First exposure to Teardrops

[Shadow Catcher]

One of the subjects that has come up during Tearjerker gatherings is "where did you first think "I WANT ONE OF THOSE" or words to that effect. I turns out a good percentage of us saw the Travel Chanel "RV CRAZY".

[Steve_Cox]

I was surfing the internet and found the forum, lurked long enough to discover a tearjerker gathering, did a Saturday visit, saw teardrops, met
Woody's wife, and I knew I wanted one...... A teardrop that is.... She was really nice to us, Ellen that is, gave a tour and offered us a beverage. The rest is history.

[len19070]

Actually the first thing I ever saw that resembled a teardrop was while I was camping with my parents in the late 50's.

Someone had chopped the front end off of a 49-50 Chevy and made it into a trailer. Open the doors to the car and there was a bed and the trunk was a galley.

But it really didn't sink in until much later.

This is an excerpt from my Geosites page;

About the Builder


One day in junior high school I was wasting a study hall in the library thumbing through an old Popular Mechanix magazine when I saw my first teardrop. As a life long camper, this was the coolest camping thing I had ever seen. The bell rang, study hall was over, and I put the magazine back, never to be found again.
Then in the mid 80’s KOA was celebrating its 25th or 30th anniversary, the year didn’t matter. What did matter was they were having a contest with the first prize being a “Mac-Built Teardrop and a 46 Ford”.
After being reminded about teardrops again via the KOA ad, I started making drawings, looking up teardrop info and figuring out how build one. Years before having the Internet.
Now at this point I should point out that I am the son of a master carpenter who owned a complete wood shop. I was a carpenter, and my brother was a carpenter as well. My brother and I built all kinds of things in that shop. Boats, go-karts, mini-bikes, ice boats, motorcycles, motorcycles out of cars, hang gliders, VW powered air boats, we once were in the Guinness World Book of Records for switching the engines from two VW’s into the opposite VW, in 22 minuets, and on, and on. Dad once said of his two boys “the only thing my son’s haven’t tried to built is a Submarine”. Which was a bad thing to suggest to us, my brother and I almost drowned in that thing.
I built my first teardrop in 1988. *Since then I have built over 30 teardrop trailers, the majority after 1996, and a dozen or so full size trailers.


Bla Bla Bla....Yaddy yaddy yah,

I now, and for the past 20 years, work in the RV industry. I am currently the Senior Technician at a major national RV facility in Bridgeport, NJ. I hold a Master RVIA Certificate as well as many other certificates. I have been called upon many times to solve reoccurring problems within the industry and once I have found a solution, I have been sent to other locations to teach others.
In 2000 I met the founder of TearJerkers Teardrop Trailer Club. By the next year I was the director of the newly formed, Liberty Bell Chapter. I to this day hold that position. The Liberty Bell Chapter of TearJerkers is possibly the largest, but definitely the most active chapter in the TearJerkers Organization.
All this experience, knowledge and skill converged into something I really LOVE.

Building Teardrop Trailers.

Happy Trails

Len


* since this was written the number has gone up over 50

[2bits]

While a friend introduced me to teardrops, probably 80% of the people who I talk to about mine, say they saw them first on that show. I don't even have TV anymore.

[devigata]

My family had one in the early 60's. I don't remember ever actually camping in it outside of the driveway, though. I was fascinated with it because the back opened up and there was a sink there.

Wish we still had it. Neither of my parents remember where it went (Daddy's always been such a wheeler-dealer... he probably traded it for something).

[chorizon]

RV crazy all the way. We saw it way back in "aught-four" I believe it was. I told Sarah I could build one of those, no problem. I downloaded Kuffel Creek's Comet plans the next day and ran down to Kinko's to print them out!

And now, a mere 5-ish years later I am the proud owner of a mostly finished TD! Fun hobby!

[madjack]

...one night, a friend called and asked about TDs...I said...huh...well a search of the internet led me here...that was 5yrs and 3 campers ago and the rest, as they say, is history....
madjack

[Oasis Maker]

My 99 Jeep Wrangler and its limited towing capacity is most responsible for my exposure to teardrops. There was no "aha" moment with the show RV Crazy, but rather endless internet searches for any RV that would fit the bill of how I wanted to camp.

Pop up trailers, Weiscraft Little Joe, Tentrax Jeep trailers, Kamparoo, Aliners ... and then these little Teardrop trailers were plastered all over an older forum. A few years later Little Guy was making a 6-wide that I could comfortably sleep in and I was sold. Had to travel from Phoenix to San Diego to get it, but what a fun way to purchase an RV because you immediately get to know it on the trip back.

Scott G.

[norm's tear drop]

travel channel

[Miriam C.]

Found an add in Wooden Boat Mag. Or was it Canoe & Kayak? Anyway looked it up on the internet and found Steve Fredericks and Mikes sites. Then this...........

[mechmagcn]

While researching "period correct" trailers to pull with a 53 F100, I came across teardrops and the rest is history.

[teardrop_focus]

Saw my first teardrop at a local hotrod cruise night... and it was this one; the woody behind the woody:



That was about 15 years ago... I thought, "Neat!" and that was that.

Then about three or four years ago now, someone posted a thread with pics of teardrop trailers on a car forum I was on... and my interest was renewed.

My obsession to build a teardrop began earlier this year (hit me like a ton of bricks, it did!), right before I joined here. Temporary economic hardship brought about by issues in the industry I work in have delayed the start of my build, and that has been most frustrating.

Looking back, though, I'm glad for it as I've continued to learn more about teardrop trailer construction methods, 12V electrical, etc, and have seen many more build threads. I've learned a bunch since I've been here. This is a fantastic place; it really demonstrates the power of the internet.

I should be back at my regular job soon and be able to get started on my teardrop later this year or next spring although there are wedding plans in that time frame as well. Gonna be a very busy next 12 months, that's for sure!

[Sparksalot]

I was 6, and passed one going to and from 1st grade. I didn't know what it was until later, but it stuck for sure.

[2bits]

I should be back at my regular job soon and be able to get started on my teardrop later this year or next spring although there are wedding plans in that time frame as well. Gonna be a very busy next 12 months, that's for sure!

I hope I can meet ya in the middle between SoCal and TX someday Chris!

[teardrop_focus]

I hope I can meet ya in the middle between SoCal and TX someday Chris!

Absolutely no doubt about that, my good man.

More than likely it would either be at a future and as yet undetermined T&TTT Gathering somewhere in the mountains of New Mexico, or while teardrop roadtrippin' east of your location near Dallas in Austin. I've got a thing for Austin, Texas, and (while I'm musing) Tulsa, Oklamhoma... I've been through that region of NM but never camped there, and I've never been to Austin, a city rich in contemporary culture and music culture.