Etrailer.com Success Story

I decided to put a hitch on my other vehicle.  It gets considerably better gas mileage than our CRV and I am planning to take it on my first really big road trip out west.  By all reports, it's pretty easy to install.  I'm looking at it as an adventure.

I ordered it and all the wiring I need from etrailer.com.  The whole process was efficient and very pleasant.  I ended up ordering online, but realized I had forgotten a few key pieces, like the tow ball!  So, I needed to call and adjust my order.  The sales staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.  They knew everything about what my vehicle needed.

Because my order was over $99, I earned free shipping, which would have been considerable since the hitch itself was quite heavy and large.  It arrived within a few days with no issues at all!

A few days later, I realized that I needed to come up with a solution for charging my teardrop's battery while on my upcoming road trip.  Most camping facilities in National Parks or Bureau of Land Management/National Forests out west do not have water or electric hook ups available.  So, I was going to need a way to charge the batteries while on the road to each new spot.

I had done a lot of reading on the Teardrops and Tiny Trailers Forum, but being a visual learner, none of those discussion threads really helped me visualize it.  That's when I came upon the Q & A on etrailer.com.  Someone had the same situation and there was an excellent answer posted online.  This seemed like the solution I needed.  It was a battery isolator that cut off the power to the teardrop's battery when the ignition was switched off.  This would ensure that both batteries would not run down when using lights/fan/CPAP machines in the teardrop.

While this solved the charging situation, it did not prevent the teardrop's battery from overcharging.  I'm glad I thought of this because the potential for overcharging could be very possible on long road trips.  That's when the knowledgeable sales staff at etrailer.com came through for me again.  The salesperson queried me about what I was using the isolator for.  He had no idea what a teardrop was, but when I explained how the power system in the teardrop worked, he came up with a Tekonsha Two Stage 12 Volt DC Battery Charger.

This charger will prevent overcharging and is small enough to neatly fit into my electrical cabinet.  I plan to mount it opposite the AC charger I have for when I'm plugged into shore power.  I'm amazed at how 'complicated' the 'super simple' electrical system I've built has become.  Another way to do this would be to add a solar panel to the teardrop.  A solar panel would allow a trickle charge to the battery but would require a whole lot of other devices along the way; maybe at some point that will become a viable option.  For now, I think my system will work well.

Hatch Solution and Detail Work

My hatch has not properly closed since I bought the teardrop.  It seems to have been slightly bent out of shape and it always made it very difficult to fully close.  This was a problem on the road because moisture made its way into the galley.  Today I finally fixed that.  On one of the forums I had recently posted on, it was suggested that I try 'compression latches' to get the hatch to close properly.  It was just the ticket.  I picked up a couple of the latches and carefully drilled and bolted them into place.  The result was a smoothly closed hatch.

As an added benefit, the aluminum at the corners had been kind of mangled in the past, the latches cover the yucky metal.  I think it looks pretty good!

I think the latches blend in quite well with the details along the bottom.

 I finally added some labels to help me remember which way is on/off for the outdoor LED porch lights.

You can also see the small black strip of velcro that now holds the sliding shelf in place while on the road.  It kept sliding out when we were traveling.

I also added some labels to the interior door locks.  I could never remember when they were locked or not.  The latches open whether they are locked or not from the inside, but it is inaccessible from the outside.  This will add a little more security inside the teardrop.






Those are all the details I was able to complete this weekend.  I will be installing a hitch on my other vehicle, my Honda Civic.  I'll also be adding a charging circuit so that while we tow, I'll be able to trickle charge the teardrop's battery.  I've learned a lot about electrical work while working on this teardrop.  Doing the wiring for the tow vehicle will be yet another learning experience.

First Spring Trip to Burleson Recreation Area!

Well, since nearly every camp ground in the state of WI and IL are booked for the holiday weekend, I decided to reserve a site in our backyard; also known as Burleson Recreation Area.  There's always room and the showers are hot!

 

 Before I set up camp, I gave the teardrop a wash.  I also protected all the rubber gaskets with a UV protector so that they'll stay pliable and keep the moisture out.  

 Before

After

One of the things from last year's list was to replace the screws on the door and hatch handles.  The problem was that they are at a severe angle and I tried installing them with my drill; it tended to strip out the phillip's head screws causing a very painful scratch every time you opened the door.  So, thanks to the guy at the hardware store, I found these very cool angle drivers.  

 

Angled driver.

 

Stripped screws!

 

Wish I had known about this tool a long time ago!

I'm actually quite glad that I opted to stay 'at home' on this trip.  It gave me the opportunity to take care of a lot of items from last year's list and some that weren't on there that should have been.  For example:  last year I added the stone guard foam pad to the front of the teardrop.  We had lots of problems with water getting caught between it and the skin of the teardrop.  So, I added a strip of aluminum and caulked the heck out of it to ensure that the strip remained affixed to the skin of the teardrop and 'sealed' the neoprene.  (I did not put any screws in the aluminum, so the caulk/adhesive was all that was holding it on.)  Well, it worked well, but I was less than perfect about how I applied the caulk/adhesive.  The result was a less than lovely 'line' where the aluminum met the skin of the teardrop.  In addition to that, the caulk, which was clear, turned black when dirt collected on it.  So, I decided to mask off the area and use my hammered paint to 'cover it.'  It worked perfectly and looks a million times better.  

This was also my first 'trip' in which I used my CPAP machine in the teardrop.  I learned that the 'fault' I kept getting on my AC Converter was due to the fact that it requires the DC Battery to be at 12 volts or more in order to properly convert it into AC power.  I am probably going to want to add an AC 'direct' plug in the cabin so that I'm essentially going directly from the Marinco power inlet to my AC device.  I'm not sure how to deal with this when we are off the grid.  I'll need to look into this for future trips for sure.  I know that there is an available battery system for the CPAP, but it was prohibitively expensive.  I've seen some devices at Harbor Freight that would work just as well, but are much less expensive.

 

Here is one I was considering from Harbor Freight.  Could be useful for all kinds of camping trips; especially when the battery on the tow vehicle dies like it has on us several times!

I've got several more tiny items on my list that I want to try to accomplish before making the 'long' trip back to the concrete pad where the Carpe Diem rests.  In the meanwhile, here is my view this morning from the teardrop's open door.

 

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

A Potential Quest?

I was exploring the Wisconsin State Park System yesterday and came upon this map that shared the locations of every state park.  I had never heard of many of them and it got me thinking.  It would be pretty cool to say that I had visited each of the different parks at some point.  I wonder how many years it would take to visit them all?  We often think of getting to all of the majestic National Parks, but how often do we really 'appreciate' all the nature that's in our own 'backyards?'  For me, not often enough. I'm hoping that I can get a few get aways this summer to the parks that are located along the lake shore.  There's something wonderfully romantic about being so close to a large body of water.  So, for now, I'll mark off the ones I've been to and start 'dreaming' of future trips.  Here is a cool resource with a brief description of each park's features.

Itchin' for a Road Trip

I'm so ready for our first road trip.  The holiday weekend coming up is the unofficial kick off of summer and I would love to camp one night somewhere.  Most of the sites near by are reserved already. I decided to try my hand at painting the Carpe Diem.  I think it turned out pretty darn good. We might even just camp in the Burleson Recreation Area.  The showers are always hot there for sure!

Thirteen Months Later: 4,925 U.S. Visitors, 1,691 International Visitors, 193 Countries and Every Single Continent on the Planet!

 Those statistics are are overwhelming!  As I’ve said before, when I started this blog/book, I simply wanted a place to record my thoughts, wonderings and travels.

Now, the Todd’s Teardrop Blog has been visited by nearly 7,000 people.  I’m going to say that every single continent has checked in because I know there are a few people in Antarctica that have read the blog, but just don’t ‘show up’ as Antarctica.

I think it might have something to do with how the IP addresses are assigned to the various research facilities there.  Regardless, there have been thousands more visitors and countries then I could have EVER have imagined!

Spring?

It was a rough winter here in Wisconsin.  We had tons of snow.  This photo is actually after one night of snow.  The drifts easily came up to the door of the teardrop at times.  I’m grateful that my wife got me a cover for the teardrop for Christmas.  It protected the finish and I like to hope it helped keep the melting snow from the seams of the teardrop.  Even though it is ‘officially’ spring, we are far from camping weather.