Hi there from Northern California~

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Hi there from Northern California~

Postby kitty_the_teardrop » Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:44 am

Hey all, I'm Anna and I live in Eureka, CA about 80 miles south of the Oregon border. I am a geology student in my final semester and my degree requires that in May I go to Field Camp, where 30 other geology students and I spend 6 weeks in the high desert of Eastern Nevada, where apparently we will have snow every night followed by 100+ degree days, sub-hurricane level winds, flash floods, rain and critters coming into our tent. I'm outdoorsy but there is a limit.
Instead of buying a ton of super pricey camping gear and then risking it being blown way or whatever, I looked into teardrop rentals but as it turns out, 6 weeks of renting would be very costly. So I invested in a simple custom built teardrop. I just picked it up and I love it! It weighs 600 lbs and my rav4 doesn't even know it's behind it.
I joined the forum for advice and tips on making the inside cozy and functional with maximum space optimization, as it will be my home for 6 weeks.
Meet my teardrop <3
:FNP
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby dogscats » Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:36 am

Well come to the froum. Owning is a lot better than renting .You can add all the goody's a little at a time.
Last edited by dogscats on Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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YET AT THE SAME TIME, THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,,, SO MAKE THE BEST OF IT WHILE YOU CAN, AND ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby Vedette » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:33 pm

Welcome to the Forum! :applause:
You are going to love your new Teardrop and this Forum (if you wish to get involved) it.
As a warm up.......you should look into coming to the Shasta Lake Gathering :thinking: You will learn more about teardrop camping in one weekend then you will learn in a year of camping by yourself.
Hope to see you there! :wine:
Go to the Jefferson State section for more information.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Good Roads
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby S. Heisley » Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:24 pm

Vedette wrote:Welcome to the Forum! :applause:
You are going to love your new Teardrop and this Forum (if you wish to get involved) it.
As a warm up.......you should look into coming to the Shasta Lake Gathering :thinking: You will learn more about teardrop camping in one weekend then you will learn in a year of camping by yourself.
Hope to see you there! :wine:
Go to the Jefferson State section for more information.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi


:thumbsup: ...What Vedette said. Welcome and do come, even if it is just for the day. You'll love it all!
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby kitty_the_teardrop » Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:39 pm

Vedette wrote:Welcome to the Forum! :applause:
You are going to love your new Teardrop and this Forum (if you wish to get involved) it.
As a warm up.......you should look into coming to the Shasta Lake Gathering :thinking: You will learn more about teardrop camping in one weekend then you will learn in a year of camping by yourself.
Hope to see you there! :wine:
Go to the Jefferson State section for more information.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi


Hey thanks! I'm quite close to Shasta, I'd love to do that, when is it?
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby Vedette » Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:50 am

April 28 - May 1 st :thumbsup:
Go to Jefferson State section .......scroll down.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Here is a link to my Build Journal
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=50912
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby AZ_Desert_Rat » Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:16 pm

Welcome to the forum Anna and congrats on the new TD... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

After all the tent camping you have done (I think that is what I understood), you will love having hard sides and a HOME to return to after you day of hiking the country, breaking rocks, and squinting through a small lens to examine your finds... :applause: 8) 8)

Do try to make a TD gathering and check out the TearJerkers link at the top of the page... The TearJerkers seem to have more discussions on camping, while the TnTTT site discusses builds, and similar topics... I love them both... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

As Brian said... Check out the Jefferson State TJ Chapter (Located on the TearJerkers Forum):
http://www.tearjerkers.net/new_forum/vi ... a0bd1940c6
Happy Camping & Building,
John (JC)


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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby The Teardrop Nanny » Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:16 pm

:D Hi and welcome, Anna.
I see you are in our Big Back yard, as we are also here on the NW coast. I read that you are going to the desert in May, but if you are going to be in the area around Memorial Day, you should check out our links below for the IRG. My spouse and I host this event on even numbered years, this being the year, and our Grand Finale. We have a number of Teardroppers in this area, and are active in the Jefferson State Tearjerkers as well. Send us a PM if you want and we can share some of our insights with you. Happy Trails, from Joanie
The Teardrop Nanny

8)
Life's uncertain...eat dessert first. Check out our cooking channel for cast iron:
www.youtube.com/outdoorcastironcook Dean & Joanie, your hosts
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby Ned B » Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:03 am

I bet your tear will be the talk of the camp when you roll in to set up! Enjoy!
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Re: Hi there from Northern California~

Postby KCStudly » Fri Feb 05, 2016 8:55 am

Welcome! You have a very good start there and I'm sure you will be much happier in it for 6 wks than you would be in a tent. :thumbsup:

Right away I bet you will want to add door and hatch seals and give everything a good once over to be sure that you are weather tight, especially along the edges of any exposed wood and anywhere water can come in. With plywood construction any moisture that can wick into the grain will swell the plys and reek havoc with delamination. Also, it sounds like you are headed for some dusty trails, and the seals will help keep the silt that your TV (tow vehicle) kicks up out.

A water and dust tight camper can be dangerous to sleep in (CO2), and being in a hot climate, you will need to add some form of ventilation; at least a roof vent, if not a fan. Even if your door windows open, you want the heat to be able to leave out thru somewhere higher up, fresh air at mattress level is nicer. Passive ventilation from somewhere low inside the cabin with permanent/passive vents up high have been used to good effect, so that is something to consider if you haven't already.

Other than these things, a good mattress, water supply, and your regular camping gear (cooking and galley items, camp chair, some form of shade tent or tarp, and maybe a ground cloth outside your door to help prevent tracking dirt in)... I'd say you could be ready to camp in short order. :thumbsup:

If you have time you might want to paint or stain some of the raw wood on the inside and in the galley. That will help make it easier to keep clean and prevent it from absorbing moisture from your breath and atmosphere; but that could come later. Actually, you might want to do this first before installing the seals.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you and make your trip that much more enjoyable! :D

Around here we say that these things are never really done!
KC
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