the whole country??

[mchut]

would anybody here travel the country in a teardrop? I have a few years before I can retire but when I do i'd like to pile my wife in the car, load up a teardrop and spend a couple months just driving all over the USA. no real plan, just take our time and see the country. anybody think it's a bit too ambitious for such a small trailer?

[PKCSPT]

That is my dream as well, nothing crazy about it and been done by a few I am sure. Up to Alaska, across Canada, back and forth across the U.S.A.

[Vedette]

would anybody here travel the country in a teardrop?

Without a second thought!
This past summer was our first experience travelling and camping in a Teardrop.
Way more than we could have ever imagined! It was easy to tow, easy to park, attracted a lot of new friends, convenient to sleep in whether or not a campground was found, even easy to stay at friends homes (had our own privacy and didn't feel like we were imposing).
Can't think of anything negative about the experience. A month on the road was nothing!
Do it!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[bc toys]

that was a dream of mine when I retire but the wife hates staying in a car that much so don't know if i'll ever get to do it might just have to take longer give her more time between locations

[Redgloves]

Well, yes. Currently there are 2 CampInn owners who live in their teardrop full time. Granted they are single, but have been doing so for at least two years by choice. A couple from Florida traveled to Alaska and back during a 3 month vacation.

One recent couple picked up their teardrop December 27 in Wisconsin, traveled to Florida, across the southern country, and now in California. They live in a sailboat for about 10 years.

So yes, it can and has been done numerous times.

Good luck,

Jean

[ParTaxer]

Do it! I did it a few years ago in my teardrop. I didn't have any trouble finding campgrounds. Somebody once told me to try and get to a campground around 4:30 if not earlier. I found this to be true. I, also, found that some of the local campgrounds were better than the KOAs. The KOAs were close campsites with hardly any mature trees. I'm talking South Dakota area. I'm going try a second trip soon; I hope.

Mike

[wincrasher]

Sure you can.

But for such a long tour, you need to think carefully about how your rig is setup. You don't want to be unloading and loading a huge amount of stuff at each stop. Especially if you are constantly moving. Setting up camp and breaking it down can be a lot of work.

On this site you'll get a lot of ideas on things that can make it easier and more "livable" for an extended tour.

Sounds like a lot of fun - people will be envious!

[Jack J]

We had the opportunity to make a couple of trips like that. It was a great adventure and I would do it again as soon as life gets out of the way. We met many people that remember teardrop trailers and it was interesting to hear their stories of camping in them. So plan it and do it. You won't regret it. Here is a link to a photo album of our trips in 2005 and 2007.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/castiron43

Some day we will need to do the southern states.

Jack

[wagondude]

My hope is to camp in every national park (in Alaska and the lower 48) when I retire. I would do it in a teardrop, but my wife won't. The big trick for me is finding something she will be comfortable in that won't require me to buy a $50k truck to pull and then have no money left for fuel.

[wincrasher]

Then consider this:

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58861

[mary and bob]

We still use our teardrop, but at this time we are snow birding in our Uhaul fiberglass camper. It's similar to a Scamp or Casita. We have been out with it for 3 months. We pull it with a 2003 Honda CRV. It weighs about 1250 empty. The nice thing about it is we can sit or stand in it, and while traveling all we have to do is open the door, step in, and we're out of the weather and set for the night. Plug it in and we have lights and an electric heater. Almost all these small fiberglass campers have a stove and sink, maybe a furnace, but we removed all those in ours. There is a Scamp 16 owner over on the fiberglassrv site that has been all around the US 3 times with it.

[jseyfert3]

My hope is to camp in every national park (in Alaska and the lower 48) when I retire. I would do it in a teardrop, but my wife won't. The big trick for me is finding something she will be comfortable in that won't require me to buy a $50k truck to pull and then have no money left for fuel.

Can't camp in them all in a camper. For example, I was near (didn't visit) Isle Royale National Park two summers ago when I camped on the North Shore of Lake Superior. You can camp there (wilderness campsites with 3 sided shelters), but you can't bring any vehicles and the only access is by ferry, floatplane, or personal boat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_Royale_National_Park

I wonder how many National Parks do not allow vehicles or campers.

[mechmagcn]

I spent almost 4 months and over 15K miles on a trip from AR to AK in 2012. Sorta made a huge loop to the west coast, up through the Inside Passage, all the way to the Arctic Circle and then back through Canada. All of this was with a 53 Ford F100 and my 5X10 teardrop.
Teardrop camping can be a challenge, but the freedom to go where a lot of the other rigs can't makes up for any inconvienence encountered.

[Vedette]

Sure you can.

But for such a long tour, you need to think carefully about how your rig is setup. You don't want to be unloading and loading a huge amount of stuff at each stop. Especially if you are constantly moving. Setting up camp and breaking it down can be a lot of work.

On this site you'll get a lot of ideas on things that can make it easier and more "livable" for an extended tour.

Sounds like a lot of fun - people will be envious!

This is very important information....and well worth repeating!
Set your TD up so that the cabin is not used for storage while traveling. Thus, your set up time will be Nil!
You can just open the door and get in for a nap, change of clothes, or a good nights sleep!!
Go For It!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Shadow Catcher]

We did a month long trip a couple of years ago and God willing will again.