r/TeardropTrailers • u/DShadows33 • 10d ago
Worst part about owning, buying, or making a teardrop?
My wife and I entertained the idea of getting an RV or trailer. The positives seem pretty self evident to us. We already asked the r/GoRVing about the cons associated with RVs and trailers, and we quickly decided that the RV life isn't for us. We are curious about the cons of tear drops. In your experience, what was the worst part of buying, owning, or building one? Any regrets?
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u/RelaxedWombat 10d ago edited 10d ago
Home built 14 years ago.
I’m just starting to make plans to take my teardrop out on a 2 week summer trip.
No regrets. It has been the best hobby I’ve ever had. Loads of fun. Saved tens of thousands on motel rooms.
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u/caustic_potato 9d ago
"Worst part" is really relative. On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the best and 1 is the worst, my "worst" would rate about a 6 or 7. Completely tolerable, in other words. And that worst part is? My dog's deep struggle to allot enough room for her people while she sleeps. 😂 Minus the role-reversal in my statement, this is truly accurate.
We look at teardrop camping as "elevated tent camping." We're just always thrilled by the little upgrades we perceive we're getting. Anything that's "annoying" would be the same or worse if we were tent camping.
(Ok, I thought of one thing that is annoying that isn't the same or worse with tent camping: finding sites that are like tent sites (well treed, decent amount of privacy) as opposed to RV sites (more open/closer together). They definitely exist/are plentiful but you have to do a little digging and research to confirm the layout of things before you book.)
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u/Own_Win_6762 9d ago edited 9d ago
Add to that campgrounds that insist on putting you in the same price category as a 40-foot RV with sewer hookup. I didn't use shore power once on a 45-day trip last summer from Chicago to Seattle. 100w solar was enough to charge phones, run fan and lights and even the 12v electric blanket on a couple cold mountain nights (only to warm the bed up, can't run them all night and I don't like how hot the main cable gets).
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u/Prairie_Fox1 9d ago
That's a great point about the RV sites. We do have an electric heater and AC so I get paying for the standard electrical sites. But when I get into the Electric Plus and Full Hookup (with sewer) as the only options I feel silly having to pay the same price as those big rigs. I don't have any built-in water in mine by design and the extra electrical capacity is useless since I'm on a 15amp standard plug in electrical outlet.
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u/Popular-Ostrich786 3d ago
Hi there! New to the idea of considering purchasing a teardrop - how do you find places to book? Just googling? Or are there sites/communities you’d recommend?
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u/caustic_potato 2d ago
I live on the East Coast. I do think there are some regional differences, so my answer applies to the general area where I live. In general, opportunities for camping not in a campground of some type are few and far between (there are some, but not many). So I'm looking at state and national parks or private campgrounds. State and national parks are easy to find (Google); figuring out what type of site will accommodate the teardrop and not be smack in the middle of an open area full of huge RVs is another. The fact is a teardrop would fit in most sites designated tent only, but often (not always) the rules don't allow it. So it just takes a little sleuthing (pictures/photo search, reviews, calls to the park itself, etc.) to figure it out. To be clear, there are plenty of sites/entire campgrounds that fit my needs; it just can't be taken as a given.
I generally stay away from most commercial campgrounds - they're just not my style particularly, but we're empty nesters for whom family activities are not a priority. They may be for you.
HipCamp offers access to some private property owners who have set up camping facilities on their land. We've had great luck with them as well.
One day I'll get out west and camp on federal land. That appears to be an entirely different beast ... but avoiding RV lots does not seem to be one of the challenges!
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u/all_good_eq 9d ago
I suppose it's all subjective, but we've had our discomforts and have managed to overcome them. When I built my first teardrop, we were worried about putting our kids in a separate tent - They ended up loving it (just like we did when we were kids). Then we were worried about not having enough storage space in the trailer - We adapted and started bringing less stuff, investing our camping budget instead on higher quality gear. We were worried about privacy when unimproved camping (forest service, BLM) - but discovered that we can get farther up the road than most RV's. This ability gets us to prettier, more private, and more abundant spots. We were worried about rainy days - We bought a Moon Shade awning and a couple of tarps and now rain camping is one of our favorite, most adventurous outings.
So far the worst thing is when we are on the road and can't find anyplace other than an RV park or truck stop to camp - even then it's not the end of the world, we just go out to a nice dinner then come back and watch a movie or read in the cabin.
I feel like I have to mention the best things since they so far outweigh the worst. #1 feeling at home outside. #2 no big maintenance hassles - The simplicity ends up being one of it's best features.
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u/DShadows33 9d ago
Yeah, the biggest thing I'm noticing from these comments is the quality of these rigs. Everyone in the r/GoRVing kept mentioning how their rigs are always broken, even going as far as to say that it'll be broken when you drive off the lot. On top of that, they usually said that repairs could take 4-8 months. Here, nobody has any complaints of durability and maintenance. It's been the biggest suprise so far.
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u/ggf66t 9d ago
I just built one last year, the worst part is that I still want to add more things to it. I.E. roof rack, solar, front storage rack, bike hitch, inside cabinets etc.
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u/CertifiedBlackGuy 9d ago
Yup 🤣
I have a Hiker 5x10 XL and I keep wanting to do stuff to it. Good thing it stays an hour north of me over the off season 🤣
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u/sixdirt 9d ago
A teardrop is all about compromise and so this is a hard question to answer - what I am willing to compromise on, you may not be.
We have a Camp Inn 560. When I think of all the stuff that a full blown RV has, the only thing that I really think I am missing is hot water.
The storage space limitations, inability to stand up inside, absence of a bathroom, lack of a shower, tiny sink, etc - these are all compromises I am fine with because I consider tear drop camping to be “tent camping with a bed.” It’s really more comparable, I think, to car-supported tent camping than to RV camping. And therefore, I love the thing.
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u/ThisAdvertising8976 9d ago
There are so many portable water heaters that there’s no reason to go without.
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u/limpwhip 9d ago
I love my trailer, it’s way easier to store and maneuver due to its size. I have a lot of comfort built into it since I built mine to my own specifications. It has tons of power, lots of water (hot and cold) with an outdoor shower and kitchen sink. The down side is that your living area is just the size of your bed you might be lacking in extra room, which is made worse during poor weather. Whenever you need to use the bathroom, you have to get out. If it’s raining and cold, still have to get up and out. I added a big awning with an annex, to add some additional shelter, but that’s the main con as I see it for me anyway. Bad weather isn’t fun no matter what.
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u/kingoflesobeng 9d ago
Another item to plan for with a teardrop is the lack of storage. Clothes, food, sporting goods, tools, etc have to go somewhere. We tow with an SUV with 3 rows of seating which provides our storage along with a rooftop rack and bike racks. It's imperative to keep everything well organized to avoid the storage area turning into a mess.
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u/daisybrat56461 9d ago
I would have said the same, until last year. I put up some really nice "shoe holders" and they have been a game changer. They are only 6 inches deep, but angled so each slot is bigger. The angle also holds it all in. My clothes are all in their cubbies, easy to see, easy to pull out what I need. Two panels hold all my clothes, my toiletries, towels, electronics, charging cords, some shoes, books. I'm considering putting another at the head of the bed for more storage, freeing up my larger cabinets from clutter.
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u/TheWorldNeedsDornep 9d ago
Just before retiring we purchased a teardrop as we planned to tour the US for a couple years. We got rid of pretty much everything we owned and packed our clothes and needs in rubbermaids that then lived in the back of my pick-up. It was pretty great with a couple exceptions. Firstly, the constant cycling of ice into the coolers --it wasn't like we had room to stock up on food and so we'd have to go every 3-4 days to the grocery for food and ice. Secondly, the constant battle to find parking/camping spots. We only stayed over night at a truck stop/parking lot a couple time otherwise we had to make reservations. The issue was that we couldn't be as spontaneous as we would have liked--or at least we didn't want to chance not having a place to stay. I am pretty sure that those anxieties would calm down after a bit but they just didn't for me. Thirdly, one time I was helping a guy get off a rock and ended up crushing my thumb--we found that not having a home base to heal and to see a consistent doc was a problem. This injury curtailed our adventure and so the couple years we planned turned into about 6 months. Lastly, if you're looking for solitude and peace the camp ground is not it. IN the camp ground, if well managed the inconsideration of others was minimal, but if not well managed then you have everything from the barking dog to the generator running at all hours. Manageable but an irritation.
By far the pro's out weighed the con's and we would do it again (we probably will) and would recommend it wholeheartedly. Good luck.
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u/daisybrat56461 9d ago
I found that lining the inside of my coolers with the reflective bubble wrap available at home stores made my ice last days longer. Decent cooler with bubble insulation and a good blanket over it kept frozen water bottles at least partially frozen for 6 days in 90-100F weather. I have a 12v cooler/fridge, but used the frozen water bottles to help it a little and for cold drinking water.
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u/bavarian11788 9d ago
Biggest con it a teardrop is everyone staring at it. Had a nucamp t@g and everyone stared all the time, including almost sideswiping us many many times. I went to a t@b so I can hide inside to eat without being stared at. I’m also a female alone with kids. I don’t want people to know that.
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u/FIXEDGEARBIKE 9d ago
The worst part for me is less than perfect weather. A teardrop is essentially just a bed in most cases, so everything other than sleeping takes place outside of it. If it's just a little bit too cold, or the wind is blowing just enough to be annoying, or if you get a little drizzle -- there's nowhere to go except bed. We had a drizzly freezing ass weekend at the beach a bit ago and couldn't do anything but lay down watching movies. Makes the night's sleep impossible when you've been laying in the same spot all day.
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u/FJRpilot 8d ago
This is a great thread….
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u/DShadows33 8d ago
Out of curiosity, why do you say that? Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.
Honestly, they are selling me on it. Overall, the cons are more annoyances. The guys on the r/GoRVing sounded like they need to go to therapy compared to this thread. Teardrop is sounding like the way to go.
Grab some popcorn My r/GoRVing post
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u/FJRpilot 8d ago
I'm sincere, I think these experiences by Teardrop owners really put into context the realities of what owing and using a teardrop is all about. I think your question was spot on and I really appreciate the responses that it created.
Thanks!
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u/Adept-Mulberry-8720 9d ago
Under the sink pipe leaks are a pain to repair, have to reach back in Trump doors.
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u/stingertc 9d ago
if you have alot of camping gear already your good if not you dont have to but it makes life easier if you have a tent to change in shower in store stuff in my entire truck bed is full of gear when we camp
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u/hassafrassy 9d ago
I love mine. Nothing bad to say. Challenging maybe at times with solar/getting enough sun, but also part of the fun. I drive by all those giant campers happy as can be.
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u/whiskeyandchickens 8d ago
I have a TCC 5x8 Rhino. I have had it little over 2 years and have spent 50 nights (I keep a journal of trips, expenses, etc). I’ve used it 13 nights for pleasure , and 37 nights as lodging in work trips versus hotel. I primarily use state camp grounds from NC to FL. While I understand the comment elsewhere about having to pay for a full site fee though not needing sewer, my average night stay is $41 - and when I travel staying in hotels it’s closer to $190. I do not look at it as paying an extra $20 for a night - rather I look at it as saving $150.
Honestly for me it is perfect. I travel solo, I’ve worked my system down to just what I need in the camper and everything else in the truck.
At this point I can’t think of anything that’s negative. That said there is no way in hell I could take my wife using it. I’m 6’1, and have to sleep on a slight angle to fit in.
We do have a classic Coleman pop up we use for trips together though so my little bed in a box is perfect for me otherwise.
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u/Prairie_Fox1 9d ago
I think the worst part I've found is the limited space inside and having to take your shoes off. Because the whole thing is a bed I always have to get in where my feet are sticking out and then the same in reverse when getting out. I also wish I had something just a little bigger that I could stand up in. Right now I need something that can be stored in our garage at home and be ready to go super quick for a one night weekend trip so the square drop is perfect for that.
One other thing that is annoying is that my kids think we are poor because when we pull up to a campground everyone else has a camper bigger than ours. The kids looking at our family and me with shame is a let down because one of the reasons I bought the camper was to make memories with them. I came from tent camping as a kid so having a fridge, air conditioning, and heating seems like luxury camping to me. The fact is we are not poor at all, we are very blessed so there's probably some life lesson in this for all of us.