Raindrop Unveiled (really)

[Camp-Inns New Guy]

Once again Cary Congrats.

[Woody]

Cary,
Congrats my friend on your new addition to your family

[madjack]

...Cary, let me add my congratulations for the new wee one...ain't life just GRAND

madjack

[Guest]

Congratulations Cary!!!
Having a daughter is a special blessing for a dad!!!
I'm glad mom is doing well too!!!

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Congratulations Cary,
I hope ya'll can get some sleep.

[George T.]

Congratulations Carey & family!

You were missed at Minden, but Betsey was correct. You were where you needed to be. Just think, a new little teardropper!

Best wishes, George T.

[Cary Winch]

Wow, thanks everyone for the good cheer. I am generally a kind of gruff and ornery type and nothing humbles me more than little kids. So, it is verrry good for me.

I did get to enjoy a little bit of Minden though. When I got back from picking up wife and baby from the hospital yesterday low and behold was a all wood half nelson sitting at the shop. I got to meet and spend several hours with the great and wonderful person known as Roly Nelson. Apparantly Craig befriended him along with a whole bunch of you at Minden! That really made my day.

And if you are reading this Roly, Thanks.

Cary

[tomtrifik]

Hey Cary,

I have a question about a new item I noticed in photos of your campsite in Minden?


The Model 550 parked next to that beautiful new Raindrop has a nifty little entry vestibule or add-on canvas privacy room with zip-up windows and door attached to one side. Is this a one-off custom creation or a new option you're going to start offering with your campers? I was thinking of using one of the Sportz SUV Tents hooked up to the side for added space and privacy.

BTW - Parking the two trailers side-by-side gave us a great chance to compare the added room that the new front on the Raindrop provides. It's a shame that the extra weight is going to put it out of touch for me unless I replace my tow vehicle (PT Cruiser Turbo). Keep up the great design and construction work!

[Betsey]

I have a question about a new item I noticed in photos of your campsite in Minden?


The Model 550 parked next to that beautiful new Raindrop has a nifty little entry vestibule or add-on canvas privacy room with zip-up windows and door attached to one side. Is this a one-off custom creation or a new option you're going to start offering with your campers? I was thinking of using one of the Sportz SUV Tents hooked up to the side for added space and privacy.

I'll tackle this question for you. The side tent is actually a prototype designed and sewn by Craig. It is an option that will be available as soon as the guys are able to find someone who can manufacture it at a reasonable price. Some nifty things about it are that it will work on any teardrop, not just Camp-Inns, can be used on either side of the teardrop, is very easy to put up and requires no ropes in the setup. For those who weren't able to see it first hand, it fits snug to the side of the teardrop (no leaks or bugs) and has a floor.

It made its debut at Minden and I was the lucky one to have it on my side of the tear (actually, I don't remember that Craig had any say in it ). I can tell you from first hand experience, it was great being able to leave the door open and have a nice breeze at night. It is very light and airy (made of ripstop nylon) as well. Of course, using it as a changing room as well as a place to put shoes is also pretty handy.

Betsey

[Betsey]

Here is a link to a sideview photo of the tent. This one is from ChrisC's file. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of it at Minden.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chrischri ... pg&.src=ph

Betsey

[tomtrifik]

I'll tackle this question for you. The side tent is actually a prototype designed and sewn by Craig. It is an option that will be available as soon as the guys are able to find someone who can manufacture it at a reasonable price. Some nifty things about it are that it will work on any teardrop, not just Camp-Inns, can be used on either side of the teardrop, is very easy to put up and requires no ropes in the setup. For those who weren't able to see it first hand, it fits snug to the side of the teardrop (no leaks or bugs) and has a floor.

It made its debut at Minden and I was the lucky one to have it on my side of the tear (actually, I don't remember that Craig had any say in it ). I can tell you from first hand experience, it was great being able to leave the door open and have a nice breeze at night. It is very light and airy (made of ripstop nylon) as well. Of course, using it as a changing room as well as a place to put shoes is also pretty handy.

Betsey

Thanks so much Betsey. I had a sneaky suspicion it was another of the new innovations that Craig and Carey have been hinting about. You guys never cease to amaze me!

Innovative, Creative, and darn good Builders too!

[campadk]

Ran across this Airsteam from 1935. I believe someone mentioned the Raindrop was inspired from an Airstream idea?

[Betsey]

Ran across this Airsteam from 1935. I believe someone mentioned the Raindrop was inspired from an Airstream idea?

Actually, the first time Craig saw this particular trailer was in the "Unusual Trailer" thread that Shrug started on September 3:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=4866

Truth be told, the concept design for the Raindrop was the result of a mistake. The idea was to incorporate bunk beds into the front of the trailer, but trying to fit that into a stretched version of a Camp-Inn was a challenge due to the exterior curves involved. Because of the curve of the front roof, the upper bunk would be crowded.

Craig's idea for the exterior design of the Raindrop didn't come from any manufactured trailer already in existence, or for that matter, anything else in existence. He already had a different design in mind. One day, while surfing the net looking at other teardrop pictures, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a trailer that looked like the Raindrop. But upon closer inspection, it was one trailer standing in front of another with some shadows in the picture. In fact, looking straight at that area of the picture what he thought he saw totally disappeared.

He realized that what he thought he saw and what the picture actually showed were completely different. At that point, he started to draw up a design for what he thought he had seen. This design resolved the problem of the crowded upper bunk. As his design progressed, he came up with the idea of making a removable bunk so that the space below it could be utilized as a sofa.

Since then he has seen pictures of a couple other trailers...the old 1935 Airstream and the new Airstream Base Camp, but neither one was an "inspiration" for the Raindrop design.

So the Raindrop design came out of a case of mistaken identity.

And now you know...the rest of the story!

Betsey

[kajamelu4]

I have a 2004 Camp-Inn, which I LOVE! I was telling my hubby about the new Raindrop. He asks if I would have gotten that one if it had been available. I replied yes. Then he asks if I want to sell mine, and order a new Raindrop. HMMMM.........I will have to give that some thought........

[campadk]

Thanks for the update Betsy. I see someone posted a photo of another one of those 1935 airstreams in the mentioned thread.

Any idea if a Raindrop will appear out here in the east? I don't see one on Poplar Hills upcoming inventory so guess someone out here better order up one!