My teardrop friend Guy Mazzeo lives full time out of his homemade teardrop trailer with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel/Mini Poodle mix dog. Her name is Butch. For years, Guy traveled around the country working with veterans and helping them to receive their VA benefits. During that time he lived out of his car, but after suffering from congestive heart failure and brain tumors, he realized he needed a little more comfort.
Guy had always been aware of and interested in teardrop trailers, so he decided to design and build his own. Over the course of a year-and-a-half, he built a 12 foot long and 6.5 foot wide wooden teardrop trailer with a kitchen in the back. The interior includes a bed for him and Butch which is raised up on drawers made from milk cartons, a 4x2 table that holds his laptop, a toilet and a closet.
"I might be the only teardropper around who travels around with one or two suits," Guy laughed.
His teardrop also has solar power which runs his 12 volt Dometic refrigerator, some lights and his catalytic heater. The teardrop is very well insulated, and he mentioned that he never even needed air conditioning while traveling in Florida. He uses a Coleman on-demand water heater for hot water and some of his showers.
Guy travels with the weather. In the summer, he camps out at Applegate Lake on the border of Oregon and California and in the winter he heads down to Southern California and Arizona. During his travels, he's learned a few things he had always wanted to do; fishing was one.
"When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, I fished," he said. "As an adult, I really wanted to learn it again and now I can. In fact, I just went perch fishing in the surf here in Malibu."
Guy feels his way of life is ideal. With his grown children in jobs or grad school, he has the freedom to roam around the country and see new things and meet new people.
"It's better than sitting on my butt somewhere," he said. He also mentioned that he decided to build a teardrop rather than purchase a conventional RV because a teardrop is the greatest icebreaker in the world.
"When you are in a campground with a teardrop, you can't be anonymous," Guy said. "Right now I'm in a fancy RV park in Malibu with an ocean view and a good half of the park's residents have come over to see me. Many of them have mentioned to me that they once had a teardrop, but over the years have upgraded to something like a Prevost."
Most peoples' reactions to him living full time in a teardrop are positive — especially from fellow campers or young people who are envious of his lifestyle. Other full-time RVers also totally understand the lifestyle.
"However, there are the people who are retired, but are afraid of giving up everything they have," Guy added. "They ask me what I do about doctors and medical issues. Who cares about that stuff? I have primary care physicians in different states and I get veteran's care. My doctors think it's fine to live like I do, but my cardiologist thinks I'm nuts."
Guy does admit that his lifestyle is not for everyone and that some couples may find it to be a challenge. He did mention that he also worries sometimes about safety. During one trip he was limping and did want to be looked upon as prey by any criminals, so he dyed his white hair blond so he would look younger. He admits that there is a loneliness factor, but credits his frequent trips to teardrop gatherings as the best way to keep in touch with his friends.
"If I'm feeling lonely, I just go out for dinner," he said.
Guy is looking forward to spending the holidays down in Malibu, and then heading down to the Arizona desert for a few months to enjoy some mild weather. The sunsets are not too bad either.
"It's a good life," he said.
Photos courtesy of Guy Mazzeo
