Five Best Folding Tables for Teardrop Trailers

Unless you've built a custom table into your teardrop design, most teardrop trailers do not have a dining table. In fact, many teardrop trailer owners bring several tables along on trips to create a dining/food prep area that tends to be lacking in these tiny trailers.

Of course, the best types of camping tables are folding versions, but you also want them to be lightweight, easy to set up and durable. They should also be easy to clean and should not take up too much space in a tight campsite, teardrop trailer bed or vehicle trunk. These are the five best tables I've run into over the years.

Ozark Trail Fold-in-Half Grilling Camp Table

This is our personal cooking/prepping/dining table. We were looking for something that would be safe for putting our Coleman stove on as well as to use for both eating and prepping. We also wanted something very light and easy to carry. I can carry this table with one hand using the handy handle. It does take two people to unfold and set into place because of its ratcheting legs, but this table is really sturdy and has a little paper towel holder.

Available at WalMart

Alps Mountaineering Camp Table

The first time I saw this table was on a whitewater rafting trip. The guides pulled this miraculous little table out of a bag they carried on their shoulders, folded out the legs and unrolled and attached the surface of the table. It's small, but so light, you can afford to bring several of them along for food prep and dining. For their size, they are also pretty sturdy.

Available at CampSaver

Westfield Folding Table with Storage Bins

This compact, folding table not only has some great storage space, but the legs can be adjusted to four different heights. The two cloth storage containers zip up to keep food and cooking items clean.

Available at Camping World

Eureka Catskill Table

Not only is this folding table large enough to seat four people, but it also has one adjustable foot to level it on uneven ground. This table also has some storage space underneath including two bottle holsters and a paper towel rack. It also has webbing for clipping on camping tools.

Available at CampMor

Ozark Trail Aluminum Side Table

I really don't know what we would do without a few of these little aluminum tables. We've used them for roadside lunch breaks, as cocktail tables, prep tables and even as showering and bath tables. They are super light and we just keep one or two of them on the teardrop trailer bed while towing the trailer. They are indispensable for teardrop trailer traveling.

Available from WalMart

Teardrop Trailer Camping with Children

My husband and I don't have children, but I always admire teardrop campers who bring their small children to gatherings or on regular campouts. While camping can be simple, it gets a little more complicated with children included – especially in a very small trailer. I decided to ask the parents and grandparents on the Teardrops n' Tiny Travel Trailers forum about how they camp with their own little ones and what things they keep in mind when packing up the teardrop for the whole family.

Where do the children sleep?

"I am getting ready to spring camp with my wife and our three-year-old daughter in our Five Wide Platform Little Guy. We have glamped in it recently to see how we fit. My daughter uses about half of the queen sized bed and must be re-positioned during the night for our comfort. I see napping during the day as the way to supplement our somewhat broken sleep during the night. I am concerned about rattlesnakes here in the Southwest as being a danger to talk to them about. They are excited about camping and I think this is going to be most enjoyable."

Tucguy
Tucson, Arizona

[Mark Janke of Overland Trailer built a 10 foot long trailer with a bunk bed for the "Assistant to the Senior Manager" who celebrated her one month birthday in a teardrop trailer.]

"The little Assistant to the Senior Manager celebrated her one month old birthday on a camping trip in the jPod. Since this family arrangement is new to us, Senior Management and I thought it would be wise to camp someplace near our home-base and someplace that had bathroom facilities. Little baby did well. She woke up once in the night and I got to change a diaper in the jPod. I am thankful for the Fan-Tastic roof vent that I installed when building the jPod. It pulls enough air to make the windows whistle. It also pulls enough air to flush the soiled diaper smell out of such a small space! Without that fan, teardrop camping with a new baby would be too much of an adventure for us."

Overland Trailer
www.overlandtrailer.com

"We put our three girls in one tent and the boy in his own right next to them so they can talk."

rowerwet
Merrimack River Valley

How do you keep them entertained?

"The campground we plan on going to with just our kids and the teardrop has playgrounds and a beach. My kids have never been bored at a beach."

rowerwet
Merrimack River Valley

"A bicycle, small car/truck toys, use of the campground playground and Saturday morning cartoons while I showered kept my 4 1/2 year old great nephew occupied."

Verna
Indianapolis, IN

"I've seen a group of kids spend five days digging a hole. I've seen a five-year-old perfectly entertained with a spoon and a bucket for a full day. You don't need to bring every toy, or buy a ton of stuff. They have imaginations. With that and attention from their parents, they will have fun. Have a backup plan in case the weather goes bad, but keep it a secret. If you tell them you brought the iPad, they will want to play with that instead of being outside."

Socal Tom

"Camping is simple! Keep it that way! Kids will find lots to do on their own in almost any circumstance."

Vedette
Westbank, British Columbia

How do you avoid the "yucky food" face?

"Food needs to be familiar. To get kids ready for camping out, cook a few times in the backyard using your camp cooking gear to make sure you can turn out kid-friendly foods outside of your own kitchen. Everyone needs to start the day with some protein. Sugary cereal leads to a sugar crash and whiny-ness."

Catherine+twins
Northern New Mexico

"We make sure there are snacks but don't offer them all the time, meals are a group effort, we all chip in for food and then one person does the shopping."

rowerwet
Merrimack River Valley

"I made sure I had food that he would eat, and he played so much that he was hungry. And he fell asleep quickly, too."

Verna
Indianapolis, IN

Some (extra) tips…

"When you arrive at camp everyone has a specific job to do so you can settle in very quickly. Even very small children can be given a camp setup chore to do. We can bug out of a camp area fast too because everyone has a task to complete."

Teardrop Nanny
Northwestern Coast of California

"At night I tie a string with a glow stick on it around their necks. You always know where they are. Haven't lost one yet."

cherokeegeorge
La Crescenta, California

"For us camping is about keeping them covered with sunscreen, making sure they are eating enough, and then following them with a camera for all the memories."

rowerwet
Merrimack River Valley

Photos by vwool, Overland Trailer and 48Rob

Camp Chairs: Pros and Cons

When you camp in a teardrop trailer, your living room is the outdoors so your "recliner" should reflect the ease of nature and keep you comfortable as you sit in the sunshine or by the campfire. My husband and I have gone through our fair share of camping chairs and have found each of them to have their own pros and cons.

Currently we have two very comfortable loungers from Cabela's that we bought on sale. I have fallen asleep in them numerous times and they are great for looking up at the stars. However, they are super heavy and awkward to carry. They also take up a ton of room in the back of the car.

Right now, I am on the lookout for two new chairs that will not take up so much room in the car. I do like the Alps Aluminum camp chair from the Sportsman's Wharehouse. They are comfortable and do well in front of the fire as well as at a table. Most importantly, they are lightweight and fold up much smaller than the loungers. Unfortunately, they don't have that great foot rest.

Every few years or so, we will teardrop camp with some friends from Florida. We drive to meet them a state or two away from us and they fly in to meet us. This means we have to bring their camping gear along with us. They tent camp during this time, so we bring two easy-to-pack camp chairs that you can get at Costco, Target or Wal-Mart. These types of chairs are light and convenient, easy to fold up and store and they sometimes have nifty cup holders. However, they are cheap and tend to break apart after four or five camping trips.

What are your favorite types of camp chairs for teardrop camping? Where do you like to purchase your chairs and are there reasons why you choose one type of chair over another?