Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi Gonefishin,
When you turned your bed sideways you said you used the same frame.
Did you have to cut the frame or trim it to fit.?

Sorry for the late reply, but yes, I did cut the frame with a hack saw. Its a metal frame, and I didn't need to cut much.

I wonder how much the spare tire effects the towing, seems to me where it is placed would interrupt the air flow.
if you have room you might try moving it to the truck bed on one of your trips and see if it does help or hinder.

Hi Gonefishin,

Ok, thanks for the info on the bed. If you don't mind, when you get a chance, would you tell me what you used, and how you attached that ring so you can lock your handle on your side door, so you do not get locked in by hooligans. I saw the pics of it in your album, looks like a simple way to do it. I have the same size trailer.
Thank you.

The best investment of my summer: A 30 watt (approx. 2 amp) solar panel with a 10-foot cord on it. It alligator clips straight to the battery. I can lean it anywhere along the side of the trailer at most any favorable angle. I can place it on the front roof of the trailer. I can easily bring it inside in the event of large hail and for travel. At one point this summer, I was parked for 9 days, and my battery remained fully charged day after day. I charged phone(s), ran my laptop regularly, charged a Kindle daily, ran the led lights several hours a day, ran my 12-volt fan a lot, and never worried. It was just over $100 on Amazon, ready to go with a charge controller. It stows easily, hooks up easily, and does the job.

Can you post a link to that solar charger please?

This is the description:

Instapark® NEW All Black 30W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel With a 12V solar charge controller. Its sold in many places, but I got mine for $109 from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FOGL0K/ref=oh_details_o05_s01_i00

Gonefishin wrote:This is the description:

Instapark® NEW All Black 30W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel With a 12V solar charge controller. Its sold in many places, but I got mine for $109 from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FOGL0K/ref=oh_details_o05_s01_i00

Thank you.

Prem wrote:

Now we’re at $3,361, have a very functional trailer, and will be sleeping as good as in ANY rv, motel bed, or even my bed at home.

A steal for sure. A real home away from home. Ya dun good.

Prem

You'll deffinately sleep better than in a Motel.
I can promise you that. For a number of reasons.
My favorite is, all the place you can stop. Quiet places!
Enjoy.
See ya out there.
Rando

Yes, I've spent about 6 weeks in it so far this year, in just the past 4 months actually. About the only thing I've been missing the past couple nights is all-night heat! Its getting a little cold where I'm at now (Idaho, MT), with overnight temps in the 20's. I get up in the morning, answer natures call, light the heater, crawl back into the heated bed, and wait. My camping season is about over, but this trailer conversion is the best thing I've done in a long time. Don't know how I ever got by without it. Still beats a motel most of the time. Solar panel makes 12-volt power a non-issue. Plenty.

Get a Mr Heater Big Buddy. There's no need to be cold.
And a Porta Potty. They're both no brainers.

See ya out there
Rando

Oh, I've got both! But, I don't leave the propane heater on while I sleep, even with CO detectors. Don't want to die.

And I have a Pett porta potty as well as a pee can, so don't ever have to go outside for that. But I still have to get out of bed to safely ignite the propane heater and take a leak. Its been around 40 inside at sunrise, and gets up to about 60 after about 30-45 minutes of running the heater, warm enough to get up and start the hot choc., bacon, and eggs.

I sleep warm at night with the electric blanket. Its just that first little shot of cold air when warming things up in the morning. But there's NO WAY I'm sleeping at night with a propane heater on. I have had my CO detector go off after a few hours of just having the heater running in the morning when I'm awake, even with a couple windows cracked.

David_L6 wrote:Can you post a link to that solar charger please?

Costco has a nice solar panel that I bought, if interested.
It's at the online store.
It's a 100 watt solar panel for $189.00

Rando

I love the decor of your trailer. Reminds me of a few of the lodges/motels I stayed in while traveling the Alaska Hwy.

Kankujoe wrote:I love the decor of your trailer. Reminds me of a few of the lodges/motels I stayed in while traveling the Alaska Hwy.

Thanks! I think of it as my own mobile fishing lodge on wheels. I've spent part of my life working at and managing fishing lodges in Alaska and Canada, so the fish/bear/water/outdoor decor is just what I've always been used to. I never thought a 6X12 cargo trailer could ever feel so much like home. I could damn near live in the thing, especially if summer never ended and I didn't have to work.

My wife doesn't miss many quilt/fabric shops in our travels, so when I see something that jumps out, I "suggest" she get some and do something with it. (I don't miss many fly fishing shops either!) That leads to bed spreads, blankets, curtains, slip covers, vent covers, pillow cases, . . . She'll sew anything.