Tear drop trailers and the general public

[Tabazooron]

We get asked at almost every gas station (sometimes by people who work there) to see inside and how much does it weigh?
My favorite is when we were getting new tires for it, another customer asked me if the handles on the corners were where it pulls out and gets bigger.

[Nobody]

no one pays my teardrop any attention really folks they look as I go by on the road and that is just about it.

at the gas pumps no one even really looks at me. I can go just about any where and I don't have people walking up and asking what it is or wanting to see it.

other than a few of my reltives interested in it most of the general puplic other than looking when I go by normaly pays me no attention.

so I am not sure where the heck all this hype about people clamoring to see your teardrop is coming from as I never have experanced this.

slow

Mike, Debbie (in the next post) may be correct 'bout you being familiar to the local folks. If ya get it out (say when going to your 'Walk The Winds' gathering) of your area betcha you'll get some lookers.

On my 'maiden voyage' with my TD back in Sep 2006 I stopped 'bout 10-15min from home to pick up some ice'n beer before heading on to Illinois. I wuz puttin' the beer on ice in my P/U & a lady walked up & asked, "Sir, where did you buy that cute little trailer?" She was reluctant to believe that I'd built it from scratch. We've had literally dozens (maybe hundreds??) of comments/inquiries on our trips all over the USA since then. In your neck of the woods, we'd stopped for lunch/snack in the small rest area at the junction of US 287 & WY 136, just across the Sweetwater river on our way to Sand Draw. We had the hatch raised & were preparing sandwiches when 2 carloads of folks stopped & started asking questions & wanting to see the TD. We're very proud of our rig & happy to show folks but I almost had to be rude in order to finish my lunch that day . As some have mentioned, sometimes it's difficult to get camp set up before folks start stopping by to see the rig.

Remembering some of the strange situations we've found ourselves in, I'm inclined to believe almost any story of 'odd' happenings in regard to peoples' interest in these little trailers. I've also found almost the same curiosity about the little molded fiberglass Scamp type camp trailers.

[Oldragbaggers]

I'm still building mine, but since the walls went up and it is now looking like a teardrop, I have actually had people pull into my yard when I'm out there working on it and ask if they can see it.

[Wolffarmer]

I have gotten a lot of thumbs up when people pass me on the road. I drive slow. And last year on the way to Burning Man got all kinds of waves and smile from fellow burners, even though there was nothing on my rig to show I was going to the burn. Some how they knew, strange. It was like a 400 mile long gathering.



I have also gotten thumbs up from people on the sidewalk when driving about towns.

I figure there are two rules of teardroping

Rule 1. Thou will happily show your trailer to interested people.
Rule 2. When you are tried, out of sorts, ready to kick the dog and don't feel like showing nothing to nobody, see Rule 1.

Randy

[jonw]

Last summer when I was building mine complete strangers would come into my driveway to see what I was doing, take pictures, ask questions, etc. I figure that added 10% to my build time...

Recently as a gas station in North Adams, MA on the way to the Adirondacks a couple of Appalachain Trail thru hikers came up to me wanting to know all about it and taking pictures. I can imagine what they were discussing on the trail the rest of that day. At the same place other people continued to pull in and come up to me - had to politely excuse myself or I would have been there all day.

[nevadatear]

Well then mike I would suggest maybe my second thought might be more the situation. Since your trailer is fairly unconventional and unique (in a good way . I imagine folks are not asking you about it because it is not even crossing their mind that you might actually camp much less sleep in it. Did you stay in a campground in co? If you did and STILL had no looky loos then maybe the turret gun you have mounted on the top of tear and the big STAY AWAY sign is what is doing it! lol

[Woodbutcher]

I have had most of the same experiences that have been previously mentioned. Most people are really intrigued with the concept of a tiny trailer, and that makes for lots of question. I always see people stand out front of the campsite and just look. Or they ask, "can I take a picture of your trailer?" I say sure you want to see it? They come right in for a closer look.
Once at a rest stop after I parked and was walking into the restroom I saw a guy walk over and take a picture. When I came out i did not see him. I got in my TV and started to pull back into traffic and when I looked back I saw him running after me. I was to far out into traffic to stop and he was to slow to catch me.

I must say when I built my first trailer I never expected anyone to pay any attention to me. These are not the kind of things you pull in the commission of a crime , cause everyone is going to notice!

[halfdome, Danny]

I stopped at a light one day and had a pan handler ask me if it was one of those teardrop style trailers. Then she proceded to tell me how great it looked.

Everywhere I have taken it I have had people ask about it and want to look in it.

The cardboard warriors (panhandlers) as we like to refer to them, twist around to look as we pass them by, some even giving the .
I bet they would love to have one of these teardrops, just to live in.

It just depends where your traveling to, whether you get any comments or not.
Some have gotten so excited about our teardrop it's overwhelming, others completely ignore it.
If you really got to pee at a rest stop, better put blinders on and B line it to the restroom before you get caught up in a tour. Danny

[S. Heisley]

Smile a lot and don't look grumpy, Mike (Slowcowboy)....Maybe you're scaring them away with those frowns.

[Wolffarmer]

It may also help to have a lady friend along. Like much of the success of the Lewis and Clarke expedition is said to be due to Sacajawea just being with them. Any party with a woman and child can't be a war party.

Randy

[Wolffarmer]

I have also noticed that I seldom get any lookers at large gas stations. Only at the little ones do people ask about it. I would say it is something about the impersonalization effect of the Interstate highways and large business.

Just my experience and theory.

Randy

[wagondude]

:thinking: Smile a lot and don't look grumpy, Mike (Slowcowboy)....Maybe you're scaring them away with those frowns.

Sharon, after looking at Mike's avatar, I cant even imagine what he would look like with a grumpy face on. That is a winning smile if I ever saw one. That was funny, though.

Bill

[jeffmutch]

My favorite reactions are when passing through an intersection and i catch a glimpse of someone with a big grin on their face. No time for questions, but I always wonder if they'll get home and do a google search later. Sometimes I wonder how long it will take before everyone knows about Teardrops and the fun will be over...

I've had a few policemen stop by and I wonder if I've done something wrong until they look at me and say "you build that?"

[ssrjim]

If you have a local cruise night in your town hook it up and pull it on down. A cool tow vehicles is not necessary. Don't be surprise if the cool car next to you moves because more people look at your trailer than his 75000 dollar hotrod.

[Verna]

If you have a local cruise night in your town hook it up and pull it on down. A cool tow vehicles is not necessary. Don't be surprise if the cool car next to you moves because more people look at your trailer than his 75000 dollar hotrod.

That sounds like a great idea!!! Cruisin' the Suds I was never allowed to do that in my teens.....a few decades later with a cool TD Thanks for the idea