The Quail is hatched

Two months ago we had the most amazing campsite above the rim of the Grand Canyon.  We had planned on spending 5 days there, hiking the rim.

Unfortunately, a very strong wind developed which destroyed some of our camping supplies and which made erecting the tent impossible.  Consequently, we had to spend the night sleeping in the "Desert Rat" (i.e., the Toyota 4Runner) which, for two people our age, was extremely hard on our joints.

We have also taken the Rat out to other places (Death Valley, Kofa Wildlife Preserve) and tent camped.  Although we can still camp in a tent, we have found that it is not ideal, again because of our age.  Setting everything up means a lot of lifting and pounding.  And despite trying various methods, we can't find a way of sitting in a tent.  Getting up off of the ground where we are sleeping without anything to grab hold of was feeling a bit precarious, especially when we needed to do this in the dark.

The desert, where we camp and hike, is often windy. There is nothing to break it.  We are now more conscious of that fact than we were when we could sleep in the Lance camper where we were protected from the wind.

Bottom line: Sleeping in a tent is no longer a possibility for us.  We tried, but found it didn't work.

Second to bottom line:  This difficulty with tent camping is not one that should be the deciding factor in how we use the Rat.  We purchased the 4Runner to be able to get to places where even our Ford 350 Dually with the Lance slide-in camper can't get to (and it can get to places that virtually no other RV-like rig can get to).  And we have found that the 4Runner is an amazing vehicle that really can get us almost anywhere we want to go.

So, our solution to the dilemma of how to sleep when using the Rat was to purchase another type of RV to use with it.  We are now going to be a two-RV family.

What we have ordered is a Teardrop camper which, for us, is essentially a hard-sided tent that can withstand wind and rain, where we can sit, and where when we get out of it we are starting from a sitting position and not from the ground.

What we found when we looked into Teardrop campers is that most of them seem to be set up like typical RV trailers.  By that we mean they are complete with everything one would need for an RV park except they don't have a bathroom.  They can get very pricey.  The advantage of this type of Teardrop camper for many people is that they can be hauled by most passenger cars--you don't need a pickup.

But we wanted something different, something more useful for our purpose of sleeping in remote areas.

We researched a variety of companies and settled on one that is based in Wisconsin.

We made the right choice.  The company keeps in contact with us, on almost a daily basis, answering questions, giving suggestions and ideas without trying to pressure us to add more features than we want.  They have been great in terms of making sure we have exactly the Teardrop that suits our needs.  

The company is TC Teardrops.  Ours will be the ORE model (Off Road Expedition).

It is smaller than the usual Teardrop.  Narrower and shorter.  Both factors are important because we want to be able to haul it up steep and narrow roads.  And we aren't really looking for a "camper," but, as we said, a hard-shell tent on wheels.

The other factor is that this one (the ORE model) is designed to be for off-road use.  It has a heavy duty axle, All-terrain tires, skid plates, a rotating hitch, high ground clearance, electric brakes, and more.  It is light. 

We can take it almost anywhere we can take the Rat.   We already have several places we know about where we will be able to haul it and use it, and we can't wait to go to some of them.

Our plan will be to use both RVs.  If we can get to a place in the 350/Lance, we'll take it.  If we want to go somewhere with very rough roads where the 350/Lance is too heavy, wide, and long, we'll take the "Rat" and "Quail."

It is interesting in that Teardrops are made by small firms, often it appears to be family businesses.  The larger RV manufacturers don't want to fool with these small RVs, because the big money is in the biggest units.

Isn't that great?  Small businesses step into a void, fill it, create a successful business.  If that isn't the American way we don't know what else to call it.

We expect delivery early in December.

Here is a photo of our Quail just as it is being hatched:

p.s.  Our 350/Lance is our Turtle--it carries its home on its back.

        Our 4Runner is the Desert Rat--it can scurry anywhere.

        Our Teardrop is our Quail--just like Quails do, it follows along behind!