Cool Tears Magazine (May/June)

The May/June issue of Cool Tears is now out and available as both a PDF and a print version. The online version is free. The print version costs $6.60 for each issue, but you also get the digital version with that price. This issue features an in-depth look at the new Little Guy T@G teardrop trailer, a 1947 Kit restoration and the types of tiny trailers featured at the RV Hall of Fame. It's about time they got some recognition!

Friday Teardrop Photo

Because it's so flippin' cold in most of the country right now, I thought I would put up a little photo of summer. This is the Sunflower and the Stargazers teardrop trailer camping side-by-side at the Glory Hole Recreation Area in the Gold Country foothills of California. It must have been about 95 degrees out and shade shelters like our REI Alcove help to keep the sun off the galley area. The Stargazers' shelter was used over the top of the picnic table.

We were lucky to get this large RV campsite on a busy weekend and were able to squeeze the two teardrops and our two cars into the space. However, some campgrounds only allow a certain number of vehicles to be parked in one space, and sometimes they consider a teardrop trailer an extra vehicle. We had to convince the camp host that we were not a roving gang of trailers just looking for a place to crash and told him that we preferred to camp in the same spot as our friends so that we could share supplies and equipment.

If you're going to be camping with additional teardrops, check with your chosen campground before you make a reservation. Sometimes they will make you reserve two campsites next to each other rather than allowing you to share...no matter how small your trailer is.

Teardrops for Tailgating

With football season in the U.S. in full swing, on the weekends stadium parking lots are filling up with tailgaters cheering for their favorite teams. To make your tailgate experience even more fun, why not bring your teardrop trailer along? Many tailgaters bring their own trailers or RVs to tailgate events so they can have access to a kitchen, bathroom and even a living room couch with a TV tuned to the game.

A teardrop can have the same amenities without taking up two or three parking spots. If the weather is nice, you can open up the galley and set up a bar with the chips and beer, pull out a few camping chairs and watch the game from the parking lot. If you get tired of the crowds, jump into the bed area and close the doors and curl up with a good book that's not about football.

If you are a mega fan, Little Guy Worldwide allows you to order your fiberglass teardrop trailer with your team's logo and colors.

 

To thoroughly enjoy your teardrop tailgating experience. Here are a few tips:

 

1. Check on the rules and get there early: Check with the stadium or university/college to be sure you can bring your trailer and then get there early to get a prime spot near the end of a row where you can make a quick getaway after the game and the tailgate party is over.

2. Don't forget the shelter: I've been to a few games where the weather does not want to cooperate. When you stake out your space, be sure to leave some room to set up an EZ-Up or other pop-up shelter. You can even get a shelter printed with your team name or colors.

3.  Stock your galley: Pack up the teardrop with what others seem to forget. This includes paper towels, garbage bags, bottle openers, toilet paper, aluminum foil, hand wipes and a first aid kit for those rival team altercations.

4. Get ready for the admiration and pack some extra beers: Teardrop trailers at a football game are a novelty, so be ready to give extra tours of your teardrop. Have extra beer and snacks on hand for your admirers.

5. Oh...and go Wolf Pack!


Top photo: The ultimate tailgater teardrop from Big Woody Teardrop Trailers

Friday Teardrop Photo

The Sunflower being surrounded.

Sometimes it is nice to be able to hook up to power at one of these types of RV parks. This park also had a pool, nice hot showers and a laundry room. We utilized all three.

The sunflower has a 110 hookup on her side and we keep a 25 foot cord and a campground adapter in the storage area under the bed.

Taken at the Twin Falls KOA RV park in Idaho.

Friday Teardrop Photo

Taken at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in northern California.
This site is affectionately called "The Honeymoon Suite".

Why don't you just get a regular RV?

I have a friend who owns a 40-foot fifth wheel. This thing is pure luxury: it has a propane fireplace, a washer and dryer, a king sized bed, a pull-out and two comfy lounge chairs where you can watch the flat screen TV. It barely leaves their driveway.

Taken at Mammoth Lakes ranger station in California. I can never resist a shot like this.

They realized very quickly after purchasing the trailer that it's a real pain to hook up, to drive and to take down many country roads. The fuel cost is astronomical and they've only been able to take it a couple hundred miles from their home. They also have to be very selective when choosing a campground since many national parks don't have spaces for an RV that large. I was talking to her one day about how I was thinking of upgrading to a larger trailer when my husband and I get older and she said, "Don't do it!"

Why do most campers choose a larger RV? Many times it's because the smaller campers are very difficult to find. I searched for three years for the Sunflower and had to have it shipped to me from Florida. Also, after talking to other campers, I think a lot of them feel they will be missing out on creature comforts if they choose a smaller trailer. While it can get cramped in my little teardrop on bad weather days, on good and fair days our creature comforts extend out to the trees, the night sky and the roaring campfire.

We don't need a flat screen TV when we have the stars.


Photo by Christina Nellemann