As summer is beginning to come to an end, the weather is also beginning to become much more “camp-able” – so get out there, have a great time with your teardrop and share some pictures or stories about yours with us and you may be featured in the next issue of the Teardrop Tribune.

Happy Trails…

Chad’s Testimonial – I first saw the Little Guy on The Price Is Right and knew I had to have one.  Two months later I had bought myself a brand new Little Guy 5 wide! What really sold me on it was how easy it pulls behind my Honda CR-V.   I hardly notice it behind me.  Without having to fill the gas tank all the time and  knowing that I could just hook up and take off, changed the way I looked at camping it was no longer a hassle to get ready for camping! I went from camping once a year to every other weekend “if not more”!

Welcome to the teardrop community Chad and we look forward to keep hearing about and seeing pictures of your camping adventures!

Doug

Just got home from our road trip. 4800 miles through MO,IA,NB,SD,MT,WY, ID,UT,CO,AR,NM,KS.

Me and the dog had a wonderful time and it was so much fun with our Little Guy Teardrop Trailer.

We met so many fellow travelers, nice folks who just wanted to check out our little camper. From riders on motorcycles to families in self contained motorhomes, they all wanted to check out our rig. I was proud of it. And during the storms, rain and rough roads we traveled, it handled and pulled just fine. I took it places in central Colorado that I should have been in a Jeep!      And…… I slept great everynite.

I am a happy camper.  I’ve got the road atlas out. Planning my next road trip.  BTW, I pulled my 4 wide with a 2wd,4 cylinder Ranger PU. Have not figured my gas mileage yet. But it’s around 22 mpg with a canoe on the roof all the way.

And thanks for your newsletter,

see ya later………..doug and RockC

Ann

I’ve been the talk of the neighborhood since my Little Guy arrived.  There was a crowd watching the unload, then visitors, visitors and more visitors.  I’m still the talk as everyone wants to know when my next trip will be.

On the first trip, to SC, a couple came over and wanted to look.  They did and I gave them a brochure.  On the second trip over Thanksgiving, 2 different groups wanted to see.  They both got brochures.  A couple of my neighbors also wanted brochures.  I’m keeping the last one so I can give people information.

I’ve recently joined Tear Jerkers, which I’m sure you’ve heard of.  So now I have to plan my weekends carefully.  Quite an active group–with a tremendous sense of humor.

My “Journeys with The Bug and Buggy” album has just started but I thought you might want to see what I look like, what Watson the dog (who hates riding in cars) looks like and what I have done to the inside.  Enjoy and use the photos as you wish.

Thanks again for your patience and support and for my little Buggy!
Ann Shirey

Mike

I just returned to Iraq after my 15 day R&R. We stayed 14 days in the Little Guy. We went all over Alaska. We are avid campers and this was the best camping trip I have ever had. The camper was great, both my wife and son loved it. After being away for 10 months I could not dream of a better way to reconnect. I wish I had known about these campers years ago. When things slow down I will put a review on your WEB site. Thanks for all the help getting the camper to Alaska, it made for a great time with the family and I cannot wait for next summer.  If you need anything from Alaska just let me know.

Mike

Throwing a shrimp on the barby just got better! This makes gourmet cooking in the outdoors a breeze…whether you do so by campfire or coal tray, the Auspit is right there with you delivering a fantastic meal everytime.

For more information, or to purchase, please visit the:
http://www.teardropshop.net

Until September 15, 2010, get $1 off for every $5 spent…just enter the code: 1FOR5

1 lb. bacon or sausage
2 or more cups of cheese
5 whole potatoes
a dozen eggs

Equipment

1 skillet and stove
1 dutch oven
1 metal spoon

Instructions

line the dutch oven with aluminum foil
pre-heat the dutch oven to 375
pre-cook the bacon or sasauge
dice the potatoes with out peeling
add the eggs, potatoes, bacon, and cheese into the dutch oven
cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are hot and eggs are done

Comment: feeds 5-7 people

Thanks for sharing, Chris!

We have been able to make many new friends over this first 6 months of this year and look forward to making your acquaintance too!  Please share a picture or story about yours with us and we’ll send you a small gift.

Happy Trails…

It is almost 800 miles from Ipswich, Mass to Sugar Creek.  That went fine and the accommodations were superb. I was so glad that we picked the trailer up at the factory. The questions that we had were corrected quickly by your people. When we left the factory and arrived at the corporate offices in Massillon I wanted to shop the options in the display case but the wife wanted to move on.  She got antsy wanting to reach our camp site early so I had no time to shop.

I had made reservations at camp ground on lake Ontario in NY for Friday night. As it worked out it was a really nice site right on the water. Now I know that you do not have an appreciation for my wife’s phobias. My wife has every phobia that you can think of. You name it she is afraid of it! Well….. when you were describing the integrity of the trailers cabin you told us jokingly that “It is so tight that you need to keep the windows open in order to breath”. This is not a good thing to tell my wife. She took this as littoral. When we camped that night in upstate NY she insisted that all the windows be open because we need to breath. In the middle of the night, about 2 or 3 AM she was awakened by the nose of a local bear pressed to her side screen 5 inches from her nose! I was awakened by her screams. The bear left after 20 to 30 seconds of her screaming. It was a moment that we will both remember for a long time! Nice first night! We still laugh about it.

Now for some first impressions. The trailer pulls effortlessly. It was like there was nothing behind me, no wind buffeting, no effects at all. When we arrived at the site everything went easy we pulled in, plugged in and went to sleep! During the drive starting in Sugar Creek  it took me a few miles to find a happy spot for fuel mileage. On the trip back I split the driving miles almost 50/50. I drove 390 miles on Friday and 385 on Saturday. On Friday because of the late start I found it necessary to push the speed limits. I was doing 80 to 85 MPH on the way to our NY camp site. The Jeep normally gets 20 +-.5 MPG. On Friday at 80 to 85 MPH the fuel mileage dropped to less than 16 MPG! On Saturday I laid back to around 60 to 65 MPH and got 20.8 MPG!!! WOW! Once I found the Jeeps sweet spot the MPG was predictable. The R/T does not seem to burden the drive at all. In NY on the NY thruway there were some terrible rains and winds. All traffic stopped many times for 10 minutes at a time with nothing at all moving! The R/T showed no bad manners in the terrible weather and NO LEAKS. All in all we are very happy.

A final note; You were correct. I got many, yes many inquiries about the R/T along the way. Before we left Ohio I was asked if it was made in Ohio and I said “Yes in Sugar Creek” The reply was “ Where the hell is Sugar Creek”?

The Inspiration

It all started back in September of 2000 when I was living in Torrance, CA. I was looking for plans to build a camper for my Nissan pickup so I could be a little more comfortable while I explored the natural wonders of sunny southern California. After a short search on the Internet with little results, I thought I would take a look for camping trailer plans. It was during that search that I saw my first teardrop. I was intrigued by the compact size and functionality of the teardrop design. After spending the entire night starring at my computer and looking at hundreds of photos I decided that I would indeed build a teardrop.

Searching for Plans

Now that the decision was made all I needed was suitable plans to begin construction. I bought a $60 set of plans for a KIT replica I found online and anxiously awaited their arrival. Disappointed by what I got, I found myself creating my own design by combining the back half of the KIT profile with the chassis design of Larry Sorensen’s Outback Teardrop. Builders today have a much wider selection including some excellent plans from Kevin Hauser at Kuffel Creek.

Construction

I set out ordering axles, wheels, lights, metal, wood and everything else needed to complete my teardrop and waited for the materials to arrive. With every intention of documenting my project like Larry did, I began to build the trailer on my patio and moved to the shared garage of my townhouse once the chassis was complete. As the work progressed, I found myself less intent on the documentation than on the completion of the project (sound familiar to anyone out there). With lots of help and encouragement from Larry, Grant Whipp, and countless others on the discussion board, my completed teardrop rolled out of the garage in time for the Southern California Touring Teardrops Gathering held at Sweetwater County Park in March of 2001.

I have included photos of the original construction and ongoing modifications on the Construction page.

Epilogue

The experience and satisfaction of building and using this little trailer has been priceless. From the challenges of construction to the adventures I have had, I do not regret for one second the decision I made.

To all of my friends in the teardrop community I say thank you and may you always enjoy your teardrop time!

I gave this trailer to my youngest son John in the spring of 2009.

Buckle up as Douglas Keister takes you for a decidedly retro ride in the world of diminutive travel trailers in Teardrops and Tiny Trailers.

The demand for vintage trailers-the smaller the better-has risen dramatically in recent years, with the most in-demand trailers being “teardrops,” first manufactured in the 1930s and containing just indoor sleeping space and an outdoor exterior kitchen.

For more information, or to purchase, please visit the:

http://www.teardropshop.net/best-sellers/teardrops-and-tiny-trailers-book

Until August 15, 2010, get $10 off of any purchase of $50 or more  from the Teardrop Shop when you use the discount coupon code: 10OFF