teardrop challenges and solutions

[the other side]

Some of you might remember me. I was trying to buy a teardrop and was finally successful. I got a Silver Shadow and am very pleased with it. There are some challenges to overcome while learning to use the teardrop when you are used to a 25 ft tt. My first camping trip was on Easter. It was cold so I bought a small $9 heater at Walmart. It got so hot in the teardrop that the walls were sweating. I havent tried it yet, but I got an electric blanket. Hope it will be enough (next trip will be Easter this year).
Another problem I was having was getting dressed in a teardrop. I bought a double stall shower tent. I will use this for dressing, showering and the portapotty. It is really easy to put up.
Any of you have any other tricks/solutions to other challenges so I will be prepaired before I have the challenge?
Thanks!!!

[Wolffarmer]

My TD is somewhat insulated, and I am personally over insulated. I have slept in mine down to 12 degrees with no aux heat and was still rather warm. At least until I got out. I doubt you will need a heater by Easter, Just a few nice cuddly blankets. You will probably want to open a window a crack or so to keep down the humidity. I like it when I camp out in the bonnies. I can change clothing outside without having to set up a tent so I won't offend people.

Randy

[48Rob]

I bought a small $9 heater at Walmart. It got so hot in the teardrop that the walls were sweating.

Hi,

Warmth from a heater doesn't make the walls sweat, moisture does.
Warm moist air contacts the cooler walls and ceilings, and it condenses (sweats).
It usually, in a teardrop, comes from the occupant (breathing).
It is important to vent the moisture out, even more important is to allow fresh air in, even when it is cold outside.
Most of us crack the top vent and another window just a little.

If your electric heater doesn't have a thermostat, if you replace it with one that does, you'll be able to keep your teardrop warm, but not so hot it is uncomfortable.

Rob

[pete42]

My TD is somewhat insulated, and I am personally over insulated. I have slept in mine down to 12 degrees with no aux heat and was still rather warm. At least until I got out. I doubt you will need a heater by Easter, Just a few nice cuddly blankets. You will probably want to open a window a crack or so to keep down the humidity. I like it when I camp out in the bonnies. I can change clothing outside without having to set up a tent so I won't offend people.

Randy

But Randy what about the poor lil' bunny rabbits?

you may have scared them for life.

[Ratkity]

My TD is somewhat insulated, and I am personally over insulated. I have slept in mine down to 12 degrees with no aux heat and was still rather warm. At least until I got out. I doubt you will need a heater by Easter, Just a few nice cuddly blankets. You will probably want to open a window a crack or so to keep down the humidity. I like it when I camp out in the bonnies. I can change clothing outside without having to set up a tent so I won't offend people.

Randy

But Randy what about the poor lil' bunny rabbits?

you may have scared them for life.

Scared and scarred!!!

Think of the poor blind bunnies wandering around needing therapy. So sad.



Hugs,
Ratkity

[GPW]

Getting dressed in a TD ??? Didn't know we were supposed to get undressed Not a typical sight one running about the camp late at night in jammies' and bunny slippers ...
Now having camped out much in the High Lonesome in my youth , in an old BSA pup tent .... We never got undressed , cept' to jump in the freezing cold creeks ... Changing clothes was done outside ... Getting dressed in a TD is easy , just horizontal ... Then you get out and adjust everything ... Much more private than getting dressed behind a tree..

[Pottercounty]

We use a twin size electric blanket under us and have a Pelonis Disc heater with thermostat . Rob is correct, crack a window and/or vent, it helps...
Unless you're 5 yrs old, or a contortionist, you should have a side tent to get dressed...

[the other side]

I'll go pee outside, but there is no way I can get my daughter to do that. I will walk around a campground in my PJ's., but I'm not too sure my daughter will do that. She is handicapped and the rules are the rules in her mind. There is no way she could get her pants and underware changed in the teardrop, but with a little effort I can still accomplish this maneuver.
I'm sure the electric blanket will be ample after reading these posts. And we did end up cracking a window because of all of the sweat on the walls. Odd thing is we weren't even cold with it cracked.
What do you all do about keeping food cold? I took a dorm fridge. Somewhat heavy to pull out of the back of the car. Alot of packing and unpacking it. And I can't get it back in the car without taking all the food out.

[Pottercounty]

We just use a cooler same as if we were tent camping...

[Wolffarmer]

My TD is somewhat insulated, and I am personally over insulated. I have slept in mine down to 12 degrees with no aux heat and was still rather warm. At least until I got out. I doubt you will need a heater by Easter, Just a few nice cuddly blankets. You will probably want to open a window a crack or so to keep down the humidity. I like it when I camp out in the bonnies. I can change clothing outside without having to set up a tent so I won't offend people.

Randy

But Randy what about the poor lil' bunny rabbits?

you may have scared them for life.

Scared and scarred!!!

Think of the poor blind bunnies wandering around needing therapy. So sad.



Hugs,
Ratkity

Ok guys, i gotta clean my monitor again.

Slow C. I also grew up in the country, not cowboying but farming and on some large places out on the edge of the Southern Idaho desert. Back in 1991 when I last went to the University of Idaho and living in Potlatch for a few months and one night had to wizz, jumped in the vehicle and drove into the mountains to do my business. Just felt right and natural. Of course gas was a lot cheaper then. Now if I lived in town I would probably just grumble more.

Hey wait, wasn't this about heaters and how to dress in a TD?

My we get sidetracked

Randy

[the other side]

I just read the sticky about not venting a teardrop! OMG! If you read the first post I wrote on this topic... I had the heater on and the windows closed. The walls were sweating alot and my daughter and I weren't able to breathe well, but we blamed it on it being too hot, only. I think if we weren't so hot we might not have been disturbed/uncomfortable enough to wake up!!! Which means I obviously didn't learn a lesson from that about venting cuz I blamed it on being hot.
NEW RULE FOR ME: ALWAYS VENT!
Thanks you all!!! What started as some fun and recreation could have been a disaster! All of you and this plethora of information on this site are AWESOME!!!

[nevadatear]

I have slept in mine down to 12 degrees with no aux heat and was still rather warm. At least until I got out.
Randy

Hummm, Randy, Where could that have been? It's almost Easter again! Are you going to the Dam gathering?

[JaneV]

probaly wyoming nevada tear. april is no summer time weather here in wyoming. we had 27 last night and rain and snow yesterday afternoon all my moutains got fresh snow and with the wind last night it was down right feeling like winter!

april doesn't mean camping weather or planting any veggies or crops in wyoming by a long shot!

you have to wait till end of may or june for that stuff.

my highs are normaly only 58 in april.

just becuase its almost easter doesn' t mean summer is here in wyoming

I remmber a foot of snow lots of years on easter in wyoming.

randy was just probaly on the idaho wyoming border when he was freezing.

I came though there by montpeler and cokevile a couple of weeks ago and there was at least 3 feet of snow both on the idaho and the wyoming side of the border.

Slowcowboy.

Hey, slowcowboy, I hear ya! My neighbors are truly fascinated by my Teardrop and happy for me but think I am being way too optimistic saying I am hitting the road the first week in May. "it could be blizzarding......yadayada yada." I figure if I race through Nebraska I will hit spring weather should!

I am planning a major cross-country trip and reallly can't wait!!! Jane