Camping Gear Changes
Because we moved from the nüCamp T@G to the 400, our favorite camping gear changed a bit. We no longer needed outside tents and a porta potty. However, the 400 meant a higher financial commitment to camping and travel. So, the following items are some of our favorites in camping gear.
Electric Jack
My husband really wanted an electric jack when we purchased our 400 and I think it was a good idea. The primary reason it was needed is because we have a Swaypro Weight Distribution Hitch. We believe the Swaypro was a good safety investment, but it requires additional raising and lowering of the jack. The electric jack saves our shoulders and arms from the extra cranking required with a manual jack. This is a link to the Electric Jack.
PahaQue Awning
This PahaQue awning is, perhaps, our favorite T@B 400 accessory! It is lightweight, goes up easily, and provides a great sheltered space. It is great shelter from the sun, keeps the rain out, and endures a good bit of wind. Each side has an option to open up some if needed.
IKEA Sunnersta Containers
These handy containers fit along vertical rails all over our T@B 400. They just attach over the rails with no added hardware needed. We have taken the on several trips and they stayed in place and the contents were secure. The containers sell for about $4.00 each in packs of three. They are white, but I wanted a splash of color, so we spray painted ours a shade of teal. The containers are so handy for storing those small things you don’t want you search for such as eyeglasses, keys, lotions, nail clippers, etc. We started with three, but now have five in our camper. The following is a link to the containers: IKEA Containers.
Instant Pot, 3 Quart
I love camping with this product for several reasons. It is very easy to cook one dish meals and it cooks also very quickly. It is even good for reheating food. I purchased the Ultra because its controls are identical to my 6-Quart Ultra at home. The Instant Pot Duo works great though and is only about $60. There are tons of delicious Instant Pot recipes that are fast and easy, which works well for our camping style.
Packing Cubes Camping Gear
Now that we have the T@B 400, we have a wardrobe and love it. Before, we carried luggage in our car and used it like drawers. We now have the 400’s beautiful wardrobe and it provides a hanging pole, some nice cubbies, and a good-sized open area. Because we wear a lot of shorts and casual tops, we needed way to organize them.
These cubes work beautifully with our new wardrobe. We took two sets on our last trip, blue for me and black for my husband. Since we liked them so much, I ordered one more in gray. I keep matched outfits in the larger ones and socks, underwear, and personal items in the smaller ones. Here is a link to the cubes, just in case you are interested.
Microfiber Towels
It can be difficult dealing with wet towels while camping. We love these microfiber towels because they are lightweight and dry very quickly. Our towels are the 28” x 56”, which is a full-sized towel. They also take up very little storage space in the camper and come in several colors. They come in a cool little carrying case that we use for other things.
Here is a link to the towels.
Camco Sewer Hose Camping Gear
We bought a 10 ft hose from the RV store where we purchased our camper, along with a clear attachment for the camper and a little doughnut for the dump station. However, we did not have a multi option for the dump station. Also, while our original ten feet of hose was usually adequate, we like the idea of an extra ten feet of hose when needed.
This hose has everything we need for a reasonable price and has good reviews. If interested, a link follows: Camco 20’ Sewer Hose.
Solar Generator Camping Gear
Warning, this is a very expensive camping accessory. We would never have purchased such an expensive item early in our time camping. It currently sells for $1,500 and following is a link to the item, Inergy Solar Generator. The reason we were willing to make the investment was we realized how much we want to go to more places where shore power is not available. Additionally, we are so pleased with how well the batteries hold up in our 400 that we can see us making it several days without power.
So, what does this generator get us? The first thing is the ability to have power for items that do not run on the battery, such as the coffee pot, hair dryer, Instant Pot, etc. The power is limited and you have to choose your energy expenditures wisely, but it is an option not otherwise available. Additionally, if we should need to build up our battery, it has a 30 amp receptacle.
Lastly, I felt it would be a good thing to have at home for power outages. We have already used it a couple of times and it was very nice to have lights and a few basic necessities. It can be charged by shore power or solar. Sadly, I learned that it does not work with the Zamp solar suitcase because they both have charge controllers. So, we purchased solar panels to use for it, but we will mostly keep them at home for weather emergencies.
Visor By Doty Hill Designs
We wanted a unique look for our camper and the visor by Doty Hill is a signature piece of that look. Doty Hill produces each visor upon request and there are many different options. Our visor is very well made and we love the way it looks with our camper.
Check out all the wonderful options at Doty Hill Designs.
Weight Distribution
When we purchased our 400, we also bought a weight distribution hitch, the Blue Ox Swaypro 750. We selected it because it enables backing up without having to disconnect the sway bar. I have researched them since the purchase. We are happy with ours because we like the ease of backing up, but it is not the least expensive option. If backing up without disconnecting is important to you, I would recommend this hitch. Link to Swaypro 750.
I would caution everyone who is towing to read the towing specifications for their specific vehicle. Our Acura MDX and our Ford Expedition both require a weight distribution hitch to achieve maximum towing capacity. I think a weight distribution hitch is important for towing a camper the size of our 400. The hitch also provides a level of sway control.
In Conclusion
I hope you found this page useful. We have a resources page that has additional information about our particular type of camping, Camping Resources for New Campers.
