Before making your decision on scamp vs teardrop make sure you check out our other three scamp trailer videos. In this video we were pro teardrop, but the other three videos are more focused on the benefits of the Scamp trailer. Our hope is that after you watch all four you will be able to make a more informed decision knowing the pros and cons of both. Happy adventuring everyone!
People will appreciate that you've tried a few models. We've noticed many others go down the same route as you meaning at the end they realize fiberglass is the best way to go.
i had seen many mini-camping trailers including the scamp. i even saw the airstream nest. my major drawback is the limited towing weight with my 1964 scout 80 2 x 2 drive and i don't want to fight the parking, not good at the backingup trailer. that's why i chose to design my DIY on weight and comfort to the max in mind.
Lmao 😂!! Maybe I’m the only one with a king bed and lush memory foam on it. But, when my bed is bigger than your whole trailer.... One of those would be cool to camp out of for a few nights, but that’s probably as much as I could do. Neat video still.
I have a Scamp 13' and it is the right thing for me. If I was younger and able to backpack and tent camp like I used to, a teardrop would be an option but now I like to be able to stand up, move around and make my morning coffee without doing it in the rain, cold or wind. Most of the time is spent outside but it sure is nice to step into my cozy dry Scamp when the outside is not so friendly.
Yep, we feel that way to a majority of the time. Like you we find a good balance between getting outdoors and spending time in the Scamp. Funny enough this RUclips channel has actually forced us more outside to film our adventures, which has really been a blessing.
HI! I've been thinking about the NuCamp T@B Teardrops with wet bath and indoor or outdoor kitchen. I love their versatility. I'm considering them over my Motorhome. I tow a Jeep Cherokee which could become my tow vehicle . Thanks for the comparisons.
@@Randylj1 We adore those T@B Teardrops. They aren't only functional they also are light and airy inside. They feel more like a home than any other camper we have been in. The Jeep would be perfect for towing the T@B.
tortoiseyard I also sometimes need to stop at rest areas. I have cooked awesome burgers and got back on the road. Can’t cook outside without risking a ticket in a rest area. Teardrops are cute, but not practical for me at all.
I am in a Casita age 62 right now on the internet . Very comfortable. Going to take a shower here in a bit. In a little tear drop I would be getting over UV exposed right now. :) If I was a youngster might do a tear drop on some back packing or something but I love my Casita... It will do that as well. I pull it with a Tacoma... No sway bar it goes down the high way extremely stable in wind. The shape of the egg fiber glass is extremely good at shedding wind. I had a R-Pod tear drop was a wwind catcher... Horrible junk rv by Forest River. Tacoma would jusst barely pull it. Too much wind drag.
The older models of Scamps are shorter than the newer models. I'm sure people have mentioned this before. We can fit our Scamp in a standard garage, which means my partner, Barron, can not fully stand up inside. This was an interesting video! It's all based on intent, I'd say. Living full time in a Scamp makes more sense to us than a tear drop for many reasons and we're very happy!
Hi Elsa. Okay, complete honesty here. You and Barron are definitely our heros! We put out our first three videos on the Scamp and received a lot of comments from the teardrop community. To be fair we decided to make a pro teardrop video beings we had spent three videos saying why we loved the Scamp more than our teardrop. We didn't expect the pro teardrop video to get a lot of views (in hindsight now we realize it was the title). When it got traction our biggest fear was one of the two of you would see it. Well, looks like you finally did. We have apologized profusely to our friends at "Our Scamp Life." Our sincerest apologies to you as well. We truly belive Scamps rock they have always been our dream RV.
And, nobody has mentioned yet that the older models were shorter than the newer models. How do you get the Scamp in the standard garage? We read in forums how people have to manipulate the tires or axles to get the Scamps in the garage. Thanks for sharing this Elsa. I know people will really appreciate it.
@@PlayingwithSticks WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!! Apologize! Nonsense! Without honestly like this, no one will be able to assess their options prior to choosing their rig! I've been wanting to make a "why I wouldn't live in a van" video, but know I'd get a ton of feedback on why my opinions are wrong, but as I said in my comment above, it's all about intent! Vans don't make sense for us because we like to stay put in our parking spots. Tear drops wouldn't work because we work "from home" and that wouldn't be enough space for our full time gear. An RV wouldn't work because it's too big to lug around to all the off-grid locations we like! You covered everything very well, especially for most people who don't want to live full time but want an awesome rig to get them outside. We need honesty! ..But I had to put my comment out there to stand for my Scampers! :) I'm about to read your other comment replies. I'm happy to be in touch with you. Your video production is incredible. I found you through your camper bed video yesterday and now your Scamp videos are popping up in my feed!
@@PlayingwithSticks Barron says he thinks they started making Scamps taller in 2006 or 2007 when the factory burned down--I'm not positive on the details. We have a 1988 and it's one of the shorter models. Barron was hilariously annoyed when he learned there are different heights. Had we known, we would have tried to find one taller, BUT, it wouldn't have been able to fit in a garage.. not that we do that often. It's a perk though! We worked on it for a couple weeks in my parents' third car garage last year.
@@ElsaRhae We really appreciate your comment and the great van analogy. We have two favorite Creators we follow, obviously you are one of them. Our other favorite RUclips creator is Slim Potatohead. Although this controversial video allowed us the chance to chat with you, our goal is NOT to create another controversial A-Liner video to draw Slim out :) This small camper community is such a joy to be a part of.
I'm looking at getting a scamp because after almost my whole adult life in the military, my body is broke up. I did lots of tent camping and miss the outdoors, so within the next few years I'll be getting a scamp.
I built and used a teardrop for 10+ years but as I grew older (now 68) I came to two major difficulties. 1. I go to festivals a lot. There was no way to change clothes unless you do it outside and take a chance of getting arrested or shunned. 2. Being older one needs to use the toilet more often and unless you're in a campground you need a porta potty tent which is fine for extended stays but not for cross country travel. A minor inconvenience being older is that the body does not function as well when getting in and out. So I dismantled my teardrop and built a stand in camper on the base which has worked well for me so far.
Love your ingenuity of taking the old teardrop down and building up a standup camper. We would also agree that our #1 struggle with the teardrop is changing clothing. We have added a side tent which makes changing and going to the bathroom easier, but you are right it is not very stealth and it is definitely not as convenient as having standing room and a toilet inside. Thanks for the great comment Harold.
Yes, I’m in the “ older” boat too, 70, and this makes the decision different. Building anything is out of the question. I need more than a four ft tall teardrop. “A-frames” are also a possibility.
Harold Anderson : I am 72. I use to tent camp with my 2 wheeled motorcycle. No more, motel is for me now. The bathroom thing is a real issue. A lot of my biker friends have quick camps pulled behind their 3 wheeled motorcycles. A cheap person’s tear drop. I was wondering if you get a lot of sweating in the fiberglass trailer?
You summed it up very well with this comment. I would also add if I could easily change clothes while sitting down I'd go with a teardrop 😁 We really love the Scamps it is tough to find anything wrong with them. We had to nitpick pretty hard on this video just to find a few negatives.
I really think if you just want to save money on motel bills the tear drop is the best solution unless you want to convert a mini van into a camper that's another subject for another video. Tear drop trailers can also haul stuff when not camping. 73
Why the negative comments? He made his case for what works for him. He's under the assumption that viewers can logically assess their own needs/priorities and make their own choices. He owns both types and brings an experienced viewpoint to the table. I didn't get the impression he was a teardrop salesman. I appreciated his articulate video. Didn't your mommas tell you if you have nothing good to say, than don't say anything..
I agree with you on many of those points. I had a teardrop for years and loved it. I've always lived alone and Camp alone. Occasionally a friend would travel. I've now got a 13-foot 1984 burro fiberglass camper. I've had it now for 4 years. I really like it a lot better than the teardrop. Main thing is I am now 70 years old and as most men when they get older have a few prostate problems and I have to get up to pee 3 times or more per night. Being able to get up and stand Is a lot nicer than crawling out of a teardrop. Of course for a man it's a little easier to use a urinal and empty it in the morning. No place to put it in the teardrop with fear of turning it over during the night. LOL.
So true on the difficulties of going to the bathroom in a teardrop. We see some of the folks online with the 6 ft wide runaway campers and they have room on the side of their bed to store their shoes and to have a small rv style toilet. But it still doesn't come close to standing up in a fiberglass trailer. We also just appreciate the overall roominess and airy feel you get when hanging out on a rainy day inside a burro or scamp.
I'm 71 and just bought a Roadloft conversion for my Honda Odyssey van. I use a little pee cup made for the female body and a mason jar with a lid when I need to pee in the night. Works just fine!
When discussing towing, especially over mountains, don't forgot a lot of 4 cylinder engines are now turbo charged. Forced induction makes a huge difference in towing, especially at altitude, we towed our scamp 13 over a 10,000ft pass with 12% grades in New Mexico, without breaking a sweat. We tow with a nx200t which has a 2 liter turbo 4 cylinder. I am a little biased since I own the scamp, i was looking at tear drops as well, but for the same money i think i got more of a bang for the buck with the scamp. We were tent campers before and we still cook mostly outside, and we don't have a bathroom or a shower so winterizing for us only takes a few minutes. I do have to admit i do think a variety of rv's are neat, and once of the coolest tear drops i have seen is the Vistabule. In the Midwest I often take the scamp to non-electric tent camping spots and it doesn't cost me any more to camp with it, at least in Illinois and surrounding area's. I thought the scamp would be lighter to move as well when we got it, like you said its doable on smooth surface, but really difficult on gravel or something not smooth. Also, mud flaps really help keep the scamp clean. The benefits for me in the scamp are being able to stand up, having 2 separate sleeping areas, having access to a porta potty and having a sink and a cooking space inside if the weather gets unfriendly. We have had our scamp for just about a year and we really enjoy it.
Thank you Dave for adding the 4 cylinders with turbos. This is a pretty new concept for us that we need to look into more. We have been hearing about the new For Rangers that a lot of people are talking about in terms of high gas mileage to high towing capacity. Glad to see manufacturers are starting to put out vehicles with both mileage and power in mind. You really nailed it on the pros of the Scamp. As much as I (Drew) fights spending more time in the Scamp than the Teardrop eventually I think that is the direction we will have to go as our family grows. We love the 2 separate sleeping areas. Also who can complain about standing up, cooking inside, a large enough space to spend an entire rainy morning in, the ability to go to the bathroom.... We also noticed in the Midwest as well that the non-electric camping spaces were larger and more accommodating for smaller rvs. Thanks for the suggestion on the mudflaps. Simple suggestion, but honestly we didn't even think about it. Like you we are interested in many small rvs. As long as they are small we are pretty excited about them. A neat company is Rustic Tears. They are one of the only teardrop manufactures that make a nice looking standup teardrop (canned ham) called the Polar Bear, I think that is the name. It is almost perfect, but unlike the Scamp there is only one sleeping area. Maybe some day we can get a custom canned ham made with some bunks adjacent to the main bed. Thanks again for commenting Dave, we really appreciate it!
The real limitation on trailer towing vehicles is the brakes and wheel base. Low enough gears, a bigger radiator or transmission cooler, and horsepower will get you up the mountain (my wife's Honda Civic has more horsepower than 1/2 ton pickup trucks of 20 years ago). It's coming down that problems start to crop up. Small brakes get overheated quickly and a short wheelbase car gives the trailer more leverage to shove the rear of the vehicle out of line when braking. Also, cars tend to have much less transmission cooling than trucks and SUVs. You need to be very cognizant of these issues when trying to tow with compact cars and crossover SUVs.
I have lived in a minivan for years, living out of a back pack for clothes, showering at swimming pools and gyms, using public toilets. I have solar panels and a double battery system, 12 volt compressor refrigerator, 12 volt microwave, 12 volt television mounted on the ceiling, 12 volt blanket, etc. USB plugs power my phone, tablet, fans, lights, etc. I can park in parking garages to go to dinner, movies, museums, tourist attractions, festivals, amusement parks and being stealth in cities. For boon docking I have a tarp awning and folding camp chairs. I have had a tent for the shower/toilet but in high winds it blew away. Towed a Tent trailer but didn't like it in wind and rain, I like my insulated tin tent on wheels best. It would be cramped if I had children along but for one or two people it works out. If I were to get a trailer it would be a cargo trailer to have a stand up shower, flush toilet and to carry a motorbike. But I would always worry about it being damaged or stolen when I wasn't around. My minivan is basically a teardrop from the front seat back.
You probably wouldn't believe this, but in all our videos you are the first person to suggest a minivan. WE agree they must be pretty awesome or all those people out there wouldn't be doing the ever so popular van life!
LaMarr Harding I have come to the same conclusion as you so succinctly put it, your minivan is your version of a teardrop, and I am in planning mode now. Sweetie pulls up my sensible undies when I dream too big...or I pull them over his head if he tries to over engineer things. #bigsmiles I have gone down the wormhole here on RUclips. I enjoyed finding out that there is such a thing as One Bag Travel. AND Bum Bag Travel. And Car Dwellers. And boon docking. And stealth vans/cars. I have toured RVs that cost more than my modest home and I realised I do not want two houses. I found out that I want Agility, Flexibility, Choice and Efficiency. I found, and admired, many van conversion that have inspired me. I have seen how to make or buy low to high end camp kitchens, chuck boxes, kitchen pods and loved every one...but... Modest house + modest van + modest footprint + protect principal + $pend interest + local travel + international trips ++ = #retirementgoals
....you can’t unhitch things and leave them behind in a minivan. Nor can you stand up. Nor can you stay in certain campgrounds when necessary. So I’d rather tow a scamp than be stuck in a minyvan
I need a little teardrop, every year I take my wife to see her Mom❤️. But I'm extremely allergic to the cat and dogs and I struggle to breathe, last time I got so congested I got vertigo... The idea of a teardrop is appealing just in the sense that it's affordable and I could have a clean space to lay my head down at night and sleep well.
Great idea. We haven't heard any comments yet about using a teardrop as just an alternate place to sleep when traveling. Completely makes sense. We have had some people comment in our other videos how they have used their Scamp as a temporary home. One mother sent her child off to live in the Scamp and once he got settled he kept it in his yard for her mother in law apartment. If you were to go with those low cost models we mentioned later in the video you probably couldn't go wrong. We notice here the teardrops have really good resell ability as well.
I love any piece of outdoor equipment that gets people out in nature supporting and appreciating our state and federal parks. If you're towing a scamp, teardrop, or fifthwheel...or even packing a tent, I'm a fan of you.
I really appreciate the work you've done. Your Lumix camera work is in the top 5% of RUclips. Your videos, and I've watched them all are well considered, and you do a very good job putting up with some of the less than considered opinions. You've got a beautiful family, and you do a marvelous job making Alaska look amazing. Your pro-level efforts in editing, music, and sound are so appreciated. Thanks for sharing your views and making your videos so excellent. We've had nearly every kind of RV. There is something for everyone. The Teardrop lifestyle is remarkably rewarding if you love the simplicity of being outside with your people. Keep up the good work! Love watching East grow up.
Thank you Stan. Your comment is honestly one of the nicest comments we have received on RUclips. We love coming across people who have worked their way through the many different styles of RVs. We have been chatting lately with Travels with Yoly their story is really fun to see how they started small, went big, and are back to small campers. Thanks again for the very positive and warm comment!
I like the idea of a teardrop just because its simple and more like tent camping without having to pack/unpack everything once at camp. The teardrop would be the perfect weekend camper for me. For longer camping trips with the possibility of incliment weather I think the Scamp would be the way to go. Both have good and bad so one needs to buy based on what they need in a camper.
We would completely agree with that. We always thought we were tent campers, RVs were not for us. BUT, once we took out our teardrop for the first time everything changed. Teardrops are definitely great for the weekend warrior, but as you mentioned Scamps are better for the longer adventures into possibly inclement weather.
Worse thing for me about tent camping is rolling up a wet tent after a storm and having to set it up again to air out once you're home. Therefore I see your point about a Teardrop.
Unfortunately we experience that same issue with our awning even when using the teardrop. If we know rain is in the forecast and we don't plan on hanging outside too much we don't set up the awning so we can take off quickly in the morning. Many times in AK you can wait all morning for your awning to dry, but it never does due to the lower temperatures and shade from the trees.
I would go with the Scamp, it is more homey; you can stand win it, dress up and cook , shelter from a rainy day reading, you can invite friends over. But hauling it and the skills to park , the teardrop wins.
Thanks Richard. Great comment. We agree. However, we find most of the people building teardrops are older. I think it is the challenge they love building an RV from scratch, not the lack of standing, bathroom, etc.
I’m 27 and LOVE my Casita but I think I’d probably love a teardrop too 😁 For me, as an often-solo woman camper, I feel so much more comfortable having self contained options like bathroom and kitchen facilities. So if an environment doesn’t feel 100% safe, I have access to everything I need without having to leave the trailer. I also have a larger vintage camper so the Casita always feels like I can zip in and out of anywhere by comparison but I am a little envious of the maneuverability of teardrops.......!
I was a tent guy for yrs so I brought a teardrop this yr in spring and I love it and it is good size to pull my 4 cyl with chevy Colorado. I had no problem with it.
We never realized Chevy Colorado's run on a 4 cylinder. 20/26 mpg sounds pretty nice for a pickup truck. Welcome to the small camper family Bryan! For us it just gets better every year.
Fiberglass work is enjoyable to me. I learned it from an oldtimer while I was a teen and had traded for a wrecked Corvette , and have been putting wrecked tuck front ends back together , boat repair since. If you fix a crack pick what side you wanna preserve and grind it nearly into and at least 3 inches wide and deep. Then simply start laying in your mesh and resin. Most people are scared to do the grinding and try to patch by just roughing up the area , but you gotta get serious with the hogging with the grinder. I have fixed pieces that were completely torn off that way but on the painted side it only looked as if it was scratched in the paint where the pcs were rejoined. Also the mud issue. Get a slip on bar across your Reese coupler with mudflaps to protect your Skamper. They use to be a common accessory years back , but no one uses them anymore. Great video on explaining all of this.
Thanks for sharing about the grinding. We are very comfortable using mesh and fiberglass resin on our canoes. But, they look pretty patchy. Sounds like we just need to be a little more detailed to get a nice finished (unnoticeable). We had never heard of the mudflaps that could be attached to the coupler. We have had quite a few folks suggest mudflats, but as the Matrix is our daily driver we really didn't want the mudflaps on permanently. Great suggestions. Something like this right? www.discountramps.com/automotive/truck/accessories/p/HMF-2418/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgNXtBRC6ARIsAIPP7Rt8tnru8a0yvcTpHTREoZktcJHMUsuH063DVWRjypzc246wjAtzR8AaAoyTEALw_wcB
There is probably a teardrop group in your area that you can go and visit at one of their gatherings. You will find some very nice people willing to answer any questions you have and show you around. Seek and you will find.
I have both as well. I built my teardrop and love that it's lightweight and easy to see around when driving. My building skills were not the greatest so I ended up with some leaking problems at the galley hatch and around the doors when driving in the rain. It ended up living out in Colorado with my No. 2 Son since Colorado is a dry state. I kept the Scamp because I live in Minnesota because the Scamp gives me a longer camping season. Being as I camp alone (if you don't count my poodle mix), the Scamp gives me more security. Plus, in the morning, it's just so much easier to turn on the stove to start the water for coffee. Backing up is difficult because of the shorter tongue length and my dyslexia, but if I take it slow and make small corrections, I can eventually get it into the campsite, and then the hard part is over. It's just pulling forward at the end. If I had a double car garage I would have both, but in the end, the longer usable season and the security made me choose the Scamp. I do wish I had the Camp Chef oven that's in the teardrop though. When I visit my son in Colorado, I get to sleep in the teardrop. :-)
That is awesome that you built your own. Keeping any trailer from leaking is pretty tough. That is one of the major pros with Scamps, you don't hear about leaking very often in Scamp forums. We agree that teardrops are much more suited to dry climates. Up here in Alaska it definitely requires a side tent or awning to stay comfortable. We also find that in Alaska we get about a month more of comfortable camping in the scamp vs the teardrop. We hadn't never heard of the Camp Chef oven. Thanks for sharing that information. Bouncing between Minnesota and Colorado sounds like a pretty enjoyable lifestyle. Thanks again for all the great info in your comment.
Thanks for the great comparison video, Drew. You have a beautiful family, and Alaska looks so awesome! You may want to look into ceramic coating for your trailer. There are DIY kits available online, and it might make it easier to keep the Scamp clean and free of mud, salt and other contaminants. You could also repaint the trailer before coating if you want to change things up a bit, maybe East could add some fingerpainting or little handprints too! Greetings and safe travels from Canada 🇨🇦!
Thanks James Paul for the great comment. We love chatting it up with fellow northerners! We have never heard of ceramic coating before. Thank you for the great idea. Painting the Scamp is high on May's list. And adding a bit of East's artwork would be a great idea. Safe travels to you as well.
Really enjoy your videos. I bought a 16 ft Scamp last Spring and just love it. I’m in my 50’s so there were attributes of the Scamp that really hit the mark for me. It has most of the amenities of an RV without being overly large. We mostly dry camp so we don’t have to deal with the issues of the tanks (water, grey, and black). We can sit in it when the weather is bad - reading, playing cards or Backgammon. We have choices about where we cook, eat, and sit (inside or out). I love that, even though I’m 6’1, I can comfortably stand up. In addition, we have camped with 3 adults. Although tight, it’s very doable. I love all the windows in the Scamp. You can open them up and get a lovely cross breeze blowing through. After a long morning of hiking I like to lay in the end bunk, with the screen door on and just look outside or take a nap. In terms of the fiberglass it’s tough. We had sailboats and new how strong fiberglass was. When a hailstorm dented up all of the aluminum campers we did not have a ding. Plus, you can get de oxidizer treatment and boat wax and an older Scamp (ours is a 1981) will look brand new with just a little elbow grease. People are always amazed ours is almost 40 years old. I have also never had anything come out of the cabinets, but the curtains often fall off when traveling 😀. Again, I really enjoy your videos! Warmest regards, Dave
Dave thanks for such a kind comment. Most of the big Scamp fans weren't to excited about this video. We really appreciate how you shared the advantages of the Scamp without feeling you needed to defend it. This was a tough video for us to make because finding ways for our teardrop to be more functional than the Scamp was pretty tough. We had already made three videos about why we liked the Scamp more than the teardrop. We just wanted people to see both sides of the coin. We will be heading out tomorrow in the Scamp down to Homer Alaska "The End of the Road." We are really excited to share the videos with everyone. Again thanks for the kind response. We are really glad you are enjoying the videos.
Good info about the wax! While watching the part about the mud, I just kept thinking it just needed a good coat of paste wax! (and I felt like my dad when he used to say he walked five miles to school barefoot... haha) I’m a weirdo who hand waxes my truck with Mother’s twice a year, no excuses. 😁
You nailed the deciding factor for me: I consider myself a camper and my squaredrop makes me feel like I'm still a camper. If I'd gone with a Scamp I think I would feel feel more like I was an RV'er.
It's funny. After making this video we started realizing a Scamp is for campers as well. We thought it would be like an RV, but the interior is not that functional for us. Basically felt like a narrow hallway causing us all to get in each other's way. Over time we found we had to bring the outdoor living room with us to make the Scamp fit our lifestyle. Basically it is a teardrop that allows you to stand up, cook inside, and avoid the rain. But 90% of the time we found using it like a teardrop was the best way for us.
This was a nice comparison, thank you. I appreciated particularly the comparison of fiberglass getting damaged as opposed to the teardrop construction. I have a 2015 5 x 10 silver shadow max teardrop. It has everything a large trailer has but in a small container. Stove refrigerator running water cold only beautiful sound system cable video and air-conditioning. And I can tow it with my 2007 CRV. Four-cylinder. For me the big advantage are the tents that attach to the teardrop. I have a 10 x 10 PaHaQue custom tent that attaches directly to the door of the teardrop. The ceiling is probablly 9 ft? This takes two people to set up. I usually do it when I stay three or more days somewhere. When just staying overnight I have a 5 x 7 tent that attaches. I can put that up myself in 2 to 3 minutes. With these attached Tents you have so many more options. Tables beds chairs recliners, gear, porta potty, kitty liter,etc. and the spaciousness is amazing. The teardrop then becomes a comfort pod for your tent. You can cool down the tents with the fantastic fan or AC, and heating one space usually heats the other. And the video is correct you do attract a lot of people and it’s definitely a social situation. You have to like talking to people. The inside of the teardrop is sort of like being under deck in a sailboat. You have everything you need, it’s very convenient, you don’t have to move far and has wonderful little storage systems going on. Because it’s easy to get into-you just sit down and move your legs in - - handicapped people often prefer it. No steps to climb, no walking or narrow spaces. Everything within reach.
Wow, you should write the script for our next video! Your comment is right on. If you haven't seen our first teardrop tent video we highlight for a short period the 6X6 PaHaQUe custom tent, which is just a smaller version of yours. I don't know if you have seen the episode we put out today it goes into full detail the benefits of side tents. ruclips.net/video/eegIAqXIqmM/видео.html You are so right about the Silver Shadow. It has everything anyone would need to stay out there for weeks!
Bunita, I have been wanting to get a Silver Shadow, I love their setup. I've had a teardrop before but not as nice as yours and I managed very well traveling for 2 months with it. During bad weather I just watched a movie on my laptop or read a book.
One single issue: No bathroom in a teardrop. My backpacking and big tent camping days are pretty much behind me and I never did like going #2 in a nasty campground toilet or behind a bush. The bathroom is the first requirement for me, along with a comfortable bed. Otherwise I'll probably do most cooking and other camp activities outside.
Yep, the bathroom can be a deal breaker. We use a camp toilet with a privacy tent. Not the most glamorous, can get pretty cold, and the toilet feels pretty flimsy and awkward.
@@MrMoneyHelper Huh, never even thought of trying that. My family had a boat when we were younger that had less head room than our teardrop and we had a toilet in there. Funny the things you don't think of until somebody mentions it.
This was a very thorough and detailed comparison, so well done! However, speaking from the knowledge of three years into the future, you need to update your segment on prices. As of 9/2022, new Scamps are priced between $20-32K! I don't know current teardrop prices...
As an owner of a nucamp t@b 400 boon dock lite I appreciated this video. Our tear drop is quite a bit larger than yours; I think 18' from ball to tail and weighs in around 3000lbs loaded. We pull with a Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and we've been from FL to AK with it without issue. I totally agree with your statement about being comfortable inside and not enjoying being outside. That said, it is nice to have space on a rainy day or here in FL and blistering hot day, to escape to inside and relax. Going to AK, we found ourselves on several occasions, having to back up in tight quarters. When we started, that scenario was my biggest worry, but after a month on the road, my confidence pulling and backing up the tear drop improved. Stay safe
Love, love, love the Boondock. Reminds us of the Scamp, but with all the modern looks and features we desire. This video sounds like we are not huge Scamp fans, but before this video we did make 2 videos of why the Scamp is better than the teardrop. The boondock gives you the best of both worlds. Small, but large enough to stand and feel at home. We completely understand the tight space comments. The more we are out here we find ourselves quickly squeezing into the tight spots that at first we wondered if we could even get into. Glad to hear you found an amazing small trailer that is a great fit for Florida and anywhere else you want to go.
A: After years of camping in tents, and cooking outside and using the shovel latrine, I will go for something that provides more protection and I can cook and go to the bathroom inside. I have done enough cooking outside in inclement weather, or hiding in a tent as a storm batters the outside eating a cold meal of tuna fish, Vienna Sausage or similar type food, while sitting there damp and getting sick. (I convinced myself at the time that it was part of the "great adventure," being out doors.) Don't get me wrong, most of the time I really enjoyed being outdoors, but there is a lot to be said for having a decent sized safe refuge when things turn to crap, and they will turn to crap. A decent camper lets us to enjoy nature while providing a safe haven from when she turns really nasty. We can and do cook outside on our grill and sit around under the awning to watch the sunrise or sunset. B: Fit your camper to your tow vehicle. When buying a vehicle, make sure it fits your campers and camping style. You do not need to get a massive pickup. My 2018 Jeep Cherokee averages 25 mpg day to day driving and easily pulls a much larger camper than the Scamp. It is also much better handling in bad weather than my wife's 2015 Subaru Forester, which is also a good vehicle, but it cannot tow. You do not want to tow with any vehicle that has a CVT transmission. Current models are not strong enough for anything beyond a tear drop. With the tow package, the Jeep can easily tow up to 4500 lb trailers, even off road going up mountains. We have a small couple's trailer, a bit larger than than your scamp.
@Gerard Trigo great advice. Our first vehicle as a couple was a Jeep Cherokee sport. In hindsight we wish we never sold it. We didn't realize the Forester was not ideal for towing. Thank you for the tip about the CVT transmission issues. At 25 mpg with the Jeep that sounds like a perfect match for a slightly larger trailer. And as you know, if you ever did need to pull a friends trailer some day that was larger the Jeep wouldn't have much of an issue.
Thanks for your comments on the tow vehicle. I have an old Lancer Raliart with a stick. I love the stick. But it won't really tow anything of the size I need being one of the older group. I don't want to tow a bed such as a teardrop...might as well just toss my tent in the trunk and go then no worries about where to go or backing up. Personally, I'm still leaning toward a dressed up van but deciding is a lot of fun when looking at so many options.
Don Parkison it is possible to achieve this in a teardrop with more head clearance, like the Runaway. I think my Luggable Loo is visible in one of my more recent vids of you are curious how that all fits in a teardrop.
We love our tear drop. We have a Vistabule which are made in Minnesota. A bonus with these is the large front window and when you are towing it you can see all the way through behind you. Awesome galley and the bed turns into a couch. And it fits in the front of my garage. Perfect little camper!
It is hard to beat a Vistabule, if even it can be beat at all. We never thought about seeing through the teardrop when driving. That is one of the things we love about the Scamp as well. When towing it down the road you can see right through it.
I've never not given a "tour" of my teardrop, on any camping trip, lol. Be ready to be popular! I successfully towed my teardrop for years in the northeast US with a suburbu imprezza hatchback. Now that I tow with a truck- I can put three kayaks on my teardrop roof rack, and bikes on the rear receiver. Total toy hauler!
Just yesterday we were asked to give another "tour." As usual we were a bit embarrassed to show him inside because lately our teardrop looks more like a converted toy hauling trailer on the inside until we get everything out into the side entry tents. The older the kids get the more toys we bring (kayaks, fishing poles, child carrier backpacks, etc). This funny...I was just responding to your first couple of sentences and then looked up at your remaining sentences and saw you were calling yours a toy hauler as well. Love it!
Ever since I saw a teardrop someone locally made I have been DYING to get one. It was such beautiful craftsmanship and really great amenities, but around $6k. This video leaned more towards confirming that I want a teardrop. I also have a toyota matrix so being able to tow it easily and not have to use a different car/suv is great! We will see what happens! We're not sure if we are moving into an RV temporarily or just getting a teardrop for travel. Either way I am excited and learning a lot from your videos!!
We were just like you. Once we saw the first one we couldn’t get it out of our heads. However don’t overlook the Scamp. They are pretty amazing little trailers as well. We had to stretch pretty far to have good arguments against the Scamp here. They are truly amazing trailers and you’ll see that throughout our other videos that came out after this one. We are ridiculous in that in the end we decided to have one of each a 13 foot trailer and a teardrop trailer.
We love our teardrop camper, and we see the same advantages you do. I would add that our teardrop, with 3/4" exterior grade plywood and the powder coated aluminum skin is built sturdier than most other campers.
I built my teardrop and would never consider going back to a camper trailer. I owned a pop up for 5 years and hated every minute of it. It was the misery of living in a tent that took twice as long to set up and three times the maintenance. By building my teardrop I was able to add all the luxuries and lots of storage. You are correct about getting visitors with a teardrop I built mine 8 years ago and every time it goes out I get at least 10 to 20 people wanting a.tour. I like meeting people so the attention is fun as well as the attaboys from other DIY people on the build.
This is a great comment thank you. When you get the chance to build a trailer custom made for yourself you're not going to have very many issues with the end results. Unlike purchasing something from the factory there's always some pros and cons with what you end up with.
As neat and convenient as teardrops are, if I'm gonna be outside anyways, I'll use a tent, hammock or the back of my truck, esp. on a short trip. An extended trip will require more living space tho, so I think I'm a scamp guy. Great info! Thanks!
That is kind of us too. If we ever got rid of the teardrop we would probably just go back and forth between tent camping and a fiberglass trailer (Scamp or Burro)
Hey fellow teardropper! We do have a few other videos where we talk about how great the Scamp is as well. We just got back from a week on the Kenai Peninsula in the Scamp. It was a great experience. The more we use the Scamp the more we find the experience to be similar to the teardrop. We did miss our side entry tent though. It was actually more spacious than the Scamp.
You know we often feel that way as well. They make the perfect tent (gazelle tents), but so far we haven't found the perfect bed. We have most of the inflatable mats from REI as we have ones for different purposes (backpacking, bush travel, base camp, etc). Once they make a bed that feels as good as our bed in the teardrop and Scamp and it can air up quickly I could see ourselves going back. It is much more simple. But, until then we will continue to use the trailer 90% of the time and the tent about 10%. Great point Kenny.
Owned an 85 Chevy Conversion Van that was perfect for many trips to WV and PA with mountain bikes and gear. The V8 was powerful, thrifty on the highway, breezed up the mountains and the full ladder frame was bombproof. I loved it and would go that route again, maybe a diesel engine and some custom cabinets buy oherwise a full size van is hard to beat and resale is excellent.
We would love to try out a van sometime. And you are so right about the resale, especially now. about 10 years ago when we were looking at Vans the prices were almost half the price that they are now due to the popular van life. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it is always fun to hear about alternatives to small camper trailers
For us, Scamp for sure... we cook outside like most people do with there trailers. The ability to stand up inside a trailer is a huge plus for me. I own a Boler, (the original scamp). I’ve got no issues towing it through tight spaces, moving it by hand , parking on the side of the road, pulling u-turns or parking inside . (I’ve definitely never been charged more at a campground). In regards to engine size 4cly vs 6cyl, what you can tow has got little to do with how many cylinders your engine has, especially nowadays with the turbocharged engines that most manufacturers are making. From what I got out of the video, the teardrop is better suited for YOU, YOUR family, YOUR car & YOUR garage... but not necessarily everyone else’s. :-)
That Boler is a great camper! You are spot on with your 4 cyclinder comment the more we research them the more we realize it isn't just about cylinders. And yes, the teardrop is good for our family, but honestly so is the SCAMP. We just were trying to cover both sides of the argument. We had 2 pro scamp videos previous to this one, so thought the teardrop needed a win :)
@@PlayingwithSticks It's supposed to be zero fires but they'll let you slide with a small propane camp stove. Would be nice to just have a proper cook surface though if an open fire isn't an option.
We definitely agree with that. One thing that may surprise you is that most teardrop galley kitchens have more cook and prep surface than Scamps, Casitas, and Burros. The cook space is pretty small in the Scamps. But, we just bring along a fold-able aluminum table in the Scamp and it works perfect as a food prep area.
Well, I might hang out in the bed all day.... 😉 Some teardrops have such beautiful windows over or in front of the bed that it’s pretty easy to lounge around and enjoy the view for hours on end.
Not that it is a bad thing right? We think every once in awhile you need a lazy day on the road, especially when you're not getting back home to your base camp. We have never done the teardrop camping full-time, I would be interested to see how well we would enjoy it if we knew we couldn't get back home every week or two.
Playing with Sticks I’m sure you could do an extended trip in your teardrop. I know it seems like a lot with a toddler, but one to two week camping trips are already part of your family’s lifestyle so car travel and sleeping in the teardrop are something he’s already used to and he seems like a pretty mellow guy. I didn’t care too much about schedules before my son was in school and, though we didn’t have an RV, it was great to be able to jump in the Suburban with him for a quick trip to the coast or whatever without a ton of planning or fuss because he was a good car rider and very easy going as far as what he would eat and where he would sleep. I wish we had done that more when he was little because he’s 21 now and I’m stunned by how quickly that happened. Also, the teardrop is tiny enough that if you really need a break it would be easy to check into a hotel for a couple of days and enjoy the big beds and swimming pool while it’s parked in the lot. I’m sure there are also plenty of people you already know or will meet along the way who would love for you to visit and park in their driveway for a few days. If you ever make it down to the very lower part of the lower 48, I live in a popular tourist destination with warm winter weather and I would be more than happy to give you a spot in my garage!
Wow, JP this comment was really inspiring. It is definitely our desire to get out on the road sooner than later as a family. When you mentioned how quick your son grew up it just reminded us that if we just sit back and continue to do the 9 to 5 what could we potentially miss out on, in terms of time spent with our child. The idea of easily spending a night in a hotel or Airbnb does make it seem not as difficult knowing there is always something to fall back on. We would love to visit you someday. You have a very unique story and we would love to get to know more about your courageous spirit.
@Audio In Alaska a typical camping trip is sitting in the rain for three days. It isn't as bad as you would think. Now if it went past three days it would get a bit rough.
I live full time in a custom renovated 1988 Scamp. Ive installed a woodstove inside it for winter camping, use a 16 foot tarp over the whole scamp and 16 feet out as a huge outdoor seating area, and have to say for full timing a Scamp is FAR better than a teardrop. I think you nailed it with saying “it depends on your lifestyle” but dont think the title is quite accurate. The lightness factor is great and all, but i pull my Scamp with a Lincoln town car, and we boondock 100% of the time on rough roads and high mountains. Just here to stand up for Scamp. Its an incredible travel trailer all around from the standpoint of someone who travels full time in one.
Hey Brandon! We have been one of your subscribers from the beginning, love your channel! May and I jokingly said we were going to hurt our friends feelings at RUclips channel "Our Scamp Life." We mentioned your channel as well. We truly hope you know we have 3 other videos posted that are pro Scamp. We felt it was only fair to do a video that was pro teardrop, in defense of the poor little guy. You are definitely right when you say a Scamp is far better than a teardrop for full timing. People make it happen in a teardrop, bu they are a little more hardcore than us. Hope we didn't offend you. Our Scamp Life even jokingly said in a comment that our friendship might be wearing thin. We really appreciate your comments on here Brandon. Keep doing what you are doing it has been fun following your journey.
Friend of mine bought a teardrop, his only complaint was he liked to stand up to get dressed but had to get dressed in bed and he thought that difficult.
Yes. That would be our same complaint as well. To remedy that we use a side entry tent, which is basically like stepping out into your living room. However, it really would be nice to change inside the teardrop.
Interesting, but if you pack right, things aren't going to fly around. we've lived in small sailboats in ocean and we've been bounced around real good, and everything stays put. Just pack it right. They both have there pros and cons, but something about those tear drops. If I'm going to be doing long time exploring and being in cold weather sometimes, I think i'd go with the Scamp. THANKS
Yep, if we would pack right, add some better cabinet locks we wouldn't have that issue. And we think you are right. If you are going out for long journeys the Scamp probably wins the competition.
Having pulled a scamp with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Nissan pickup though the low mountains of the Yucca Valley California I can vouch for everything you say here.
Thanks Jonathan for your real life feedback. It is nice to have some testimonies that are not just anecdotal or assumptions. We are taking the Scamp out over some big passes in a few days. We have rearranged the weight, minimized the amount of water we carry, and are excited to make a video about how it goes.
Great comparison. I always wondered about Scamps. I built a CLC teardrop out of marine plywood and fiberglass glassed the whole thing. I built it in Washington state and migrated to Georgia. It’s doing great and my little family loves it. We are heading to Destin Florida to go to the beach and camp next week. I’m anticipating the heat, so we picked a zerobreeze portable AC with condenser.
Your camper sounds great Joseph. Sounds built for life. Also sounds like it can handle all climates. From the comments on here in our other videos we are thinking our teardrop would really struggle down south. Sounds like the memory foam mattress is awfully hot and that we would probably need that ac.
We will admit cooking is great! We haven't had a chance to try a bathroom yet. But, I bet if we do it's a slippery slope into wanting one of those too 😀
I bought my teardrop as a birthday present to myself and because I wanted to have adventures with my daughter. I always planned to travel with her regularly. I saw it as a decision between going to Europe for one trip or having a camper for multiple years and as many trips as I had time for. Some day we will do Europe and other continents but for now we will explore our own country side. I bought my teardrop for 7k. I picked it because it had solar and so much storage space internally. In hindsight I wish it had more storage outside and a way to easily hook up a bike but we will figure that out when the time comes. I also have a hard time backing up a teardrop but in a worse case scenario I can always unhitch and wiggle it to where I need it.
Hi Suzanna! Thanks for commenting.What a great birthday present. We kind of did the same thing. We were planning a trip to Iceland. And I realized for the price of the plane tickets alone we could build two teardrops or purchase one used. It was kind of a no brainer. If we went to Iceland we would have had nothing to show for our trip except the great memories, but staying in the States you get the memories and a teardrop for years to come. Thank you for sharing about your teardrop purchase. Have you looked into mounting your bike on the tongue of the trailer? There are a few great tongue mounted bike racks out there, you can even make them homemade. Have you looked at the teardrops from Rustic Trails. They offer a diamond plated storage box that holds their outdoor kitchen because they don't have a galley kitchen. If you don't have a hitch maybe you could get a little extension welded to your trailer frame to accomodate an outdoor storage box. The box wouldn't reduce your gas mileage because it is pretty hidden from the wind and they look pretty good.
Great video, thanks! We're looking to buy and you answered our questions - teardrop! Plus in Southern California summer camping rain is not a big issue so we want to spend our time out of the trailer, not in it.
Glad it was helpful. But, we still suggest looking into fiberglass trailers as well. They are amazing in their own right. This video was designed to be pro teardrop. It was really more about the lifestyle than the quality of trailer. Southern California teardropping sounds amazing by the way!
Funny to see your own comment in a video :-) When I browse over the comments, people are saying having a bathroom is important as well as being able to cook indoors. I had been thinking about both: cooking outside is definitely my preference unless you have a large rig. I don't know what people are cooking, but when I cook I need more space than a scamp offers and I don't want the smell of whatever is for dinner hanging around over night. I can also brew my morning tea (I don't do coffee) without disturbing my wife. For bathrooms: that's why I bring a shovel :-) I have a popup shower tent for showering and while a bathroom would be handy sometimes, I met a lot of campers over the years who never use their bathrooms because then they have to deal with tanks. That's the beauty of a teardrop: Mine has 11 gal of fresh water, but no grey or black tank. Much easier to maintain. Most places I go to are pretty remote so the shovel works and then a lot of BLM lands do have vault toilets.
Your comment got us thinking, which meant we had to put it in the video :) All these comments have been fun to read. We are interested to see if some of them resonate more with us in 10 years from now. Like you we are very comfortable living outside and enjoying being kicked out of our bed on wheels. We also agree about not wanting to bring all that smell into our sleeping area. Beings we cook a lot of SE Asian food it would be pretty intense inside after a summer of cooking.
@@vonheimlerstrudel Bureau of Land Management. The federal agency that manages federally owned lands that are not national forests or national parks. For me the BLM used for the anti-racist movement is so confusing because I always think "what do public lands have to do with black people?"
Greetings from Fairbanks! I have a pop up, and I say it’s the perfect Alaskan camper. I can tow it with all 3 of our vehicles (2004 Jeep Liberty V6, 2013 Toyota Sienna Van, and 2014 Jeep GC EcoDiesel), it easily sleeps our family of 5 and gives a good base camp to venture out from. Regardless to how you get out there, just being in nature is always a win in my book. PS 3 of my favorite spots are: Quartz Lake by Delta, Highland campground in Eagle River, & Donnley Dome campground. It’s actually quite beautiful and more than a “break” between Valdez & Fairbanks.
@john mine , believe me I know. I’ve lived in interior Alaska for over 40 years. I’ve seen what a bear can do if he wants into someplace. I’ve seen door jams pushed in on cabins & doors ripped off their hinges by hungry and curious bears I’ve seen hard shell campers shredded as though they were made of canvas. You have to treat a pop-up like a normal tent. I like my pop up because it gets me off the ground, keeps the skeeters away, and can expand to fit my family.
That's right. I have an Aliner Scout Lite, beats both teardrops and scamp. Bought new 2019 from dealer near factory for $8500. Towed 8K miles to Alaska and back with no issues. Almost no change in MPG as it is lower than my Jeep JK Wrangler. I don't recommend any 4 cyl (except turbo) car to tow any trailer.
Thank you for this very, very, very video. We've been thinking for a long time about buying a big trailer, and now we're convinced that a little trailer like yours is best suited.
Glad this was helpful Dana! We are big fans of the scamp as well. Their 13 and 16 foot Version still has many of the benefits of a small camper trailer versus the larger RVs.
I don’t have Scamp but I do have a 2019 17’ Casita Independence deluxe. Like your contrast in this video between teardrop v. Fiber glass, I started thinking teardrops is for me but ended up with the Casita. The number reason is the wet bath. As an older gent the restroom runs through the night nixed the teardrops. It’s really that simple. Thank you for the video!
I think the Scamps have their place for sure, but I think this topic always turns into two groups trying to justify why they chose what they did. For me I love my teardrop because it’s so low maintenance. I wanted something I can have ready to go in a few minutes and be on the road. I don’t want the hassle of winterizing, finding indoor storage, etc. I also love that I can keep my small SUV and still take the tear into the mountains with no issues. Thanks for doing this video and I didn’t take your comments about your Scamp and whining...I took it as objectivity.
Your comments are much appreciated as usual. We second everything you say when it comes to simplicity, ease of use, and maintenance. What I didn't add to the video, but should have...if you build or purchase an offroad teardrop then you really have a no hassle no thought rig in comparison to a fiberglass trailer.
I had a teardrop trailer for just over a year. It was like sleeping in a easy bake oven. Maybe a teardrop would be good in Alaska but in the Midwest where it's hot and humid it was miserable
We never even thought about the heat. Someone else commented in our other video how miserable memory foam is in hot weather. Good thing to know if we decided to travel south. Thanks for the comment Tracy.
Awnings on the side of trailers and cars are popular in Australia. I've seen them on teardrops too. So much easier than fiddling with free standing shelters especially in wind and rain.
When we see a teardrop pull up with an awning we get a bit jealous. You are so right, so much less hassle. And fiddling with shelters in wind and rain is not the very part of our camping experience.
I have a 2005 Scamp. I can get it in my garage (a 1971 Hickel house) by lowering the air in the wheels, pushing it in, and then pumping them up again. I agree with many others. In my 50 ‘s I prefer the extra space of a Scamp. Also, I have pulled it with my 1997 RAV4 for the past 14 years. I can get over Alaskan passes, usually at to 30-35 mph. I have wanted to pull into a weigh station and see how much it is fully l loaded. I have simplified the original design and removed some weight. Thank you for the information. I will check out your other videos, and hope to see you on the road. We love camping at Portage, Hope, Homer, and TKA.
We are definitely putting our foot in our mouth this year! We have worked on distributing the weight in the Scamp. We did this by only filling the water holding tank about 1/4 full and then distributing water jugs around the Scamp. Crazy enough we went over Turnagain Pass last weekend between 55 and 60 miles per hour at only 3,500 rpm. These 4 cylinders like yours and ours can definitely get the job done. Love the suggestion about lowering the air in the wheels. Would love to meet up with you one day Jana. Stay in touch. Your favorite camping spots are our favorite as well. I think we have videos on every one of these destinations. The Homer video will be coming out in the next month or two. Thanks for sharing about your own personal experience. I know the community will really appreciate it!
Two years ago a friend and I rented a 4 wd truck and took a tour loop from Fairbanks and back. We visited many of these locations and loved every minute of it. This June I retire and am looking at my Scamp/ Teardrop options. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to get myself out on the road and back up to Alaska with one of them! These videos and everyone's comments have been very helpful tools for comparison. Thank you!
I have a pickup with a camper shell which makes it more like the teardrop in that It forces you outside, i mostly use it just to sleep. I would point out that of course there is no towing involved with my setup it is more stealth in that you can park it anywhere and get that “million dollar view. but as you stated it all boils down to personal choice. Enjoy your videos happy travels. Stay safe
From different videos we have posted we have had other people comment that what we are really looking for is a truck camper. the more we look into this option the more intrigued we are. Thanks for the feedback we really appreciate it.
If you build your own teardrop youll save big $. Thats the only way to have one at an affordable price. The commercial ones are overpriced for what they are. Very few people build stand up height trailers, though its not impossible its a considerably more.challenging project. The other option not mentioned here is the cargo trailer conversion. Theyre way cheaper than any size camping trailer and built much stronger. They come bare bones of course but you get to make every decision on what goes into it and where to put everhthing exactly how you want it. They come in 5 x 8 foot size which would be roughly equivalent to a teardrop size, on up to as big as you want. Thats what were going to do. How can you go wrong by spending as little as ~ $2,000 - $3,000 to get started, new?
We agree that cargo trailers is one of the best investments. Up here a majority of the small camper trailers are converted stealth cargo trailers. They are built tough, are not very noticeable when stealth camping, and provide great standing height.
That would give you a lot of room. The 4 foot wide isn't ideal, we would probably be better off with the 5 or 6 foot. But on the plus size it is not wider than our car and it fits into a one car garage.
Yes, it definitely can. In theory it could tow even more. Our Matrix that you see in this video towing the Scamp has a 1,500lb towing capacity. The Prius Prime seems to have 2,000lb towing capacity. Quite impressive!
I had a '76 13' Scamp years ago. It was originally a kit. Never had any problems with screws coming loose though. The biggest problem I had was one of the trucks that towed it didn't have power brakes...That extra 1000 lbs made a big difference when trying to stop.
You know now that we think about it the screws coming loose could be a northern travel thing. Most of the forums and blogs we read are about travel through Canada and Alaska. Our roads are not always the most friendly to rvs. Good thought on the stopping, we should have mentioned that. With the 4 cylinder car on flat roads we barely noticed the Scamp was back there, that was until it came time to stop.
We’ve have a teardrop for ten years and have travelled all over North America . We love it . Ours is handmade by CampInn in Necedah Wi. Wonderful people and such artisans.
We love the CampInn teardrops. You nailed it when you said such artisans. They are truly a work of art. Ten years traveling around North America sounds amazing! I bet you have seen some amazing places in your teardrop. Out of curiosity what do you use for a side entry tent?
Tear drops are better because standing out in the rain first thing in the morning making coffee is such an attractive idea. And not having a bathroom is such a great plan.
Teardrops aren't the most glamorous you are definitely right. However, we have noticed most people use a simple pop up canopy to keep them nice and dry first thing in the morning.
Just Traveling P.S. I really got your message. I have a Scamp and a Kompact Kamp, and love both . If I travel alone, I usually take my KK . I love it because it’s lightweight, easy to tow , and I can stand up in it . For a single person looking for economy, storage ,ease of use, check it out!
@@jimpiquette1375 Scamps just like teardrops are pretty darn designed to get you outside. But in a Scamp you have the option to come in if you so desire, which is pretty nice.
People camp for different reasons, even the same people camp for different reasons at different times of their life. When I was in my 20's I enjoyed tent camping, now at 57 I wouldn't spend a weekend in a tent for love or money. Same goes for a tear drop when I was younger it would have seemed luxurious, now, no way. I can enjoy the great outdoors a whole lot more when I'm warm and comfortable and dry. That doesn't make anyone wrong.
Well said! Thank you for your perspective on this. Even now we love to mix it up between the tent, the teardrop, and the Scamp. Even from week to week we have different priorities.
as for cooking inside. I grew up using a 1948 trailer that my parents owned. we traveled to 49 states, all of Canada, and as far as the road went with it We had no issues overall.
We have had the same experience. We have had some people comment in the past about the dangers associated with indoor cooking, but it is just a reminder to have your fire extinguisher on hand and a clear exit.
Yes I looked into MyPods, it would be perfect, but it will be tight for 2 people and a small dog. A runaway on a aluminum frame might be an option. It has to be around 600-800 lbs for a Prius.
@@PlayingwithSticks This might be a crazy idea of mine, but here is my plan. The Toyota Prius is a Rolling Generator, Heat and Air-conditioning Source. You can connect up to a 2000 watt inverter to the Prius for powering the teardrop. Then somehow TAP INTO the AC and Heat system of the Prius and run it to the teardrop. You put the Prius on standby mode, and it will only start the engine to replenish the Prius battery. Only about a gallon of gas per 12 hours. A boondock dream set up. Sounds crazy right?
Sounds amazing! If you could figure something like that out and post it online everybody will be doing it, including us. I wish we were more creative like that.
have had teardrop for 3 seasons. the love has not diminished. if there are mobility, stair climbing issues in your fam, you never have any worries with the td. just open door, plunk your bottom down & swivel in :)
Love running into other teardrop trailer enthusiasts! We completely agree with the mobility, with one catch. Both times May was pregnant it got really difficult near her due date to get in and out of our little trailer. That is why you will see in our videos we tend to do more Scamp trailer camping when she is starting to wobble :)
@@PlayingwithSticks very true. But if fitting thru the small door isn't a variable (😂), teardrop wins hands down. The steps in pop up etc are a real Hazard. Also clutter inside. With td you have the ground and that's it. Foresee being able to use it for many years, no matter how mobile. And it's true what you say about it being a conversation starter everywhere Happy Trails!
I had a scamp-I had a teardrop. If you are going to do a BEST then easily a converted van. Stealth camping alone makes it worth it. Plus you can get ticketed just for parking a trailer/camper in certain spots here in Florida. I have. This is my opinion but I do miss the scamp at times
Stealth does sound great. Every once on a while we feel like we stick out in the Scamp when we would rather blend in. The more we know about stealth vans, the more we're now seeing them all around the state of Alaska! Our favorite ones are the ones that look like utility vans or old UPS trucks. Before learning about stealth we would have had no idea people were sleeping in them.
Playing with Sticks, design phase only. Bought the trailer, and started the build - basically the floor. The trailer lent itself to a 2x2 hole in front of the axel that I dropped a made plywood box into. Plywood “cover” on top of the hole when the box was up or down and not needed, but it was so handy to sit and kind’a stand up (4’ + 18”). Dirt got on the bottom of the box, which made a mess pulling the box up, and I needed to make sure nothing could drop down driving (rejected just pulling it part way up. Round hole and cover?). All driveway build trials. All solvable. Ha! If I could put in the middle, could seat 2 people....4 in a wider one. Decided instead to start building a pop-up truck camper like the Alaskan, but things happen and change is needed. No place to build stuff now, so looking at what I can buy and modify....as soon I decide what I want;-).
Just a weird question that popped in my head, but do you have to take special precautions camping with these tiny trailers in bear country? Can you keep your food in the camper overnight? Or do you have to hang it out of bear reach away from camp? Especially if you’re not at a campground.
You are ABSOLUTELY right about teardrops drawing crowds. We went on a two week trip from SLC to Memphis and back. By the end of it, I was SO sick of talking to people about my camper. I have a 1977 Nomad now and NO ONE talks to me about it. So much better and only cost me $1500.
If you saw you in your Nomad we would probably talk to you :) We find the nomads retro and fun. You are the second comment we had about negative experiences with teardrops drawing crowds. They are quite the conversation starter.
Laura Moncur...have a sign that the 'conversation is closed', or place your chair with your back to the 'crowds' or turn the camper's bum to the crowd when you've had enough? Is there not a van or camp equivalent to the open/closed door signal at the office?
I designed my CamperVan to be more like a tear drop. I cook outdoors, I typically eat outdoors, and spend almost all my time outdoors. I call it my rolling steel tent. I use it for sleeping, security and storage.... I can comfortably spend time inside the van if needed, but I normally won't.
I think that is the route we would go to if we had a van. A van sounds like aperfect setup because you don't have the worries of towing a trailer. The vans, like these small trailers are still pretty small. If you are trying to do everything inside it would be a bit tough. But, like you said if you need to do stuff inside you do have the option. With our little teardrop going to the bathroom and changing clothes can be quite a challenge. Now, cooking, that would be almost impossible.
It sure gets love from us. And we have gotten a lot of love in the comments about the Matrix in this video and all the other Scamp/Teardrop videos. It is quite the impressive little vehicle.
That really is the summary of the video. Since we made that video the summary is more like, You live out of a teardrop and you live out of a scamp. Weird as it sounds we often feel more cramped in the Scamp then the teardrop. We think that is because we treat it more like a house. For example instead of leaving the cooler in the car you bring it into the Scamp. On our last long outing in the Scamp we forgot to bring the side entry tent, and boy did that make Scamp life tough. Even though it is larger than a teardrop it is best to consider a Scamp more similar to a teardrop and bring the outdoor living room with you.
I've been laying in a bed for 9 months in Kansas (Health issues). I want a scamp to get out in the world. I will probably never afford one, but I'll keep day dreaming.
So sorry to hear that. Keep your eyes out. There are many great quality fiberglass trailers on Craigslist and Facebook Buy and Sell. We have seen quite a few go for 3-$4,000. If you are having trouble finding a Scamp at a good price you may want to start looking up the less known versions. The trailers that are very similar (we mean VERY similar) to Scamps are Uhaul trailers, Burro Trailers, and Boler Trailers.
I got a teardrop Aug 2022 for the reasons of smaller, forces you outside and storage factors. I'm solo and didn't want a monstrosity of a thing to deal with. I have a s*it, shower and change tent bivy attached to my truck so I can stand for wardrobe changes. I have a luggable loo and use pine pellets. Ok, weather dependent meaning no wind is when I can use it. I love the easy pull up and detach setup, no more vulnerability in a tent. The first big trip was in Chaco Canyon last November and yeah, talk about getting lots of attention... it was cool to have people ask and admire the trailer, but yeah exhausting talking to everyone and trying to accomplish a task. I have it stored in my single car garage easy in, not so easy out on my first try but learned to hand maneuver it out. So now it's easy out. I love it. I have an option to add a roof top tent if I met someone with a kid or two.
I never thought I love a teardrop until I saw one up closed 😱I ordered one. I love it's simplicity & minimalist-feel👌🇳🇿 Good job with the video👍God bless you and your family
Having never camped before, at 79, I built my own teardrop. Went camping and found that I loved it! Only thing is, now I am trying to sell my house and looking for a light weight trailer to pull and live in. Have considered the Scamp, an Aliner and the Tab trailers. So far, the Scamp looks the most promising. I have a V6 Ford Escape. So I think enough to handle it. Use to drive over the road in an 18 wheeler, so not worried about backing one up. But as with any trailer, it takes practice. So while the teardrop was good to start out in, I need something bigger to live in. Know 2 other people living in a 13 ft Scamp and they doing well. Happy travels.
Hi Terry. We are excited about your future upgrade. Would love to hear what type of teardrop you built. The more we take out the Scamp the easier it is to tow. We have learned how to distribute the weight properly and now we are going over the mountain passes at 55 to 60 miles per hour. Last week we actually went over Turnagain Pass at 65 with our 4 cylinder and only at 3,000 rpms. For us we found if we reduced the water in the water holding tank and brought more water bottles to distribute the weight load around the Scamp, we had a great increase in power and gas mileage. We think you will love the Scamp. It really is a camper trailer that is hard to beat.
Glad you enjoyed it. I like to remind people that this video was a one sided argument. It was actual a video that people asked for after we made a why scamps are better than teardrops video.
Before making your decision on scamp vs teardrop make sure you check out our other three scamp trailer videos. In this video we were pro teardrop, but the other three videos are more focused on the benefits of the Scamp trailer. Our hope is that after you watch all four you will be able to make a more informed decision knowing the pros and cons of both. Happy adventuring everyone!
You should buy a bigger, more powerful vehicle to tow with.
Playing with Sticks thanks 👍🏼💖👧🏻
Casita #1, tear drops junk by Forest River junk junk.. Molded Fiberglass...best best..
People will appreciate that you've tried a few models. We've noticed many others go down the same route as you meaning at the end they realize fiberglass is the best way to go.
i had seen many mini-camping trailers including the scamp. i even saw the airstream nest. my major drawback is the limited towing weight with my 1964 scout 80 2 x 2 drive and i don't want to fight the parking, not good at the backingup trailer. that's why i chose to design my DIY on weight and comfort to the max in mind.
"you're not going to hang out in bed all day".
That sounds like a challenge sir...
I love seeing folks accept this challenge with gusto! Your comment gave us a great laugh.
lololol that's funny knight! lolol
I have a bad back, so some kind of lying-down variation is always what I'm doing. Challenge accepted!
😆🤣👍👍
Lmao 😂!! Maybe I’m the only one with a king bed and lush memory foam on it. But, when my bed is bigger than your whole trailer.... One of those would be cool to camp out of for a few nights, but that’s probably as much as I could do. Neat video still.
I have a Scamp 13' and it is the right thing for me. If I was younger and able to backpack and tent camp like I used to, a teardrop would be an option but now I like to be able to stand up, move around and make my morning coffee without doing it in the rain, cold or wind. Most of the time is spent outside but it sure is nice to step into my cozy dry Scamp when the outside is not so friendly.
Yep, we feel that way to a majority of the time. Like you we find a good balance between getting outdoors and spending time in the Scamp. Funny enough this RUclips channel has actually forced us more outside to film our adventures, which has really been a blessing.
HI! I've been thinking about the NuCamp T@B Teardrops with wet bath and indoor or outdoor kitchen. I love their versatility. I'm considering them over my Motorhome. I tow a Jeep Cherokee which could become my tow vehicle . Thanks for the comparisons.
@@Randylj1 We adore those T@B Teardrops. They aren't only functional they also are light and airy inside. They feel more like a home than any other camper we have been in. The Jeep would be perfect for towing the T@B.
tortoiseyard I also sometimes need to stop at rest areas. I have cooked awesome burgers and got back on the road. Can’t cook outside without risking a ticket in a rest area. Teardrops are cute, but not practical for me at all.
I am in a Casita age 62 right now on the internet . Very comfortable. Going to take a shower here in a bit. In a little tear drop I would be getting over UV exposed right now. :)
If I was a youngster might do a tear drop on some back packing or something but I love my Casita... It will do that as well. I pull it with a Tacoma... No sway bar it goes down the high way extremely stable in wind. The shape of the egg fiber glass is extremely good at shedding wind. I had a R-Pod tear drop was a wwind catcher... Horrible junk rv by Forest River. Tacoma would jusst barely pull it. Too much wind drag.
You underestimate my ability stay in bed all day 😂😂😂😂😂
Hahaha. Love this one!
😄😄
"I underestimated you." --- Jan Levenson
"Yea, well, maybe next time you will *estimate* me." --- Michael Scott
@Roy G Biv ha..ha..so clever got baby without sweat work
Lol....yesss
The older models of Scamps are shorter than the newer models. I'm sure people have mentioned this before. We can fit our Scamp in a standard garage, which means my partner, Barron, can not fully stand up inside. This was an interesting video! It's all based on intent, I'd say. Living full time in a Scamp makes more sense to us than a tear drop for many reasons and we're very happy!
Hi Elsa. Okay, complete honesty here. You and Barron are definitely our heros! We put out our first three videos on the Scamp and received a lot of comments from the teardrop community. To be fair we decided to make a pro teardrop video beings we had spent three videos saying why we loved the Scamp more than our teardrop. We didn't expect the pro teardrop video to get a lot of views (in hindsight now we realize it was the title). When it got traction our biggest fear was one of the two of you would see it. Well, looks like you finally did. We have apologized profusely to our friends at "Our Scamp Life." Our sincerest apologies to you as well. We truly belive Scamps rock they have always been our dream RV.
And, nobody has mentioned yet that the older models were shorter than the newer models. How do you get the Scamp in the standard garage? We read in forums how people have to manipulate the tires or axles to get the Scamps in the garage. Thanks for sharing this Elsa. I know people will really appreciate it.
@@PlayingwithSticks WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!! Apologize! Nonsense! Without honestly like this, no one will be able to assess their options prior to choosing their rig! I've been wanting to make a "why I wouldn't live in a van" video, but know I'd get a ton of feedback on why my opinions are wrong, but as I said in my comment above, it's all about intent! Vans don't make sense for us because we like to stay put in our parking spots. Tear drops wouldn't work because we work "from home" and that wouldn't be enough space for our full time gear. An RV wouldn't work because it's too big to lug around to all the off-grid locations we like! You covered everything very well, especially for most people who don't want to live full time but want an awesome rig to get them outside. We need honesty! ..But I had to put my comment out there to stand for my Scampers! :) I'm about to read your other comment replies. I'm happy to be in touch with you. Your video production is incredible. I found you through your camper bed video yesterday and now your Scamp videos are popping up in my feed!
@@PlayingwithSticks Barron says he thinks they started making Scamps taller in 2006 or 2007 when the factory burned down--I'm not positive on the details. We have a 1988 and it's one of the shorter models. Barron was hilariously annoyed when he learned there are different heights. Had we known, we would have tried to find one taller, BUT, it wouldn't have been able to fit in a garage.. not that we do that often. It's a perk though! We worked on it for a couple weeks in my parents' third car garage last year.
@@ElsaRhae We really appreciate your comment and the great van analogy. We have two favorite Creators we follow, obviously you are one of them. Our other favorite RUclips creator is Slim Potatohead. Although this controversial video allowed us the chance to chat with you, our goal is NOT to create another controversial A-Liner video to draw Slim out :) This small camper community is such a joy to be a part of.
I'm looking at getting a scamp because after almost my whole adult life in the military, my body is broke up. I did lots of tent camping and miss the outdoors, so within the next few years I'll be getting a scamp.
I like scamp but also like casitas.
I built and used a teardrop for 10+ years but as I grew older (now 68) I came to two major difficulties. 1. I go to festivals a lot. There was no way to change clothes unless you do it outside and take a chance of getting arrested or shunned. 2. Being older one needs to use the toilet more often and unless you're in a campground you need a porta potty tent which is fine for extended stays but not for cross country travel. A minor inconvenience being older is that the body does not function as well when getting in and out.
So I dismantled my teardrop and built a stand in camper on the base which has worked well for me so far.
Love your ingenuity of taking the old teardrop down and building up a standup camper. We would also agree that our #1 struggle with the teardrop is changing clothing. We have added a side tent which makes changing and going to the bathroom easier, but you are right it is not very stealth and it is definitely not as convenient as having standing room and a toilet inside. Thanks for the great comment Harold.
Harold is singing my song. 😧
Yes, I’m in the “ older” boat too, 70, and this makes the decision different. Building anything is out of the question.
I need more than a four ft tall teardrop. “A-frames” are also a possibility.
Harold Anderson : I am 72. I use to tent camp with my 2 wheeled motorcycle. No more, motel is for me now. The bathroom thing is a real issue. A lot of my biker friends have quick camps pulled behind their 3 wheeled motorcycles. A cheap person’s tear drop. I was wondering if you get a lot of sweating in the fiberglass trailer?
@@stephenpowstinger733 We are hearing a lot about
A-frames in the comments. We will have to see if we can rent one up here and try it out.
If I could predict the weather I'd go with a Teardrop, but since I can't I went with a Scamp.
You summed it up very well with this comment. I would also add if I could easily change clothes while sitting down I'd go with a teardrop 😁 We really love the Scamps it is tough to find anything wrong with them. We had to nitpick pretty hard on this video just to find a few negatives.
I really think if you just want to save money on motel bills the tear drop is the best solution unless you want to convert a mini van into a camper that's another subject for another video. Tear drop trailers can also haul stuff when not camping. 73
Some of us don’t want to be forced outside. Just because we all like to travel doesn’t mean we are all outdoorsy people.
As a voluminous watcher of RUclips information videos, I have to say, this one was very well thought out, produced, and presented. Thank you.
Thanks for the positive feedback hilohaw!
Except he's completely full of shit.
A voluminous watcher? Have you considered diet and exercise?
Great sales person for teardrop is what this video was about. People are just afraid to say it, that’s all.
Why the negative comments? He made his case for what works for him. He's under the assumption that viewers can logically assess their own needs/priorities and make their own choices. He owns both types and brings an experienced viewpoint to the table. I didn't get the impression he was a teardrop salesman. I appreciated his articulate video. Didn't your mommas tell you if you have nothing good to say, than don't say anything..
I agree with you on many of those points. I had a teardrop for years and loved it. I've always lived alone and Camp alone. Occasionally a friend would travel. I've now got a 13-foot 1984 burro fiberglass camper. I've had it now for 4 years. I really like it a lot better than the teardrop. Main thing is I am now 70 years old and as most men when they get older have a few prostate problems and I have to get up to pee 3 times or more per night. Being able to get up and stand Is a lot nicer than crawling out of a teardrop. Of course for a man it's a little easier to use a urinal and empty it in the morning. No place to put it in the teardrop with fear of turning it over during the night. LOL.
So true on the difficulties of going to the bathroom in a teardrop. We see some of the folks online with the 6 ft wide runaway campers and they have room on the side of their bed to store their shoes and to have a small rv style toilet. But it still doesn't come close to standing up in a fiberglass trailer. We also just appreciate the overall roominess and airy feel you get when hanging out on a rainy day inside a burro or scamp.
I'm 71 and just bought a Roadloft conversion for my Honda Odyssey van. I use a little pee cup made for the female body and a mason jar with a lid when I need to pee in the night. Works just fine!
@@maryt-r4207pm p
When discussing towing, especially over mountains, don't forgot a lot of 4 cylinder engines are now turbo charged. Forced induction makes a huge difference in towing, especially at altitude, we towed our scamp 13 over a 10,000ft pass with 12% grades in New Mexico, without breaking a sweat. We tow with a nx200t which has a 2 liter turbo 4 cylinder. I am a little biased since I own the scamp, i was looking at tear drops as well, but for the same money i think i got more of a bang for the buck with the scamp. We were tent campers before and we still cook mostly outside, and we don't have a bathroom or a shower so winterizing for us only takes a few minutes. I do have to admit i do think a variety of rv's are neat, and once of the coolest tear drops i have seen is the Vistabule. In the Midwest I often take the scamp to non-electric tent camping spots and it doesn't cost me any more to camp with it, at least in Illinois and surrounding area's. I thought the scamp would be lighter to move as well when we got it, like you said its doable on smooth surface, but really difficult on gravel or something not smooth. Also, mud flaps really help keep the scamp clean. The benefits for me in the scamp are being able to stand up, having 2 separate sleeping areas, having access to a porta potty and having a sink and a cooking space inside if the weather gets unfriendly. We have had our scamp for just about a year and we really enjoy it.
Thank you Dave for adding the 4 cylinders with turbos. This is a pretty new concept for us that we need to look into more. We have been hearing about the new For Rangers that a lot of people are talking about in terms of high gas mileage to high towing capacity. Glad to see manufacturers are starting to put out vehicles with both mileage and power in mind. You really nailed it on the pros of the Scamp. As much as I (Drew) fights spending more time in the Scamp than the Teardrop eventually I think that is the direction we will have to go as our family grows. We love the 2 separate sleeping areas. Also who can complain about standing up, cooking inside, a large enough space to spend an entire rainy morning in, the ability to go to the bathroom.... We also noticed in the Midwest as well that the non-electric camping spaces were larger and more accommodating for smaller rvs. Thanks for the suggestion on the mudflaps. Simple suggestion, but honestly we didn't even think about it. Like you we are interested in many small rvs. As long as they are small we are pretty excited about them. A neat company is Rustic Tears. They are one of the only teardrop manufactures that make a nice looking standup teardrop (canned ham) called the Polar Bear, I think that is the name. It is almost perfect, but unlike the Scamp there is only one sleeping area. Maybe some day we can get a custom canned ham made with some bunks adjacent to the main bed. Thanks again for commenting Dave, we really appreciate it!
What is your vehicle’s GVWR and towing capacity? I have a 2021 4 cylinder GMC Terrain and I want to buy a small travel trailer.
Thank you for posting this. I too have an nx300, and I thought the scamp wouldn’t be doable with a 4 cylinder, front wheel drive vehicle.
The real limitation on trailer towing vehicles is the brakes and wheel base. Low enough gears, a bigger radiator or transmission cooler, and horsepower will get you up the mountain (my wife's Honda Civic has more horsepower than 1/2 ton pickup trucks of 20 years ago). It's coming down that problems start to crop up. Small brakes get overheated quickly and a short wheelbase car gives the trailer more leverage to shove the rear of the vehicle out of line when braking.
Also, cars tend to have much less transmission cooling than trucks and SUVs.
You need to be very cognizant of these issues when trying to tow with compact cars and crossover SUVs.
I have lived in a minivan for years, living out of a back pack for clothes, showering at swimming pools and gyms, using public toilets. I have solar panels and a double battery system, 12 volt compressor refrigerator, 12 volt microwave, 12 volt television mounted on the ceiling, 12 volt blanket, etc. USB plugs power my phone, tablet, fans, lights, etc. I can park in parking garages to go to dinner, movies, museums, tourist attractions, festivals, amusement parks and being stealth in cities. For boon docking I have a tarp awning and folding camp chairs. I have had a tent for the shower/toilet but in high winds it blew away. Towed a Tent trailer but didn't like it in wind and rain, I like my insulated tin tent on wheels best. It would be cramped if I had children along but for one or two people it works out. If I were to get a trailer it would be a cargo trailer to have a stand up shower, flush toilet and to carry a motorbike. But I would always worry about it being damaged or stolen when I wasn't around. My minivan is basically a teardrop from the front seat back.
You probably wouldn't believe this, but in all our videos you are the first person to suggest a minivan. WE agree they must be pretty awesome or all those people out there wouldn't be doing the ever so popular van life!
LaMarr Harding I have come to the same conclusion as you so succinctly put it, your minivan is your version of a teardrop, and I am in planning mode now. Sweetie pulls up my sensible undies when I dream too big...or I pull them over his head if he tries to over engineer things. #bigsmiles
I have gone down the wormhole here on RUclips. I enjoyed finding out that there is such a thing as One Bag Travel. AND Bum Bag Travel. And Car Dwellers. And boon docking. And stealth vans/cars. I have toured RVs that cost more than my modest home and I realised I do not want two houses. I found out that I want Agility, Flexibility, Choice and Efficiency. I found, and admired, many van conversion that have inspired me. I have seen how to make or buy low to high end camp kitchens, chuck boxes, kitchen pods and loved every one...but...
Modest house + modest van + modest footprint + protect principal + $pend interest + local travel + international trips ++ = #retirementgoals
@@PlayingwithSticks #metoo lol
LaMarr Harding
Thanks, LaMarr, I’m with you on this topic. I’m not sure how you wire everything up, but I get the general idea. Thanks / Chris.
....you can’t unhitch things and leave them behind in a minivan. Nor can you stand up. Nor can you stay in certain campgrounds when necessary.
So I’d rather tow a scamp than be stuck in a minyvan
I need a little teardrop, every year I take my wife to see her Mom❤️. But I'm extremely allergic to the cat and dogs and I struggle to breathe, last time I got so congested I got vertigo... The idea of a teardrop is appealing just in the sense that it's affordable and I could have a clean space to lay my head down at night and sleep well.
Great idea. We haven't heard any comments yet about using a teardrop as just an alternate place to sleep when traveling. Completely makes sense. We have had some people comment in our other videos how they have used their Scamp as a temporary home. One mother sent her child off to live in the Scamp and once he got settled he kept it in his yard for her mother in law apartment. If you were to go with those low cost models we mentioned later in the video you probably couldn't go wrong. We notice here the teardrops have really good resell ability as well.
It is very rare to be highly allergic to cats and dogs so it might be some other allergen.
I love any piece of outdoor equipment that gets people out in nature supporting and appreciating our state and federal parks. If you're towing a scamp, teardrop, or fifthwheel...or even packing a tent, I'm a fan of you.
I really appreciate the work you've done. Your Lumix camera work is in the top 5% of RUclips. Your videos, and I've watched them all are well considered, and you do a very good job putting up with some of the less than considered opinions. You've got a beautiful family, and you do a marvelous job making Alaska look amazing. Your pro-level efforts in editing, music, and sound are so appreciated. Thanks for sharing your views and making your videos so excellent. We've had nearly every kind of RV. There is something for everyone. The Teardrop lifestyle is remarkably rewarding if you love the simplicity of being outside with your people. Keep up the good work! Love watching East grow up.
Thank you Stan. Your comment is honestly one of the nicest comments we have received on RUclips. We love coming across people who have worked their way through the many different styles of RVs. We have been chatting lately with Travels with Yoly their story is really fun to see how they started small, went big, and are back to small campers. Thanks again for the very positive and warm comment!
I like the idea of a teardrop just because its simple and more like tent camping without having to pack/unpack everything once at camp. The teardrop would be the perfect weekend camper for me.
For longer camping trips with the possibility of incliment weather I think the Scamp would be the way to go. Both have good and bad so one needs to buy based on what they need in a camper.
We would completely agree with that. We always thought we were tent campers, RVs were not for us. BUT, once we took out our teardrop for the first time everything changed. Teardrops are definitely great for the weekend warrior, but as you mentioned Scamps are better for the longer adventures into possibly inclement weather.
Worse thing for me about tent camping is rolling up a wet tent after a storm and having to set it up again to air out once you're home. Therefore I see your point about a Teardrop.
Unfortunately we experience that same issue with our awning even when using the teardrop. If we know rain is in the forecast and we don't plan on hanging outside too much we don't set up the awning so we can take off quickly in the morning. Many times in AK you can wait all morning for your awning to dry, but it never does due to the lower temperatures and shade from the trees.
@@PlayingwithSticks A canvas tent with a teardrop solves the weather issue.
I would go with the Scamp, it is more homey; you can stand win it, dress up and cook , shelter from a rainy day reading, you can invite friends over. But hauling it and the skills to park , the teardrop wins.
We definitely agree with every one of your comments. The more we use it the better we get at utilizing the Scamp's advantages.
Teardrops for the young. Scamps / Casita for the old. Class B for both young or old. Happy Trails
Thanks Richard. Great comment. We agree. However, we find most of the people building teardrops are older. I think it is the challenge they love building an RV from scratch, not the lack of standing, bathroom, etc.
We are 65 and love our Casita. I agree with your statement.
It has very little to do with age. Age has no effect on being able to stand, cook or shit inside.
@@garyanderson9467 exactly I'd feel more comfortable with a scamp
I’m 27 and LOVE my Casita but I think I’d probably love a teardrop too 😁 For me, as an often-solo woman camper, I feel so much more comfortable having self contained options like bathroom and kitchen facilities. So if an environment doesn’t feel 100% safe, I have access to everything I need without having to leave the trailer. I also have a larger vintage camper so the Casita always feels like I can zip in and out of anywhere by comparison but I am a little envious of the maneuverability of teardrops.......!
I was a tent guy for yrs so I brought a teardrop this yr in spring and I love it and it is good size to pull my 4 cyl with chevy Colorado. I had no problem with it.
We never realized Chevy Colorado's run on a 4 cylinder. 20/26 mpg sounds pretty nice for a pickup truck. Welcome to the small camper family Bryan! For us it just gets better every year.
Fiberglass work is enjoyable to me. I learned it from an oldtimer while I was a teen and had traded for a wrecked Corvette , and have been putting wrecked tuck front ends back together , boat repair since. If you fix a crack pick what side you wanna preserve and grind it nearly into and at least 3 inches wide and deep. Then simply start laying in your mesh and resin. Most people are scared to do the grinding and try to patch by just roughing up the area , but you gotta get serious with the hogging with the grinder. I have fixed pieces that were completely torn off that way but on the painted side it only looked as if it was scratched in the paint where the pcs were rejoined.
Also the mud issue. Get a slip on bar across your Reese coupler with mudflaps to protect your Skamper. They use to be a common accessory years back , but no one uses them anymore.
Great video on explaining all of this.
Thanks for sharing about the grinding. We are very comfortable using mesh and fiberglass resin on our canoes. But, they look pretty patchy. Sounds like we just need to be a little more detailed to get a nice finished (unnoticeable). We had never heard of the mudflaps that could be attached to the coupler. We have had quite a few folks suggest mudflats, but as the Matrix is our daily driver we really didn't want the mudflaps on permanently. Great suggestions. Something like this right? www.discountramps.com/automotive/truck/accessories/p/HMF-2418/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgNXtBRC6ARIsAIPP7Rt8tnru8a0yvcTpHTREoZktcJHMUsuH063DVWRjypzc246wjAtzR8AaAoyTEALw_wcB
Since I’ve been fascinated with a teardrop, I enjoy all the information on the teardrop! Mahalo nui!
We are glad you enjoyed it. Quyana Cakneq!
There is probably a teardrop group in your area that you can go and visit at one of their gatherings.
You will find some very nice people willing to answer any questions you have and show you around.
Seek and you will find.
mowguy fudd, Mahalo nui for your encouraging words.God willing Hawaii has a tear drop community.
I have both as well. I built my teardrop and love that it's lightweight and easy to see around when driving. My building skills were not the greatest so I ended up with some leaking problems at the galley hatch and around the doors when driving in the rain. It ended up living out in Colorado with my No. 2 Son since Colorado is a dry state. I kept the Scamp because I live in Minnesota because the Scamp gives me a longer camping season. Being as I camp alone (if you don't count my poodle mix), the Scamp gives me more security. Plus, in the morning, it's just so much easier to turn on the stove to start the water for coffee. Backing up is difficult because of the shorter tongue length and my dyslexia, but if I take it slow and make small corrections, I can eventually get it into the campsite, and then the hard part is over. It's just pulling forward at the end. If I had a double car garage I would have both, but in the end, the longer usable season and the security made me choose the Scamp. I do wish I had the Camp Chef oven that's in the teardrop though. When I visit my son in Colorado, I get to sleep in the teardrop. :-)
That is awesome that you built your own. Keeping any trailer from leaking is pretty tough. That is one of the major pros with Scamps, you don't hear about leaking very often in Scamp forums. We agree that teardrops are much more suited to dry climates. Up here in Alaska it definitely requires a side tent or awning to stay comfortable. We also find that in Alaska we get about a month more of comfortable camping in the scamp vs the teardrop. We hadn't never heard of the Camp Chef oven. Thanks for sharing that information. Bouncing between Minnesota and Colorado sounds like a pretty enjoyable lifestyle. Thanks again for all the great info in your comment.
Thanks for the great comparison video, Drew. You have a beautiful family, and Alaska looks so awesome! You may want to look into ceramic coating for your trailer. There are DIY kits available online, and it might make it easier to keep the Scamp clean and free of mud, salt and other contaminants. You could also repaint the trailer before coating if you want to change things up a bit, maybe East could add some fingerpainting or little handprints too! Greetings and safe travels from Canada 🇨🇦!
Thanks James Paul for the great comment. We love chatting it up with fellow northerners! We have never heard of ceramic coating before. Thank you for the great idea. Painting the Scamp is high on May's list. And adding a bit of East's artwork would be a great idea. Safe travels to you as well.
Really enjoy your videos. I bought a 16 ft Scamp last Spring and just love it. I’m in my 50’s so there were attributes of the Scamp that really hit the mark for me. It has most of the amenities of an RV without being overly large. We mostly dry camp so we don’t have to deal with the issues of the tanks (water, grey, and black). We can sit in it when the weather is bad - reading, playing cards or Backgammon. We have choices about where we cook, eat, and sit (inside or out). I love that, even though I’m 6’1, I can comfortably stand up. In addition, we have camped with 3 adults. Although tight, it’s very doable. I love all the windows in the Scamp. You can open them up and get a lovely cross breeze blowing through. After a long morning of hiking I like to lay in the end bunk, with the screen door on and just look outside or take a nap.
In terms of the fiberglass it’s tough. We had sailboats and new how strong fiberglass was. When a hailstorm dented up all of the aluminum campers we did not have a ding. Plus, you can get de oxidizer treatment and boat wax and an older Scamp (ours is a 1981) will look brand new with just a little elbow grease. People are always amazed ours is almost 40 years old. I have also never had anything come out of the cabinets, but the curtains often fall off when traveling 😀.
Again, I really enjoy your videos!
Warmest regards,
Dave
Dave thanks for such a kind comment. Most of the big Scamp fans weren't to excited about this video. We really appreciate how you shared the advantages of the Scamp without feeling you needed to defend it. This was a tough video for us to make because finding ways for our teardrop to be more functional than the Scamp was pretty tough. We had already made three videos about why we liked the Scamp more than the teardrop. We just wanted people to see both sides of the coin. We will be heading out tomorrow in the Scamp down to Homer Alaska "The End of the Road." We are really excited to share the videos with everyone. Again thanks for the kind response. We are really glad you are enjoying the videos.
Good info about the wax! While watching the part about the mud, I just kept thinking it just needed a good coat of paste wax! (and I felt like my dad when he used to say he walked five miles to school barefoot... haha) I’m a weirdo who hand waxes my truck with Mother’s twice a year, no excuses. 😁
You nailed the deciding factor for me: I consider myself a camper and my squaredrop makes me feel like I'm still a camper. If I'd gone with a Scamp I think I would feel feel more like I was an RV'er.
It's funny. After making this video we started realizing a Scamp is for campers as well. We thought it would be like an RV, but the interior is not that functional for us. Basically felt like a narrow hallway causing us all to get in each other's way. Over time we found we had to bring the outdoor living room with us to make the Scamp fit our lifestyle. Basically it is a teardrop that allows you to stand up, cook inside, and avoid the rain. But 90% of the time we found using it like a teardrop was the best way for us.
Best comparison review ever! Thank you very much, the information was very helpful!
Thanks Somp Seng. Much appreciated!
This was a nice comparison, thank you. I appreciated particularly the comparison of fiberglass getting damaged as opposed to the teardrop construction.
I have a 2015 5 x 10 silver shadow max teardrop. It has everything a large trailer has but in a small container. Stove refrigerator running water cold only beautiful sound system cable video and air-conditioning. And I can tow it with my 2007 CRV. Four-cylinder.
For me the big advantage are the tents that attach to the teardrop. I have a 10 x 10 PaHaQue custom tent that attaches directly to the door of the teardrop. The ceiling is probablly 9 ft? This takes two people to set up. I usually do it when I stay three or more days somewhere. When just staying overnight I have a 5 x 7 tent that attaches. I can put that up myself in 2 to 3 minutes. With these attached Tents
you have so many more options. Tables beds chairs recliners, gear, porta potty, kitty liter,etc. and the spaciousness is amazing.
The teardrop then becomes a comfort pod for your tent. You can cool down the tents with the fantastic fan or AC, and heating one space usually heats the other.
And the video is correct you do attract a lot of people and it’s definitely a social situation. You have to like talking to people.
The inside of the teardrop is sort of like being under deck in a sailboat. You have everything you need, it’s very convenient, you don’t have to move far and has wonderful little storage systems going on.
Because it’s easy to get into-you just sit down and move your legs in - - handicapped people often prefer it. No steps to climb, no walking or narrow spaces. Everything within reach.
Wow, you should write the script for our next video! Your comment is right on. If you haven't seen our first teardrop tent video we highlight for a short period the 6X6 PaHaQUe custom tent, which is just a smaller version of yours. I don't know if you have seen the episode we put out today it goes into full detail the benefits of side tents. ruclips.net/video/eegIAqXIqmM/видео.html You are so right about the Silver Shadow. It has everything anyone would need to stay out there for weeks!
Bunita, I have been wanting to get a Silver Shadow, I love their setup. I've had a teardrop before but not as nice as yours and I managed very well traveling for 2 months with it. During bad weather I just watched a movie on my laptop or read a book.
One single issue: No bathroom in a teardrop. My backpacking and big tent camping days are pretty much behind me and I never did like going #2 in a nasty campground toilet or behind a bush. The bathroom is the first requirement for me, along with a comfortable bed. Otherwise I'll probably do most cooking and other camp activities outside.
Yep, the bathroom can be a deal breaker. We use a camp toilet with a privacy tent. Not the most glamorous, can get pretty cold, and the toilet feels pretty flimsy and awkward.
@@MrMoneyHelper Huh, never even thought of trying that. My family had a boat when we were younger that had less head room than our teardrop and we had a toilet in there. Funny the things you don't think of until somebody mentions it.
This was a very thorough and detailed comparison, so well done! However, speaking from the knowledge of three years into the future, you need to update your segment on prices. As of 9/2022, new Scamps are priced between $20-32K! I don't know current teardrop prices...
Good point. It is very unfortunate that you can’t make changes to previous videos.
As an owner of a nucamp t@b 400 boon dock lite I appreciated this video. Our tear drop is quite a bit larger than yours; I think 18' from ball to tail and weighs in around 3000lbs loaded. We pull with a Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and we've been from FL to AK with it without issue. I totally agree with your statement about being comfortable inside and not enjoying being outside. That said, it is nice to have space on a rainy day or here in FL and blistering hot day, to escape to inside and relax. Going to AK, we found ourselves on several occasions, having to back up in tight quarters. When we started, that scenario was my biggest worry, but after a month on the road, my confidence pulling and backing up the tear drop improved. Stay safe
Love, love, love the Boondock. Reminds us of the Scamp, but with all the modern looks and features we desire. This video sounds like we are not huge Scamp fans, but before this video we did make 2 videos of why the Scamp is better than the teardrop. The boondock gives you the best of both worlds. Small, but large enough to stand and feel at home. We completely understand the tight space comments. The more we are out here we find ourselves quickly squeezing into the tight spots that at first we wondered if we could even get into. Glad to hear you found an amazing small trailer that is a great fit for Florida and anywhere else you want to go.
A: After years of camping in tents, and cooking outside and using the shovel latrine, I will go for something that provides more protection and I can cook and go to the bathroom inside. I have done enough cooking outside in inclement weather, or hiding in a tent as a storm batters the outside eating a cold meal of tuna fish, Vienna Sausage or similar type food, while sitting there damp and getting sick. (I convinced myself at the time that it was part of the "great adventure," being out doors.) Don't get me wrong, most of the time I really enjoyed being outdoors, but there is a lot to be said for having a decent sized safe refuge when things turn to crap, and they will turn to crap. A decent camper lets us to enjoy nature while providing a safe haven from when she turns really nasty. We can and do cook outside on our grill and sit around under the awning to watch the sunrise or sunset.
B: Fit your camper to your tow vehicle. When buying a vehicle, make sure it fits your campers and camping style. You do not need to get a massive pickup. My 2018 Jeep Cherokee averages 25 mpg day to day driving and easily pulls a much larger camper than the Scamp. It is also much better handling in bad weather than my wife's 2015 Subaru Forester, which is also a good vehicle, but it cannot tow. You do not want to tow with any vehicle that has a CVT transmission. Current models are not strong enough for anything beyond a tear drop. With the tow package, the Jeep can easily tow up to 4500 lb trailers, even off road going up mountains. We have a small couple's trailer, a bit larger than than your scamp.
@Gerard Trigo great advice. Our first vehicle as a couple was a Jeep Cherokee sport. In hindsight we wish we never sold it. We didn't realize the Forester was not ideal for towing. Thank you for the tip about the CVT transmission issues. At 25 mpg with the Jeep that sounds like a perfect match for a slightly larger trailer. And as you know, if you ever did need to pull a friends trailer some day that was larger the Jeep wouldn't have much of an issue.
Thanks for your comments on the tow vehicle. I have an old Lancer Raliart with a stick. I love the stick. But it won't really tow anything of the size I need being one of the older group. I don't want to tow a bed such as a teardrop...might as well just toss my tent in the trunk and go then no worries about where to go or backing up. Personally, I'm still leaning toward a dressed up van but deciding is a lot of fun when looking at so many options.
I dont own either, but I have one main reason I think I would prefer a scamp. Pooping in a rain storm. nuf said. :-)
Yeah, pooping in a rainstorm doesn't sound that great!
Pop-up "shower tents" are only 50 bucks...they're pretty sturdy when tied down well.
@@taradead Yeah, but in a bad storm you run the chance of being caught with your pants down.
Don Parkison it is possible to achieve this in a teardrop with more head clearance, like the Runaway. I think my Luggable Loo is visible in one of my more recent vids of you are curious how that all fits in a teardrop.
Thanks for sharing this much appreciated! Always love finding new small camper trailer channels.
Great video! Love the pros and cons! I think I’m a scamp person:) 😁
Thanks Maykou! You truly are a Scamp person through and through. As our family grows I could see myself becoming more of a Scamp person as well.
We love our tear drop. We have a Vistabule which are made in Minnesota. A bonus with these is the large front window and when you are towing it you can see all the way through behind you. Awesome galley and the bed turns into a couch. And it fits in the front of my garage. Perfect little camper!
It is hard to beat a Vistabule, if even it can be beat at all. We never thought about seeing through the teardrop when driving. That is one of the things we love about the Scamp as well. When towing it down the road you can see right through it.
I've never not given a "tour" of my teardrop, on any camping trip, lol. Be ready to be popular! I successfully towed my teardrop for years in the northeast US with a suburbu imprezza hatchback. Now that I tow with a truck- I can put three kayaks on my teardrop roof rack, and bikes on the rear receiver. Total toy hauler!
Just yesterday we were asked to give another "tour." As usual we were a bit embarrassed to show him inside because lately our teardrop looks more like a converted toy hauling trailer on the inside until we get everything out into the side entry tents. The older the kids get the more toys we bring (kayaks, fishing poles, child carrier backpacks, etc). This funny...I was just responding to your first couple of sentences and then looked up at your remaining sentences and saw you were calling yours a toy hauler as well. Love it!
Ever since I saw a teardrop someone locally made I have been DYING to get one. It was such beautiful craftsmanship and really great amenities, but around $6k. This video leaned more towards confirming that I want a teardrop. I also have a toyota matrix so being able to tow it easily and not have to use a different car/suv is great! We will see what happens! We're not sure if we are moving into an RV temporarily or just getting a teardrop for travel. Either way I am excited and learning a lot from your videos!!
We were just like you. Once we saw the first one we couldn’t get it out of our heads. However don’t overlook the Scamp. They are pretty amazing little trailers as well. We had to stretch pretty far to have good arguments against the Scamp here. They are truly amazing trailers and you’ll see that throughout our other videos that came out after this one. We are ridiculous in that in the end we decided to have one of each a 13 foot trailer and a teardrop trailer.
i like the scamp, if its cold , thats what id like to be in
Good choice. We would choose the Scamp in the cold as well. We stop camping about a mile nth earlier in the teardrop compared to the Scamp.
This video is justification for a class B camper or van conversion. Just subscribed
A class B or van conversion sounds like a great route to go. Go get that adventure! Hopefully our paths cross on the road some day.
We love our teardrop camper, and we see the same advantages you do. I would add that our teardrop, with 3/4" exterior grade plywood and the powder coated aluminum skin is built sturdier than most other campers.
Some of those teardrops are pretty tough. The powder coating aluminum adds a nice touch.
I built my teardrop and would never consider going back to a camper trailer. I owned a pop up for 5 years and hated every minute of it. It was the misery of living in a tent that took twice as long to set up and three times the maintenance. By building my teardrop I was able to add all the luxuries and lots of storage. You are correct about getting visitors with a teardrop I built mine 8 years ago and every time it goes out I get at least 10 to 20 people wanting a.tour. I like meeting people so the attention is fun as well as the attaboys from other DIY people on the build.
This is a great comment thank you. When you get the chance to build a trailer custom made for yourself you're not going to have very many issues with the end results. Unlike purchasing something from the factory there's always some pros and cons with what you end up with.
As neat and convenient as teardrops are, if I'm gonna be outside anyways, I'll use a tent, hammock or the back of my truck, esp. on a short trip. An extended trip will require more living space tho, so I think I'm a scamp guy. Great info! Thanks!
That is kind of us too. If we ever got rid of the teardrop we would probably just go back and forth between tent camping and a fiberglass trailer (Scamp or Burro)
Thank you for this. It was really helpful to hear your perspective and will hold on to my teardrop :)
Hey fellow teardropper! We do have a few other videos where we talk about how great the Scamp is as well. We just got back from a week on the Kenai Peninsula in the Scamp. It was a great experience. The more we use the Scamp the more we find the experience to be similar to the teardrop. We did miss our side entry tent though. It was actually more spacious than the Scamp.
Every time I watch a video about trailers, I am always convinced a nice large quality tent with a $100 REI bed are a better option.
You know we often feel that way as well. They make the perfect tent (gazelle tents), but so far we haven't found the perfect bed. We have most of the inflatable mats from REI as we have ones for different purposes (backpacking, bush travel, base camp, etc). Once they make a bed that feels as good as our bed in the teardrop and Scamp and it can air up quickly I could see ourselves going back. It is much more simple. But, until then we will continue to use the trailer 90% of the time and the tent about 10%. Great point Kenny.
Owned an 85 Chevy Conversion Van that was perfect for many trips to WV and PA with mountain bikes and gear. The V8 was powerful, thrifty on the highway, breezed up the mountains and the full ladder frame was bombproof. I loved it and would go that route again, maybe a diesel engine and some custom cabinets buy oherwise a full size van is hard to beat and resale is excellent.
We would love to try out a van sometime. And you are so right about the resale, especially now. about 10 years ago when we were looking at Vans the prices were almost half the price that they are now due to the popular van life. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it is always fun to hear about alternatives to small camper trailers
For us, Scamp for sure... we cook outside like most people do with there trailers. The ability to stand up inside a trailer is a huge plus for me. I own a Boler, (the original scamp). I’ve got no issues towing it through tight spaces, moving it by hand , parking on the side of the road, pulling u-turns or parking inside . (I’ve definitely never been charged more at a campground). In regards to engine size 4cly vs 6cyl, what you can tow has got little to do with how many cylinders your engine has, especially nowadays with the turbocharged engines that most manufacturers are making. From what I got out of the video, the teardrop is better suited for YOU, YOUR family, YOUR car & YOUR garage... but not necessarily everyone else’s. :-)
That Boler is a great camper! You are spot on with your 4 cyclinder comment the more we research them the more we realize it isn't just about cylinders. And yes, the teardrop is good for our family, but honestly so is the SCAMP. We just were trying to cover both sides of the argument. We had 2 pro scamp videos previous to this one, so thought the teardrop needed a win :)
In CO, the burn bans are so constant most of the year, having an internal kitchen would be a good thing.
Good point. That sounds pretty rough. With those burn bans are you able to use propane fire pits?
@@PlayingwithSticks It's supposed to be zero fires but they'll let you slide with a small propane camp stove. Would be nice to just have a proper cook surface though if an open fire isn't an option.
We definitely agree with that. One thing that may surprise you is that most teardrop galley kitchens have more cook and prep surface than Scamps, Casitas, and Burros. The cook space is pretty small in the Scamps. But, we just bring along a fold-able aluminum table in the Scamp and it works perfect as a food prep area.
Well, I might hang out in the bed all day.... 😉 Some teardrops have such beautiful windows over or in front of the bed that it’s pretty easy to lounge around and enjoy the view for hours on end.
Not that it is a bad thing right? We think every once in awhile you need a lazy day on the road, especially when you're not getting back home to your base camp. We have never done the teardrop camping full-time, I would be interested to see how well we would enjoy it if we knew we couldn't get back home every week or two.
Playing with Sticks I’m sure you could do an extended trip in your teardrop. I know it seems like a lot with a toddler, but one to two week camping trips are already part of your family’s lifestyle so car travel and sleeping in the teardrop are something he’s already used to and he seems like a pretty mellow guy. I didn’t care too much about schedules before my son was in school and, though we didn’t have an RV, it was great to be able to jump in the Suburban with him for a quick trip to the coast or whatever without a ton of planning or fuss because he was a good car rider and very easy going as far as what he would eat and where he would sleep. I wish we had done that more when he was little because he’s 21 now and I’m stunned by how quickly that happened. Also, the teardrop is tiny enough that if you really need a break it would be easy to check into a hotel for a couple of days and enjoy the big beds and swimming pool while it’s parked in the lot. I’m sure there are also plenty of people you already know or will meet along the way who would love for you to visit and park in their driveway for a few days. If you ever make it down to the very lower part of the lower 48, I live in a popular tourist destination with warm winter weather and I would be more than happy to give you a spot in my garage!
Wow, JP this comment was really inspiring. It is definitely our desire to get out on the road sooner than later as a family. When you mentioned how quick your son grew up it just reminded us that if we just sit back and continue to do the 9 to 5 what could we potentially miss out on, in terms of time spent with our child. The idea of easily spending a night in a hotel or Airbnb does make it seem not as difficult knowing there is always something to fall back on. We would love to visit you someday. You have a very unique story and we would love to get to know more about your courageous spirit.
@Audio In Alaska a typical camping trip is sitting in the rain for three days. It isn't as bad as you would think. Now if it went past three days it would get a bit rough.
Based on your video, I would guess it's best to own both, just select the proper mission, LOL.
Our thoughts exactly! You nailed it Jam Master.
I live full time in a custom renovated 1988 Scamp. Ive installed a woodstove inside it for winter camping, use a 16 foot tarp over the whole scamp and 16 feet out as a huge outdoor seating area, and have to say for full timing a Scamp is FAR better than a teardrop. I think you nailed it with saying “it depends on your lifestyle” but dont think the title is quite accurate. The lightness factor is great and all, but i pull my Scamp with a Lincoln town car, and we boondock 100% of the time on rough roads and high mountains. Just here to stand up for Scamp. Its an incredible travel trailer all around from the standpoint of someone who travels full time in one.
Hey Brandon! We have been one of your subscribers from the beginning, love your channel! May and I jokingly said we were going to hurt our friends feelings at RUclips channel "Our Scamp Life." We mentioned your channel as well. We truly hope you know we have 3 other videos posted that are pro Scamp. We felt it was only fair to do a video that was pro teardrop, in defense of the poor little guy. You are definitely right when you say a Scamp is far better than a teardrop for full timing. People make it happen in a teardrop, bu they are a little more hardcore than us. Hope we didn't offend you. Our Scamp Life even jokingly said in a comment that our friendship might be wearing thin. We really appreciate your comments on here Brandon. Keep doing what you are doing it has been fun following your journey.
I am in the shopping phase and my tow vehicle is a Soul. Thank you for the video, very enlightening and much food for thought.
Thanks for convincing me that the Scamp is much better!
We tend to be doing that with quite a few folks. Honestly we love that little Scamp. Glad to hear you do as well.
Right 😂
That was my conclusion too!
Friend of mine bought a teardrop, his only complaint was he liked to stand up to get dressed but had to get dressed in bed and he thought that difficult.
Yes. That would be our same complaint as well. To remedy that we use a side entry tent, which is basically like stepping out into your living room. However, it really would be nice to change inside the teardrop.
Interesting, but if you pack right, things aren't going to fly around. we've lived in small sailboats in ocean and we've been bounced around real good, and everything stays put. Just pack it right. They both have there pros and cons, but something about those tear drops. If I'm going to
be doing long time exploring and being in cold weather sometimes, I think i'd go with the Scamp. THANKS
Yep, if we would pack right, add some better cabinet locks we wouldn't have that issue. And we think you are right. If you are going out for long journeys the Scamp probably wins the competition.
Having pulled a scamp with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Nissan pickup though the low mountains of the Yucca Valley California I can vouch for everything you say here.
Thanks Jonathan for your real life feedback. It is nice to have some testimonies that are not just anecdotal or assumptions. We are taking the Scamp out over some big passes in a few days. We have rearranged the weight, minimized the amount of water we carry, and are excited to make a video about how it goes.
Great comparison. I always wondered about Scamps. I built a CLC teardrop out of marine plywood and fiberglass glassed the whole thing. I built it in Washington state and migrated to Georgia. It’s doing great and my little family loves it. We are heading to Destin Florida to go to the beach and camp next week. I’m anticipating the heat, so we picked a zerobreeze portable AC with condenser.
Your camper sounds great Joseph. Sounds built for life. Also sounds like it can handle all climates. From the comments on here in our other videos we are thinking our teardrop would really struggle down south. Sounds like the memory foam mattress is awfully hot and that we would probably need that ac.
I dont disagree with your points however I live in south and cooking and bathroom in my space can not be overrated. Scamp for win
We will admit cooking is great! We haven't had a chance to try a bathroom yet. But, I bet if we do it's a slippery slope into wanting one of those too 😀
I bought my teardrop as a birthday present to myself and because I wanted to have adventures with my daughter. I always planned to travel with her regularly. I saw it as a decision between going to Europe for one trip or having a camper for multiple years and as many trips as I had time for. Some day we will do Europe and other continents but for now we will explore our own country side. I bought my teardrop for 7k. I picked it because it had solar and so much storage space internally. In hindsight I wish it had more storage outside and a way to easily hook up a bike but we will figure that out when the time comes. I also have a hard time backing up a teardrop but in a worse case scenario I can always unhitch and wiggle it to where I need it.
Hi Suzanna! Thanks for commenting.What a great birthday present. We kind of did the same thing. We were planning a trip to Iceland. And I realized for the price of the plane tickets alone we could build two teardrops or purchase one used. It was kind of a no brainer. If we went to Iceland we would have had nothing to show for our trip except the great memories, but staying in the States you get the memories and a teardrop for years to come. Thank you for sharing about your teardrop purchase. Have you looked into mounting your bike on the tongue of the trailer? There are a few great tongue mounted bike racks out there, you can even make them homemade. Have you looked at the teardrops from Rustic Trails. They offer a diamond plated storage box that holds their outdoor kitchen because they don't have a galley kitchen. If you don't have a hitch maybe you could get a little extension welded to your trailer frame to accomodate an outdoor storage box. The box wouldn't reduce your gas mileage because it is pretty hidden from the wind and they look pretty good.
Great video, thanks! We're looking to buy and you answered our questions - teardrop! Plus in Southern California summer camping rain is not a big issue so we want to spend our time out of the trailer, not in it.
Glad it was helpful. But, we still suggest looking into fiberglass trailers as well. They are amazing in their own right. This video was designed to be pro teardrop. It was really more about the lifestyle than the quality of trailer. Southern California teardropping sounds amazing by the way!
I like the cooking outside aspect of a teardrop. I don't want to cook in the same enclosed area that I sleep in. Thanks for sharing.
Funny to see your own comment in a video :-)
When I browse over the comments, people are saying having a bathroom is important as well as being able to cook indoors. I had been thinking about both: cooking outside is definitely my preference unless you have a large rig. I don't know what people are cooking, but when I cook I need more space than a scamp offers and I don't want the smell of whatever is for dinner hanging around over night. I can also brew my morning tea (I don't do coffee) without disturbing my wife.
For bathrooms: that's why I bring a shovel :-) I have a popup shower tent for showering and while a bathroom would be handy sometimes, I met a lot of campers over the years who never use their bathrooms because then they have to deal with tanks. That's the beauty of a teardrop: Mine has 11 gal of fresh water, but no grey or black tank. Much easier to maintain. Most places I go to are pretty remote so the shovel works and then a lot of BLM lands do have vault toilets.
Your comment got us thinking, which meant we had to put it in the video :) All these comments have been fun to read. We are interested to see if some of them resonate more with us in 10 years from now. Like you we are very comfortable living outside and enjoying being kicked out of our bed on wheels. We also agree about not wanting to bring all that smell into our sleeping area. Beings we cook a lot of SE Asian food it would be pretty intense inside after a summer of cooking.
BLM?
@@vonheimlerstrudel Bureau of Land Management. The federal agency that manages federally owned lands that are not national forests or national parks. For me the BLM used for the anti-racist movement is so confusing because I always think "what do public lands have to do with black people?"
Thank you Uwe for your reply.
Hey dude great video awesome comparison!
Thank you! It got us pumped up for the spring and summer fun that is right around the corner.
What about pop-ups or A-frames? Many have toilets, Ac/heat and you can standup in them. You can find good, used pop-ups for less than 5K easy.
Our goal is to try out some Aliners and A-frames this summer. We have heard they are a great route.
Greetings from Fairbanks! I have a pop up, and I say it’s the perfect Alaskan camper. I can tow it with all 3 of our vehicles (2004 Jeep Liberty V6, 2013 Toyota Sienna Van, and 2014 Jeep GC EcoDiesel), it easily sleeps our family of 5 and gives a good base camp to venture out from. Regardless to how you get out there, just being in nature is always a win in my book.
PS 3 of my favorite spots are: Quartz Lake by Delta, Highland campground in Eagle River, & Donnley Dome campground. It’s actually quite beautiful and more than a “break” between Valdez & Fairbanks.
@@tlewisAK popup +bear= human sandwich Canvas will NOT stop a hungry/pissed off bear
@john mine , believe me I know. I’ve lived in interior Alaska for over 40 years. I’ve seen what a bear can do if he wants into someplace. I’ve seen door jams pushed in on cabins & doors ripped off their hinges by hungry and curious bears I’ve seen hard shell campers shredded as though they were made of canvas. You have to treat a pop-up like a normal tent. I like my pop up because it gets me off the ground, keeps the skeeters away, and can expand to fit my family.
That's right. I have an Aliner Scout Lite, beats both teardrops and scamp. Bought new 2019 from dealer near factory for $8500. Towed 8K miles to Alaska and back with no issues. Almost no change in MPG as it is lower than my Jeep JK Wrangler. I don't recommend any 4 cyl (except turbo) car to tow any trailer.
Thank you for this very, very, very video. We've been thinking for a long time about buying a big trailer, and now we're convinced that a little trailer like yours is best suited.
Glad this was helpful Dana! We are big fans of the scamp as well. Their 13 and 16 foot Version still has many of the benefits of a small camper trailer versus the larger RVs.
I don’t have Scamp but I do have a 2019 17’ Casita Independence deluxe. Like your contrast in this video between teardrop v. Fiber glass, I started thinking teardrops is for me but ended up with the Casita. The number reason is the wet bath. As an older gent the restroom runs through the night nixed the teardrops. It’s really that simple. Thank you for the video!
A bathroom is hard to beat. And then being able to stand up is hard to argue against as well.
I think the Scamps have their place for sure, but I think this topic always turns into two groups trying to justify why they chose what they did. For me I love my teardrop because it’s so low maintenance. I wanted something I can have ready to go in a few minutes and be on the road. I don’t want the hassle of winterizing, finding indoor storage, etc. I also love that I can keep my small SUV and still take the tear into the mountains with no issues. Thanks for doing this video and I didn’t take your comments about your Scamp and whining...I took it as objectivity.
Your comments are much appreciated as usual. We second everything you say when it comes to simplicity, ease of use, and maintenance. What I didn't add to the video, but should have...if you build or purchase an offroad teardrop then you really have a no hassle no thought rig in comparison to a fiberglass trailer.
I had a teardrop trailer for just over a year. It was like sleeping in a easy bake oven.
Maybe a teardrop would be good in Alaska but in the Midwest where it's hot and humid it was miserable
We never even thought about the heat. Someone else commented in our other video how miserable memory foam is in hot weather. Good thing to know if we decided to travel south. Thanks for the comment Tracy.
Our teardrop came with ac😊
@@mimaroo1431 - AC is great if you are at a campground with electric hookup. Otherwise, you are out of luck.
My Teardrop does not have AC, but it does have solar power, and fans. Seems to cool it off sufficiently.
Love the scamp more
It is pretty awesome! The more we use it, the more we love it as well.
Awnings on the side of trailers and cars are popular in Australia. I've seen them on teardrops too. So much easier than fiddling with free standing shelters especially in wind and rain.
When we see a teardrop pull up with an awning we get a bit jealous. You are so right, so much less hassle. And fiddling with shelters in wind and rain is not the very part of our camping experience.
I have a 2005 Scamp. I can get it in my garage (a 1971 Hickel house) by lowering the air in the wheels, pushing it in, and then pumping them up again. I agree with many others. In my 50 ‘s I prefer the extra space of a Scamp. Also, I have pulled it with my 1997 RAV4 for the past 14 years. I can get over Alaskan passes, usually at to 30-35 mph. I have wanted to pull into a weigh station and see how much it is fully l loaded. I have simplified the original design and removed some weight. Thank you for the information. I will check out your other videos, and hope to see you on the road. We love camping at Portage, Hope, Homer, and TKA.
We are definitely putting our foot in our mouth this year! We have worked on distributing the weight in the Scamp. We did this by only filling the water holding tank about 1/4 full and then distributing water jugs around the Scamp. Crazy enough we went over Turnagain Pass last weekend between 55 and 60 miles per hour at only 3,500 rpm. These 4 cylinders like yours and ours can definitely get the job done. Love the suggestion about lowering the air in the wheels. Would love to meet up with you one day Jana. Stay in touch. Your favorite camping spots are our favorite as well. I think we have videos on every one of these destinations. The Homer video will be coming out in the next month or two. Thanks for sharing about your own personal experience. I know the community will really appreciate it!
Two years ago a friend and I rented a 4 wd truck and took a tour loop from Fairbanks and back. We visited many of these locations and loved every minute of it. This June I retire and am looking at my Scamp/ Teardrop options. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to get myself out on the road and back up to Alaska with one of them! These videos and everyone's comments have been very helpful tools for comparison. Thank you!
I have a pickup with a camper shell which makes it more like the teardrop in that It forces you outside, i mostly use it just to sleep. I would point out that of course there is no towing involved with my setup it is more stealth in that you can park it anywhere and get that “million dollar view. but as you stated it all boils down to personal choice. Enjoy your videos happy travels. Stay safe
From different videos we have posted we have had other people comment that what we are really looking for is a truck camper. the more we look into this option the more intrigued we are. Thanks for the feedback we really appreciate it.
If you build your own teardrop youll save big $. Thats the only way to have one at an affordable price. The commercial ones are overpriced for what they are. Very few people build stand up height trailers, though its not impossible its a considerably more.challenging project.
The other option not mentioned here is the cargo trailer conversion. Theyre way cheaper than any size camping trailer and built much stronger. They come bare bones of course but you get to make every decision on what goes into it and where to put everhthing exactly how you want it. They come in 5 x 8 foot size which would be roughly equivalent to a teardrop size, on up to as big as you want. Thats what were going to do. How can you go wrong by spending as little as ~ $2,000 - $3,000 to get started, new?
We agree that cargo trailers is one of the best investments. Up here a majority of the small camper trailers are converted stealth cargo trailers. They are built tough, are not very noticeable when stealth camping, and provide great standing height.
That would give you a lot of room. The 4 foot wide isn't ideal, we would probably be better off with the 5 or 6 foot. But on the plus size it is not wider than our car and it fits into a one car garage.
I want a teardrop because I found out I can tow with my Prius Prime! Need a sign that says don't laugh, I'm using less gas than you!
Yes, it definitely can. In theory it could tow even more. Our Matrix that you see in this video towing the Scamp has a 1,500lb towing capacity. The Prius Prime seems to have 2,000lb towing capacity. Quite impressive!
I had a '76 13' Scamp years ago. It was originally a kit. Never had any problems with screws coming loose though. The biggest problem I had was one of the trucks that towed it didn't have power brakes...That extra 1000 lbs made a big difference when trying to stop.
You know now that we think about it the screws coming loose could be a northern travel thing. Most of the forums and blogs we read are about travel through Canada and Alaska. Our roads are not always the most friendly to rvs. Good thought on the stopping, we should have mentioned that. With the 4 cylinder car on flat roads we barely noticed the Scamp was back there, that was until it came time to stop.
We’ve have a teardrop for ten years and have travelled all over North America . We love it . Ours is handmade by CampInn in Necedah Wi. Wonderful people and such artisans.
We love the CampInn teardrops. You nailed it when you said such artisans. They are truly a work of art. Ten years traveling around North America sounds amazing! I bet you have seen some amazing places in your teardrop. Out of curiosity what do you use for a side entry tent?
We purchased our side tent front Campinn. They have a woman who makes them for them
You can't beat having a tent custom made for your teardrop!
Most important point is you can go through a tim hortons drive through with a teardrop..
george mullett truer words have never been spoken!
Okay, this is definitely my favorite comment so far!
I've taken my Scamp through Caribou Coffee drive throughs.
possible to do drive through with scamp, but you need to know your height and it feels stressful non the less.
Ever hear of parking lots? Besides, if your going to Tim Horton"s go inside watch people and sit down and enjoy the smells.
Scamp for sure.with nice ,sturdy patio cover..
Great choice!
Tear drops are better because standing out in the rain first thing in the morning making coffee is such an attractive idea. And not having a bathroom is such a great plan.
Teardrops aren't the most glamorous you are definitely right. However, we have noticed most people use a simple pop up canopy to keep them nice and dry first thing in the morning.
Just Traveling I was unaware I couldn’t brew and drink my coffee outside when using my Scamp !
@@jimpiquette1375 You can, however, you have that choice, you don't have to.
Just Traveling P.S. I really got your message. I have a Scamp and a Kompact Kamp, and love both . If I travel alone, I usually take my KK . I love it because it’s lightweight, easy to tow , and I can stand up in it . For a single person looking for economy, storage ,ease of use, check it out!
@@jimpiquette1375 Scamps just like teardrops are pretty darn designed to get you outside. But in a Scamp you have the option to come in if you so desire, which is pretty nice.
We have a 4550 Trillium Trailer and I have always wondered what the teardrops were like and the pros etc. so it was great to see this video.
Thanks for posting such a well thought out perspective on these campers and their camping styles. Lots to think about and consider!
Thank you Michael! It was fun to make.
People camp for different reasons, even the same people camp for different reasons at different times of their life. When I was in my 20's I enjoyed tent camping, now at 57 I wouldn't spend a weekend in a tent for love or money. Same goes for a tear drop when I was younger it would have seemed luxurious, now, no way. I can enjoy the great outdoors a whole lot more when I'm warm and comfortable and dry. That doesn't make anyone wrong.
Well said! Thank you for your perspective on this. Even now we love to mix it up between the tent, the teardrop, and the Scamp. Even from week to week we have different priorities.
Ditto
as for cooking inside. I grew up using a 1948 trailer that my parents owned. we traveled to 49 states, all of Canada, and as far as the road went with it We had no issues overall.
We have had the same experience. We have had some people comment in the past about the dangers associated with indoor cooking, but it is just a reminder to have your fire extinguisher on hand and a clear exit.
Another great video guys, I am leaning towards a LIGHT teardrop also. Something to pull behind a Prius.
Thanks John G. We still are scratching our heads on why more companies aren't making fiberglass teardrops. Have you checked out the MyPod?
Yes I looked into MyPods, it would be perfect, but it will be tight for 2 people and a small dog. A runaway on a aluminum frame might be an option. It has to be around 600-800 lbs for a Prius.
@@johng5922 We really like the price of the runaways as well.
@@PlayingwithSticks This might be a crazy idea of mine, but here is my plan. The Toyota Prius is a Rolling Generator, Heat and Air-conditioning Source. You can connect up to a 2000 watt inverter to the Prius for powering the teardrop. Then somehow TAP INTO the AC and Heat system of the Prius and run it to the teardrop. You put the Prius on standby mode, and it will only start the engine to replenish the Prius battery. Only about a gallon of gas per 12 hours. A boondock dream set up. Sounds crazy right?
Sounds amazing! If you could figure something like that out and post it online everybody will be doing it, including us. I wish we were more creative like that.
have had teardrop for 3 seasons. the love has not diminished. if there are mobility, stair climbing issues in your fam, you never have any worries with the td. just open door, plunk your bottom down & swivel in :)
Love running into other teardrop trailer enthusiasts! We completely agree with the mobility, with one catch. Both times May was pregnant it got really difficult near her due date to get in and out of our little trailer. That is why you will see in our videos we tend to do more Scamp trailer camping when she is starting to wobble :)
@@PlayingwithSticks very true. But if fitting thru the small door isn't a variable (😂), teardrop wins hands down. The steps in pop up etc are a real Hazard. Also clutter inside. With td you have the ground and that's it. Foresee being able to use it for many years, no matter how mobile. And it's true what you say about it being a conversation starter everywhere Happy Trails!
I had a scamp-I had a teardrop. If you are going to do a BEST then easily a converted van. Stealth camping alone makes it worth it. Plus you can get ticketed just for parking a trailer/camper in certain spots here in Florida. I have. This is my opinion but I do miss the scamp at times
Stealth does sound great. Every once on a while we feel like we stick out in the Scamp when we would rather blend in. The more we know about stealth vans, the more we're now seeing them all around the state of Alaska! Our favorite ones are the ones that look like utility vans or old UPS trucks. Before learning about stealth we would have had no idea people were sleeping in them.
Depends how old you are and how cold it is we’re you are going.
You are so right! You summed up what many commentors said in one nice concise sentence. Thank you!
My teardrop design had a hole in the floor to stand up when I needed to 🤣
Mike is this a joke or did yours really have a hole? That sounds like a great idea, we have never seen any designs like that before.
Playing with Sticks, design phase only. Bought the trailer, and started the build - basically the floor. The trailer lent itself to a 2x2 hole in front of the axel that I dropped a made plywood box into. Plywood “cover” on top of the hole when the box was up or down and not needed, but it was so handy to sit and kind’a stand up (4’ + 18”). Dirt got on the bottom of the box, which made a mess pulling the box up, and I needed to make sure nothing could drop down driving (rejected just pulling it part way up. Round hole and cover?). All driveway build trials. All solvable. Ha! If I could put in the middle, could seat 2 people....4 in a wider one. Decided instead to start building a pop-up truck camper like the Alaskan, but things happen and change is needed. No place to build stuff now, so looking at what I can buy and modify....as soon I decide what I want;-).
Mike Mead r
Just a weird question that popped in my head, but do you have to take special precautions camping with these tiny trailers in bear country?
Can you keep your food in the camper overnight? Or do you have to hang it out of bear reach away from camp?
Especially if you’re not at a campground.
You are ABSOLUTELY right about teardrops drawing crowds. We went on a two week trip from SLC to Memphis and back. By the end of it, I was SO sick of talking to people about my camper. I have a 1977 Nomad now and NO ONE talks to me about it. So much better and only cost me $1500.
If you saw you in your Nomad we would probably talk to you :) We find the nomads retro and fun. You are the second comment we had about negative experiences with teardrops drawing crowds. They are quite the conversation starter.
Laura Moncur...have a sign that the 'conversation is closed', or place your chair with your back to the 'crowds' or turn the camper's bum to the crowd when you've had enough?
Is there not a van or camp equivalent to the open/closed door signal at the office?
@@jo-annel.wright2975 There is a million dollar idea. Jo-Anne it is time to start your teardrop/van sign making business.
I designed my CamperVan to be more like a tear drop. I cook outdoors, I typically eat outdoors, and spend almost all my time outdoors. I call it my rolling steel tent. I use it for sleeping, security and storage.... I can comfortably spend time inside the van if needed, but I normally won't.
I think that is the route we would go to if we had a van. A van sounds like aperfect setup because you don't have the worries of towing a trailer. The vans, like these small trailers are still pretty small. If you are trying to do everything inside it would be a bit tough. But, like you said if you need to do stuff inside you do have the option. With our little teardrop going to the bathroom and changing clothes can be quite a challenge. Now, cooking, that would be almost impossible.
Nice to see the Matrix getting some love.
It sure gets love from us. And we have gotten a lot of love in the comments about the Matrix in this video and all the other Scamp/Teardrop videos. It is quite the impressive little vehicle.
Thank You Good topic. I see it as - You live in a scamp and you live out of a teardrop! =Cosmo
That really is the summary of the video. Since we made that video the summary is more like, You live out of a teardrop and you live out of a scamp. Weird as it sounds we often feel more cramped in the Scamp then the teardrop. We think that is because we treat it more like a house. For example instead of leaving the cooler in the car you bring it into the Scamp. On our last long outing in the Scamp we forgot to bring the side entry tent, and boy did that make Scamp life tough. Even though it is larger than a teardrop it is best to consider a Scamp more similar to a teardrop and bring the outdoor living room with you.
I've been laying in a bed for 9 months in Kansas (Health issues). I want a scamp to get out in the world. I will probably never afford one, but I'll keep day dreaming.
So sorry to hear that. Keep your eyes out. There are many great quality fiberglass trailers on Craigslist and Facebook Buy and Sell. We have seen quite a few go for 3-$4,000. If you are having trouble finding a Scamp at a good price you may want to start looking up the less known versions. The trailers that are very similar (we mean VERY similar) to Scamps are Uhaul trailers, Burro Trailers, and Boler Trailers.
I got a teardrop Aug 2022 for the reasons of smaller, forces you outside and storage factors. I'm solo and didn't want a monstrosity of a thing to deal with. I have a s*it, shower and change tent bivy attached to my truck so I can stand for wardrobe changes. I have a luggable loo and use pine pellets. Ok, weather dependent meaning no wind is when I can use it. I love the easy pull up and detach setup, no more vulnerability in a tent. The first big trip was in Chaco Canyon last November and yeah, talk about getting lots of attention... it was cool to have people ask and admire the trailer, but yeah exhausting talking to everyone and trying to accomplish a task. I have it stored in my single car garage easy in, not so easy out on my first try but learned to hand maneuver it out. So now it's easy out. I love it. I have an option to add a roof top tent if I met someone with a kid or two.
I never thought I love a teardrop until I saw one up closed 😱I ordered one. I love it's simplicity & minimalist-feel👌🇳🇿 Good job with the video👍God bless you and your family
Cool I like both of them the scamp and the tear drop.
Yes! There aren't many of us out there who love both the teardrop and the scamp. Seems to be a pretty divided crowd.
Nice comparison. Great info. Thanks. Peace.
Thanks for the compliment HNX Media. Peace to you as well!
What an incredible, useful video. I expected to see a zillion subscribers. I am definitely one now, thanks
Yep, we are a pretty small channel. Thanks for subscribing. We truly appreciate it!
@@PlayingwithSticks No problem its been really helpful as someone looking at teardrops. You won't be a small channel for long!
Having never camped before, at 79, I built my own teardrop. Went camping and found that I loved it! Only thing is, now I am trying to sell my house and looking for a light weight trailer to pull and live in. Have considered the Scamp, an Aliner and the Tab trailers. So far, the Scamp looks the most promising. I have a V6 Ford Escape. So I think enough to handle it. Use to drive over the road in an 18 wheeler, so not worried about backing one up. But as with any trailer, it takes practice. So while the teardrop was good to start out in, I need something bigger to live in. Know 2 other people living in a 13 ft Scamp and they doing well. Happy travels.
Hi Terry. We are excited about your future upgrade. Would love to hear what type of teardrop you built. The more we take out the Scamp the easier it is to tow. We have learned how to distribute the weight properly and now we are going over the mountain passes at 55 to 60 miles per hour. Last week we actually went over Turnagain Pass at 65 with our 4 cylinder and only at 3,000 rpms. For us we found if we reduced the water in the water holding tank and brought more water bottles to distribute the weight load around the Scamp, we had a great increase in power and gas mileage. We think you will love the Scamp. It really is a camper trailer that is hard to beat.
Ty for this ive been going back and forth on either tear drop or CAMPER TRAILER and this video helped me choose. Thx again
Glad you enjoyed it. I like to remind people that this video was a one sided argument. It was actual a video that people asked for after we made a why scamps are better than teardrops video.