Help, I need some convincing arguments.

I have been pestering my wife with my passion for teardrops for a couple of years now. We have talked about building one, but I'm no handyman. I have looked at different teardrop manufacturers and Camp Inn has always stood out to me for their quality and functionality.
Recently we found out that we are having a baby (yay!!), which to me would mean getting a 560. My lovely bride however is arguing for buying a cheaper teardrop with a king-size bed. She is armed with logical arguments about costs, and a potential wait time to save for my dream teardrop. It's really hard to argue with a beautiful women who is talking sense.
That's where you come in!!! Arm me with some good points so that I may be able to join you in ownership of an awesome trailer.

Thanks,
Zack

 

Well, there are always trade-offs with every decision. Start with quality, how well is the camper you are looking at built and how will it hold up to use. Design - how are things laid out for use and practicality. Value - you have initial cost and then you have resale value. Whatever you end up looking at - take a look and see how many are available used - what are they selling for versus new price. Ideally you would like to have something that retains more of its original value.

Good luck.

Bob

 

Hmm, I'm thinking your wife might be envisioning a larger tribe than you are? His and Hers Camp Inns would be a tough sell, even if it were possible to tow them with a single vehicle (it's not, by the way)...

 

Hi Zack! Congratulations to you and your wife on your baby-to-come!

There are other manufacturers out there with king beds, Little Guy is one. I have seen their 6' wide teardrop recently and I can honestly tell you, the quality was not there. We have a 550 and love it. It tows easily, is pretty to look at, and is functional. Plus it is cozy and comfy!! A 560 would be a great option for you and your family. Consider contacting Cary to see if there is a teardrop nearby to see. That's how we got sold on Camp-Inn. Keep us posted!

 

I'm in Orange County, PM me if you would like a tour of a 560!

Randy

 

Zack, where in California are you located. We are in the SF bay area and would be willing to give you a tour. There are several other 560s around. There is nothing like seeing one in person (as well as talking to a proud owner) to bring around a reluctant future owner.

 

It seems I overlooked where you said that your bride is onboard for getting a teardrop. With that hurdle cleared, I think most Camp Inn owners would tell you that investing in quality will ensure greater enjoyment in the long run. You might pay a bit more upfront, but a Camp Inn will devalue much slower than most (maybe all) other teardrops. So you need to think of it partially as an investment.

We ran into a couple from Quebec that had purchased a T@G teardrop. On paper they look fairly comparable. I felt bad after we talked with them, as it was clear that would have gladly paid a bit more for what they correctly perceived as a much better designed and built camper.

So here's a link to my Top 40 list of reasons we love teardropping and more particularly, why we love our Camp Inn. Hopefully it will keep you from saving a few dollars in the short term, but paying more in the long term:
http://tagteambike.blogspot.com/2015/06/why-teardrop-camper.html

 

Thanks for the replies. We've been married for 11 years and this will be our first child. As of right now we're thinking this will be the only one we get to have. We live in Fresno so if anyone with a 560 ends up camping in the Mountains near here let me know.
Cort (my better half) is onboard for whatever teardrop I want, but we would have to wait a bit longer to get my dream trailer. Hence my requests for good reasons not to wait too long.

Hopefully your camping neighbor,
Zack

 

I agree with Steve all the way...the CI is worth the wait. As we are empty nesters I searched and researched for about 3 years and then had to convince my wife Missy that the CI was the only option. She was skeptical about the cost difference and then she had the opportunity to visit the CI Plant in Necedah and a few hours with Craig and that was all it took...HOOKED! We waited another year and a half and then the build time so about two years. We have had WALL-E (560 Ultra) since last April and love it. Just as we ordered. Craftsmanship is unparalleled with customer service to match. On vacation, oh the looks you get, whether in camp or on the road, people always approaching with questions, which my wife loves as she is a conversationalist! So take sometime look at other manufacturers the at CI and you will see what I mean! Good Luck....R

 

For a two of you and one child it would be perfect, you don't need anything bigger than that, you will have great vacations on a budget, go and have a look... But if you do, most likely you will get one.

 

We love our 560. It has a lot of room. We went on our first long trip in September to Colorado for 2 weeks. Never tired of it. One interesting thing, we couldn't understand why it took people so long to pass us on the highway. We soon figured out that they were hanging back and checking out the trailer!

 

Zack, congrats on fatherhood. You are going to love it.
Nancy and I just attended our first teardrop gathering down in LA at Perris Lake. We saw over 100 teardrops. Our 550 is number 632, and we saw a Camp Inn 560 numbered 52. I asked the owner to see where things had worn out. He didn't have any to show me. He has suffered a frame problem, but after he had drilled some holes in it!
There was a new top of the line 560 there. He had every thing you could imagine on it, and more. It had blue ground lights installed, imagine...
My advice is to consider the longevity of these well built trailers, and the quality and designs as well.
It may well lead you and your growing family into our crazy Camp Inn world. Good luck in your decision.

 

Wade,

Any photos from the gathering to share?

David

 

We have one child and the 560 Ultra works great for us. Our kid is 18 so it is cozy when we are in there and a few nights have included two dogs also. We did 6000+ mile cross country Long Haul adventure. Our daughter will be in college next fall so this summer may be the end of family camping trips, at least it will be scaled back. We saw one from a competitor to Camp Inn in Glacier NP and The lady was real proud of hers but you could tell a difference. The wood in her galley had no finish on it so it was stained from use. We had one trip in NC last summer and a couple came and looked at ours. This was after the mother of all thunderstorms and after they had dried everything in their tent. The guy was an engineer and he was impressed with the quality. Another engineer, this one my cousin's husband, was impressed that everything was done without cutting any corners and he is not easily impressed usually. We tow with a Subaru Outback which is nice to not have to own some large truck to tow with. Like someone else already you will be able to do a lot of traveling with a child because once you have it, campsites are cheap and this is easier to deal with than a tent. We wish had done this year's earlier.