Teardrop Trailer Trip to Benton Hot Springs and Boundary Peak

For the Labor Day Weekend, we took off for the very edge of the California/Nevada border and had a semi-relaxing few days at Benton Hot Springs. Highway 120 on the way to Benton (from beautiful Mono Lake) is an excellent highway for towing. It's free of any traffic, has some great boondocking spots, and a few roller coaster ride hills.

One day was spent attempting to hike to the top of the tallest mountain in Nevada—Boundary Peak. At 13,147 feet, it is actually more difficult to get to than many tall peaks in the area. You first have to drive an old dirt mining road up several thousand feet just to reach the trailhead. The steep trail then goes up to about 10,500 feet before it reaches a tallus field. This tallus field is where I had to bail out. With one step forward, I would slip about three feet back. My friends continued on, but also had to quit the hike when the trail got too sketchy and dangerous. Maybe that's why the mountain only has a few hundred visitors a year, and a small fraction of them ever reach the top.

The rest of our time was spent relaxing in the private hot pool of our Benton campsite. Benton Hot Springs sites each have their own pool constantly filled with natural, hot water.

Escaping the Heat: Teardrop Trip to the Mountains

With the soaring summer heat, we decided to take off for the weekend to one of our favorite places in the Sierra Nevada. Forest camping, kayaking, swimming, and sitting around the campfire were the only plans—until the smoke from the northern California fires started to encroach the area. Strength and blessings to the firefighters and residents affected by the fires.

A Little Trip to Little Guy Trailers

I recently returned from San Diego, Calif. where I visited Little Guy Trailers. This company focuses on campers and trailers less than 2,800 lb. and has their own camper design—the MeerKat. The company has a wide range of tiny campers and trailers to choose from, all in one place. They include the nüCamp RV T@B and T@G, Little Guy teardrop trailers like the MyPod and the Silver Shadow, Serro Scotty trailers, and the new Ascape by Aliner. Little Guy Trailers also has the beautiful T@B 400.

What's so great about this company is that you can get a better idea about which tiny camper works for you. Sometimes photos and videos don't do the space or amenities any justice and you need to visit each trailer individually and compare. The staff are more than happy to offer you tours of each type of trailer and give you the pros and cons of each.

Little Guy Trailer's own MeerKat could be a nice alternative to a teardrop trailer. The 900 lb. camper has a popup canvas roof, dinette that converts into a bed, cabinets and a basic kitchen. The kitchen is meant to be more for camping than RVing and features a one-burner propane stove and a sink with a pump that works with any container you want to use.

Learn more about Little Guy Trailers on their website or in my article for Tiny House Magazine. Watch my video to see a quick tour of the company.

Teardrop/Kayak Trip to Burney Falls

Normally our teardrop trailer camping trips consist of hours of hiking or backpacking, so it was so nice to take off last weekend and enjoy a very relaxing couple of days of kayaking and sleeping in.

We went with the Stargazers teardrop to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in Northern California and camped in the campground above Lake Britton. We spent the days kayaking on the lake, cooking up really good meals and talking about teardrop trailers.

We also visited the Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park and saw a wide range of plant life, birds, frogs, fish and great views of snow-capped Mount Shasta.

I have heard of two friends in the last week who want to either borrow a teardrop, or are looking for their own trailer to purchase. They are both tired of tent camping and have probably been swayed by some of our trips to take the teardrop route. Can you blame them?

Interview with Simply GO Campers

For a recent Do It Yourself RV post I interviewed several teardrop trailer rental companies. Dave of Simply GO Campers in San Juan Capistrano was kind to answer a few more questions about his company and love of camping for the Tiny Yellow Teardrop.

Photo by Rachel Antoun

How did you become interested in teardrop trailers?

I became interested in teardrops a few years ago after seeing one at a campground. I immediately thought they were awesome and have been talking about getting one ever since.

Why did you decide to go into the teardrop rental business?

My wife and I decided to go into the teardrop rental business because we love the outdoors and love the idea of having a business that encourages people to spend more time in nature. Teardrops were an easy choice because of the ease of traveling with them. Someone who has never towed or camped can easily rent one of our units and be camping with very little effort. Teardrops aren’t intimidating to tow or use, and they have a unique appeal to them because they are different than your typical camping set up.

Why did you decide to choose Little Guy teardrops?

When I started researching teardrops Little Guy was one of the top brands. I wanted teardrops that were professionally constructed and had a history of manufacturing. The more I’ve researched, the more I’ve found that to be true with the Little Guy brand.

What camping gear do you offer for your customers and what types of gear do you think go best with teardrop trailers?

One of our goals at Simply GO Campers is to encourage people who are new to camping to get out there and give it a try. With that in mind, we know that new campers aren’t necessarily going to have all the gear that you might want for a camping trip. The gear we have available includes the basics: sheets, sleeping bags, chairs, and a full camp kitchen box (camp stove, pots, dishes, silverware, dish washing supplies, etc.). We are also open to providing additional gear as needed to make our customers as comfortable as possible.

A few products we personally love to use are our dutch oven and cast iron skillet. My wife is amazing in the kitchen and just because we are camping doesn’t mean we won’t be eating well. She loves finding new recipes to use while camping versus just eating the basic hot dogs and beans.

Photo by Rachel Antoun

What are the things that people should keep in mind when renting a teardrop trailer?

People should keep in mind that they will now be towing a trailer so they need to make sure they know how to do that and the laws of the road. The actual towing part is not difficult, it's more of the actual being aware it's back there. One must keep from making too tight of turns and speeding. Here in California, people towing must go 55 mph and are limited to the left two lanes only.

The other thing to keep in mind is to make sure your campground will allow a trailer in your site. Most campgrounds are ok with this but if you are in a  specific "tent only" site that can cause some problems. So always check with your campground that you are able to bring your trailer.

Other than those two minor things be ready to have a blast!

Photos courtesy of Simply GO Campers

Friday Teardrop Photo

This beautiful 1965 pickup truck and teardrop trailer are available for rent in the Sausalito area near San Francisco, Calif. The truck's name is Crusty.

Interview with Trailer Rental Company: Links Teardrops

Charles Link runs Southern California’s original teardrop trailer rental service. They currently rent a Little Guy Classic 5-Wide teardrop trailer and a 5x8 Hiker Off Road teardrop trailer. Charles was kind to give us a little insight into the teardrop rental business and his trailers.


How did you get into renting out teardrop trailers?

I first purchased a 1960 Canned Ham style trailer to restore and offer as a rental but then after the restoration was completed I decided that it was too nice and delicate to rent out. I then thought that a small trailer that was also good looking would be a great thing to offer to fellow campers to get people up and off the ground while camping. This is where the teardrop came into the picture.

Who rents your trailers?
Most of our renters are people who are looking to either build or buy a teardrop and there are the occasional couples who just want a single getaway in something small and easy to tow.
What is the response to the teardrop from newbie renters?
They all seem to love how easy they are to tow and how comfortable they can be. I'd say about 99.5 % of new renters love the trailers and have a great time.
What other amenities do you offer with your rentals?
Currently we only offer the campers themselves, but we are working on some additional ideas to add to both models that we have.

What should people keep in mind when looking to rent a teardrop trailer?
They are easy to tow, simple to maneuver and it's much cheaper to rent than to buy.
What should companies or individuals do to prepare to rent out their own trailer?
You must have a very open schedule, or work close to home. Be ready to handle repairs, maintenance, cleaning, storage, and lots of questions.  Do you camp in a teardrop and where do you like to go?
Yes, we do and one of the reasons for having them available is to use them ourselves. Ever since our first teardrop purchase we haven't slept in a tent. It feels like you’re in a small cabin all to yourself. We go anywhere from Joshua Tree, Idyllwild, Big Sur, Pismo Beach, San Diego, Ojai and many other beautiful places here in Southern California.

Links Teardrops can be reserved on their Facebook page. They have a two-night minimum on all their trailer rentals. The 2016 Hiker 5x8 lifted off road trailer rents for $95 a night with a two night minimum. The 5-Wide Classic Little Guy rents for $75 a night with a two night minimum.

Friday Teardrop Photo

This photo is of the Sunflower parked at the Inyo National Forest ranger station in California —the crossroads between Mount Whitney and Death Valley. We are in the process of planning some more intense summer and fall hikes and my teardrop will be a welcome respite.

Friday Teardrop Photo

This teardrop trailer is available as a rental on Airbnb. Located in Mariposa and close to Yosemite National Park, the owner allows the trailer to be towed to a nearby site or guests can sleep in the trailer on her land.

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.

Friday Teardrop Photo

The Sunflower at Clearlake, California. I loved the sign and the beautiful pull over location. When we are towing the teardrop, we tend to go slower than surrounding traffic, and we do pull over to permit passing frequently. It's also good teardrop karma.

Off the Grid Rentals Rents Off-Road Teardrop Trailers

If you prefer rugged, off-road camping and don't want to buy a teardrop trailer just yet, check out Off the Grid Rentals in Orange County, Calif.  This company might be one of the only off-road teardrop trailer rental services in the U.S. and they allow you to take their teardrop trailers onto the mountain and desert backroads of this beautiful state.

Founder Nizar Najm founded Off the Grid Rentals when he could not find the appropriate rental gear for taking his children out into the California desert. This teardrop trailer, made by So Cal Teardrops, was CNC-machined to be overbuilt and the tires, body and suspension were designed to handle rough roads. The galley features a camp stove, an ARB refrigerator and plenty of storage space.

The teardrop also has a rooftop tent option by Columbus Variant for additional sleeping space. Attached to any roof rack, the tent includes a 2.5 inch foam mattress and two entrances from the side and rear. The tent is opened with internal gas rams. Along with the tent rental, you can also rent an ARB refrigerator and a generator.

The off-road teardrop trailer is rented for $170 a night and there is a two-night minimum. The roof top tent rents for $60 a night and the refrigerator for $20 a night.

You can rent directly from the company online.

Photos by Off the Grid Rentals

Friday Teardrop Photo

This photo from California State Parks is not a teardrop trailer, but these folks really know how to camp in style. The photo was shot in the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the oldest state park in California.