Lookey loos

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Lookey loos

Postby KissyLiz » Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:45 am

We took our teardrop out this last weekend to a very crowded campground. Although we prefer a site tucked in the back with minimal traffic, this time we got stuck having to camp at the fork in the road where there were plenty of passers by. I answered a million questions about my teardrop, as people were naturally curious. I wouldn't mind so much, in fact I love talking about my tiny trailer, but people would come by and interrupt no matter what I was in the middle of (please excuse me while I swallow this bite of my lunch before I answer your questions).

So what I am wondering is, would it be considered inappropriate to make up some cards that have information such as the web address for this forum, and for the build of my trailer on instructables? (I didn't build the trailer myself, but the builder documented the build there). 99% of the questions I am asked relate to the asker being interested in building their own, and I would think both sites would be extremely helpful.

Do any of you have similar cards? How do you handle the lookey loos when you are a bit too busy to stop and chat? Or am I just being selfish in wanting to eat a meal un interrupted while on vacation? I've only had my trailer since November, so I'm still quite the newbie and not used to such attention.

Thanks as always for the help!
~Christy

"You live longer once you realize hat any time spent being unhappy is wasted."
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby GuitarPhotog » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:34 am

I've had them knocking on the trailer while I'm still in bed! I tried the cards business, and I still had to take the time to give them the card and explain that they'd find my trailer blog at that URL etc. By then I was in to talking about the trailer.

Eventually, I just started saying, "can you come back in a few minutes when I'm not eating/washing dishes/cooking dinner etc." Some come back, others just go away, which is OK with me too.

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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Kharn » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:56 am

I've met more neighbors while building our camper in the driveway than we did by living in our house the previous two years. :lol:
It gets a little annoying when you're working with adhesives or other products with a pot-life and they want to tell their "I really want to build a teardrop but _____" story.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Mojave Bob » Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:20 pm

To us, the two primary benefits of travel/vacation/camping are seeing new places, and meeting new people. That's one of the main reasons we love our LittleGuy so much -- it makes seeing new places easy and affordable, and it makes meeting new people ... happen. We love it when people stop by to ask questions. Folks can interrupt my reading, my eating, my napping. In fact, I can only thing of one thing I'd really rather they didn't interrupt. 8) We have met a lot of neat folks because of our teardrop.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby 48Rob » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:51 pm

How do you handle the lookey loos when you are a bit too busy to stop and chat? Or am I just being selfish in wanting to eat a meal un interrupted while on vacation? I've only had my trailer since November, so I'm still quite the newbie and not used to such attention.


Christie,

It can be a real challenge to go camping in a teardrop and not be bothered by inconsiderate people...

You are not being selfish.
"Most" considerate people, no matter how excited they are to learn more, will keep going/come back later if they see you are eating or busy.
Others, as you've discovered, will be most happy to talk your leg of no matter what you're doing :thumbdown:

I often move to the galley area, out of sight of the ones trying to decide if they should approach, that gives the general hint, and most keep going.
For the ones that don't, you have to be honest and tell them that while you'd be happy to give them a tour, answer questions, etc. you are in the middle of dinner, setting up, playing with your children, etc.
If they get mad, so be it.
You, and they, are there to have a good time camping, don't let some inconsiderate person spoil it for you!

Rob

PS. Parking off in a corner and putting an easy up in front of the trailer helps too :R
Someone either did, or suggested putting up a sign saying something like "sorry, tours closed until tomorrow at 9:00"
I'm thinking of trying that too, as I enjoy sharing, but need to be able to enjoy the outing on my terms.

Rob
Waiting for "someday" will leave you on your deathbed wondering why you didn't just rearrange your priorities and enjoy the time you had, instead of waiting for a "better" time to come along...
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Kharn » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:54 pm

"Free tours tomorrow" would be a funny panel to make to hang below a campground sign. :lol:
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby nevadatear » Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:24 pm

Yes many of us have cards with just such information. I actually have trifold brochure with info about our build and this and other helpful websites.
Debbie (with Randy looking over my shoulder)
Our build thread: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=41295&highlight=monstero
2009 Homebuilt woody, Kenskill inspired 5 wide
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby mikerueve » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:51 am

On our recent two-week trip, we could barely get pulled into the campground before they would start coming. My wife is more of an introvert and would just as soon be left alone most times. She would remind me that I was the one that

was so keen on a teardrop and it was my responsibility to talk to them! I love talking to people, so it's no big deal for me. The good thing is that they are so small, it only takes a few minutes for the whole tour. If we're eating, I just keep

shoveling it in and don't bother to get up. Most people we ran into were more than considerate and usually waited to approach us when they could tell we weren't in the middle of something.


More interesting are the conversations at rest areas, gas stations, etc. There, you don't get campers but the truly uninitiated. We had one family (Mom, Dad and two 11 year-old boys) come over and start a conversation. They told us that

they'd seen us for miles and were trying to figure out what it was. The boys wanted to know if that's where we keep out dogs? The Mom told them that we probably had our kids back there. It gave me a great idea about putting a "dummy"

hand where you can see it in the window.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby TPMcGinty » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:20 am

I find that when I keep by beard trimmed real nice, I get a lot of people asking me questions about my Teardrop. When I let the beard grow out, and I start looking like the Duck Dynasty guys, I don't have as many people stopping by to ask questions. Try growing a beard! :lol:
Tim

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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Shadow Catcher » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:28 am

Since our teardrop does not look so tear-ish we do not get the number of lookers. We have had the occasion where some one recognized it as being a Grasshopper design and just Monday some one came and said that they had looked and tried a Little Guy at a show and liked our because of the interior space. I do plan on printing a number of cards with T&TTT and TearJerker urls and our personal email address.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby PKCSPT » Fri Jul 25, 2014 12:21 am

As a woman solo camps I get a little cautious at rest areas and gas stations. Just never know, but even in campgrounds I prefer that I not be approached. I have thought of putting up a sign that pretty much says it is a tear drop made by Little Guy for more info check out these websites but not sure if a state park might see it as advertising .
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby mary and bob » Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:57 pm

We just accept the lookers and questions as normal way of camping, whether it's with our teardrop or Uhaul fiberglass camper. I've found some people will walk by several times because they are afraid to come in and ask to look, so I had a sign made with year and manufacturer and "Visitors Welcome". We will take turns doing the tour and answering questions.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Verna » Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:02 pm

I had one guy that approached me in Denver this week and he was so inquisitive about my destinations that he made me nervous. I went on in and bought my groceries. As I was loading them in the fridge/freezer, he approached me again. This time he had his business card and a $25 gift card that showed he had just purchased it. He asked me to use it to maybe stay in a campground rather than boondocking for one night. His business card says he is a survivorist (sp?) trainer. Maybe he thought I shouldn't be boondocking. He would be one of the first people who would think that I don't know what I'm doing. To each their own opinion.
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Re: Lookey loos

Postby Mary C » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:45 pm

I have been working on a sign that will explain briefly the history of tiny trailers, what mine is made out of and information about the forum and places that tiny trailers can be purchased I plan to put it on a piece of foam covered in canvas and painted. I will leave the process available in stages on a corner of the foam and I will put it on my camera tripod while in camp with "please read" on the top. I will put a pen and paper so they can write down the web sights. I have been camping and I did have one request. a rather local high school shop teacher requested me to bring it by some day so his kids could see it finished or not. I will try too. Early on I did read the forum and found this same discussion and one thing that was said I have really thought about it, if you are polite but be straight forward, " I 'm eating right now", " I'm on my way to the shower",
I would like to give you a tour but it is inconvenient right now. could you come back at 4 o'clock." I found the majority say things like that, post information or give post cards or trifolds.

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Re: Lookey loos

Postby exminnesotaboy » Mon Jul 28, 2014 5:51 am

I have never had a bad experience with looky-loos in almost 9 years of camping. Some that don't know when to quit talking, but that isn't too bad.

I had a camp host actually tell me "Bu115h1t" and walk away when I told him I built my teardrop. He came back later in the day firing off build questions that only someone who built it would know; he was clearly trying to catch me in a lie. I answered all the questions in extremely detailed fashion until he actually admitted I probably did build it.
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