Friday Teardrop Photo


This is just a photo of our teardrop trailer's new vacuum pot hot water setup that I wrote about a few weeks ago. I had to mention it because it works so darn well! We fill up each of the containers with hot water in the morning and it stays hot for at least 9 to 12 hours. We use the hot water for washing dishes and for washing our hands after a long day on the trail. Each container can wash a load of dishes and then we fill it up again for the next morning.

What makes a good teardrop campsite?

Last weekend we took another teardrop trip up to Sierra County for some hiking, and while our pretty campsite had some great shade and was quiet, the picnic table and fire pit were a good 50 yards from where we could park the trailer. We usually use the trailer galley as a pantry and prep area and a picnic table to cook our food. This particular configuration was not ideal and I got to thinking about what makes a good teardrop campsite.



What we look for in a good campsite

While you can't always find the perfect campsite, some of our best campsites have had these good qualities:


A wonderful campsite at Crater Lake National Park with a view of a canyon and a visit from a silver tip fox.


Privacy
It's wonderful to be able to put the trailer into a site that has plenty of privacy — preferably in the back part of the site.

Shade (or sun) and wind protection
Plenty of trees add to the privacy and provide shade. It's also nice to have a sunny spot if you are camping in an area that is more chilly. It's also nice to have a site with rocks or trees that offer protection from winds.

Site configuration
Being able to easily back up to a picnic table is ideal for us. We have also been able to manually maneuver the trailer so that the galley is close to a picnic table for easy cooking and eating. A pull-through spot is also nice to have, but those are usually reserved for larger trailers.

Great views
Who doesn't love a great view? It's the icing on top of the cake if you can open your teardrop doors and see a lake, river, canyon or snowed capped mountains.

Quiet or nature sounds
Having a quiet campground or site is wonderful. Add in the sound of a creek or river, birds or wind in the trees and you might have the perfect campsite.



What we like to avoid in a campsite:

We have had our fair share of not ideal campsites as well. These usually have the following bad qualities:


A cramped and noisy campsite at a KOA in Idaho is not our favorite type of spot.


No privacy
Everyone knows these types of campsites: trailers nearly on top of each other, noise and very little space available to spread out.

Bad terrain
Some campgrounds have sites in bad terrain. The ground is rarely level, there are usually badly located rocks, roots or tree limbs that make the site a walking hazard at night.

Road noise
Sometimes having quick access to a road is nice, but a busy road right next to your sleeping head is not.

"Nazi" camp hosts
We are quiet, clean campers who respect nature and campgrounds. We don't really appreciate being harassed by campground hosts who watch our every move or want us out of the site by 9:00 a.m.

Urban camping
I would love to have access to more big cities while camping, but have yet to find a beautiful, quiet campsite nearby. Has any city thought of opening up a teardrop campground in an empty parking garage? I'd go...

Teardrops as Cheap Hotel Rooms

This summer we have gone to a few special dinners or events up at Lake Tahoe. While Tahoe is close to us, some of these events go into the evening and include wine and cocktails or physical activities that make us too tired to drive the 1 1/2 hours home.



We could book a hotel room, but during the busy summer season at the lake, this could cost us around $150 a night. A camping spot for the teardrop only runs between $25 and $40. A heckuva deal!

So what do you have to know about using your trailer as a cheap hotel room? Nothing much, but I find these tips have helped other campers who want to have fun in their own local area without paying out the nose.

  1. Get your campsite early. As soon as we find out about each event, we book a nearby campsite. You can also look around for a nearby Walmart that allows camping or even a friend's driveway
  2. We sometimes don't bring food. Just for these quick nights out, we won't even bring our cooler and will instead have dinner at our event and a quick breakfast at a local diner.
  3. Make sure it's worth it. If your special event is less than an hour from your home and you won't be imbibing, then leave the trailer at home. The cost of a campsite or the gas for towing may make your mobile overnight accommodations too pricey.


Photo: I took the Sunflower to the Wanderlust festival as a place to take a nap during the day.

Roadtrippers Profile Pages

I've written about the fun Roadtrippers website and app before, but now the travel planning site has updated profile pages where you can search for, save and edit the places you want to take your teardrop trailer.



After you've filled in your profile with specific locations, hotels, attractions, restaurants and outdoor recreation sites, you can share it on any social media site and embed it on a website. You can also print your itinerary before a road trip. The profiles are searchable on the Roadtrippers site and you can leave reviews of each location you visit.

Teardrop Trailer Trips | My Collection itinerary on Roadtrippers.com!

Friday Teardrop Photo


This Little Guy T@G teardrop trailer was recently purchased by photographer Mandy Lea Earnshaw. I'm looking forward to future camping shots from her because her photos are stunning.

The T@G is a hybrid between the T@B trailer and a classic teardrop. These stylish little campers have a queen size bed, tons of storage, AC and a full galley.

Photo by Mandy Lea Earnshaw

4th of July Teardrop Trailer and Kayak Trip

Our area tends to be a little crazy during 4th of July, but surprisingly, we were able to snag a campsite at an area we have not explored very much: the Lakes Basin of Sierra County in California. It's only about two hours from our house, but full of US Forest Service campgrounds, lakes for kayaking, hiking trails and some really tall pine trees.


We spent a few days with our Stargazers friends hiking, kayaking and hanging around the fire. Even with the California drought, we did get a few bouts of heavy rain from some passing rainstorms. The Sunflower is very waterproof, so our bed stayed nice and dry.






This area has a few towns that cater to Pacific Crest Trail backpackers, so it was fun to see their mail stops, a "Free Stuff Pile" at a local store, and hike on parts of the PCT ourselves.