The Ladybug teardrop trailer by Lydia McElroy from Etna, California. She built her teardrop in her high school shop class and I enjoy seeing it at Northern California teardrop gatherings. It fits perfectly with the redwoods during the IRG.
Showing posts with label theme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theme. Show all posts
Friday Teardrop Photo
The Ladybug teardrop trailer by Lydia McElroy from Etna, California. She built her teardrop in her high school shop class and I enjoy seeing it at Northern California teardrop gatherings. It fits perfectly with the redwoods during the IRG.
Friday Teardrop Photo
Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few weeks. I've been visiting family in Denmark for the holidays and traveling in Paris for a while. I've been keeping my eye out for any European teardrop trailers, but so far, they all seem to be tucked away for the winter.
However, I did see this stylish trailer being used as a display for the design firm, DecorMaison. Wouldn't a Parisian themed teardrop be fun? Some Tour de Eiffel salt and pepper shakers and some Montmartre inspired curtains? Oui, c'est bon!
Featured Teardrop: Stargazers Teardrop Trailer
While looking at photos of my Sunflower, you might see another teardrop right next to her at a campsite. My teardrop's little friend is the Stargazers teardrop trailer, which is owned by our neighbors and good friends, Brett and Nancy. Brancy, as we call them, had been tent campers for years when a trip to central Nevada was waylaid by a spring snowstorm. They came home tired, cold and ready for something different. So they borrowed my teardrop on their next trip to Great Basin National Park and came back determined to get their own tiny trailer.
Brancy scoured Craigslist for a few months before finding their 5x8 foot home built teardrop trailer from an independent builder in Clovis, California. They were able to snag the trailer for $3,200, just under the $3,500 asking price. The trip back home from Clovis was also interrupted by rain and a snowstorm in the mountains and their new teardrop filled up with water. That didn't deter them. Ever since buying their teardrop, they've been able to make significant changes and updates to the trailer, like waterproofing, sealing and utilizing pop-up shelters.
They decided to get a teardrop trailer not only because of their great experience with mine, but also because they would not have to buy a larger tow vehicle.
"It's easy and more manageable," Nancy said. "Also, it feels like I'm sleeping on a cloud after we've come back from a 10 mile hike."
The Stargazers teardrop is proof of how much fun you can have with a teardrop theme and decorating. Nancy is very artistic and has decorated the teardrop with a celestial theme that includes glow-in-the-dark curtains, sun and moon bedding, wallpaper and cute details like sleeping suns on the windows. They are proud that their teardrop is 100 percent green. They don't have a deep cycle battery, so they only use rechargeable touch lights, head lamps and a small solar charger for other devices.
Brett said that one of the positives of a teardrop trailer is that it's so quiet inside. He also mentioned that one of the negatives of camping in a teardrop is that you don't have a bathroom.
"Sometimes I'm just too tired to crawl out of the trailer to go pee," he said. "But I've also had trailers in the past with a bathroom and those can also be a pain in the butt."
Nancy added that they have a small bathroom bag with toilet paper, wipes, spray soap and other convenience items they take into campground bathrooms.
Nancy mentioned that one issue they have is organization. The Stargazers trailer has some really large storage cabinets and they are well organized, but she complained that Brett still can't find anything.
"He's always asking me 'Where's this and where's that?'," she laughed.
"You do have to constantly re-organize and re-adjust things," Brett said.
They are both pleased that with a basic home built trailer they can make their own improvements and adjustments and they can change the paint color whenever they want. Their tiny trailer also allows them to really experience the outdoors on their hiking, kayaking, stargazing and meteor shower trips.
"We go camping not just to go camping," Brett said.
Brancy scoured Craigslist for a few months before finding their 5x8 foot home built teardrop trailer from an independent builder in Clovis, California. They were able to snag the trailer for $3,200, just under the $3,500 asking price. The trip back home from Clovis was also interrupted by rain and a snowstorm in the mountains and their new teardrop filled up with water. That didn't deter them. Ever since buying their teardrop, they've been able to make significant changes and updates to the trailer, like waterproofing, sealing and utilizing pop-up shelters.
They decided to get a teardrop trailer not only because of their great experience with mine, but also because they would not have to buy a larger tow vehicle.
"It's easy and more manageable," Nancy said. "Also, it feels like I'm sleeping on a cloud after we've come back from a 10 mile hike."
The Stargazers teardrop is proof of how much fun you can have with a teardrop theme and decorating. Nancy is very artistic and has decorated the teardrop with a celestial theme that includes glow-in-the-dark curtains, sun and moon bedding, wallpaper and cute details like sleeping suns on the windows. They are proud that their teardrop is 100 percent green. They don't have a deep cycle battery, so they only use rechargeable touch lights, head lamps and a small solar charger for other devices.
"Sometimes I'm just too tired to crawl out of the trailer to go pee," he said. "But I've also had trailers in the past with a bathroom and those can also be a pain in the butt."
Nancy added that they have a small bathroom bag with toilet paper, wipes, spray soap and other convenience items they take into campground bathrooms.
Nancy mentioned that one issue they have is organization. The Stargazers trailer has some really large storage cabinets and they are well organized, but she complained that Brett still can't find anything.
"He's always asking me 'Where's this and where's that?'," she laughed.
"You do have to constantly re-organize and re-adjust things," Brett said.
They are both pleased that with a basic home built trailer they can make their own improvements and adjustments and they can change the paint color whenever they want. Their tiny trailer also allows them to really experience the outdoors on their hiking, kayaking, stargazing and meteor shower trips.
"We go camping not just to go camping," Brett said.
Featured Teardrop: La Tortuga
I ran across Steve's (Reddiver on the TNTT forum) pirate ship themed teardrop trailer, La Tortuga, over the summer at a teardrop gathering in central Nevada. My husband and I are fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so we were drawn to this design right away. It's one of the most fun I've ever seen. Steve answered a few of my questions about his hand built design.
I love your teardrop design. Why a pirate ship?
I think I always wanted to build a boat. I knew that wasn't practical so when I decided to build the teardrop I went with a nautical theme (I was in the Navy). Next I decided to put in portholes — before I cut the holes inside I made the portholes to make sure I could make them. Once I had them the nautical theme was set. The nautical theme eventually evolved into a pirate theme during the next Christmas when my daughter bought me a Captain Morgan sign. The rest is history.
You built your teardrop yourself, correct? How long did it take you and what advice to do you have for other DIYers out there?
I did build it myself. Woodworking is a passion of mine. I bought the frame from Red Trailers, did some adjusting, cutting and welding and built the body. From the time they dropped the trailer in my driveway until the first camping trip was almost two years. I didn't work on it every day and the journey was great. I still work on it but miss the project now that it's complete.
What is your favorite part about your pirate theme?
I think the pirate chest toolbox and the portholes are my favorite parts. But once the pirate theme took hold I was receiving pirate stuff from a lot of friends, so the pirate theme includes many gifts from many friends.
What do you like best about teardrop camping? What do you like the least?
I think what I like best is about teardrops is that in NO time you will meet everybody in the campground. You can sit back and have a cold beer and meet all your neighbors. I can't think of anything I don't like...well maybe getting up to pee in the middle of the night but that's an old guy thing, not a teardrop thing.
Where are your favorite places to camp?
I'm a huge fan of the national parks. Some years ago, before I built the teardrop, my dog and I went on the road for two months and traveled across the country stopping at national parks and state parks all the way there and back. I haven't been able to do that with La Tortuga because of obligations at home but I am truly looking forward to the chance to get back on the road. I want to see Gettysburg.
Photos by Reddiver, Christina Nellemann and the The Flirty Blog
I love your teardrop design. Why a pirate ship?
I think I always wanted to build a boat. I knew that wasn't practical so when I decided to build the teardrop I went with a nautical theme (I was in the Navy). Next I decided to put in portholes — before I cut the holes inside I made the portholes to make sure I could make them. Once I had them the nautical theme was set. The nautical theme eventually evolved into a pirate theme during the next Christmas when my daughter bought me a Captain Morgan sign. The rest is history.
You built your teardrop yourself, correct? How long did it take you and what advice to do you have for other DIYers out there?
I did build it myself. Woodworking is a passion of mine. I bought the frame from Red Trailers, did some adjusting, cutting and welding and built the body. From the time they dropped the trailer in my driveway until the first camping trip was almost two years. I didn't work on it every day and the journey was great. I still work on it but miss the project now that it's complete.
I think
my advice would be to enjoy the build. Don't try to buy all your parts
at one time because plans and ideas will change. Buy the best parts you
can afford — you won't miss the money at the finish line.
I think the pirate chest toolbox and the portholes are my favorite parts. But once the pirate theme took hold I was receiving pirate stuff from a lot of friends, so the pirate theme includes many gifts from many friends.
What do you like best about teardrop camping? What do you like the least?
I think what I like best is about teardrops is that in NO time you will meet everybody in the campground. You can sit back and have a cold beer and meet all your neighbors. I can't think of anything I don't like...well maybe getting up to pee in the middle of the night but that's an old guy thing, not a teardrop thing.
Where are your favorite places to camp?
I'm a huge fan of the national parks. Some years ago, before I built the teardrop, my dog and I went on the road for two months and traveled across the country stopping at national parks and state parks all the way there and back. I haven't been able to do that with La Tortuga because of obligations at home but I am truly looking forward to the chance to get back on the road. I want to see Gettysburg.
Photos by Reddiver, Christina Nellemann and the The Flirty Blog
The Many Shades of Teardrop Trailers
Teardrop trailers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. One of the most fun things about owning a teardrop is that it's fairly easy to make it reflect your own personality or sense of style. Most teardrop trailer owners will design, paint or decorate their teardrops to follow a certain theme. I've seen hippie teardrops, 50s style teardrops, Route 66 teardrops, celestial teardrops and even a teardrop built to look like a pirate ship. Here are a few of my favorites shot from various gatherings and events:
Photos by Christina Nellemann. Top photo courtesy of Robin Ruybalid.
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