Newbie caught in the TD Vortex!

[KiltedGunn]

WOW! This place just kinda sucks you in, doesn't it? The amount of information is AWESOME!!!

Lee here, in SE Texas (Baytown)

I stumbled across a website a few months ago showing off stuff made with a ShopSmith and one of the projects was this cool little trailer...which led to a google search...which led me here...which led me to thinkin this would be a cool project (as if I didn't have enough projects!) that would give me a place to lay my head when I go off to my dog competitions!

SWMBO's response? Aw Hell, HERE we Go!!! We Do NOT camp...but I keep telling her it'll come in handy next time she has to evacuate with our five dogs, while I stay behind and guard the city!

Still a long way to go before I get past the planning stages, but I'm on the hunt for a trailer frame while I work on the plan...the end result, knowing there will be quite a few changes between now and then, will hopefully be a combination Teardrop and dog trailer.

In the meanwhile, I'm hoping to sneak into the Beach Bash down in Crystal Beach in a couple weeks and get a close-up look at these things and maybe get SWMBO interested! We'll see!

Okay, back to lurking...I have SO much to Learn!

[Wanna Be]

HI !!!!!!

WELCOME TO THE MADNESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now the fun starts !!!!!!!

Check out the design Rescources at the top of the page,, Lot's of plans to use / modify

Rembember that we all love and more and still more

Stay safe, and have fun !!!!!!!!!!!

Wanna Be

[honeask]

Welcome Lee from a Texas neighbor. This can
become addicting but that's ok. There is much
to learn here. Check out the South Central section to see some
events happening in your area.

[Oldragbaggers]

Welcome Lee. We have all experienced that "stepping off the ledge" feeling. But for me there is such a sense of adventure, excitement and accomplishment. I am enjoying every single minute of this journey, even the difficult and challenging ones. I won't even tell you how many hours of sleep I have lost thinking about my teardrop, or how many hours I have spent researching them and reading the forums. I don't regret a single moment and consider it all time well spent. And I have met so many wonderful new friends, some in person, many only online. But I enjoy them all.

And you won't be the first to have an initially hesitant spouse. My husband wasn't too sure at first either. We were sure we wanted a camper, in fact had been looking at them for quite awhile. We needed something small and/or very light that our Jeep or our Hyundai Sonata could pull and that we could use for our biking trips to the rail trails, plus our spontaneous (but usually short) road trips we like to take. We were having a really difficult time with the tow limits of our cars and we aren't anywhere near ready to buy another vehicle, with 3 perfectly good ones sitting in the driveway and all paid for. I started searching online for "tiny, small, compact campers" And hit on this site and a couple of others. I was bitten immediately. Then I ordered the Teardrops and Tiny Trailers book. That was it for me!!! My husband thought they were really interesting and cute, loved the history behind them and liked the light, simple and inexpensive concept, but he just wasn't too sure that the teardrop wasn't a tad too small to be comfortable.

So I kept reminding him of all the small boats we camped on over the years with no standing head room, no conveniences, and racks you had to be a contortionist to get into. But yet we always had a blast. Then last spring we went to a gathering and he saw the teardrops in person, met some of the really great people in this group and saw how much fun they were all having in their tiny campers. (Not to mention the "to die for" meal they all fed us.) He really started warming up to the idea after that. Then a month or two later we had an RV show here and they had Lil Guys on display so we were actually able to lay down inside them and poke around freely. At that point he was completely on board with it. Now he's always telling me he wishes I'd hurry up and get it done already so we can go camping in it. (He'd happily help me to make that happen faster but I always remind him this is MY project.)

There are others on this board who can tell you similar stories. Don't give up. And enjoy the ride!!

[KiltedGunn]

Thanks guys!

I think right now, in the beginning, it's all about the project and the planning and the building and the crafting...it'll be awhile before I get anywhere near the occupying stage!

I'm looking forward to the journey, and hoping to make it a leisurely one. I tend to make too many mistakes when I rush things!

[Rlowell]

Welcome to the madness Lee!!
Yes it has been said well already and it is all true...This is a real blast of madness that never ends...and the joy of accomplishment never ends.
And I have not even started on the freegiving knowledge that is available for the asking...and volunteered at the hint of a question or need or want.

Have fun and send lots of pictures.

Rod