Newly addicted in Lodi, CA

[Kampfrau]

Hello, everyone! I have been checking out this very helpful board over the past few months in preparation for our first TD build. My husband and I enjoy camping, but with his bad back, tent camping is becoming a thing of the past. My husband and I (no kids yet) are self proclaimed workaholics. However, we love getting out into nature, as its one of the only ways we can truly unplug from our responsibilities and unwind.

I love woodworking, and have designed and built a few things for our home. I figured out a few years ago that working with wood is much like sewing with fabric...just different material and tools, but same skill set when designing and assembling. It's a little ambitious, but I am looking forward to building a TD for use in 2013. I figure I'll simply take my time, ask for help when I'm stumped, and remember the golden rule of both sewing and carpentry...Measure twice, cut once!

Appreciation is in order for the great ideas I have gleaned from members here already, and thanks in advance for the help and encouragement ahead!

I have my plans drafted (draft 1...I'm sure things will change while building), so now it is time to lay down the initial investment and begin. I am terribly excited!!

[djdawg]

Hey guys...welcome! I'm brand new myself but so far everyone has been extremely friendly and helpful....I think you'll like this place : )

[Vedette]

Welcome to the Forum!
Good Luck with your build.
Remember the build is at tleast half of the Fun!
Allow yourself twice as much time to complete each task and don't take time off if you think you are ahead of schedule, or you will miss the 2013 Camping season.
Keep us posted, and remember to post pictures!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Shadow Catcher]

I will also welcome you, do ask questions folk are knowledgeable and willing to share freely.
Teardrops can be as simple or elaborate as you wish.

[S. Heisley]

Welcome, Kampfrau!

...Cute forum name! Once you get your teardrop camp-able, you won't have to be "...stuck in Lodi again".

If you can, be sure to sign up for the 2013 May Dam Gathering at the Shasta Dam. Stay in a tent, your future teardrop, or a rented RV or even one of Antlers Resort cabins, so you have the comforts of home for hubby's ailing back. I'm guessing that there will be well over 100 teardrops and tiny trailers there, as it will be the 20th anniversary of that annual gathering and they are planning a big celebration. There will be plenty to look at and get ideas from and you will have the opportunity to meet and talk to many of the forum and Terkjerker members. If I didn't steal all his thunder, Grant Whipp may chime in with more information about it, as he is the host, along with his lovely assistant, Kay. Click on "Destinations" under the Friendly Websites tab at the top of you screen to see the growing list of camp gatherings that are in the works so far for 2013. (Grant created and maintains that list for us, too.)

[Kampfrau]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! Happy Thanksgiving too.

Thanks Sharon for the info about the Shasta event. I'll keep that in mind.

[Rhino Ray]

Welcome to TnTT. The comparison to sewing and carpentry is an interesting one. Saws instead of scissors, glue and screws instead of stitches, hinges and latches instead of buttons and zippers. I think you're on to something. Have fun with your build and take lots of photos along the line. I would like to see your progress.

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome aboard, Campfrau, you have reached the right place for helpful information about teardrop design and construction. I totally agree, you should definately plan to come on over to the wonderful Dam Gathering, where you will rub shoulders with dozens of many helpful past builders and present users of our one-of-a-kind, little camping units. Pitch a tent, sleep in your car or truck, crash on the ground under a tarp, or better yet, bring a partially built teardrop, that simply has wheels and a place for the mattress. No one cares, we just want to welcome you into our fold, and believe me, you are going to love it.

This is a gathering that many of us plan to attend every year, and if you are lucky, you may even be invited to share a prime rib dinner, cooked in a dutch oven. (I am still waiting for that pleasure, since the closest I came to it, was to have them offer me some rib bones in a dutch oven that had been spray-painted with grey primer paint!). See, that is the kind of folks we are. Come and join in the fun, you will never forget it, believe me. There are a number of gals that have built TDs, and one of them was just a highschool student who built it in her school woodshop. Don't fade on us, we are anticipating additional posts, with construction pics as well.
Roly.......... PS, buy a trailer frame and get started, in a couple of weeks, it could be sleep-able, even if it is just a sheet of plywood, with a mattress and a waterproof tarp over it.