perfectly .
question: you mentioned you don't use weight distribution setup... what is that and why don't you need it?
jMon Weight distribution bars transfer weight from the hitch to the trailer. It keeps your tow vehicle from squatting. We don’t need it since the 4RUNNER doesn’t squat much with this size trailer.
What is the name of the trailer hitch you are using? Thanks.
Have you looked at modifing your jack stand to be able to hook up a drill bit like the stabilizer jacks?
No but I have often thought about it when I am cranking it up or down.
Great idea!
Great post-Patrick...could you tell me the diameter of the lock pin for the ball? Rv world forgot to give me the standard pin... I would appreciate that...
Please give us the website where to buy the pin lock and the hitch lock. Thank you. Bill
+B H Hansen Actually we bought those at our local Menards.
Patrick what about turning off pumps, battery, etc. Do these get turn off to tow? Im a newbie. Thanks
I always turn off the water pump. You don’t want it risk a faucet getting bumped on and having water running going down the road. Your batteries you would leave on.
They make a small V channel guide to help the tow cap align with the ball. If you miss it by 3 inches it just follows the V and aligns itself, then drop the hitch on the ball and done..
I will have to check that out!
@@TravelswithDelaney Heres a link,,the tennis ball match works well too but this brings the ball and hitch together more easily. th-cam.com/video/6d75SHuYNkI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for your helpful videos! We are kind of newbies to trailer towing. I am going to be pulling a jay flight 174BH with a 4 runner. I am putting in the timbren suspension and sway control. Do I need an adjustable hitch like yours? The dry trailer rating is right at 3000lbs.
Our hitch is actually set up for weight distribution that we have used on other trailers in the past which is why it is adjustable. If you trailer is 3000# dry, it is not much heavier than our Tab 400 so you may be fine without weight distribution. If that is the case and you need to adjust your hitch height, you can find hitches with various levels of rise or drop to accommodate.
Great video but what do you do with the ball lock when you’re done. I noticed it was just on the ground while you were hooking up.
Thank you for pointing that out....I should have mentioned that I just put it in the back of the 4Runner so that when we unhitch, it is easily accessed to put it back on. I also keep my drill in the 4 runner as well so I can get to it to put the stabilizers down when we unhitch.
Are you able to put links to where I can get lock for the tow vehicle hitch and for the trailer?
Thank you
Also, what adjustable hitch do you have? Thanks.
It's an old Husky weight distribution hitch that we have had for about 13 years now. We don't use the weight distribution bars with it on the Tab 400 but I still like the fact that I can adjust the height on it and it has the mount for our friction sway bar.
I have a 400 on order. It comes with a sway bar? If not, which one do you have? I also need to buy a hitch for a 2003 Sequoia SR5 4WD that has the factory towing package. What do you recommend? I like the safety and security on yours. Did I miss it in a video? Thank you.
Congratulations on the 400! I think you will really enjoy it and be impressed with the quality of the trailer. Unless you negotiated a hitch and sway bar into the deal with your dealership, you will need to purchase those. These two are ones you can find on Amazon that would work for you: amzn.to/2M6EdnL and amzn.to/2Ma3xcb You might check the prices on Amazon and compare them to what your dealer could offer you. My guess is that Amazon is cheaper though.
Thank you for the quick reply. No, I didn't negotiate those with the dealer. It's a large RV dealership but new to nuCamp. I will be only their second T@B sale. They did say that they had everything in stock and can install it and that was fine with me. How do we know that the drop of the CURT 45820 hitch is correct for my vehicle without sizing it up at the time that I pick up the T@B? I guess that I need a recommendation for a trailer ball, too, please. Thanks, again.
It probably will be hard to determine if you need rise or drop until you are actually trying to hitch up. You may want to either have the dealer assist with the initial setup. If they are too expensive, start with a straight hitch. After you are hitched, depending on how the trailer and tow vehicle look (you want them level to each other), you may need to buy a different hitch to provide rise or drop.
Great video, I just had a couple of questions. You are showing an electric brake controller connected to your Tab 400, my understanding is that the electric brakes are not standard equipment but an Option that must be purchased either when ordering the Tab 400 or a dealer installed option? Some of the Boondock packages come with electric brakes but otherwise not standard equipment. How expensive an option is this? Also I was curious as to what you use to shoot your videos - It appears you are just using your phone camera/video device. Yes or No?
We haven't bought a Tab 400 yet but I'm sold on them as a very high quality trailer. Our local RV dealer has several on the lot and we've looked at all of them & the 400 is my pick. My wife is leaning toward the Winnie from a size/room standpoint. Needless to say we are torn between the Winnie Micro and the Tab 400 at this time. Not much unbiased information out there about the Winnie Micro - care to comment?
As far as I am aware, all of the 400's come standard with electric brakes. You can double check that by calling the NuCamp Factory but I feel almost certain that it is a standard feature. In regards to our video, we do shoot all of our video with our iPhone 8 Plus except when we do drone footage. That is done with a DJI Mavic Pro drone. In regards, to the Winnie Micro, I have never looked at one so it would be hard to compare. We did look at the Winnie Drop 2 years ago and we actually chose the Jayco Hummingbird over it as we thought it was better constructed although that didn't work out well for us! LOL As you know from our videos, we absolutely love our NuCamp trailer. It honestly is the best constructed trailer we have ever owned and we think NuCamp is top notch on the customer service side.
Hi, a newbie question. Are weight distribution bar the same as sway bars?
Nilda Silva Weight distribution bars transfer the weight off your tow vehicle to the trailer. You most likely won’t need them with a 400. A sway bar helps to stabilize the trailer going down the road so that it does sway as much side to side.
I didnt think the 400 would need a sway bar. Have you found it a necessity with the T@B, or is it something you do out of habit from your previous trailers?
More out of habit. We already owned it so I figured I might as well use it. I can tell a slight difference on the highway with it especially if semi's pass me.
Sway bar - can a dose of wd40 help lube it to eliminate/help the whine?
Not on the actual bar but maybe on the ball attachment locations.
Don't have a sway-bar with out Aliner, but good info for when we "upgrade" in a couple of years..... the kid that readied our Aliner threaded the break away cable through the chain.....UGH..... fixed that ASAP........
We had a dealer do the same thing Dwight only to find out later from another reputable dealer that it was incorrect. My understanding is you want to have the brakes lock on the trailer before the chains break free which makes sense. If the brake cable is in the chains, it could break before engaging the trailer brakes.
I think I understand....you want the break away cable a little shorter than the chains so that if the hitch comes off the ball, the shorter break away cable will activate the brakes before the chains get taut........as side note, when I was about 14 myself, my brother, and 2 cousins were riding in the back of my dad's pickup towing a boat.... it came loose and was following us down the road, slightly downhill..... we banged like crazy on the can window so he and my uncle could stop....it could have been more of a disaster than it turned out, as only the bottom of the tongue got ground down some.....
+Dwight Parker you are correct about that cable being a bit shorter than the changes. That must have been a sight seeing that boat following without being hitched.
If ou're towing a Tag 320, do you still need to use a Sway Bar, and tailer controller unit?
+Cameron Garcia Most likely you would not have to install a sway bar of you didn’t want to. If the trailer has electric brakes then you would need a brake controller
our dealer says we don't need sway bars for the tab 400 ; do you feel its necessary?
Our dealer said the same thing. We already owned a sway bar so I went ahead and installed it. i have tried towing with and without it and I just feel it is a bit more "in control" with the sway bar on especially in windy conditions or when semi's pass me. It might be just mental but it gives me peace of mind. And you can get all the parts for under $100 if you decide to install one on your 400.
Thank you!!! This helped me immensely !!! 😊
Kimmi Did What? Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback.
YOU ROCK! NICE!
Thank you!
Never mind. Lol.... disregard 😁
Note to self, get electric jack stand!
Many people like them but I had one and. it was so slow and it takes battery to run it so we opted for the manual on this trailer.
You should come film me and Amy hooking up the boat trailer. 10 minutes of swearing followed by her telling me to keep backing until the hitch goes through my license plate. .
LOL! Now that is funny!
Sure hope you unplug and disconnect water before you leave, LOL, I always disconnect everything before hitching, I'm sure you just left connected for the video and weren't actually leaving, thanks again
+Jay Reider LOL! That’s why there was no driveway scenes.
Really.........troll
I’m really just concerned about the order in which it has to be done.
Thanks,
Nilda
+Nilda Silva I want to do an unhitch and camp setup video. Hopefully I’ll be able to get that one done soon.