Do it yourself gear: the folding table

Years ago, I bought a folding table for camping, and it was one of my best investments for complaining knees.  No more squatting beside a fire or stove placed on the ground, stirring a bowl of pancake batter or scrambling eggs.  I was amazed at the level of luxury that having an efficient folding camp table and a chair made for my camping excursions, along with a good three season tent and a cot.  I felt like I was on a luxury trip instead of roughing it, freezing at night, and waking up with assorted aches and pains.  It was about the same time that I discovered that a large furry dog at your feet was the best “heating pad” for cold tootsies ever too.  There is nothing as luxurious as wiggling cold toes into thick, plush fur that is warmed to a perfect temperature by the patient dog wearing it.

The table I bought had a wood slat top that fit over nipples sticking out of the top of the scissoring leg assembly, similar to the very familiar camping chairs sold everywhere today.  Disassembled, the rolled up top fastened with velcro and packed, along with the legs, in a nylon carry sack.  Probably weighing about 20-25 lbs, it wasn’t something  you’d take along on a backpacking trip, but it was ideal for my solitary Jeep-side camps in the canyons and mountains of Arizona.  It also made the trip with me to New Orleans when I moved there, serving as a temporary computer desk and as a dining table until furniture was purchased.  Over a decade later of somewhat hard use, it has died after the failure of the leg assembly.  The top wasn’t in particularly good condition either, sporting numerous grease and scorch marks.  It was only then that I began to shop for a replacement  and was somewhat dismayed to discover that it seems to no longer be manufactured and sold, instead similar tables have flimsy aluminum or vinyl clad tops.  While these may be lighter, the aluminum bends and the vinyl does more than merely scorch–it can burn and melt at much lower temperatures than the wood table had.  In addition, the prices had also gone up substantially, leaving me somewhat disappointed in the more modern offerings of compact camping tables.

That left me wondering…could it be possible to recreate a table like this from a home shop with minimal tools?

Thank goodness for a couple of resources: YouTube and Instructables.

There is the “picnic” style table made from a single sheet of plywood, complete with benches, which looked like a good idea for a couple such as my husband and myself, although we do prefer the flexibility of having separate chairs…the benches might be a great idea simply for a place to set our supplies and cooler, with our chairs at either end of the table.   It disassembles into flat pieces for storage and transport, and assembles just as easily.  It appears to use a saw and a router to achieve the basic construction, although a sander might be a good idea too.  The video is here, and the plans are here.

For a more compact table for transporting and storing, there is a shorter version of the roll up table.  From the design, I don’t think it would be wise to try to create one at normal “table” height without some major modifications to the design.  The plans call for the table to be roughly 12″ high, which is suitable for alongside a chair, and is better than nothing when it comes to a work surface.  It’s also fairly simple to construct, as well as assemble/disassemble.  Here are the instructions for it.  If I was to make one for myself, I’d be very interested in whether or not it would work at about 18″ high, which would make it a lot easier to work with when seated at a chair beside it.  (Chair seats seem to be 18-22″ off of the ground usually.)

Camping gear and dreaming?

Okay, I’ll confess, I love surfing the internet and looking at the weird, wacky, wild, and ultra cool things people come up with for camping.  Believe me, they are out there, even if you haven’t seen them in the same campgrounds you were in.  Gypsy Vardo campers, sheepherder wagons, teardrops, concept campers, fanciful tents, amazing extreme camping, cliffhangers, and tree camping are all possibilities that we could entertain.

Things like I had never thought about screen printed ADULT tents…like a wedge  tent that was screen printed to look like a slice of watermelon…or have a silhouette of a couple kissing.  (Here it is.  There are other designs too.) While the page shows the photos, it doesn’t list retailers or the manufacturer.

There is also a suspended tent, rather like an overgrown triple hammock with a center area for…socializing?  Climbing out of that tent half asleep come morning could mean that first step was a real doozy though!  (Take a look here.)  For a bit, I thought that it might be cool to use in the bayous and swamps along the Gulf Coast…until I remembered that some of the alligator baits are hung over six feet above the water.  I have to admit…alligators of substantial size really intimidate me.  Their ability to lurk, unseen, under the water for hours is also kind of creepy.  I think I’ll stick to dry land camping on the ground…out of gator space!

If camping doesn’t give you enough thrills and chills…there is also what is known as “extreme camping.”  While it’s not my cup of tea, neither is rock climbing.  I like my trails to be more horizontal, I guess.  For the adrenaline junkie though, the idea of sleeping suspended on the side of a cliff can be exhilarating, as well as welcome rest after hours of tense climbing.  I can’t help but wonder how these set ups are carried and put together while dangling precariously on the face of a cliff.  (Take a look at some options here.)

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the armchair adventurer, although today, many real world adventurers use technology to prepare for their experiences.  One such offering is a video tour of several trails, with a full panoramic view much like Google Maps offers for many locations.  (Take a look at the article here.)  Few of us are ever going to visit every single one of America’s National Parks, as much as we may want to, because of issues like jobs, time, money, and the price of gasoline.  That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate them from a distance though, and being able to experience some of that beauty without having to take two week off of work to drive half of that time, only to arrive for a hurried hike to see the “hot spots” of the park before a rush to return home again.

That price of gasoline is going to be a contributing influence in everyone’s life, whether or not they are trying to reduce their use of fossil fuels in general.  Many of us have added bicycles, combined trips, or even started using smaller transportation such as scooters or motorcycles for many trips.  Few of us can afford the gas guzzling work horses on the highway that are capable of pulling massive campers or one of the “land yacht” motorhomes that have every amenity under the sun included.  At the same time, we have an aging population, and many of us are facing increasingly more restrictive physical limitations that mean that our days of backpacking and remote campsites in micro-sized tents with ultra light beds are in our pasts.  The desire to continue camping with that connection with nature may still be with us though, and finding a solution requires some creative thinking at times.  That’s what led me to the next bit.

The teardrop camper seems like the ideal solution for not-as-young-as-we-once-were but still not ready for the rocking chair segment of our population.  With their small size and light weight, these campers are not the ostentatious-and-obnoxious-blaring-television type of “Recreational Vehicle” that many of us have spent a lifetime scorning.  Almost anyone, from a bicyclist to a motorcyclist to the most compact of cars or the most suburban of mini-vans can manage one of appropriate size too.  (Okay, so the bicyclist and motorcyclists better not be claustrophobic or of substantial size…but that’s the way it goes!)  These campers can be ultra simple, with not much more than an enclosed platform for  a foam mattress to much more complex container with solar power and climate control.  Traditionally, they were made of aluminum skinned wood, often with wood trim left visible, and were practically works of art on their own.  Today, a few commercial models are available, and more are likely to start becoming available with their booming popularity.  (Just watch at any campground when a teardrop pulls in of any kind–people have to inquire about it!)

I really am enthusiastic about teardrops, and it is actually on our list of “to-do when we can afford to do” things.  We may purchase one and we may opt for the slower but more customizable option of building our own.  That hasn’t been decided–we’re in the early stages of researching for the entire project.  Supposedly, a home built teardrop averages in the $1500-3000 price range, depending on features and the cost of critical parts.  Purchased ones seem to run $10,000-$25,000 depending on features and style.  Some custom models from smaller builders are consistently in the $5000-8000 range that seem to be very comparable to the more expensive bigger companies models too.

For us, whether we invest time and money or just money, it’s a huge investment.  We don’t want it to turn out to be a mistake.  I have some legitimate concerns, such as the fact that I am claustrophobic and I know that if I feel too confined inside of the camper, I’ll be miserable and I’ll hate it.  It also has to have air conditioning, as a side effect of some of my health problems is my intolerance of heat, especially for sleeping.  Thinking about this camper is partially to allow me to continue summer camping, with the option of retreating inside when the heat begins to become a problem, as well as to be able to sleep at night.  (The South never cools down much at night due to the high humidity.)  Therefore, air conditioning is a must-have, and it has to be a place I can retreat in comfort to read or use the laptop during the day too.

That’s a tall order for a space that original models had measured off with 48″x72″ and a head height of 48″ for the “indoors” space.  Add three dogs and two adults, and watch claustrophobia reign supreme!

Thankfully, with today’s materials and engineering, the spaces have managed to get a bit larger while still remaining lightweight and easy to tow.  With an average mid-sized vehicle, even the largest of the teardrops are still do-able.

With the climate in our home region in mind, I can’t help but worry about rot in terms of our teardrop.  Wood and moisture are not a good combination, and no one can say the coastal region is dry.  (As I look out upon the lake that was a yard yesterday before the latest rain storm, it’s brought home once again too.)  Therefore, Egg Camper’s “Teardropp” is appealing with its rot proof and low maintenance molded fiberglass body.  It has a different looking design for the rear hatch as well, making it look as though we could easily stow our bicycles inside the camper for traveling, removing them when we arrived at our destination for use.  The bed is also raised, which means the issue of climbing inside the camper during a downpour doesn’t mean crawling into bed with your soggy clothes and shoes along with you.  (Another huge plus in this area!)

I haven’t been able to take a look at one in person, it seems that the Gulf Coast doesn’t have an overabundance of RV dealers who carry teardrops at this point.  Still, it is on my list of “highly interesting ideas”.

That’s not the end of my search though.  We have friends who are devout motocross fans, and love taking their dirt bikes and atv on trips, which seems sometimes to be their sole motivation to camping.  While we’re not fans, we have considered a scooter as alternate transportation, but the difficulty of taking it along while using a teardrop camper was somewhat of a dilemma.  The scooter would allow us to tour an area cheaply, while the camper and regular vehicle were comfortable for camping and distance travel.  One company has solved that issue with a sort of hybrid camper that comes in with a “fully equipped” weight of 1250 lbs.  That’s a bit heavier, especially with the added weight of a scooter inside of it, than the average teardrop, but it also has an interior kitchen and standing room, in addition to the convertable/folding bed.  With that said, Micro-Lite’s Car-Go Xtreme is still quite attractive.  Unfortunately, it’s another company without dealers in this region or a MSRP on the website, so I have no idea which ball park this trailer is priced in.

The idea of building our own camp trailer isn’t new.  Originally, I had said I wanted a trailer with a kitchen for camping, as well as cargo/storage space for our camping gear, and a space we can sleep in during exceptionally adverse weather.  With a couple of more years down the road, and some new health problems, my criteria has shifted.  Now, I want indoor, climate controllable sleeping space, with the ability to use it as seating space during the heat of the day, if necessary, as well as a retreat during those days when it’s just plain cold, wet, and miserable outdoors.  (We’ve all had trips with days like that!)  While I am not demanding luxury, complete with indoor toilet and shower, I don’t want us to be on an extended trip and feeling like a night or two in a motel is essential either.  Today, most campgrounds offer hot showers and indoor flush toilets, and if we’re in the boonies, we haven’t forgotten how to cope!

There are also more fanciful designs that could be considered, ranging from the Gypsy Vardo to a sheepherder wagon complete with wood stove heat.  (Not that creating heat is usually much of a concern in the South!)  In our case, I am really more concerned about a compact space that is comfortable and convenient, as well as easy-t0-tow so that our gas mileage doesn’t drop to unreasonable levels.  We are also naturally as well as essentially frugal–we really don’t like spending more than we need to or buying unnecessary items.  At the same time, we’re not fond of wasting our money on “junk” or making poor purchase decisions, as both of these are a waste in our opinions.  Hence I’ll be researching this project, for both purchase and building it ourselves, for quite some time before we make a firm decision.  I will admit though…we are leaning towards the idea of building it ourselves, if we live in a place that is conducive to doing so at the time we are ready to do so.  In order to build one yourself, a protected location (minimal is a carport, garage is better) is absolutely essential to protect from weather during  critical stages.  It rains far too much here to dream of trying to do it with nothing more than a tarp covering.  At the same time, building a garage or renting a garage in order to have that protected space would add enough cost to the project that it may be decided that we would be better off to buy one.

But sometimes…the romantic image of the Gypsy Vardo or the rustic image of that sheepherder wagon are very appealing!  I will try very hard though, to remain focused on the “easy to tow” portion of our concept.  I do wish that I was proficient at using CAD software…it would be so much easier!

 

Teardrops…an answer to a problem?

Teardrop campers.  They’ve been around for about 70 years now, and while the originals were probably far more tank-like than we’d want to have to tow behind the average family car today, they were…and are…the smallest campers on the market.  They also have a do-it-yourself option, as well as professionally designed and constructed models.

So why consider a teardrop camper?

For me, there were the issues of health problems leading to a serious issue with summertime camping.  I cannot tolerate the heat, especially when trying to sleep.  Living in the South, that means camping was out from about May until October.  For my partner, arthritis meant that cold wasn’t making it fun anymore either, especially sleeping on the cold ground, no matter how much insulation we had under us.

We’re also frugal, as well as “fiscally challenged.”  That means that we do not like to spend more than we need to, as well as cannot afford to spend much on anything.  Buying a fancy camper or RV is fine and dandy, until you realize that you can’t afford to take it on the road.  With gas prices predicted to hit new all time highs again this summer, no one wants a gas guzzling anything on the highway.

In addition, our mini-van can’t pull a “normal” sized camper efficiently.  We don’t want to get a vehicle with a bigger motor–it would also use more gasoline, and like most people, our camping is a small portion of our actual driving.  It just doesn’t make financial sense to invest more money to spend more money!

For years, as the duly elected camp cook, I had been saying that I needed a “kitchen trailer” that could be packed with the things I needed, and just stay packed, instead of loading totes and equipment into the van for each trip, then toting it into camp, only to pack it up and tote it home again.  As all camp cooks know, there are lots of volunteers when its meal time, but they all seem to disappear when it is time to do the dishes OR pack up the kitchen!

Having spent many nights in tents that had a pinhole right over MY side of the bed…or a leak in the floor…or water tracked in from the downpour outside…I knew that having a place to sleep that was out of the weather was also nice.  It is also fantastic when you pull into your campsite, whether in a primitive area or a campground, and don’t have an hour of set up to accomplish before you can relax.  It is also nice that when it’s time to go home, you don’t have to start breaking down and packing up three hours before departure, essentially sucking away that last half-day of your trip.

That’s why the teardrop camper sounds like a great idea to me.  Here’s why:

• Rear access kitchen is great for a couple or when cooking for a group with integrated storage and cooking surface.
• Interior has a sleeping surface that is indoors and can be climate controlled with air conditioner and furnace.
• Interior can also hold additional camping gear such as tent, hammocks, chairs, screen room, canopy, etc. for travel.
• Light weight, it can be towed by almost any vehicle, adding little to the cost of traveling by increased gas consumption.
• On extended trips, it’s actually possible to get a comfortable night’s sleep in your teardrop in a rest area, etc. rather than actually stopping at a campground to just sleep.

So the next question is…do you want to do it yourself or buy a professionally manufactured model?

That’s not as easy to answer for many people.  Building one yourself does require some skills that many of us may not have, as well as tools and work space to do it in.  It requires time too.  There are lots of plans out there to do it yourself, and there are some beautiful home made ones out there.  With that said, for domestic peace, many people may want to purchase one already built.

That’s where I decided I’d look first.  I really had no idea what was on the market or how much they cost.  For us, a big part of the whether-or-not-to-do-it-ourselves depends on prices.  We really don’t have the time, tools, or workspace to devote to building one, and I can see it disrupting our domestic tranquility immensely on the road to completion.  (Yeah, remember those honey-do lists?  Even inquiring on their status an earn a wife the label of “nag”.)

• Little Guy Trailers has a number of models.  Unfortunately, their website doesn’t include the MSRP, so I tried to find a dealer within reasonable driving distance.  There is one in Alabama, but the website kept erroring, leaving me frustrated on that front.  From what I could tell from my brief look at the dealer’s sparse website, it seems that their trailers are in the $8-10K range.
• Signa Tour Campers is another manufacturer.  Their models seem pretty sparse, and while they had MSRP for their standard models, they didn’t offer prices on options like air conditioning, which is very important in our case.  Their base models range from $3-6K.  Their models are rather “bare bones” and don’t offer anything in terms of a galley.  They are also the least expensive of the models I’ve found.
• Cozy Cruiser was next, and their model was pretty sharp looking by anyone’s standards.  It also runs about $13K and is built in Oregon, requiring buyers to arrange for pick up or delivery.  That’s a long ways from Mississippi to transport even a teardrop camper.  Even so, it did have a nice looking galley and appeared to have some very classic styling.
• Camp Inn had some trailers that really did appeal to me, and being manufactured in Florida was also nice.  I liked their website too, which was well designed and easy to navigate. Their trailers, available in several configurations, run about $8-19K, depending on which model with which accessories.  I can really see me in one of their 560 Ultra models.
• Big Woody Campers is a much smaller operation.  From the website, I wasn’t absolutely sure they are still building campers at all, as they still had references to placing orders to be ready for the 2011 camping season.  They also didn’t offer a model with air conditioning built in, which was high on my list of “must have” features.  They do, however, offer plans as well as a “U Finish” model.  The “U Finish” model has the exterior complete, and the buyer then finishes the interior and galley themselves.  That’s kind of a neat option if you are skilled but want to get a jump start, as the frame and skinning of the trailer seems to be the hardest and most time consuming part of construction.
• Texas Teardrops is another small company with an attractive model at five feet wide.  With a base price just under $6K, they do offer an air conditioning option, as well as numerous other options, such as the “marriage saving device” known as the second door.  I can see where the second door would be a very important feature as well.
• I’m not sure Utilitoy is still making trailers.  Their website is pretty bare bones, just like the trailer, although the photographs show a simple convertible utility/camping trailer that has two beds (1 queen, 1 full) television, and an air conditioner.  No galley though, and you have to email them for a quote on prices.
• Tiny Trailers also has no prices on their website.  These look like the traditional teardrops, and little is said about options or customizing one with an air conditioner.  This company is also based in Washington.
• TC Teardrops is based in Wisconsin and is another small builder.  Their trailers run from $3450-5000, plus options, but they don’t list air conditioning on their website.  The trailers seem to be pretty traditional in design, although the galleys don’t appear to be as “pretty” as  some.  Their largest model comes at about 950 lbs empty, so they aren’t featherweights in this category.
• JD Trailers offers a very bare bones model.  It’s got the right shape and exterior, but the curved rear does not form the hatch, and there is no galley.  At $3995, it’s not the cheapest on the market, but it is one of the lowest priced models.  Their website also offers a neat pop up motorcycle camper.
• Treehouse Trailers make a trailer that puts a whole new meaning on “woody.”  They have gorgeous exteriors, although the interiors and galleys are a mystery.  Based in Oregon, their trailers run $3-9K and look like very custom creations.
• Compact Construction seems to make two products: Murphy beds and tear drop trailers.  Other than both using wood, I’m not sure what they have in common though!  In either case, the trailers look sharp in the photos, and are pretty traditional.  Once again, no mention of air conditioning in them.
• Teardrop Trailer Parts has some trailers for sale, both finished and as kits.  These finished trailers seem to run from $5-9K each.  They also have various components to price if you are considering building your own.
• Tears O’ Joy seems to be one guy doing custom work, not that there is anything wrong with that.  It just means that there will be a much more individualized process and pricing schedule to go with it.  As of this point, I’m not sure he’s still building trailers or how long it takes to get a trailer from him.  He’s got a great site though, so it is worth taking a look at.
• Eggcamper Teardrop is a composite molded teardrop camper made in Michigan.  I like it because the bed is raised from the floor, allowing the campers to get in out of the weather and remove shoes/raincoat without anybody or the bed getting wet and muddy.  It looks like the rear galley may be open to the interior sleeping space…which sounds fine until you realize that here in the South, we not only have the heat and humidity, but an ample supply of biting insects to go with it.  No mention is made of my heart’s desire (air conditioning) either.  It’s supposed to be just under $10K.
• Teardrop72 is based in Utah and does entirely custom work with their base model starts at $3795, plus options.  While they don’t list air conditioning on their list, they do state that about anything can be added, so I’m sure it’s possible–just the price would be a mystery.  They are classic style, with few frills in the galley area, but the price tag is among the lowest in the list too.  It also doesn’t come with some of the things some models do, such as mattress, stove, etc.
• Quicksilvers has trailers designed to carry dogs…or their larger teardrops for humans.  Their high end model lists for $8500.  The photos on the website are mostly of exteriors, leaving the interiors somewhat mysterious.
• Silver Tears does mostly custom work from what their website indicates, and the prices are apparently just as customized.  Based in Virginia, the photos indicate that they produce very custom trailers with some very nice touches.
• Mega Minis is based in Indiana, and does custom teardrops just over $7K for the base models.  Of course, adding a couple of packages of their options, such as their convenience package and their comfort package, and it will run about $10K.  Their shape is a bit boxier, and the appearance inside seems more RV-like than custom hobbyist appearing.
• R-Pod by Forest River is really pushing the whole “teardrop” to the absolute limit.  It’s got a lot, but it is also about twice as heavy as the average traditional teardrop.  Even so, it does stay under the 3000# limit, I’m just afraid of the damage it would wreak on gas mileage.  Still, for a family with kids, this might be a better compromise.

I’m sure that’s not everybody.  I know I did not include any that were pop up or used fabric side/roofs.  There are a lot of ideas there too.  It also tells me that they don’t have to be expensive, although how much of their cost is passed on if you are buying a used teardrop camper.  Next, I suppose I’ll have to check out those who offer plans and designs.