Hi from Central MA-where spring still seems 6 months away!!

[papmom35]

Hi All! Brand new to the forum and to TTTs-actually not even new because I don't have one yet!!
I started to do agility with my problem dog last year and got the bug bad! I bought everything you could want to hang out at a trial for a weekend EXCEPT a camper! Even bought a new car-2001 Subaru Outback just so I could fit all the dogs and the accroutrements. Found moteling it WAY out of my price range so I've decided I need a small camper that my Outback can pull. Mind you, I have no $$ to spend on this right now, but at least I'll have plenty of time to research!!
Although I can swing a hammer and have managed to NOT cut off any fingers while using a jigsaw, I'm not sure I'm up to the task of building my own TD or TTT. I also don't have a garage to keep it safe from the elements while the build goes on so I think I'm going to have to look around for a used TD or TTT. Problem is, in looking at the ForSale forum, it seems most of the people selling are definitely NOT on the East Coast which will be problematic to accept delivery.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of the posts and hopefully finding out if there is a rally or meetup somewhere in New England this summer so I can see some of these wonderful "homes" in person and talk to the owners. I'm also looking forward to being an active member of this group and getting to know you all. My avatar right now is the xmas card pic of my 3 papillons (or papzillas as they are lovingly referred to because they are all over 10 lbs). One day my avatar WILL be my new TD or TTT.
Have a great day all!!
P

[TheresaD]

Papmom welcome to the madness! Take in the info here on the forum. There are alot of great ideas here and a ton of very knowledgeable people. Keep your eyes on Craigslist and your local classifieds. You just might come across the ideal trailer for you if you think a build is beyond your abilities. Don't just look in your direct area. Check CT & RI as well. I have seen teardrops and some little trailers posted recently. Also check with some of the RV dealers around the area. A friend of mine just picked up a really great 2000 Scamp for an excellent price in Agawam.
We would love to have you come to one of the New England gatherings. There are alot of things being planned all around the Northeast so you will have alot of chances to check out some really cool trailers. You might like to check out the Tearjerkers link above in the menu and register with that forum as well. The Tearjerkers are a camping group of little trailer enthusiasts. They have gatherings all over the country. There is a New England Chapter and the chapter director is from MA. You can go to any gathering you like whether or not you have a trailer. I tent camped at a few gatherings before I had my trailer. There are no fees for membership. I've met up with some really great people this way.
Regardless of who's having a gathering, try to get to one and see what's out there. It will help you to decide on what your camping needs are.
I hope to meet up with you at a New England gathering soon!

[papmom35]

Hi Theresa,
Thank you so much for the warm welcome!! I've been spending all afternoon going through this site and I also just signed up for Tearjerkers-just waiting to get approved. I am really hoping that some of the gatherings are close enough to get to. I have no tent and wouldn't want to anyway with 3 dogs-not enough sound barrier . I have been keeping my eye out on craigs list and ebay but right now don't have the $$ to even jump on anything. I'm hoping to save up enough to make a purchase of some kind by next spring. I have 2 local RV dealers so I will take your suggestion and let them know I am looking for a TD or TTT. Last year one of them had what I now know was a T@B. I even got to look inside one day and was smitten! However, I very naively was outraged at the $7K pricetag !! Now I know that was a pretty good deal as it was a fairly new model.
I do hope to meet up with you sometime this summer at one of the gatherings.
Pam

[mary and bob]

How about the sunspot advertised here. she used it for dog shows I think. saw it at the ADK Tearup a couple years ago. Bob

[papmom35]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the heads up- I didn't notice it was back on the market.
I just PM'd her.

Pam

[Jim Edgerly]

Welcome from Leominster, MA! What town in central MA? I'm new to this also as of last fall. This winter I built (or mostly built) my teardrop in my basement. Check out my build journal (The Schnoodle Shack). These things are really small and you may just have room to build yours in your basement like I am. As soon as the weather permits I will be taking mine all apart and moving it to the driveway. Don't give up yet on building your own...it is more rewarding than you can imagine to do it yourself. What ever you decide to do, the knowledge base in here is amazing!

[papmom35]

Hi Jim!! I'm in Wormtown!! I really wish I was skilled enough to build my own but I'm not and my basement definitely would not be big enough to hold a build
I'll be checking out your pics soon!! Hopefully we will meet in the near future since we're so close! I'm now looking for a standy like a sunline, scamp, casista, scotty etc that my Outback can tow. I have about 2K to spend. Wish me luck!!

[mary and bob]

Pam: If you want a real easy to tow camper, there is a motorcycle popup on craigslist, and it's in MA. From what I've seen of the Outbacks I don't think I would try to tow anything heavier than a Scamp. We looked at an old Metzendorf standy a couple years ago, it was maybe a 13 foot or less trailer, and I was amazed at how heavy it was on the tongue. A former coworker pulls a small popup with his outback but I'm not sure how it handles. Keep looking at craigslist, seems to be more campers showing up there now that we're getting into camping season. Just watch out for that Scamp scam that keeps showing up on there. Bob

[papmom35]

I'm a little hesitant to get a popup, at least not a canvas one with the 3 dogs. I just feel like I need to have a little more substance between us and anyone who might walk by, plus I don't want to worry about leaks when it rains. I'm hoping to keep the loaded weight around 1500 lbs and of course the trailer must have breaks.
I look everyday on Craig's List and ebay plus the forums. Something will popup soon (sorry about the pun!!). And yes, I'm on the Scamp forum and I've seen the scam that's going around. Pretty shameless.

[Jim Edgerly]

Learn something new every day Pam. I've lived in Leominster for the last 28 years, and I've never heard Worcester called "Wormtown" until you used it. Thank you Internet! Jim

[papmom35]

[frank_a]

We have an '08 Outback, it's rated to well over a ton. Check the tow specs on yours, it should be in the manual. We in part bought the Outback because it had such great towing capacity. I know when we compared it to the 4wd GMC Canyon I bought in '09 it was more than the pickup!

Frank

[papmom35]

Hi Frank-nice to meet you! Unfortunately my Outback is a 2001 and they have a much lower towing capacity-2000lbs compared to the later models that are beefier and I think their towing capacity is more like 2700lbs. One day! But, in the meantime, check in the General Section, the thread called 1982 1500 Play-Mor Questions-I just bought my TTT last weekend! Still some question as to whether it might be too heavy for me but I'm erroring on the side of trusting the manufacturer on this one. Maybe I'll see you at one of the camp outs this year?

[frank_a]

Nice to meet you as well. Tell me, do you know if the axle under your trailer is set up to take brakes? Usually you can tell if there is a backing plate behind the hub with 4 (common) or 5 (less common) holes are in it. A dead give away is if your hubs are also brake drums. It would be my friendly suggestion you look into brakes with the weight of that trailer and capacity of your vehicle.

I think you're correct in that our Outback is around 2700# towing capacity. The ttt we'll be towing weighs around 600#s, but also came originally equipped with trailer brakes which I will get working again. Putting an electric brake control in an Outback is not for the faint of heart, but I am determined to figure it out. My pickup came with a tow package and wiring a brake control in it is child's play compared to the Outback.

We'll be at the Spring TearUp next month, reservations already made. I will be picking up our "new" ttt Saturday. See you then?

Frank