I watched a lot videos and i noticed that the guy does everything from setting up the camp, cooking, etc. hats off to you sir! Hope you dont get burned out with the routine.
Hi there, in order to make our videos, Kristin is behind the camera most of the time, filming Mike. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much creative content to share for our channel. As you noted, Mike certainly does a lot. He's a wonderful guy. Thanks for watching our videos.
Thank you. Yes, we usually have the AC covered when we're not using it. It might be a good idea to cover it even when camping. Thanks for watching, and thanks for your tip. :)
I really like your videos. Your dog is funny. He knows right where his blanket is. Thanks for the great tips. I just sold my 27ft camper and just starting the research process on teardrops. Your videos really help.
Great video like always. We had a White Water Retro JR. we had under cabinet access from a small hatch below the cabinet door. We kept a few things I there however it was primarily for the 13 gallon water tank and pump. Our sink had a stove combo really to small for either but it worked still cooked on the colmen stove anyway. We had an insulted cabin and with 2 people with in 15 to 20 it was definitely warm even in below freezing temps no heater was required I still cracked my window at night. We had white and blue aluminum siding it always got dirty. Just wish I got the suspension lift I dragged the hitch a lot and a roof vent.
Thanks for the tips and videos! I just ordered our Bend Teardrop and can't wait to take it out this winter for camping on birding and clamming trips. We had to get the 6x12 because our son is suddenly taller than I am and the 5x10 would have been too tight for the three of us plus our dog. We live in Western Washington so much of our off-season camping will be in the drizzle. We'll need to get some kind of additional shelter to sit around in because the awning probably won't be big enough for the three of us. I'm definitely going to order one of those den dry mattress underlays.
Congrats on your Bend Teardrop purchase! We have been happy with ours. We are wondering if the Quickset by Clam might be a good option for you to keep out of the drizzle? You can also add side panels to them. Welcome to the teardrop club! 👍🙂
yes yes and yes.. I have the venture quikset clam (solo 71yrs old female) and would not travel without it... great for keeping me out of inclement weather and also for those buggy areas.. the side panels are nice either for rain and/or cold weather.. most times I will leave them in place and drop down the top half after the rainy weather has moved out... one big word of caution though.. if it gets really stormy and windy I usually put a tarp over the front door area after I zip it shut and then wait out the storm in my TD... heavy winds went thru the front door area once and about lifted the clam up like an umbrella, the winds got trapped inside... thank goodness I had it staked down really well.. sorry to be so long but cannot stress enough how wonderful the clam is.. also can sleep inside at night if needed/wanted...
I think it is most important to use LiFePO4 chemistry battery. Jackery doesn't use it much if at all. Look at the charge cycles ... first one gets thousands and the J not plus cobalt in batteries is dangerous too.
Hi guys you can get your teardrop treated by the dealer they coat it with something that protects the paint decals due to fading and bugs I’m just having mine done!!
Hi Alisha, how do you like your Bean teardrop? Those look nice and well made. Some of our favorite campsites are in the Central Oregon area. They include Crooked River Canyon, Little Crater Campground, and Camp Sherman. Other favs around Oregon included Cape Blanco State Park, camping in Maupin and Lost Lake outside of the Portland area. 👍🤗
Hello from northern Alberta Canada. I have some suggestions that work for me and my teardrop Invaluable is my pop up gazebo Fits like a glove over the hatch at the back and is screened or you can add outer walls if weather is inclement. My Acopower fridge/freezer. charges or runs with AC Solar or twelve volt and has a 12 hour battery back up built in. A company called Vevor sells the most cost effective gazebo but Clam company are the original makers. Happy camping. Love my teardrop
I know one of those hamburger patties went to the dog👍 thanks for the video that was fun, I think I’m getting a teardrop trailer to tow with my jeep it’s for my dog and myself for our adventures I just don’t know what kind to get, I prefer something that’s more strict down model mainly I would use the back for my backpacks cooler Coleman stove, in the main compartment just for sleeping, having heat and air conditioning would be really nice and for sure an outside shower I just don’t know what brand to go with that’s going to be durable for off road travel crossing creeks something that’s watertight etc. I think it’s awesome you bring your dog with you that’s the best
Hi Jon, we have been pleased that Teddy is enjoying the camper with us. You and your dog will have so much fun! Do you watch the Playing with Sticks channel? He has been sharing a lot of different teardrop campers lately and taking tours of them. You might find one you like there. Our Bend Teardrop Trailer seems to go off-road just fine and has a high clearance. You can learn more about the Bend Teardrops at bendteardrop.com/. Dave is a nice guy and will answer any questions you have. We haven't had any problems with our trailer yet, and we've had it since October 2021. Happy camping! Thanks for your comment, and we hope you find one you enjoy soon. :)
cheap titan heater from walmart, 12v, thermostat.. use it with my jackery, uses very little power...my heater is easily 20 yrs old and gets hot as the dickens, good thing it has a thermostat.. I run it at lowest temp at night, crank it up in am just to get dressed... also sherpa heated blanket is a must.. low setting also, also on jackery...low wattage usage
Thanks for the tips and insights! I'm supposed to pick up my teardrop in September and very excited! I struck the Propex heater from my build as it was a very expensive upgrade ($1500). I think I'm going to heat with the small 200w/power station option like you guys. Does it get the job done? The camper I'm buying is supposed to be very well insulated, and I hope that once I get it warmed, it will maintain for most of the night.
That is good to know about how expensive the Propex add on would be. Indeed very expensive. That's the challenge with these teardrops; we can keep adding amenities, but then they're no longer affordable. It's still perfectly doable without the installed off-grid heater. We also appreciate having a heavy duty sleeping bag for the super cold nights. Yes, if you have electricity, the small portable heater should work just fine in most cases. Your teardrop will be ready before you know it! Exciting!👍🤗
I lived in my teardrop for almost a year. My teardrop is not well insulated. I found a sleeping bag with a heavy wool quilt I made from old wool scarves and a wool poncho pkus one dog heat was comfortable.
@@HighwaytoHoeftland It was only tough when getting out of the bag. I used a buddy heater under a Coleman canopy to warm up my food area. During the day I was out and about, in and out of heated buildings. I wasn't in a remote location.
Good job guys. I can't speak for the real cold weather. I keep 2 eleven degree sleeping bags handy just in case. Our teardrop is built differently, but one cabinet above the stove is nearly emptied every time we cook that's why you see a 2'x4' fold out table near our kitchen. It's a minor pain but we have accepted it as teardrop life.
Thanks, Bill! We forgot to mention that it's also good to have sleeping bags on hand. We have one tucked away in the teardrop as well, rated for 20 degrees. 👍👍
Hi, Dave from Bend Teardrop mentioned in one of his videos that he sometimes uses Weiman Stainless Steel cleaner and polish. I haven't used that but use Wash Wax All by Aero Cosmetics. It is a product developed for the aircraft business for cleansing planes. I have used it on my old Lazy Daze Class C as it was aluminum and it worked wonders in keeping it shiny. I now use it on my cars and just started on my Teardrop. It is environmentally friendly and you can use it wet or dry. I also have the Clam Quick-Set Traveller with 2 sets of panels and just bought the Lumberjack SJK Roadhouse tarp to put over the back of the teardrop to give shade or rain protection when using the kitchen. I love learning from you guys. Kevin
Hi Kevin, thank you, those are great tips about the specific products to use to clean the aluminum siding; we will definitely give the one you use a try. We also like the tarp idea over the back galley for shade. Thanks again and we hope you're having a wonderful weekend! 👍🤗
Can You please share more about the Den Dry and exactly what mattress and size you got? We actually have the same camper and can't figure out what to get.
Great tips video. Simple and straight to the point. How hard was it to drive and tow, and did you ever leave the trailer, unattended? Was that concern? ever?
Hello, Thanks for watching the video. The trailer is easy to tow. It's very light, and it tracks well. We leave the trailer unattended at campsites. We have a few different safety measures that we use, such as a tire boot, a ball lock, and a hitch lever lock. We are not concerned about leaving it. It's also insured.
I LOVE camping with my 30' camper, but no my wife doesn't want to anymore, I tried car camping and that was great, right up to the point it rained for 2 days, then it was miserable, I missed having all the extra room when the weather is bad. What do you do during bad weather? Move to better weather or hunker down and just deal with it or... is the camper large enough you are okay?
Sorry for the late reply. This is a good question. Over time, for us, this camper isn't ideal in bad weather because the space is so small. However, lots of people in the teardrop community love it and find ways to add tents and covers, or they don't mind being cozy in the smaller space. Honestly, we're eventually going to get a little larger trailer, but not by much because we also value easy towabilty. There are pros and cons to all the camping setups. We hope you guys can find something that works well for both of you.
Nice video… we’ve been Teardrop camping since 2016, and have experienced problems here and there but nothing that an open window or extra blanket can’t fix. When I built my trailer, I never put in any electrical. Now we’re ready to add the vent fan and a battery with solar panels. Also, here in central California every season is camping season. So we really need to plan ahead…
Hi David, oh yes, good points, living in California likey presents different opportunities and challenges for campers. You've been camping for many years with your teardrop - that's awesome! You could give everyone lots of tips with that experience. We do agree that having a simple, no frills set-up has big benefits as well. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching our videos. We appreciate it. 🤗
If you’re going to upgrade your cooler why spend the money twice? Bite the bullet and get the Jackery and 12v cooler. Just my thoughts. Yetis aren’t cheap.
Hi Charles, You're probably right. That would have been the best plan to just go for it and get the set-up that works the best with how often we go camping. 🙂
I'm really looking into a Bend Teardrop 6x12. any thing i should know? we just want to get one a little bigger than our 5x8.. we're bigger people (6'7"). how is the AC working out for yours? assuming you need shore power for it.
Hi, sorry for the late reply. We've had positive experiences with Bend Teardrop. Mike is 6'2" and feels a little cramped at times. We have the 5x8. The AC is ok. We're wishing it didn't stick out of the side of the trailer. It doesn't look that great in our opinion. Dave changed the AC in future trailers so that it's inside now. Much better. Ours only works on shore power. We've had our Bend Teardrop for a couple of years, and everything still works fine. A larger one might work well for you. Good luck and happy camping. :)
Thank you! The AC unit was installed by Bend Teardrop. It was the first one he installed on the trailers. He does things a little differently now. It looks like now he installs portable AC units that sit inside the trailer.
Other drivers might appreciate a bit of dust to cut the glare from your shiny exterior. Too shiny an exterior can blind others with reflected glare, causing unsafe road conditions for everyone, including you. Clean after you get where you will be for a while. Leave the dust on when moving.
@@HighwaytoHoeftland I narrowly escaped - a few seconds later and I would have been dead. Harrowing to say the least. Some visitors each year aren't so lucky.
Hi Richard, sorry for the late reply. We just got home from an Alaskan cruise. We have the 5x10 Bend Teardrop. Mike is 6'2", and I'm 5'7". We fit in it just fine. Hope that helps!
paint the exterior with rhino liner or a similar bedliner product. it will help to weatherproof the camper, make cleaning easier, and make for a tougher exterior to prevent scratches and damage from branches when camping in an out of the way place.
We use a 1 gallon arrowhead? water jug & empty it regularly. They are easy to find at the dollar store & if you remove the long extension pipe (on the Bend TD) & just use the short crinkled hose it fits down in the jug perfectly & is at the right height. Really worked well this season.
Hi, are you referring to bugs? If so, we use our day tent when needed, incense, and sometimes mosquito repellent and citronella candles. At this particular campsite at the time we were filming, there were very few bugs around. That might be one advantage to camping in Oregon (less bugs to contend with, except in the middle of summer, and in certain areas, such as near lakes or marshy areas).
Oh! We were referring to a Propex heater. Unfortunately, they are expensive to install. Here is a link to more info: www.propexheatsource.com/camper-van-furnaces-heaters/
Brian uses a bluettie. He gives a great explanation. We have a jackery with solar panels which has been useful out camping and at home after severe weather conditions left us in the dark for an extended time. Good luck!