I cured myself of wanting a teardrop trailer

Your popup is lower profile and I had a lot of wind and long steep hills that really ate gas. I did get around 14mpg on some sections but overall average was around 12.

 

I have thought about that too or the Chalet. I like the floor plan of the Chalet, but they are hard to find and pretty pricey too. The soft sided popups are cheaper and I do have a space to park and dry after a trip.

 

An Ovrlnd Camper may be an option



Or just build a matching trailer so you can be modular

 

Pop up truck camper ftw.
I did own a pop up tent trailer for several years and really liked it with a family.
But these days it's just me and this has been perfect.

 

Small world...and getting smaller. (That's a military expression for meeting members after moving on, e.g. PCS/Retirement)

I was selected by AF Veterans who worked on F-16s on active duty to be their MSU (Maintenance Supply Unit) for Boeing's QF-16 contract bid at Holloman AFB.

Here's my "T" near the flightline where the QF-16s were parked:



I had a great time visiting Las Cruces, Roswell, Carlsbad Caverns, Ruidoso/Mescalero. I even did a Bike Meet with a friend called Aspen Cash. It was a nice 6 month excursion/TDY testing Boeings (6) QF-16s.

Here's my "T" at a landmark indicating my location:



Ok, so back to your teardrop camper...or lack thereof...lol.

What do you want to get out of your camping experience?

Just the traditional ground tent and campfire?

My wife wants to see the Northern Lights so any place where there is no light source would do...but of course, a plane trip is in order to near the Arctic Circle.

So, what are your plans?

 

I've been camping my whole life and I'm past the 1/2 century mark. Always in tents. Until this past trip I had never slept on anything but a camping pad on the ground in a backpacking type tent or more recently a cot with a camping pad in the canvas tent. The canvas tent was my "luxury" upgrade a few years ago as I can stand up and sleep on something a little bit like a bed.

My goals of late have changed some. I used to be okay camping in campgrounds from time to time, but with more and more people, and many of them rude and annoying, my goals have shifted to getting further and further from people. On this last trip I used Hipcamp to find out of the way places without others around. Worked out pretty well. I won't stay in a campground anymore unless I have no other choice like in winter when roads are often closed.

My main reason for even considering a trailer is having a place to store gear and be able to hitch up and go rather than spending a bunch of time packing; easier set up and take down (although my Kodiak canvas tent is pretty fast and much better than plastic backpacking type tents I used to use); and a more comfortable place to sleep and tall enough to stand up (I'm 6'3"). I got a cot and that helps, but it's kind of wobbly and I sometimes get sore and can't sleep well. The ability to cook indoors if needed would be nice bonus. I made Mountain House mac and cheese last summer during a downpour in my canvas tent. Not exactly cooking, but I got a hot meal and stayed dry. I use my tailgate as my kitchen normally. I recently fab'd up this shelf for my truck to make my kitchen even better, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

 

My shell is all the comfort I need. All of my camping gear is left over from when I was super into backpacking. Pretty sweet to have the truck & shell as "base camp" and head out on foot for a couple nights with my pack.

Buddy is trying to convince me I need a RTT, I just don't see the point. ~$3k with a rack, plus I have to store it and keep it nice the other 350 days of the year when I won't be using it. All for zero advantage over my current set up? Nah.

 

What about something like TetonX Hybrid? It's a trailer that would be a little roomier than the TD you rented. 6'10" interior height when the pop top is up. King size N/S bed that converts to a dining/seating area. The pictures on their website still show the older sloped pop top, the new models aren't sloped, the whole roof opens up. You do sorta have to duck through the door as you step into it, but it's a taller door than a typical teardrop.

https://tetonx.com/hybrid

 

My dad bought a pop up tent/camper when I was a kid in the '70s and I remember still borrowing it in the '80s. I pulled it behind an equally old Courier so it must have been light. Like 500# or less.

 

Is that a great pyrenese?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1322357466...uid=AqGY5LdHQaa&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

Lucky Dog!

 

I was considering one of these, but they are a bit pricey. Quality seems to be good and I like that you can haul in it at the same time.
https://www.sylvansport.com/shop/go...OSZMY2aIoPkEN6eWelNpMS1y-86U8hxhoCI2cQAvD_BwE

 

Yep. 1.5 years old.

Better pic.

 

Kind of looks like the jumping jack trailer. I thought about those.

 

Looks pretty cool but I can't justify that much nor even afford it.

 

I looked at those for a long time. I talked to people who owned them, got to see it in it's various configurations.

It's a cool concept, it levels and pitches fast. It's so small I've seen people unhitch and hand-drag it to a "tent only" site. It can be towed by any car. Just head on down to UHaul and have a class I hitch installed, you're good to go.

The cost was what killed me. In 2017 it sat in the same showroom as the pop-up I ultimately bought. 9,995 for the Sylvan Go, or for a mere 1.5k more (11.5 plus TTL, about 12 OTD) i could have a pop-up with two bunks, a full galley, hot running water, and air conditioner.

That was a no brainer for me.

It's cool, but for what it is, a RTT is a similar experience at 1/10th the price. It would only be worth it for small SUV/sedan owners looking for a camp/utility hauling solution.

 

Me too. 121lbs and 1 year old.

 

Shameless…

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2020-rugged-rhino-tiny-camper-for-sale.765009/

 

Male I assume. They are quite a bit larger than the females. Mine is 80-82 or so and just as destructive with the garden/yard stuff. And that look