SouthernBelle
10-07-2007, 11:41 AM
Back from my maiden voyage with the teardrop. On Friday Afternoon I headed out to Edgar Evins State Park, about 60 miles east of Nashville. I was nervous as a cat as I have never towed anything before. My little 4 cylinder Ford Ranger performed like a trooper over some very serious hills. On one I had to shift down to 2nd and got down to about 5 mph by the time I hit the top. But I would guess that the grade was well over 20%. You all appreciate hill grades here.
The camping sites there are unusual. They are wooden platforms built over steel with concrete pillars. I think you can see in one of my pics below. Of course this entails backing in. Really can't. Not just because of my poor backing skills. The tongue on the trailer is short and I'm using a bumper hitch. So when you cut the wheel you lose a tail light. I'll have to get that fixed this week. So a kind gentleman with a charming English accent helped me push the TD into the spot. Fortunately, the broken taillight was the low point of the weekend.
The main purpose of the trip was to get the hang of how things work and figure out what I need or want to change. I know I want a frig. I have a little dorm size one and have figured out where I can put it with just a little cutting. I also need some more outside lighting, esp. right now with the days getting shorter. I also need to do a better job of securing things inside the trailer when on the move.
At some point in the future, I will probably want to do some rewiring so that I can carry a battery. That way I will have a little more leeway on where to camp.
One funny thing: I vaguely heard some racket outside last night. Discovered an empty bread wrapper under the picnic table this morning. Forgot to put away the bread. I think I made some squirrel very happy.
I took both my bikes but didn't ride much. Between the many extreme hills (this being a natural area, they didn't grade much) and the speed bumps it just didn't seem worth it.
There is lots more I could tell, but aside from pics, the naming. My bikes always tell me their names. I figured the TD would too. Then I could have it put on the side in a pretty script. He did tell me his. It's "Little Fatty." No woman in her right mind is going to paint that where it can be seen by the public.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000303.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000302.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000304.jpg
The camping sites there are unusual. They are wooden platforms built over steel with concrete pillars. I think you can see in one of my pics below. Of course this entails backing in. Really can't. Not just because of my poor backing skills. The tongue on the trailer is short and I'm using a bumper hitch. So when you cut the wheel you lose a tail light. I'll have to get that fixed this week. So a kind gentleman with a charming English accent helped me push the TD into the spot. Fortunately, the broken taillight was the low point of the weekend.
The main purpose of the trip was to get the hang of how things work and figure out what I need or want to change. I know I want a frig. I have a little dorm size one and have figured out where I can put it with just a little cutting. I also need some more outside lighting, esp. right now with the days getting shorter. I also need to do a better job of securing things inside the trailer when on the move.
At some point in the future, I will probably want to do some rewiring so that I can carry a battery. That way I will have a little more leeway on where to camp.
One funny thing: I vaguely heard some racket outside last night. Discovered an empty bread wrapper under the picnic table this morning. Forgot to put away the bread. I think I made some squirrel very happy.
I took both my bikes but didn't ride much. Between the many extreme hills (this being a natural area, they didn't grade much) and the speed bumps it just didn't seem worth it.
There is lots more I could tell, but aside from pics, the naming. My bikes always tell me their names. I figured the TD would too. Then I could have it put on the side in a pretty script. He did tell me his. It's "Little Fatty." No woman in her right mind is going to paint that where it can be seen by the public.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000303.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000302.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/1VolFan/IM000304.jpg