Jim from the Golden Gate in the Golden State

C

Cal429

Novice
Let’s see, how to start. “My name is Jim, and I’m a Camp-Inn-o-holic.” Or, as I titled my first e-mail to Cary, “Raindrops Keep Runnin’ Through My Head….”

I’m a 66-year old retired administrative law judge, civil engineer and widower who no longer has to live by clock and calendar. I live in Mill Valley, California, five miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and have a second home in Sandia Heights just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, so that I can visit my daughter and grandkids there whenever I want.

My interest in having a small trailer was sparked about four years ago when a friend/colleague who retired at that time with me mentioned wanting to find a small, used Airstream to park at home to accommodate various of his four grown kids and their families when they visit. I get itchy feet when I’ve been home for a while, so I’ve always loved my long road trips. A small trailer would be great just to sleep in along the way and would allow me to be spontaneous; no need for planning ahead for motel reservations. I checked new Airstreams out and thought they looked really neat, but even the smallest Bambi was pretty expensive for what you get, and I’d absolutely need to store it in my garage because of neighborhood restrictions, so no-go. Airstream’s then-forthcoming (and since discontinued) little Basecamp was interesting, but pretty expensive as well for what you get, and still a bit too tall for a standard garage door. I did Google through teardrops after seeing a couple of cute T@Bs on Interstate 40, but what I read about them and many others left me with concerns about quality and durability. So all things considered, I thought, forget about a trailer. Bummer.

Ever since, I’d been occasionally just browsing longingly through the teardrop websites when I came across the Camp-Inn site in January. Wow! Cool trailers that look easily towable, perfect for storing in a garage parking spot, owners say only good things about their quality, and the Raindrop even has bunk beds for my two grandkids (ages 2 and 7)! That means not only could I use it, but my daughter, her husband and the two kids could take year-round weekend and longer trips from their home in New Mexico, something they’d always wanted to do but couldn’t afford. My daughter has a 2004 4Runner, I have ’98 and ’07 4Runners plus my late wife’s Highlander, and all four vehicles have tow packages, so towing such a lightweight trailer would be a breeze no matter which we use.

This 560 Ultra is intended to be a family heirloom, for me as I age in retirement but also for my daughter and her family living in Rio Rancho (just north of Albuquerque). The Raindrop’s bunk beds look to be perfect for them. I placed my order at the beginning of March for a mid-July 2010 delivery at which time I'm planning to take my grandson on his first road trip. We’ll drive from Albuquerque to Wisconsin to pick it up before he starts second grade in August.

If I can hold my tongue despite my enthusiasm, it will come as a complete shock to my daughter and her husband when my grandson and I bring it back in July. I’m lovin’ the thought. “Where you guys gonna go?” Answer: “The upper Midwest." "What're you gonna do there?" Answer: "I’m buying a cool new two-wheeler there and we’re gonna haul it home.” Whereupon she thinks I’m suffering a late-life crisis and getting a motorcycle.

The grandkids, in contrast, will think I'm the world's coolest grandad.

Anyway, there you have it. I really appreciate the Camp-Inn forum and plan to follow it closely to learn about teardrop camping, what options I should finally settle on in the next month or two before the build begins, what aftermarket gear I might want, where to visit, and so forth. So keep up those really informative posts, folks!

Jim
 
Welcome to the forum, Jim

There are a lot of friendly, helpful people here who will answer questions and offer suggestions for all sorts of things - from CampInn options to where to camp. Now the tough part for you will be waiting for your trailer to be completed - hopefully this forum will make the wait a bit more bearable. We are talking about doing a road trip to the Albuquerque area this summer, it's an area I camped in with my family in '67. Any suggestions for Alb., Taos, or Santa Fe areas?
Ken & Peggy
 
Jim,
That's one of the best posts I've read on here. You've hit on my life outlook exactly (and no doubt many others here). We have been fortunate to travel the country even though at this point we still work full time. After every trip we're ready for the next one. As we say "we ain't left yet?"
I lived across the bay from you in San Leandro for about a year. Of course that was 30+ years ago. I did a lot of exploring while I was there so I recall Mill Valley. We had a chance to go back a few years ago and although a lot has changed, I was surprised at how easy it was to find my way around.
Maine is a long way from CA and NM but if you ever get out here it would be great to sit around a fire with you.
Alan
 
HI Jim,
We live down south in Riverside with a 550 Classic we picked up last May. We loved the trip to Wisc to pick up the trailer. The whole trip to see new parts of the country was amazing and alot of fun!
This June we are spending 3 weeks along the California/Oregon Coast. Both of us have childhood memories of favorite spots. We are taking Tim's mandatory furlough from UC to dink along the coast.
We will be at Samual P Taylor June 15th! If you are not in NMex come by for a beer!
Eileen and Tim
 
Jim, You and your Grandson will have a blast.
Steve 550 Classic #338.
P.S. One of the first things our oldest daughter said after she saw the camper, "Dad, you need to update the will."
 
Jim,

You really are going to have a great time with the trailer. As far as options go, I'd recommend tackling the big ones first - decisions such as AC, heater, etc can't be added later and are important to decide early. Then deal with the smaller ones as you go. If we haven't already discussed an option, feel free to ask away or start a poll. That's what we're here for.
 
Hi Jim,
Welcome! What a great post - I really enjoyed reading it. I've learned a lot from current owners and posts on this forum and hope you do as well. Soon you'll be helping others as well. Boy, you are going to be one popular grampa and father when you surprise everyone with your new trailer. Best of luck with your purchase and your camping!
 
Welcome to the Camp-Inn community, Jim! Thanks for sharing your story with us! I have no doubt that you and your family will be delighted with your decision to purchase a Camp-Inn. Good luck "holding your tongue" for the next 3 months though! That was our original intent too, but we couldn't contain our enthusiasm from our family for very long. I hope you are able to, because that will be one spectacular surprise, when you drive up towing that brand new shiny 560!! Good luck!
 
Thanks for the kind replies, all. Maybe I’ll take it as an excuse to add a few personal anecdotes.

As I expect many of you have, I’ve traveled extensively around the U.S. over the years, and I look back on it now (age 66, see above) and wish I’d had a teardrop on those many earlier trips.

My first road trip was as a 15-year old with the family. My stepfather was as bad a workaholic as ever there was, and my mom wasn’t far behind him in their small family business. But my mom finally laid down the law one year and told him he was gonna take a long vacation away whether he wanted to or not. So off we went, stepdad, mom, me and my three younger siblings crammed into a two-tone yellow and white 1957 Plymouth station wagon loaded down with the six of us and our camping gear. Made a circuit completely around the country – beginning in far Northern California, to Tijuana, then Missouri, Key West, up to Bar Harbor, across to Seattle and thence home. Two months and what must have been 12,000 miles or so. I think back and can’t even imagine how one could get six people and all their stuff in the car (most of the camping gear and other things went into a huge tarp-covered rack on top). I have to think my parents just didn’t know that teardrops existed back then or we might have used one.

That sealed my love of cross-country road trips. By the time I was 35, I’d been in all 50 states (with two minor qualifications: I’m counting my free ride in a C-41 Starlifter that stopped to refuel in Elmendorf, Alaska on the way to Vietnam in 1969, and a refueling stop in Hawaii on the free ride home – LOL), lived on all three U.S. coasts and the South China Sea (two of those stays included free room and board and a uniform courtesy of Uncle Sam). My dear, very tolerant spouse and I made four round trip coast to coast road trips between 1989 and 1995, and I’ve done a number of others before and since. Oh, for a teardrop back then!

Anyway, on to respond to some of your specifics from above.

For Ken: I really can’t suggest much yet for New Mexico. Haven’t had the chance to explore there because I bought the second home just last April. For the seven years since my kids moved to Albuquerque, it’s been dash or fly the 900 miles from Northern California to get there, and then spend the entire time visiting with them. Now that I’m by myself, I expect to be doing a lot of exploring. Ask me again next year!

For Alan: Maine is indeed a long way from California and New Mexico. But it’s pretty darned close to Rhode Island, and that’s where my late wife was from. We went back almost every fall for 40 years, and four times in 2009 when we learned that her time was running out. Maine was her favorite state – Four hours up the coast from Newport to Portsmouth, Portland, and Freeport (LL Bean, The Muddy Rudder, and Eartha... Yeah!), then on to stay in Boothbay, Camden and Bar Harbor (‘scuse me – Bah Hahba) each time. Thence inland to visit best friends in Lebanon, New Hampshire. I’ve never even seen a Camp-Inn trailer in person (‘tis true!), but had I known before just recently that they existed and a Mainiac had the only U.S. dealership, I’d have stopped there! I may still get that opportunity, ‘cuz I sorta promised my New Hampshire friend I’d drive east this fall again by myself to help him with a cellar remodeling project. Yet another coast to coast road trip.

And for Eileen and Tim: Samuel P. Taylor! Yo, my sister-in-law was here last month and I gave her the tour out through Samuel P. Taylor to the coast and back down the PCH (although we don’t use that abbreviation here) to my place in Mill Valley. There’s a very good chance I’ll be around June 15th, and I’ve marked my calendar to go looking for a Camp-Inn there just in case! Be sure to let me know if the date shifts. Likely it’d be the very first Camp-Inn I’ve ever seen in person. UC Riverside? UCB here, classes of ’66 and ’67 – Those were pretty exciting years in Berzerkeley. Go Bears!
 
Jim,
I enjoyed your reply very much. We are in Bah-Hahba every year for the first week of August. It's been a tradition for 30 years. It's always reminded me somehow of the Carmel area with the cliffs and scrub pines. And we're fortunate that we are only about a half hour from LL Bean and on clear days I can see Mt. Washington on my way to work. I have to say though that winter is getting old (or maybe I am).
Anyway if you do get to NH this fall; every year we have a gathering of teardrops and vintage trailers. This year it will be in Milton, NH on Sept 10-12. Always rains on Saturday and we always have agreat time.
 
Jim,
I too was in Bezerkeley in 67! -my Dad was on Sabbatical there. I was in 6th grade! My folks took me on campus a lot -felt I needed to see for real what was happen'. My dad was a farm advisor in Imperial at that time - El Centro to the center of the 60's made an impression on me!
Tim and I are Davis Aggies, children of Cal Bears. Tim's faculty in Entomology at UC Riverside. Being part of the Agricultural Experiment Station means he works year round and does not have the whole summer off like many other faculty. Its taken a few years to convince him to use all of his vacation time! The surprising thing about entomology is how much travel he gets to do!
The ONE thing I've learned about travelling with Tim is that he HAS to know where he is spending the night. Since its his ONE quirk, I can live with it! That means that our camping trip up the coast is BOOKED at state parks! We are driving from Morro Bay to SamPTaylor on the 15th, and will be in site #4. In the morning we will head up to Prarie Creek for 3 days,(an interesting aside, my great grandmother used to own that stretch of coast)
The ONLY possible change in plan is that both Moms have health issues - they are in Fairfield and Red Bluff. Part of being on the coast for this trip is that we could zip inland if need be. But we really don't want to - I really need a break and to recharge from hospitals.
Please come take a tour and see our trailer in person. We'll have cleaner available to wipe off all your fingerprints from caressing it!

And as for Go Bears - UCR is the Highlanders -mascot is a cross-dressing bear......
Cheers
Eileen and Tim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top