Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Anyone use a ridgeline and multiple tarps to cover their trailer at the campsite? I know most use EZ-Ups and some use tarps. I have two nice tarps measuring 12 X 12 ft and the other 12 X 10 ft. I have been trying to find the best configuration. I tried running a ridgeline over the trailer just in front of the roof vent and stringing the 12 X 12 back from it and the smaller tarp from the front.
My concern is that, even tho I have the SportZ tent to cover the galley and a lean-to tent over one door for dressing, rain water will run down the back of the galley hatch and into the galley area.
Here is a photo (I hope) of one less than successful try:



Any suggestions?

Randy

PS The photo comes up small but you can look in my personal gallery to enlarge, I think. It goes without saying that this is my first try with a photo.

Randy, I fixed your photo for you...you had linked to the thumbnail...next time bring the pic up full sized before highlighting and copying the url for the pic...
...when using tarps, I found ya just gotta play with 'em to get 'em like ya want 'em...the addition of a couple of poles at the front(and even at the back) might make it easier to get them placed like ya want...tying off to the trees leaves you at the mercy of where the trees are in relation to the TD...
madjack

Aha! I was hoping you would repair the photo for me. I "get it" now.
As to the tarp to pole point, I pick campsites looking for trees to be in the best location. I especially like overhanging limbs I can use to hold up the top of the tarp center. That said, I have yet to spend a rainy, water-logged weekend in my trailer. When I bought it from Steve Frederick, I spent the weekend at Fish Creek Pond campground and missed a huge storm with 50 mph wind gusts by one night (whew!).
I guess I was hoping the SportZ sleeve would keep the rain out of the galley but the slope of the roof of the Kuffel Creek Comet design looks as though it would bring so much water down the back side that the sleeve couldn't possibly keep it all out.
That said I would love to hear the rain on the trailer roof and figure to leave the front of the trailer exposed.
Thanks for help with the photo,
Randy

Randy, your hinge should divert the water to the sides of the trailer...but unless you have some sort of diverter at that spot, then water may come in from the sides...inna hard rain, it is probably best to close the hatch no matter what the setup is...
madjack

Namsayn wrote:As to the tarp to pole point, I pick campsites looking for trees to be in the best location. I especially like overhanging limbs I can use to hold up the top of the tarp center. That said, I have yet to spend a rainy, water-logged weekend in my trailer.

Trees?? I'm not sure what you mean by trees! We don't have no trees here.



Someday I hope to camp where I can see these things you call trees.

Joanne

(I've seen pictures!)

Randy...this might be an idea...although it won't work in a downpour, might help...better for a gentle rain....I use a short length of cotton rope stuffed in the transom of a boat when I pull it out of the lake....if tucked into the water in the hull...when wet it will wick the water out of the hull....same thing goes for the hinge on a galley...lay a length or cotton rope across the hinge..leaving some overhang on each end....won't do much in a downpour...but gentle rain will get wicked into the rope and the capillary action will pull the water into the rope and if it has some extra length to it...It won't allow the water to drain into the galley area....nylon won't work...gotta be cotton....just an idea...has anyone else had any experience using this technique on a boat or other??? Doug

PS Joanne...just get a large portion of that ground wet for quite a while...maybe there are some seeds there, watch out for the "buzzworms" ...just an idea...Doug

Joanne,
I got you covered if you want to see some trees...

15'x20' and a 8'x20' tarp, half a dozen squeeze clamps, 5 poles and an Ez-up. It covered everything including the table.


Have a good day.

Wot Happen'd Gage...did you give that 56 a Makeover? doug

In a moderate rain try stretching a piece of stretchy cling wrap over the hinge area from side to side, small piece of duck tape to hold it in place and ya got a clear water channel that puts the water running off the edge or side of the trailer rather than down into the galley,,, its got to be put on dry or it wont stick,, kept me dry inside the galley several times,,

chipper

We use a 10 X 12 tarp from Piragis Northwoods (a Cookes Custom Sewing tarp used for canoe camping). It has a center pole we set up right next to galley, and then the four corners tied out on more poles (stackable aluminum poles). There's just enough tarp to cover the 2 doors and allow dry sitting room behind and to one side of the galley. It also has loops to tie off to trees if you desire. The pole in the center eliminates the chance of puddles on the tarp.

Chip:
Good idea!
NHStripper:
Both my tarps are Cookecustom and I love them. I have used them for a couple years before I got the TD. They work great but in a really heavy rain (I mean like the 2" in 45 min I got near the Ocoee River in Tenn last summer) I find they need to be secured to a ridgeline rope or something really stable like a tree. I have tried overlaping the two tarps on the ridgeline and have had as many as 20 tie outs to trees and down to ground stakes. The problem is that the trees aren't always exactly where they should be and the wind tends to blow everything around. I have 3 of the telescoping poles and use them when I have no choice but they really don't peak the center of the tarp high enough if you catch a gulley-washer. BTW I use the quick release knots suggested by Cliff Jacobson and they work great.
One day I hope to become a great tarpologist. Not yet, I fear.
Randy

PS Gage, that isn't a campsite. That's a garage! You could raise a whole family of pygmies in there.
Not that I should comment what with two tarps, a SportZ and a lean-to tent. By the time I get set up for a weekend, it's usually time to start back home.

I got to tell y'all, I am sitting here laughing my butt off,

One of the advantages to a teardrop I have read many times is the ease of setup,, "JUST RAISE THE GALLEY HATCH AND YOU ARE SET UP" No more fighting tent poles, tents, tarps etc,etc,etc,, WE (and I am as guilty as the next one) sure have come a long way from having to set up a tent,,, Heck at least my last tent had set up directions,, I think???

Happy Teardroping/Tentbuilding,,,,,,,,,,,,

I need a

chipper,, reflective as usual

Chip
try some Glad press and releas wrap my wife bought some I end up use it in the shop for all finds of stuuff masking paper stancil paper etc. its got a real light coat of some kind of glue on one side like type neat stuff

Mike