NOOB Midland Texas.

[arlon]

I don't have a tear drop but what I have is an old AWD Astro van that I've turned the back half of into a "camper". It is about the same size and space as a tear drop. I think of it as a tear drop I don't have to tow. I saw so many cool ways to utilize a tiny space here that I had to join. I hope I won't be shunned for having a small van. I'm just starting a complete redo of the interior which is what landed me here amongst the tear droppers. Those little trailers do such a great job of space utilization I hope to get some ideas for my interior remodel.

There is salvation, I also have a 17' Casita. "Tiny" by some peoples standards. I figure if you can't swing a cat by the tail inside it, it has to be tiny so the Casita qualifies marginally (I could swing a kitten).

When solo camping which is half the time, I prefer the van but when the other half comes along.. Indoor plumbing is a requirement and Casita will be in tow.

We live in Midland Texas and keep most of our long weekend travels in a 5 hr radius of home. Plan to retire soon and that range may be expanded a little.

[RandyG]

Hi Arlon, and welcome. I.dont think you will be shunned, there's alot of nice people here.
I lived in Midland and Odessa for a while, there are some good sites out there, love going south from Midland and getting lost in the middle of no where. I'll never move back but looking at your pics made me almost home sick. What plans do you have for the astro? Those things are awsome, too bad they stop making them. I was on the hunt for one but couldnt find one with less than 300k miles on it.

[Light Craftsman]

I think that's a great idea arlon. Are those Vasque boots in the photo. They look just like my hiking boots. That three-way pan-tilt tripod head looks familiar too.

[rockinrobin]

Hey Arlon, welcome from another West Texan. Might run into each other sometime. I am planning on a short trip down to Fort Davis in April. Ronnie

[arlon]

I had the van set up for solo trips with just the middle seat removed and a small platform to sleep on. I wanted to keep it so I could easily use it as a people trasnporter. In almost 2 years I haven't trasnported anyone but me. I decided to go ahead and remove the back seat and completely redo the insides. Nothing permanent but I'd like to make it at least bearable for two people.

That means making a lot fit into a small space. Kind of like a tear drop. Basically gut the enterior so I can insulate everything behind all the interior trim panels and head liner. My plan is for a rear kitchen but with some access from the front possible. Sleeping for two, window AC unit in a removeable housing, Plenty of storage space under the sleeping platforms. Swivel passanger seat for lounging/reading when the weathers not cooperating (seldom an issue out here). Since I don't cook and sleep at the same time there may be some dual purpose space there. Porta-potty of some sort will be required. I have curtains and bug screens for the windows, 12v fan, spare battery (just ordered a portable 12v 120W solar charging system) and a few other essentials.

Van itself is an 04 AWD with 3.73 gears and a rear locker (only 50k miles at present). It has a small 2" body lift and some E rated BFG AT/KO tires (necessary for the rocky roads in Big Bend area). It's actually quite capable off road and could be made even more so (at the expense of snow driving) with a relatively cheap and simple swap to a hi/lo range 4x4 transfer case. It would be a near perfect vehicle if they didn't get such poor mileage (16-18mpg on the road). At least they have a pretty big fuel tank so it has plenty of range even with the poor mileage.





Our Casita is pretty much just as shipped. Only a few tweaks. We downsized from a 28' 5th wheel to the Casita. After getting over the shock, we've gotten used to the more cramped quarters and decided that in this case, less is more. I love the added mobility when pulling a light weight trailer.