Purchasing a travel trailer was a natural decision for us. Like most people who fall in love with camping, we love traveling to new park locations for adventure and spending time outdoors appreciating nature. Similarly, as entrepreneurs and astrophotographers, we can work from the road while we travel to darker skies and escape light pollution.
Why an RV?
A travel trailer made the most sense for us in order to optimize our camping adventures.
- It will allow us to travel longer distances to visit darker skies for astrophotography and experience new parks, locations and climates.
- We can camp in comfort with a queen bed and bathroom
- We can keep our photography gear charged and dry
- We can enjoy camping even when it rains by having a place to sit and work
- It can function as our ‘office’ to work from the road
- Supplies needed for camping are in one place and ready to go
Research
We researched trailers for over a year to find the right fit before we ordered our Tab 400. It’s a big investment so it is important to find one that works best for you and your travel needs.
We started this process by making a list of all the trailer brand models that had a wet bath and weighed under 5,000lbs based on our tow vehicle. We read countless blog articles and posts online about the ‘best light-weight campers’ with bathrooms. After compiling our list, we eventually narrowed it down to nuCamp based on the features.
We didn’t choose the best time to finally pull the trigger on buying a travel trailer. Three months into the pandemic, when things started to reopen in Ontario, we went to look at two used nuCamp units (a Tab 400 and Tab 320) that were already sold at our local dealer.
Top 5 Reasons We Chose nuCamp
When making our final decision, we considered the things that were most important to us. As first-time trailer owners, these reasons might differ significantly from experienced RV owners who are more familiar with the inner workings of trailers, etc., but here they are.
Size: we knew that we wanted something on the smaller side but didn’t sacrifice on features. We were looking for something with good towability that we could bring on long road trips while also considering storage at home.
The Tab 400 is a true teardrop trailer shape which is great for traveling. Backing up into a campsite or arranging placement in our driveway is easy due to the size (and weight). Coming in at 18 feet, it was only slightly longer than some of the other campers we were looking at and had everything else we were looking for. On the inside, there is plenty of space for us and our dog, Rudy.
Bathroom: Having to get up in the middle of the night and walk to the bathroom (or a bush outside) was getting old, so having a bathroom was important for us. Placement of the bathroom was also important for my 6’3” tall husband, who wanted to be able to stand up in both the trailer and while taking a shower.
The Tab 400 has a surprisingly spacious bathroom that is placed in the middle of the trailer for optimal headroom. The fold-up sink makes showering a breeze and the window allows for some natural light in the space. But my favourite part is the amount of storage, which was far superior to other trailers of similar size. The two large cubbies have plenty of space to hold all your toiletries, towels, etc.
Storage: as we alluded to above, storage was at the top of our list! With such a small living space, it is important to optimize storage in order to keep things tidy and out of your way.
There is no shortage of storage in the TAB 400. With creative storage spaces tucked away throughout the entire unit, it’s perfect for keeping your camper neat and organized. There is also plenty of storage in the kitchenette, wet bath, under the smaller dinette seat and bed. We even opted for the 2-way fridge so we could have a large wardrobe for our clothes.
Layout: Considering our trailer will function mainly as a work space for our astrophotography business, we were looking for a unit that had a designated sleeping area so we could leave the dinette set up as a place to work.
The Tab 400 offers that flexibility. The dinette space, although it does convert to a second sleeping area, will most often function as a workspace. This means that we have a bed that is a place for someone to head to bed in case they don’t want to stay up all night. It also means that the bed is already made so we don’t have to fuss with it when we’re tired. Having the bed at the back of the trailer, and not as soon as you walk in the door, was important too.
Quality: as first-time trailer owners, we were looking for something that was built to last. The overall quality of the materials is important for function, but also for longevity and the overall enjoyment of the space.
The TAB 400 is beautiful. The craftsmanship that nuCamp prides itself on is evident in the build quality, finishes, and look of the trailer. The cabinets are stunning, the colour choices are great and the hardware is practical. We don’t anticipate growing out of this trailer for many years (if ever), and although it’s still too early to tell, we think our Tab 400 will be around for the long haul.
BONUS FEATURE: Stargazer window! As astrophotographers, the stargazer window spoke to us on a deeper level. I mean, how could we not choose the trailer featuring a window that spans from almost bed height to beyond the roofline? Now we can enjoy the view from both inside and out.
We should note that there are other unique and amazing features of this trailer that are not included on the list (i.e. Alde heating system, Nautilus water system, Azdel construction, etc). While these features were not the deciding factor, simply because we had nothing to compare them to as new trailer owners, they were certainly part of our overall decision to go with a nuCamp trailer.
Though we have only had our Tab 400 for two months, we are so thrilled with our decision. We are filled with excitement for when the nice weather returns and for the Canada/US border to open to vehicular traffic so we can expand our adventures and start planning.
Wishing you safe travels and clear skies.
Ashley Northcotte & Trevor Jones | AstroBackyard
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