Gatherings are great places to see other trailers, meet other teardroppers and even camp in places you may never go to on your own. Above, you will see a photo taken at a small gathering on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Most people will never get a chance to camp in such a unique location unless they are part of a gathering. So, if you are heading out for your first teardrop meetup, keep these five things in mind:
1. Clean up and put out some information on your trailer
At least one or two days of the gathering is dedicated to "Show & Tell". This is where you clean up your trailer, put out your best linens and the great grill you found on Craigslist and tell the story of your teardrop to anyone who drops by. If you are not around to tell the story, have a flyer or some printed cards in the open galley that tell your visitors where the trailer came from, the date, the weight, the size and any other tidbits of info they will find interesting.
2. Be prepared to chat...a lot
Most conversations at a gathering will revolve around teardrops, tiny trailers, camping and gear. Be prepared to talk to a lot of folks about those subjects. If you don't feel like chatting, close up your trailer and hide out inside.
3. Bring food to share
Most gatherings will include a potluck or Dutch oven dinner night. Bring snacks, a good Dutch oven or skillet recipe and unique beers or wine to share with your fellow gatherers. Some gatherings will even have a group cooking area.
4. Bring good shoes, your camera and take notes
A gathering is your chance to get tons of information for your own teardrop trips. Visit dozens to hundreds of trailers with a good pair of shoes, a sun hat if it's hot, your camera and a notebook. Don't be afraid to take lots of photos of interesting details or designs and file your notes away for when you return home.
5. Explore the local area
Get away from the gathering for a day or half a day to visit the local area. Is there a cool beach nearby? A ghost town or hot springs? Or maybe like Treasure Island, you can take a quick jaunt into The City. Tell other teardroppers what you find and tell your friends back home what they missed.
Hi Christina. This sounds like a great opportunity for a soon-to-be teardrop owner like myself (hoping/planning to buy one for the start of next year's camping season). If I could find a gathering for which the location and timing worked out, then I could rent a teardrop for it. Otherwise, I'd have no other option but to tent camp. Are there really teardrop-curious at the gatherings? Despite the fact that I want to camp in the cutest, most eye-catching type of recreational vehicle there is, I would hate to stick out like a sore thumb at a gathering. Your thoughts on this would be most appreciated! Oh - and I love your blog!! Thanks for all the tips, tricks, photos and inspiration. Cheers, Sonja.
ReplyDeleteHello Chris and Sonja. Thank you for your great comment and question.
DeleteTeardroppers are very forgiving folks and they will totally understand if you just want to come and look before you buy. I've seen lots of tent campers at gatherings who are testing teardrops out. In fact, it might even be better to be in a tent than a rented teardrop at a gathering. Then you don't have to constantly tell participants that it's rented. It might be best to rent a teardrop to take out on your own trip, just so you can see if you like camping in one.
Have fun at your first gathering and get as much info as you can.
Thank you!
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