I love this photo of a couple in their tent perched atop of their classic car.
I really like the awning they have set up UNDER the tent, but to the side of the car. It looks like it’s a great place to change clothes in privacy, just like I put on my teardrop trailer.
It’s hard for me to believe that this kind of car top tent isn’t available EVERYWHERE. So many cars have roof racks that it seems like an easy addition to any car. They are available, but they’re a lot more expensive than a normal tent. Take this one for example:
The cost for this tent is $1302! Now, they make smaller tents like the one from the Fifties that cost less, but my Springbar was less than half the cost of that tent. If you are interested in it, however, here’s a video showing it in more detail.
It’s nice to know that it’s possible to recreate the camping experience of the Fifties on your very own vehicle, but at that cost, a cheap Redneck Trailer might be a better option.
Heimplanet, a German company, has decided to solve a problem that didn’t really need solving with their new tent, The Cave. It’s an inflatable tent, which supposedly sets up in less than a minute.
Mike and I have just returned from an epic journey that I really can’t believe we achieved with such ease. We drove from Utah to Arkansas for a class for Mike and his father.
The trip was originally planned as a camping trip with the Springbar tent, but after the disastrous wind, rain and cold incidents of the Disneyland trip in March, we decided that we needed a trailer.
We took the newly restored Teardrop American Outbacker trailer. I am still amazed that it worked so well. Both Mike and I slept like logs in the teardrop, despite humid heat in Memphis and bitingly cold wind in Cheyenne. Of the twelve days on the road, we spent eleven in the trailer.
When we planned this trip, we fully expected to spend some days camping and some days in hotels. Mike had looked for hotels and motels along the way, especially in Little Rock, Arkansas, because he was worried about sleeping well for his class. After the first night in a hotel just east of Denver, we never needed a hotel again. In fact, we only stayed in a hotel that first night because Mike had to work and needed a guaranteed Internet connection and a nice desk to sit at all night.
Every other night was a cozy dream in the teardrop together. By the end of the trip, when we were freezing our buns off in the Cheyenne, I had no problem just huddling in the tiny trailer all night. It had become my haven and den, keeping out the cold wind.
The best benefit to the teardrop is that we got such good gas mileage when driving it. The first day, we almost hit 34 mpg.
When we hit the massive headwinds in Kansas (and then again in Nebraska), our gas mileage got as low as 29 mpg, but that still was a phenomenal rate. At the worst mileage of 29 mpg, our cost for gasoline was approximately $365. If we had done the same journey in a motorhome or a big truck pulling a fifth-wheel trailer at 12 mph (which is generous), we would have paid approximately $957 in gas.
Ever since I was a little girl, playing with my Barbie Star Traveler, I wanted to take a cross-country trip in a trailer or motorhome. The practical side of me never allowed that to happen because of the cost of owning a big motorhome and, even worse, the high price of gasoline to drive one. Our little teardrop trailer made this journey possible for both the childhood dreamer and the practical accountant sides of me.
After months and months of a teardrop trailer obsession, I have finally found one for myself. After so many unsuccessful tent camping attempts, we got to the point where we were able to consider a simple trailer. (Continue Reading…)
Photo shows a Stoddard-Dayton camping car built for engineer and politician Thomas Coleman du Pont (1863-1930). Du Pont used the vehicle during his supervision of the construction of the DuPont Highway through the state of Delaware.
We actually have similar technology for hatchback cars today. One company is called Sportz Dome To Go.
Before buying my Springbar, I seriously looked at these tents, but I had problems with it. I like to set up camp, but sometimes we need to take the car for supplies, to head to the lake or even make a trip into town. If my tent is attached to my car, I’d have to break camp in order to make a firewood run.
One thing I liked about it was that I could sleep in the car and let the heater keep me warm, but since the tent is situated at the back of the car, I’d be constantly worried about car exhaust setting my tent on fire. It just wasn’t something that would work for me.
After looking at this video for the setup in a pickup, I have NO desire to own one of these tents. There are EIGHT poles?! Why does this tent need to be so complicated when my Springbar goes up in fifteen minutes?!
In the end, I prefer to use my car as a transport vehicle and keep my shelter separate from it. It appears that Thomas Coleman du Pont, however, did not agree with me.
So, I have decided to customize my tent in order to make it my own as much as the owner of that trailer did. Originally, I wanted to stencil on a map of the U.S. so I could color in each state as we camped in them, but that idea became too difficult. Instead, we decided to draw an image for each place we’ve camped.
To do this, we used Sharpie markers. We tested the Sharpie Fabric Markers, but their colors were so bright and they just didn’t look as good as the regular Sharpie markers. We hope to have a tent covered in little reminders of all the places we’ve camped. As of now, it only has the Lake Mead picture because that’s the only place we’ve put up the tent since we bought it last November, since our backyard doesn’t count. Here is how it looked with the regular Sharpies.
Luckily, we tested it with the Sharpie Fabric Markers on one of the bags. It didn’t look as good because we didn’t have as large of a color selection and the colors are a tad on the flourescent side.
You should test the markers on an unobtrusive part of your tent, letting them dry and then checking for waterproofing. The Sharpies didn’t affect our waterproofing on our canvas Springbar tent, but I have no idea how they would work on a nylon tent like our old Hobitat.
The next time I see an adorable trailer that has been personalized, I won’t feel as left out. I can look at my own tent and relive all the great memories we had camping in it.
I bought my camp kitchen from a store, but I adore this homemade camp kitchen from this blogger, pwef. He talks about the design of it on these two posts:
Instead of the heavy, wooden legs, he used pipes that slide into the fittings. You can also see that he attached a towel rack that also holds his paper towels. He even added a bottle opener.
The camp kitchen opens in such a way that it needs to be on its legs to open up. He ended up adding little legs to the bottom so that he can just set it on a table to open and leave the legs in the car. You can see the little legs in this photo (they are the black nubbins on the bottom of the box). He said that if he made another one, he would design it to open flush.
He built it to work with his Coleman fold up stove, but the stove doesn’t have wind shields, so he ended up adding a windshield himself in addition to another shelf on the left side for extra workspace.
I felt a sense of camaraderie with him because he has the exact same pan set that we use. I could imagine making meals with that very chuck box while camping instead of my camp kitchen and it looked like fun.
I really liked that he painted the box to match his Springbar tent. They look really good together at camp, don’t you think?
I love the idea of being able to choose exactly the features I want for my camp kitchen instead of being at the mercy of the camping manufacturers. If I ever break my Mega Camp Kitchen like I did my Coleman, I think I will choose to design my own camp kitchen.
I’m a tent camper, but I’ve been obsessed with camping with a trailer lately. I’ve looked at owning a trailer seriously and I can’t justify the expense and difficulty of owning a trailer. No matter how I look at it, tent camping comes out ahead.
Tent Camping is Cheaper
When you take into account the cost of the trailer, the vehicle to tow it, the gasoline to get it there and the increased fees at the campsites, tent camping is MUCH cheaper. I asked Reed what MPG he gets on his truck when he’s towing his trailer and he said 12 miles to the gallon. Compared to the 40 mpg I get with my Prius (fully loaded to the ceiling with camping gear), I can go three times further away for the same money.
Then, there are the charges for the trailer when I’m NOT camping. Unless I could store it on my own property, I’d have to find an RV storage facility. When I checked some storage places near my home, the prices ranged from $50 a month to $150. To store my camping gear, I stuff it in the garage. Even if I needed a storage unit for my camping gear, I could get one for FAR less than that.
Finally, I don’t need to pay license, registration and taxes on my tent, whereas a trailer has those fees in addition to insurance riders. I really can’t see any financial advantage to having a trailer over a tent.
Tent Camping is Interchangeable
When I get sick of my tent, it costs me very little money to trade it out for a different one. If it starts leaking or mold has started growing on it, I can just toss it and buy a new one. If I don’t like my camping stove (or it starts leaking), I can exchange it without having to worry about ripping it out of a permanent fixture. I just leave the old gear at home and take the new gear next time we leave.
With a trailer, changing elements is a difficult task, requiring handiwork and knowledge of electrical, sewer or propane lines. Changing the entire trailer is not only costly, but a giant pain in the butt when it comes time to get rid of the old one. If you thought storing one trailer was expensive, try storing two. Storing two tents, on the other hand, is entirely doable.
Tents Never Flip My Car in the Wind
There is a lot of talk on the trailer forums about how to avoid sway. On windy days, even the best sway control and driving abilities will tip your trailer right over, damaging it, your car and maybe even injuring you. This video shows an RV that was blown over by the wind. The driver wasn’t injured and looks like he was driving slowly and safely, but the wind pushed him over anyway.
Now, a fifth-wheel might have survived that wind gust a little better, but if it didn’t, then the truck AND the trailer would have been on their sides, skidding down the road. My tent in the trunk of my Prius, as heavy as it is, will never catch enough wind to wreck my car.
Black Water Is Black Water
Having a toilet and shower in a trailer might seem like a way to enjoy the comforts of your home, but in the end, you have to deal with the gray and black water tanks. It’s not like at home where the stinky stuff disappears down the drain never to be seen again. With a trailer, you have to empty out every “deposit” you make.
If you have to deal with the unpleasantness of emptying a black water tank, then you can just as easily empty a port-a-potty. The most expensive portable toilet I found on Amazon was just under $150 (Thetford 25112 Porta Potti 365 Level Gauge and Lid Latch with Piston Pump Flush). Emptying a black water tank is no different than emptying a portable toilet. They’re both gross.
Propane Heat is Dangerous
The biggest reason I wanted a trailer is because I thought it would be warmer than my tent. The REASON why it’s warmer, however, is due to propane heat. Propane heaters are the same devices that kill at least one or two hunting parties every year in the mountains of Utah. If I have to worry about carbon monoxide and low oxygen monitors, I’m not going to use the device, so I’ll be freezing in a trailer just as much as I freeze in a tent.
If I have electricity, I can use an electric heater in my Springbar tent and be toasty warm all night long. It’s the electricity hookup at the campsite that makes the difference, not the trailer.
Trailers Don’t Have Generators
I was shocked to learn that trailers don’t come equipped with their own generators. If you want to boondock or camp at a site without electricity, you have to buy a separate generator to power your trailer. I could do that while tent camping just as easily as a trailer can. The trailer doesn’t provide the electricity to charge my cell phone or run an electric heater, the campsite or generator does.
Setting Up A Tent Doesn’t Take As Long As You Think
Another attraction for trailers to me was the thought that I could just pull up and start camping, but disconnecting the trailer from the truck, attaching it to the hookups, opening the slide-outs, leveling it and setting up the awnings can take as long as setting up a tent and camp kitchen. Mike and I have camp setup down to a science and it only takes us about an hour to set up or pack up. I’ve watched many a truck inch forward and back trying to line up correctly with the trailer hitch for longer than that at the campground.
These videos showing the setup procedure for a trailer convinced me that camping in a trailer is ANYTHING but just pulling up and camping.
Compare that video to this video of the setup procedure for my Springbar tent. It’s not filmed in real time, and honestly, pounding in those stakes is what takes MOST of the time, but Mike and I can get our tent up in about fifteen minutes.
Sure, the first time you set up a new piece of equipment, it will take a long time, but every time after that, you gain a little speed. Once Mike and I timed ourselves, we realized that setting up a tent doesn’t take as long as I thought. Ironically, I’ve watched people setting up a trailer take FAR longer than I would have expected.
Setting Up Camp Is Kinda Fun
I know this might sound crazy, but I enjoy getting to a new campsite and deciding where everything is going to go. It’s like I get to decorate my campsite differently every time we go camping. This time, I might put the camp kitchen near the picnic table so I have double the counter space. Next time, we might abandon the picnic table altogether.
I decide where the awning is going to be and how I position my shady area for my chairs. I’m not at the mercy of the floor plan of my trailer. I don’t have to always have my awning on the passenger side of the camper, irregardless of the sunshine. I get to choose where everything goes and it can be different every time.
Does It Count As Camping When You’re in a Trailer?
When I sleep in a tent, I hear every little crunching footstep of the animals outside. When I am cooking at a propane stove on a picnic table, I feel the wind on my face and the chill of the early morning. When I sit by the campfire, I see bats swishing above me, eating all those pesky mosquitoes.
I realize that I could do all those things with a trailer, but would I? If I have a trailer, am I going to sleep in a tent outside just so I can hear all the animals as I fall asleep? If it’s chilly outside, am I going to bring my propane stove out to the picnic table, or am I going to just cook on the stove inside the trailer? Would I even start a campfire when the propane heater in the trailer could keep me so warm?
At some point, it’s no longer camping. It’s just living in a tiny, tiny house. The simplicity of that has an appeal, but it’s completely different than what I get from camping in a tent.
Despite all these reasons that I think tent camping is better than trailer camping, I have to admit that I’m still attracted to owning a trailer. Even building my own teardrop trailer in my garage still sounds appealing, even though I have absolutely no use for it. I can look at it logically, but there is something about the idea of a trailer that attracts me. For now, Mike and I are staying tent campers, but I can’t say that I will always feel the same in the future.
Update 03-31-12: After months of fighting a teardrop trailer obsession and several cold and unsuccessful camping attempts, we have finally bought a trailer. I revisit how teardrop trailer camping compares to tent camping again here:
I will provide updates on how camping with the teardrop is different than a tent over the next few months.
Update 01-03-13: After adding a ten year old boy to our family, we couldn’t fit in the teardrop anymore, so we got a cheap tent trailer and our adventures continue. We haul it with our Prius and still get 29 mpg, so we have been very happy with our camper. We literally have the best of both worlds because we have the exact same car as we used to tent camp with, but we have access to the campsites with electricity, so winter camping is WAY warmer than it was in a tent. If RV parks would just let tent campers have electricity at their sites, we probably would still be camping in a tent today, but as it is, the tent trailer has been great.
When you take into account the cost of the trailer, the vehicle to tow it, the gasoline to get it there and the increased fees at the campsites, tent camping is MUCH cheaper. I asked Reed what MPG he gets on his truck when he’s towing his trailer and he said 12 miles to the gallon. Compared to the 40 mpg I get with my Prius (fully loaded to the ceiling with camping gear), I can go three times further away for the same money. 
The biggest reason I wanted a trailer is because I thought it would be warmer than my tent. The REASON why it’s warmer, however, is due to propane heat. Propane heaters are the same devices that kill at least one or two hunting parties every year in the mountains of Utah. If I have to worry about carbon monoxide and low oxygen monitors, I’m not going to use the device, so I’ll be freezing in a trailer just as much as I freeze in a tent. 
I know this might sound crazy, but I enjoy getting to a new campsite and deciding where everything is going to go. It’s like I get to decorate my campsite differently every time we go camping. This time, I might put the camp kitchen near the picnic table so I have double the counter space. Next time, we might abandon the picnic table altogether.