(Originally posted 3/6/2015 on Weebly.)
Travels with the Road Toad: An Introduction
Well, I did it. I purchased a little teardrop trailer.
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| -Photograph used with permission from Little Guy Worldwide, LLC |
INTRODUCTION: (Rather long-winded, but it does set the stage.)I loved tent camping and immensely enjoyed all of the regalia that accompany it: lacing up a comfy and sturdy pair of favorite Vibram-soled hiking boots and buttoning up a flannel plaid shirt expressly dedicated to outdoor adventures; homemade gorp (old 60's and 70's term for trail mix); Coleman stoves and lanterns; a good axe, and a stone fire ring to name a few. Yes, I am rather old school when it comes to camping, as one can surmise. One could look at it as going retro depending upon personal generational proclivities.
Only one thing: as time passed, the lower back began to resent sleeping on a tent floor. As such, it coaxed me into retiring from tent camping about fifteen years ago after the kids flew the coop.
Setting up a tent, having to kneel down on a hard tent floor and crawling into a sleeping bag only to roll around on poorly designed inflatable camp mattresses don't float my boat. Fancy fill 'em up with air, not so instant beds have a nasty habit of losing said precious gas at the most inopportune moments... as in the middle of the night. Brisk mountain air temperatures add to the experience of crawling out from a warm, cozy sleeping bag and breaking out the pump to shore up a sagging air mattress.
Sadly, I gave up tent camping and gave my kids all of the camping gear that was stashed in the garage, relegating these experiences to fading memories, and in between the pages of family photo albums.
Enter the teardrop trailer.
Upon retirement almost two years ago, thoughts of camping and fishing kept popping up, but poo-pooed the idea due to lower back problems. Large RV's and campers don't entice me with their siren songs of plush, mini motel-like accommodations on wheels, high maintenance costs, and exorbitant fuel bills. A-HA! Teardrops! Fabricated by the Amish of Ohio, I settled on a Little Guy Silver Shadow 5x10 custom trailer. Amish craftsmanship is nonpareil; reviews for Little Guy trailers were beaming.
Fortunately, there is a Little Guy dealer close to me in San Diego. I drove down there and was greeted by sales rep Eric Krag. Eric was very helpful in showing me the various trailer models they offer, finally settling on the Silver Shadow 5x10.
Being something that I was going to live out of for periods of time -- some may be extended periods -- Eric helped me to configure a custom trailer that addressed all my perceived needs and concerns. If anyone in the San Diego, CA. area is interested in a teardrop, I highly recommend contacting Eric. There is no way I could have put together a comprehensive custom package without Eric's extensive knowledge of teardrop camping, coupled with his infinite patience with the niggling I did over customizations and accessories. For those not near to the S.D. area, Little Guy offers a dealer finder on their home page.
Due to the teardrop's resurgence in popularity and a backlog in Little Guy manufacturing output on account of their reputation for exquisite Amish craftsmanship, it won't be delivered until sometime towards the middle to end of March, after having placed an order near the end of September.
I've already started collecting items to stock it with such as cookware, dinnerware, bedding, tools, camping gear, etc.
I felt a little sheepish taking back some of the fishing gear I gave to my son. I didn't think I'd do much more fishing since the kids grew up, got married, and started their own families, plus my free time and vacation days were relegated to my new photography adventures. Rekindled thoughts of camping by a pristine alpine lake or near a tumbling brook resurrected dreams and memories once experienced long ago. Hopefully, "I still got it." when it comes to fishing; we rarely got skunked when dad led the fishing expeditions.
UPDATE: My fishing luck has expired. Recently got skunked the last several times I went to my local lakes.
Very soon the Road Toad will be delivered, I'll deck her out with all of the goodies I bought her, and then go on a few shakeout runs out to the Anza Borrego desert, Joshua Tree, and some of the local mountains. So far as the plan goes, the maiden voyage will initially involve traveling up Hwy. 395 (My favorite route!), making stops at many of the locations me and the kids camped, hiked, and fished at when they were young.
Meanwhile, enjoy these two videos explaining some of the history of teardrop trailers and their growing popularity:
