Greetings from Wisconsin

[Inglysh]

Hello all.

I do not own a teardrop yet however my family and I are considering purchasing one.
We found a lovely unit that we'd like to buy, and I have enough cash to do it.
First, we are tent campers and really don't mind it.
We are considering the teardrop because of economics, mobility, range, as well as other features.
Bringing this on, I recently 'downsized' from a 4runner to an FJ cruiser. The space in the FJ really isn't conducive to a 4 body family adventure.
My wife and I camp with our son (9) and a 50lb Australian shepherd.
Introducing the teardrop would ease the burden of setting up and breaking camp while still giving us the range we want while giving us the little, but needed carrying capacity.
It would improve comfort and introduce an element of environmental controls that we haven't had before, extending our traveling/camping season.
The cost of ownership is low and on long trips, if necessary, I would imagine we could just sleep in a parking lot or similar.
My wife would be able to easily navigate through the city and camp with something of this size if I didn't come along or was riding my motorcycle. Much larger and she would get nervous.

The biggest concerns we have are the boy and animal tracking in dirt/debris and climbing all over us (unless we got a tent for them)
I don't know that it'll cost much to own because the price is reasonable and if it doesn't work out, I believe it's pretty low risk and costs/net loss would probably be equivalent to a vacation.
The TD has a bunk for the boy, which I imagine would last at least a 3-4 years and then we would have that much more room for ourselves if he either lost interest or was tenting it by himself.

There is a little risk in my employment (but there almost always is) due to energy prices being as low as they are which makes me nervous spending the money. I have savings however...

I desire to be able to connect my son/family with experiences that they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
I realize that this won't do that per say, but as a vehicle that enables those connections, I do believe it will aid in creating lasting memories.
I made a similar decision to this with the purchase of a boat (which we are currently getting out of)... we had our fun tubing and lounging and cruising and even though it cost a fair bit, it to, was about the cost of 3-4 vacations, and we absolutely got the equivalent R&R out of it. I don't ever regret it. It was a fine thing.

I need to pull the trigger on this today if I'm going to do it. I feel like it could be fun, but very nervous on the purchase. Is it going to add the value to the experience that I am looking for?
Anything larger just won't work. This is the thing to do if it's the right thing to do.

Also, there doesn't seem to be a lot out there on teardrop camping with a family. I am practiced in the art of google-fu but really came up empty with my search efforts.

-ing

[Backroads4me]

Greetings and Welcome to another Wisconsinite! Bob and I, along with our two border collies were tent campers, but made the jump to teardropin' a couple of years ago. Have to say we've done more camping with our teardrop since we bought it (Feb 2013), than we had the previous 8 years without it. Just love, love, love our TCTeardrop "Solitude".

As for the dogs bringing in dirt, etc.----Instead of using regular bedding, I made a heavy denim duvet cover for the mattress, along with a store bought moisture resistant mattress cover underneath. We use our two sleeping bags for covers. That way they and the duvet cover can be laundered when needed. We bring a tote with dog wipes, their towels, dry shampoo and anything needed to keep them reasonably clean. Oh yeah, and a lint/hair remover roller. The dogs sleep at our feet for the most part. There's more about my set up in the Lady Teardropper's forum, with lots of photos.

There's a teardrop gathering at Koehler-Andrea State Park the last weekend of April "Cooler Near the Lake". Bob and I attended and had a great time. All kinds of teardrops to see---homemade and company manufactured. Also, we've been to the last two year's of the TCTeardrop gathering at Indian Trails campground east of Portage. Nice time there too. Going to try and make the large Camp Inn sponsored gathering the last weekend of September (Warren's Cranberry Fest weekend). Maybe we'll see you on the teardrop trail sometime!

[Inglysh]

At the gatherings, I am sure there are all types of folks there, but would you say there are more empty nesters than anything?
I get the distinct impression that these types of units are adopted more by traveling/camping couples than camping families.

Thanks much for sharing.

[Gary and Cheri]

Hi,

I'm the contact person for "Cooler" You can find imformation about the event here; viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61481

Last year we had 25 trailers of all types including teardrops, cargo conversions and a Scamp. A lot of us camp with a dog and some with children although most of us are just a couple. I pull my teardrop with a VW jetta Sportwagen and when a third person is with us the back folds flat. With a pad I have been very comfortable in it. My dog is a Brittany and he sleeps between my legs in the tear.

I have made screens for the windows of the VW so ventilation is not an issue. Curtains give me privacy. I have seen two teardrops with a tunnel created between the open doors and see no reason why that could not be done with a car also.

Tears are by there nature aerodynamic and generally light weight. My Jetta is a turbo diesel and gets good mileage. On a 7,000 mile trip to California I got 30 mpg pulling the tear. You can expect your mileage to be about what your car's stated city mileage is.

I can't think of a better way to go than a tear especially if you are someone who can be happy in a tent.

Gary

[skinnedknuckles]

Hi from another Wisconsin-ite.
I also enjoy camping in a tent and the little puppy ,we take with, enjoys it too. Tent camping has been a great way to introduce people to the fun of "roughing it". Just last year I finally decided to jump in and build my own teardrop and have been to a couple of teardrop gatherings and they have been a Blast. The people always seem to be very friendly and you can meet so many from different parts of the country and the pot luck dinners have been... lets just say MMMMMMM What part of the state are you from? We are out of Janesville. I feel that a family that enjoys the outdoors together away from the hustle and bustle will build great memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. We are planning on attending the CRA 2015, Camp inn camp out, and the TCT gathering this year

Paul havin' fun in Janesville

[Inglysh]

I'm from oshkosh. The TD I bought was from Todd and Carol. While I wanted to build my own, my skillset just cannot match what he's managed to put into the trailer. I still may give it a go, but for now the manufactured unit will have to do. For now, no plans to attend any events, but will keep our options open. Looking very forward to picking up the unit next week.

[Gary and Cheri]

Inglysh,

I was born and raised in Oshkosh. Lived a block and a half south of Leon's Custard. My dad was a teacher at the High School. Still have lots of friends in town that I continue to see. My tear is currently located 42 miles to the west of you at our second home on a lake near Wild Rose.

One of the main points of attending a gathering is to see what improvements others have made to their trailers. While mine is Amish of Ohio made it now has many customized features that they would not recognize. Gathering can really reduce your learning curve. You don't have to stay the night. Every year we have two or three individuals who stop by "Cooler" just to learn and get ideas. Almost every gathering I get a new idea I want to incorporate into our trailer.

Gary