Our search for a new camper took us in all kinds of directions. We waffled back and forth on several options and landed on one that wasn’t even on our list when this all started. When we narrowed it down, owning a camper would be best for us if as many of the following criteria could be met:

Our Criteria

  1. We wouldn’t need to get a larger vehicle to tow it. We currently have a 2020 Honda Ridgeline.
  2. It had a bathroom. A wet bath was okay, as we don’t expect to need the shower often since we mostly plan to use campgrounds with facilities. When those are available, we’re comfortable using them.
  3. It had a table and bed that could exist simultaneously.
  4. It had heat and air conditioning.
  5. It had adequate storage— we needed places to put things so we could reduce setup time by storing items in the camper.
  6. It had a nice fridge.
  7. It had a propane hookup outside so we could eliminate taking an extra propane tank for our griddle.
  8. It could be stored in our garage at home.
  9. It was on the higher end of the quality scale.

Our Contenders

Having attended the Hershey RV show last year, we had seen a few models that we liked. Combined with watching (probably too many) YouTube videos of others’ experiences, our search started with Oliver, InTech, and Safari Condo models.

While on a trip to Nashville, we made the trek to visit the Oliver manufacturing plant in Hohenwald, Tennessee. They have a great showroom there and it the travel trailers are beautiful. The completely fiberglass body was sleek and it seemed easy to care for. We liked the size of the Legacy Elite II and the only drawback we saw was the size of the fridge. It seemed like it should be bigger in a 23″ unit. The Legacy Elite was nice too and the lighter weight was a plus.

Next, we considered InTech models. They have such a nice interior feel that really appealed to us. We considered the Sol Horizon, Sol Dusk, and Aucta Magnolia. These units have many advantages: attractive styling, quality sink, outdoor kitchen, large table area, big window, and a nice fiberglass wet bath. The Magnolia’s layout is almost perfect in my book – just big enough without being too big.

Finally, Safari Condo came into consideration after we learned about their lightweight design. The storage in their fixed-roof series is unmatched, and they have attractive interiors. We would have loved to see one in person, but they aren’t easily found in the United States, especially in the East. We tried to reach out about one listed on RV Trader but received no response.

The Evaluation

When we evaluated these options, we found the Olivers were not only too expensive, but also too heavy to tow with our current vehicle and would definitely need to be stored elsewhere due to their height. While they checked most boxes, the total cost and constraints led us to eliminate them for now.

The InTech models were a top choice in many ways, but when we really analyzed the weight, the sizes we wanted couldn’t be comfortably towed or stored at our home.

The Honda could easily handle the larger Safari Condo! While it wouldn’t fit in our garage, we would be able to go bigger and get more features without changing vehicles. However, everything we saw indicated at least a two-year wait for a new one, and the U.S. market had very few available. Any issues would require dealing with the manufacturer, located more than 10 hours away.

The Chosen One

While looking at InTech models on a lot, we took another look at nuCamp. We had initially written off the teardrop shape as too small and hadn’t taken these seriously, though we’d always been impressed by their interior quality and reputation. Surprisingly, it checked every box on our list.

We set out to find a 2025 nuCamp and easily found one just over two hours away with the Boondock Black Canyon and Lithium Battery packages. It was the only one we could find without the bunk option. We went to see it and put down a deposit. A week later, we brought it home. We are now the proud owners of a 2025 nuCamp Tab 400. As a major bonus, the factory is just about two hours from us, making it easy to travel for repairs and upgrades.

Did I mention our driveway has quite an incline? While our garage is huge with high ceilings and a 10-foot door, you have to get to it first. While technically it would fit in the garage, we didn’t know how this was going to work when we got there… (stay tuned…)