Living Full-Time in a Tiny Teardrop Trailer (Camper Full Tour!)
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- In this video we meet Erik, who has been living full-time in his 2012 Little Guy teardrop camper for nine months! Here's Erik's info:
► Erik’s UA-cam channel (Escaping Normal Life): / escapingnormallife
► Follow Erik on Instagram: / escaping.normal.life
ERIK’S GEAR FROM THIS VIDEO
** Folding orange mirror: amzn.to/3zJ97gg
** GCI Outdoor Kickpack Rocker rocking chair: amzn.to/3UpO6z3
** Green camp rug/mat: www.rei.com/product/735789/co...
** 500-watt Bestek power inverter: amzn.to/3E1qWd9
** Colorful LED lights: amzn.to/3fuRWbx
** White fairy lights: www.walmart.com/ip/33-Feet-10...
** Small circular tap lights: amzn.to/3fCMtiD
** Renogy solar kit: amzn.to/3fzsO3k
** Renogy battery: amzn.to/3Nxwpvc
** Little round thermometer: amzn.to/3zL3QEV
** Road Shower (4 gallon): www.rei.com/product/191518/ya...
** Mr. Heater Little Buddy heater: amzn.to/3NAxLpd
** Goal Zero Crush Chroma: amzn.to/3U74G70
** Solar string lights: amzn.to/3fyZB8B
** Tarp poles: amzn.to/3Un8TmL
** Tarp: amzn.to/3T34Aw4
** Privacy tent: amzn.to/3fyGBqJ
** Igloo IMX cooler: amzn.to/3DDSSlR
** Toilet: amzn.to/3U3mwIg
** Car organizer (pantry): amzn.to/3DXlAiO
** Backpack: www.matein.com/?ref=escapingn... (10% off with code ESCAPING)
** Seat back organizer: amzn.to/3DykOr7
** Little vacuum: amzn.to/3SYkvvy
** Car window bug covers: amzn.to/3FJ5gDD
** Car jump starter: amzn.to/3fw0azW
** Bestek cup holder power inverter: amzn.to/3FNF5vA
** Erik's cooler review video that he mentioned: • Igloo IMX 24 Qt Cooler...
** Erik's bag review video that he mentioned: • Matein 40L Travel Back...
Here's what we talk about in the video:
00:00 Intro
01:18 About the camper
02:28 Galley/kitchen
07:38 Inside the camper
20:07 Cost of the camper
20:44 Exterior of the camper
24:56 Tongue of the camper
31:14 Tarp/awning setup
33:37 The car itself
36:35 In the roof box
39:11 Inside the car
54:32 How much Erik spends per month
56:45 Closing
► Adventure Know-How: adventureknowhow.com/
► The SUV RVing Website: suvrving.com/
OTHER LINKS
** Gear I use: suvrving.com/gear
** SUV RVing the Book: amzn.to/2SUrtme (Affiliate link)
** The blog: suvrving.com
** Instagram: / suvrving
** My other UA-cam channel: / tenkaraaddict
#adventure #travel #camping
![ПОЛНАЯ ИСТОРИЯ ЭКЗОРЦИЗМА [Топ Сикрет]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qBySr6Bt0B8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for watching! Be sure to check out Erik's channel here: ua-cam.com/users/EscapingNormalLife
Links to all the gear shown in the video are in the description, and here are time stamps for the video if you want to jump around:
00:00 Intro
01:18 About the camper
02:28 Galley/kitchen
07:38 Inside the camper
20:07 Cost of the camper
20:44 Exterior of the camper
24:56 Tongue of the camper
31:14 Tarp/awning setup
33:37 The car itself
36:35 In the roof box
39:11 Inside the car
54:32 How much Erik spends per month
56:45 Closing
-Tristan
For sure!
t
Is Erik Tony Hawk's cousin or somethin?
Are you married I hope so otherwise this would go over not too good when you go out on a date with a woman then she asks where you live And you tell her you live in a trailer
What do you do crap on a bucket?
Erik used to be my neighbour for a number of years, when he bought the tear drop and explained his intentions of modifying it to live in, both me and the missus thought he was making a mistake, the condition it was in when he purchased it was pretty rough.
He left a year ago this month on what seemed to be nothing more than a road trip up to Tennessee, my wife can't get over how much he's seen and done since he's been gone.
Thanks for showcasing his setup and his story. Real nice guy and down to earth.
Nice new channel...LOL paid comment.
You get that a lot when u start the road life. You're a couple so its a little different but still possible to do this. The technology today makes it so much easier to maintain your quality of life.
@@albertawheat6832 how do you know?
@@theymademepickaname1248 He is paid advertisement...plain to see.
@@albertawheat6832 how’s it a new account if he joined 3yrs ago?
I'm a Navy veteran and living small is very attractive to me. My living space was the size of my bunk. It's doable and fulfilling.
We'll done Sir. Keep living the dream.
I have a 2016 Little Guy T@G, love it! Traveled full-time for 18 months before health issues made it impossible. I still travel about 6 to 8 months out of the year. Hoping to head out again for the winter. I'm a 79 year old woman, pulling this LittleGuy is a piece of cake!!!!
Thanks for the tour.
You go girl!
What’s the tow weight on a LitleGuy? Can a car handle it or do you need a truck?
@@diytwoincollege7079 😊😊
I can’t believe how resourceful this guy is. He’s got a whole house packed in there.
This guy is great at explaining things. He's got a positive vibe.
My husband and I are living in a 6x10 converted cargo trailer and its really the little things that make such a big difference such as your mirror, cell phone holder and shoe covers! You have a lot of great ideas 😊
I admire tear drop campers for committing to always cooking outdoors. Even in the middle of summer we have faced hailstorms, days of 60 mph winds and rain and winter freezing rain.
6×10? Tiny!
Erik has more energy than I am used to. I'm exhausted listening but I am watching the entire video. 😂
Yes Erik does like to talk .... a lot. Wondering if he's that chatty in person 🤔
Might be nerves! I’m chatty by nature but if nervous it becomes unbearable… even to myself! 😂
Wow! This guy could be 50 or 25! Hard to tell with his youthful appearance and outlook. He could be straight out of the surf movie 'Big Wednesday' Go Erik!!
I had a bear encounter this summer in Colorado. A monster bear thought my teardrop was a dumpster and tried to tip me over in the middle of the night. Fortunately he didn't succeed and went on to the huge dumpster in the forest that he tipped over!
Wow!
I would have peed myself
Wow that sounds scary !!!
Holy shit!
Yikes! Scary! He did you get it to stop?
My uncle lived in one of these small trailers from the 50s. He and his friends would use it when they were in the dog house at home , it got passed around and survived many guys marital troubles . Great times . This young gentleman has it down pat , great tour thank you sir!
Jesus, I LOVE that idea.
So, I guess that is truly a case where marital troubles will land you in the dog house.
Lol 😂 hilarious but also really cool story and idea !
So strange that society accepts spousal alienation like it's a normal thing? I would never want to partner with someone who tries to enforce this "dog house' policy.
Hahaha in my house I call the couch or small guest room, the dog house. Now that we’re older, I just kick him out coz he snores and farts alot and he gets up to pee a lot . I am a very good sleeper . I stay in one spot, I dont move around alot, I don’t snore, I don’t fart unless I’ve eaten garbage food . And I’m a lite sleeper. Once u wake me, it’s hard to get back to sleep . Sometimes he wakes me at 4am and I’m up til noon, then I take a nap til 6pm when I cook dinner. But it’s not just hubby, our crazy cat wakes up at 4-5am and screams until we let him out. But he insists on being fed before he goes out. A family member was being driven crazy by this cat, so he dumped him on us. We had a beautiful old orange long hair Maine coon cat that we loved. This new cat beat him up so bad that he ran away from home . He refuses to come back home. Neighbors have been letting him sleep in their garage . I miss him . He’s my sweet boy. But I also can’t just dump the new cat. He’s so happy here. I don’t know what to do .
I keep trying to bring Oliver back home. But as soon as he sees Slick, he just hisses at me and runs off. And Slick doesn’t want to share his house with any other cat. We keep telling him, Oliver was here FIRST , for 10 yrs . But Slick is 2 and young and a big orange BULLY. Yeah, we have 2 Orange cats. Only Slick is peaches and cream short hair. He’s mixed. Oliver, however is a pure bred Maine Coon cat, so incredibly breathtaking beautiful. I alway wanna cuddle and kiss him. He’s adorable. Slick will bite and scratch you real bad if u try to pick him up or touch him. He’s been abused as a kitty . He doesn’t like to be handled. It’s been a year since he’s been here and he’s better, he lets me pet him on his head and he rubs on my leg like a cat should do and he even rarely sleeps on my belly or next to me in bed . He’s trying. He knows we love him . I’ve bought him the best cat foods and treats he loves, and so many toys and scratching posts and taken boxes and converted them into hiding spots and play areas. Cats love boxes. I keep hoping my cats will get along one day. I miss my Oliver so much . He comes around less and less . we had a very mild Winter this past winter, or I would have gone nuts looking for him to bring him home. At least I know he’s loved by neighbors and they look after him. He wants to be an outside cat 90% of the time. So we all let him. I leave out cold water and food and in Summer I change his water a few times a day and put ice in the bowls. The poor squirrels also really appreciate the cold I’ve water and so do the birds . So I leave out a bunch of water bowls, some larger ones for the birdies to bathe in. Aweee they really love it. ❤❤❤Especially when we haven’t had rain in a month . And the first year since I’ve lived here, no snow . This global warming is real . Right now I have my AC on 70. I like it on 67-68. I prefer cold weather more as I grow older. When I was young I loved the hot weather and always said I would love to move to California where it’s always nice weather coz Florida is way over crowded and unbearable in Summer . Even tho my entire family lives in Florida, my mom and step dad too.
Here by the NJ Shore the worst heat I’ve seen is 98F. With humidity it feels about 103. But that’s rare. And only in August it’s in the 90’s. So it’s good. I love the seasons. To me it’s not Christmas without snow. How can anyone live in Summer weather ALL YEAR ? I’ll never know . Especially if u live in a van. I would need a very cool AC in my van . At least to cool it down to 75. No higher. I was thinking of living in a Van or camper. Hubby is a tractor trailer driver and is sick of sleeping on the road. He loves coming home every Friday nite and having 3 dinners before he leaves Monday morning. He loves being home. But he’s got terrible ADHD. And gets bored very quick. He needs to always go go go and do something . Not me . I can sit at home by myself and either draw or read or be online . Just need to stay away from this horrible time waster tiktok. I had to delete it. It was sucking my brain away . I felt myself being brainwashed and just couldn’t stop watching . As soon as I fell asleep I decided not to log back in when i woke . I don’t think ppl realize that tiktok is a Chinese brain washing app. That’s very hard to detox from. Especially for kids who are not as strong mentally. I pray parents will not allow them to be obsessed with this app . Or any app. It’s not normal or good for us to be alone watching an app and not have interactions with ppl in real life . We are not meant to be alone . Nor is it healthy .
I’ve noticed my eyes getting worse, my memory is much worse, I’m tired all the time. This is not healthy for us. I have no kids. But if i did, I would ban tik tok, Instagram and Twitter. And force them to play outside. Get sun and fresh air. I was always outside when I was a kid and only came home to eat. And when I had my curfew which was 9PM on school days and 12 midnight on weekends . Which was very fair. Girls who stayed out after midnite ended up on drugs and/or pregnant. My mom knew this so she was very VERY strict.
This guy's seem super nice. I bet he is a lot of fun to hang out with. He has a very pleasant personality...
Me and my husband planned on hitting the road next month but he passed away last month. We didn't get the chance to follow through with our dream of retiring early and hitting the road. We almost made it, now I'm looking for a short bus to travel in by myself to carry our dream of traveling the country. He will travel with me in my heart and will always be in my thoughts...
Travel live your dreams while you can you never know what will happen in life...
I wish this man all the best enjoy life have a blast make the best memories and safe travels.
So very sorry for your loss...live your dream, he would want you to be happy 🙏😊I wish you well I hope to do it someday too 🤞🏼
i built my teardrop in 2014 and it's been a work in progress. i originally built it to save time and money when i'd go see my daughter who lives 1100 miles away. i drive till i'm ready to drop, pull into the next rest area, jump in and fall asleep. i've camped everywhere from Maine to White Sands NM to the beaches of Texas. love my teer drop
What a wonderful young man. His parents did a great job raising him. He has a great home so clean and organized.
Yeah well his parents should take him in . My family said as long as I have family, I will never be homeless .
@@JustanotherLiz The longer you live, the more you will appreciate your parents' commitment to family.
My grandfather, Dan Scharton built his own teardrop trailer. I have an old picture of it somewhere. He's been gone since 1980. He built his in the 1950's.
I hope you can find it & show it to us. I would love to hear stories & see what he made!!
🙏❤️🙏
This guy is very organized. He is giving off positive vibes. One thing though: the stuff in the back of the car( payload) combined with being way to close to maximum towing weight can be a problem in the transmission engine etc.
I agree. He also needs to downsize. He has a lot of little Knick knacks he doesn’t use and needs to get rid of. A lot of little piles he doesn’t need.
Erick, you are a brave man to live like you do.😊
Thank you for this video! I am 67 and have been looking for a routine like this! You are providing a needed service! Thank you for all your hard work, efforts and time to make these videos.
Erik is such an engaging personality. Fantastic set-up, so organised, so many great little hacks. Honestly what more does he need? This lifestyle obviously makes him so happy..his enthusiasm is contagious. Hope he can keep travelling for more than his allocated year. Happy travels and hello from Australia.
He's the cutest!
Omg the shower cap idea is brilliant
I love how boyishly joyful he seems while showing off his home and all his goodies. I hope to find that joy when I'm finally able to hit the road myself
If you’re ever in North Idaho come visit us in Clark Fork and we’ll let you camp in our woods, show you some amazing nature, where to find wild huckleberries, and the best free paddle boarding spot. August would be the best time.
If I were young, healthy, and single I could see myself living life like this. A good SUV, a fully furbished teardrop, and wide open spaces. Sawtooth, Adirondacks, Catskills, White Mountains ... Here I come!
I was told at a sport store that Wasp Spray work just as good as bear spray and is much cheeper and some will shoot farther.
This guy sure is detailed and organized.
This great and good on you Eric aka Johnny Lawrence. Giving up a good job to do what you have done. Respect for that a sharing your great rig and setup.
OMG, that was incredibly useful!!! That young man is so adorable……organized, articulate, keeps his car clean, has a fruit bowl…..can I adopt you!? Tristan, thank you for a rig tour that was full of pertinent info for setting up a Nomad lifestyle, and didn’t drag like some tours do. 👍😀
haha
well now YOU’RE my new favorite person (i’ve gotten a few favorite people today). thank you for all those awesome words. watching SUV Rving before i went full time, is what gave me the confidence to ‘go for it’ and Tristan gave me some great advice. if i can help just a few people out with what i’ve leaned on the road, then it’s worth it. thank you and if you’re interested i have LOTS more over on my own channel about my own adventures and just what it’s like to live in a teardrop full time
I too have been out full time in a teardrop for a couple years. I have a lot of the same gear, in the same storage locations. It was fun to see the bag you use for winter gear. I have the same bag, in the same spot of my Subaru outback, for my winter gear.
THANK YOU BOTH for thus great video!
@@jenns7669 oh that’s too funny! yeah, it took a good 2 months probably to find a good place for everything that worked with how i wanted to get to it all. like a good game of tetris. thanks for the support!!
@@jenns7669, you two should meet up somewhere, as I bet you both have a lot more in common.😊
@@martylucas8557 it is interesting how full time folks cross paths just on chance.
Great positive attitude... reminds me of Owen Wilson
Eric ~ Thank you for sharing all of your experience and knowledge with all your equipment. I happen onto your video ... which was not by no means any accident but a gift in the making. It brought back cherished memories of earlier times with my husband which is now deceased and our love of being out in nature with hiking, backpacking, and camping. He enjoyed making a huge geodesic dome out of pvc pipe and a very large parachute which ended up housing over 15 people for a church campout weekend at Honeyman State Park at the coast in Oregon. He would have loved to set and talk with you about your journey.
Looking forward to hearing more continued stories. Fran from the Palm Beaches of Florida
Sorry for the loss of your husband. Lost mine Nov. 19, 2014. God bless you & your precious memories.
🙏❤️🙏
I'm in a tab 400 full-time so it's a lot bigger but it's still relatively small and this dude is right: cleanliness and organization and function are king!!! I'm on year 3 and just starting to consider setting down (I'm working full-time and it's just time) but will stay nomad at least a few months a year bc I love my trailer so much
I envy you- you can stand up in your Tab! lol. putting on pants in my little home certainly takes some acrobatics at time. lol. thanks for watching and commenting!
He seems like a happy camper. Very nice.
Great video Erik. I enjoyed watching the thorough tour of your car and Teardrop camper. Safe travels mate and stay safe.
Also, just a little “hack” for you: “Invest” in a FULL set of window coverings from WeatherTech asap. They are worth their (light) weight worth in gold. Think about all the advantages of having that…in winter and summer. You’re welcome 👍.
Living life on his terms....simplicity!!
sometimes it feels like I have too much in such a tiny space. haha
The trunk organizer for a pantry is a great idea!!! I always keep my food in my car when camping.
I see that this is an older video, but Erik seems like a great guy,
and so generous of an interview, great video !
Erik is absolutely cool and seems like a super cool guy! I can’t stop watching, great video!!!!
Those are brown recluse spider bites on Erik's right arm. Likely when he was sleeping. They can be dangerous! Shake, shake out the sleeping bag, or hang it open end down, or both! Bug Soother is a good repellant, but it only lasts for 2 hours, at night if I spray it at last minute, it seems to protect all night.
😱😱😱
Now you have me looking for the bites, those are mean, nasty spiders!!
chlorine dioxide cures brown recluse bites,,use externally AND internally.
Instead of the tarp, look into a Neso Tent. They are catenary cut, and made from a stretch poly material that flexes in wind.
He is so organized and has everything you could need and so self contained. A lot of great tips and tricks in this Video. 😊 Thanks so much. 🎉
I didn't expect to watch till the end. As many RV videos as I've seen, I still found this to be captivating! There is no way he could do this if he wasn't as tidy as he is. Like he said; it's his home.
The fruit bowl out of nowhere was a nice little surprise!
🍎🍊🍌
You picked a great time in your life to do this & not wait till you're 60+ years old & too tired & cranky to do anything. Wise decision! Just subbed!
The guy has everything people have in their homes. It's not difficult to live like that. If you are single or after an ugly breakup, this type of break could even be heaven.
Good he had the idea of doing it!
We've had 2 floods that wiped out everything. Living in a trailor became necessary for awhile. I loved it. We were a young married couple and it brought us closer. 41 yrs together now.
@@nopeyadayadayada1248, amazing! Do you still have and use that trailer?
@@hntrains2 no that was back in 86 and 97. Good memories from a bad time.
One gallon water containers are the way to go, thats all I use have about 10 of them. Sleeping bag rating is a survival rating meaning you'll likely survive at that temperature, for comfort add about 20 degrees to the rating.
I love using just the one gallon jug. its soooo much easier to fill that up. I learned the hard way about the sleeping bag ratings. haha
Sir, You would love a ValvoMax oil change fitting setup on your car oil pan. This makes the oil changes cleaner, and easier. Drain directly into a jug and carry into an autoparts store for disposal in most states..
FYI: carbon monoxide is heavier than air; CO detectors should probably be mounted near the floor rather than near the ceiling.
I wish I could live like that. That would be difficult with bad knees and health issues. One can dream.
500 watt solar power station and Dash mini griddle....350w cooking...no propane. Makes huge pan biscuits, 4 inch pancakes, eggs, etc. Eat the pancakes AS you cook them and it works out great. They have a similar waffle maker too if you prefer that. These things are amazing and have non stick 4 inch cooking surfaces. A 600w power station can power the 520w Nostalgia sandwich maker. Makes a grilled cheese in 3 minutes or less and also does amazing crispy corn fritters using precooked Pan cornmeal. Dash also has a 200w rice cooker perfect for one person.
Erik sounds like Steve Carell. I can't help but think it while he talks. 😅😅😅
Nice camper.
Perfect interview style Tristan. No interupting...thank you
Tristan is nothing but a pro
Agreed.
Your mirror can also be an iPad holder/phone holder to lay down and have your movies and apps propped up!
I just watched a UA-camr who interviews Van lifers and others and she showed Waco Lake, Texas campsite for $16 a night. Awesome clean showers/bathrooms, covered picnic bench and BBQ included. Very beautiful.
Join the Elks Lodge and you can stay on their grounds with hook up, water, new friends and you can stay if available anywhere in the United States. At our lodge it runs about $22 a night.
Lol…Duct tape and zip ties?? Hopefully u never get pulled over lol..I definitely wouldn’t show these things to someone you want to date!! Lol…great video…I was almost tempted to go back and play a drinking game…EVERYTIME you say “contacts” we drink!! Lol😂😂😂
Great little trailer tour. Your O2 sensor really needs to be close to the floor. Carbon monoxide Is heavier-than-air so you will run out of air before your O2 sensor alerts you. ⚠️. Keep living your dream. I hope to be able to do this too. Someday! 😀
Most in-depth for a small camper. Very good
My husband and I bought a Little Guy 6x10 Silver Shadow. We love it! We went coast to coast after we retired with our golden retriever, lol. Recently, we traded our tow vehicle for a Bolt EUV. Sadly, we'll have to sell it.
Omg- he’s neat as a pin!!!! Love the shower cap hack. Awesome setup- thanks for sharing! 💚💚💚 12v electric blanket works great in the cold weather.
haha- I have to be! one little thing gets out of place and the whole room feels like a disaster. the shower cap idea just kinda came to me, but its a useful one!
I don't leave home with out my heating blanket. I am a cold sleeper.
@@EscapingNormalLife hello, from central AL! Have you thought about using grocery plastic bags instead of the shower cap? Then it's disposable or recyclable either way is OK. Years ago, I showed my husband how you can use them for many things.. tote, put under your plate across your lap to catch crumbs, etc when eating outside or in the car, to sit on at outside picnic bench... he even came up with more ideas. At 1st he made fun of the idea. Stay safe!
@@janstew9819 no, but all good ideas! i’ll use them in the future!
Not a bad idea. I would make a large heavy duty mesh netting screen room. Use canopy fittings.
Thanks for the honesty of how much he's paying per month to live. And for showing where he keeps his clothes.
So interesting, talks fast surprisingly I was able to follow right along loved it
Thank you very much share with us your Tiny Teardrop Trailer (Camper Full Tour!) we love it!!!❤❤❤
Yes indeedy!!
Harbor freight has foam interlocking square anti fatigue mats super cheap, i know u seen these before. These are amazing for floor insulation. Also they have heavy moving blankets for like 5$ that come in handy out there as well.
You guys are my heroes. Thank you for showing people that it is possible to travel; the only prerequisite is that you have to make it a priority. I tell people that if you hear someone say "when they retire they will travel", then they won't because travel has never been a priority. You guys have made it a priority. Wonderful!
Great cooking setup. Tell me what are you cooking? A dog would love to travel with you, great companion and alert monitor🐶. Thanks for sharing! Safe travels. I wonder if u did north in the summer, south in the winter???
I’ve been camping, stealth camping and over landing since the mid ‘70’s. I’ve had just three shelters I could stand up in over the years. I WOULD NEVER and COULD NEVER go back to squatting in a five foot tall or less shelter for an extended time. Being able to stand up in the middle of the night, or when getting dressed or in the morning to stretch is something I will never do without again.
I’d also NEVER pull a trailer again. Just get a pop-up truck camper like I did. You won’t be sorry
Awesome video! I would think a head lamp would solve a lot of your lighting issues! Thanks!
I run my buddy heater all night long. The secret is to open the roof vent to let out the carbon monoxide and humidity.
Carbon monoxide is lighter than air and so is the water vapor from burning LP and will go up through the roof vent. The water vapor helps to hold the heat in the air, especially in the dry winter months.
A great little home from home. A 10 amp (approx 150w) 12v panel will charge this from flat in 10 hours more or less, but if you use a 24v inverter then it will only draw half the current, so a couple of 50ah batteries in series will last twice as long between charges and not weigh as much. There will also be less current loss in the cabling needed, and not so much reliance on the vehicle to keep the batteries topped up.
For Erik: have you thought of using ball bungees instead of carabiners to attach tarp to rack? Should work and be noise free. Great tour.
The Forester is a really good car. I’ve got a 2016 base model with a canoe rack and a manual transmission. But if I wanted to to do some long term car camping I would just use a 10X10 tent which I could stand up in. I own three tents at least that size or even larger. I’ve spent a total of an entire year sleeping on the ground doing wilderness canoe trips in Canada at two different youth camps on Lake Temagami in Ontario. Sleeping in tiny canoe camping tents is the pits. That’s why I now prefer army cots and tents large enough to stand up in. Dome tents are easy to set up as is the Cabela’s outback lodge with the center pole. Although I attended truck driving school back in the ‘eighties I prefer to not tow a trailer.
I've had two teardrop campers. The first one was a Little Guy built trailer that I modified to my liking, including air-conditioning (I live in Texas). I built the second one from scratch, using an old lightweight boat trailer modified as the frame and suspension. I found out who made the doors for Little Guy, and bought a couple for my home build. Teardroping is a lot of fun, and doesn't need a big truck to tow with. I used an Audi Allroad for the first one, and a Volvo XC70 for the second one, and I could barely feel them being towed. I'm thinking about getting another one for my Audi Q5.BTW, I didn't have anywhere NEAR 10,000 bucks in either of my teardrops.
Who makes the doors?
Can a teardrop be stored in your garage?
Phew, Im exhausted from just listening! Great set up 😅
My neighbor made one of these from some plans. Made with exterior plywood and looks like an old western stage coach. He says he only had around 500 dollars into it before the electronics.
It's recommended that you stay at around 80% of your tow capacity, so be careful on hills and stay at lower speeds. Keep in mind the tow capacity includes everything in the car including people, water, coolers, etc. So I would suggest eliminating things you don't need or don't use to save weight. You've given me some great ideas for when I get started.
34:11 He has gone over his tow capacity just from what he carries in the trailer alone.
Erik is one organized and tidy guy......clone him 🙂! A very informative tour and having a space for everything and everything in its place makes living so much easier and more relaxed. That hour was very interesting and went fast. That is quite the set up and so impressed with it all. Erik seems like such a nice guy, too. Great tour video!
We rock hound and always have sandy wet shoes. Definitely using the shower cap hack.
Use a grocery store plastic bag, when it's dirty you can toss it. At least you're using it, many ppl throw them away.
just got my teardrop in June...love it.. use lugaloo for toilet.. almost 70 years old, solo female traveler and the security it gives me is worth it... I researched for about 3 years and started with car camping after getting hooked on Tristan's channel and buying his book (also hooked on Cosmo Weems YT channel) .. good luck to all, it gets better the more research you do... everytime I get home from a trip I automatically start planning my next one...love the car trunk organizer and string lights.. always learning something new or yearning for something new... happy camping
U go girl🎉.
You should wrap your carabiners with jute or yarn! It will soften them and won’t be metal on metal c:
On that awning pipe. With the rattling clips. Just wrap a little tape around the pipe where the clips set and the rattling will be gone. Personally the rattling wouldn't wake me up but if I'm waking and I hear the rattling.....I at least know there's wind and how strong by how much they are rattling! Later! Oh keep Gorilla tape not duck tape. (Gorilla is a lot stronger and thicker) and some rolls of electrical tape for use when you need them. A tube of a product sold at every home store is called SEAL-ALL. I've used it in everything. It seals sticks things and fills gaps. Great stuff and it's usually clear! Later. J Poll.
I love this rocking chair. I have the exact chair. Great little tear drop. Thanks for the tour!
Sweet dialed-in rig. Love the shower cap over shoes idea; time for me to get one for shoes before my next wander. Def agree w the sheets, giving that at-home feel.
A gas generator, which costs not so much, but if installed outside and wire through the wall might help in winter time.
you need you a small dog to travel around with ya for company - sure does make a world of difference - smiles
Now that’s organization 😮😊
thank you!
Thank you, this was very informative, I want to get a teardrop now.
How do you wash your clothes? You could make a quick cheap washing machine with two 5g buckets drill holes around the bottom and middle of sides of one, then put inside the other one. The holes might need sanding after so the clothes dont catch on the rough edges. Pour water and detergent into the drum till it reaches up halfway. Cut a central hole in the lid of the top one, get yourself a long handled new plunger, and you can insert it through the hole, plunge up and down to agitate the clothes then you can rinse them in the same way. Also spin dry them in the same way just agitate with no water in so the wster drains out. Its great for off grid use, happy travels 🥾😊🤞🏼
You are so thorough, confident. Makes me wish I was a guy. I would probably get discouraged if one thing went wrong and cry. I would need a guy like you to save me.
i have an olympia propane heater, you can run it all night no problem, just have to crack a window and it's fine
candle wax is actually a great fire starter
I was so happy to watch this and see what it takes on a day-to-day basis to live in something like a Teardrop. I bought my Forester because it would pull a small trailer, and I could travel around forever, but three years later, I have yet to even put a hitch on it! Now, after watching your video, I am inspired to forget this idea altogether. Talk about a reality check (especially since I'm an old lady). That's a lot of work! Happy camping!! :)
We lived in a camper shell for three years. It evolved into a very comfortable home. Color TV, VCR and we had a Cockatiel bird. We went to a campground for showers and slept in a 24 hr Ralph's parking lot for food.
IDK if anyone has mentioned it, but for the record. Those 16oz propane canisters are refillable, just buy the adapter( it's less than $20)( get the one with the separate valve and the gauge ), I've been refilling the same four 16oz.canisters for over ten years now.
Thanks for this 😊 I’ve been thinking of getting a teardrop. Your interview answered tons of questions and he speaks well!
I have quite a few more videos over on my own channel. a whole playlist centered around the teardrop.
ua-cam.com/play/PLLgytSOs0A3ex48wx0GSh7FjbRKtJ5mcn.html
just got my teardrop in June...love it.. use lugaloo for toilet.. almost 70 years old, solo female traveler and the security it gives me is worth it... I researched for about 3 years and started with car camping after getting hooked on Tristan's channel and buying his book.. good luck, it all gets better the more research you do... everytime I get home from a trip I automatically start planning my next one
@@bikingal4283 love it! keep on escaping out there!!
@@bikingal4283 Almost 70 here as well. I'm not giving up on adventures yet!!!
🙏❤️🙏
🥵 FL
I have a teardrop and I love it! I don't have a sink either and I don't miss it. I'd rather have the prep space and use a plastic tub to wash dishes. A jug with a spout is all you need. He has a great setup!
wonderful setup, I could have used your ideas when I was working 90 miles away from home each week. Thank you for sharing your video.
WOW!!!! I subscribed to Eric's channel , he is incredibly articulate and a fantastic speaker. Too many vloggers use a lot of : ums, aaaannnndddddd, like, uh, etc.... Eric does not keep saying, " um ...." in between sentences and pauses, so refreshing to listen to Eric speak and he is extremely talented with explaining in easy to understand terms, no vernacular to befuddle the average viewer. Eric is extremely clean, hygienic, and well-organized, top notch in everything. Thank you for introducing Eric to us, he gives tons of useful tips and insights to help us.
Great rig you got there.
When you remove trailer from your suv I'd make sure you'd leave it in a very secure area. Theft of trailers is very bad these days.
Thank you guys. Soooo much to consider living tiny. Take care.
it is, but it also means you can get rid of the stuff just in your way. thanks for watching!
Little tricks here, you can get "bed warmer" heating pads... that you can lay on top off, or put inside a sleeping bag liners that you can plug into 12v power systems, or 120v outlets. they will help in really low temps, to keep you comphy. To make it fell less like you are "surviving" and more like "you are just safe at home"
power wise, there are so many options there are tons of "solar generators" which are just large batteries that can be hooked up to solar power to recharge. they range from tiny little things that will just charge cellphones and laptops. up to massive heavy battery arrays that will let you run AC even, but need like 8+ panels to recharge.
Normal options are Jackery, bluetti, and such. jackery is really nice but all of these options can get expensive.
But wait! What if you aren't doing this "full time" and/or just need a little power for trips. Ryobi and Milwaukee both have Inverters for their batteries. So for example, Ryobi, you pull your your battery off your drill and you can plug it into a 2 usb 1x12v 150 watt inverter, now you can use THAT as your battery. their 40v batteries have 300 watt inverters with AC out. The Milwaukee version has 2x usb and 1x120 and comes in the 150 and 175 watt versions.
This gives a ton of options for short term camping with these litte things, and keeping the weight down.
Brave guy .my friend had a teardrop .she was parked on the side of a Welsh mountain side on a certified site.
Her car wouldn't hold the weight and it rolled down the mountain side and luckily held by a group of guys.
I wouldn't have one they are unsafe uncomfortable and I don't think capable of standing the UK weather 🇬🇧🇬🇧