Welcome Teardrop Travel Lovers, Roadtrippers and Empty-Nesters……and Thanks for checking out my blog!  I am Janelle Brian. My husband Eddie and I are travel addicts from Colorado, and this is how we went from empty-nesters to teardrop lovers.

We Cruise, we backpack Europe, and we especially enjoy seeing this big, diverse and wonderful country in our tiny trailer.

Eventually we decided that it was time to start sharing our experiences, mishaps and some of the travel hints and hacks we’ve learned out on the road.

Let me start with our personal story (I’ll try and keep it short!):

Like many Teardrop Travel Lovers & Roadtrippers, we took our time trying to decide which mode of travel would be best for our budget and circumstances.  After seeing 5 kids fly the coop , Eddie and I are now ‘empty-nesters’ and have let go of the 5^th wheel RV. We also sadly dismantled my dad’s homemade pop-up trailer.  It’s time now to be on our own!

We started with our experimental adventure to the rainforests of Washington State.  We packed up all the tent camping gear we had, and headed out in a rented Ford Fusion.  I do carry some guilt for getting a used car salesman all excited when we went looking for a Fusion.  I can only imagine what he feared he had on his hands when we folded down the back seats and crawled into the trunk!  We had to explain that we wanted to see how sleeping in the car would work. We were considering some sort of a ‘bed-on-wheels’ to camp in.

Our time in the rainforest was perfect (and dry!). Sleeping in our rental car convinced us that we could get by with something really minimal.  We thought about converting a van, building something ourselves or maybe just putting a bed in our truck……and then we saw it.  A teardrop trailer by Little Guy.  It had a queen sized bed and ample storage. There was also the ability to stand outside at a little ‘open-up’ kitchen in the rear.  It was truly ‘Love at First Sight’!  After some time and some serious searching to find a good used one (we decided against a new one), we finally found our first ‘Little Guy’ teardrop trailer.  It came complete with the “I Go Where I’m Towed To” sticker on the back.  I knew I’d never want another trailer.

We put over 25,000 miles on that first little trailer. It saw as much of the U.S. and Canada as our time and money would allow.  We got our ‘Set Up / Tear Down’ routine down to a science and I slept like a baby in our little nest.  At least, that is, until we found ourselves in Salem, MA.

We were staying at the Winter Island RV Park in Salem.  After a full day in town we were strolling around camp enjoying the sights, and seeing who we could meet.  Eddie loves to meet new people and he  could visit with a stump.  So while I plan the next day’s events, he strolls.  On this occasion however, we were strolling together.  As I droned on about the Salem Witch Trials, Eddie stopped dead in his tracks, flung out his arm against my chest as if to protect me from sailing through some imaginary windshield and exclaimed, “WHAT IS THAT?!!!”

We found ourselves trespassing on another camper’s spot checking out his lovely T@B trailer. Although it was only 3’ longer than ours, one could stand up in it.  For the next 2 days Eddie literally stalked this camp sight waiting for the owner – who eventually did show up.  Not only did he not get out his shotgun, but Eddie’s new friend was excited to meet another teardrop owner! He came over to our site for a visit and to check out our rig.  After the grand tour of this gentleman’s T@B trailer, Eddie decided that we must indeed have one.  I was not so sure.

After we got home, Eddie began the search for our next teardrop trailer.  After several months of dedicated searching, LOTS of conversation (ok…probably nagging) and several thousand photos from a sales rep at the T@B factory in Ohio, Donny (the most patient rep ever) shipped us our gently-used-but-deeply-discounted T@B right to our door! (Read more about different types of trailers HERE).

Unloading was indeed a neighborhood event, and Eddie and I lived in our new trailer for the next 2 days.  I cried when the new owner of our first Little Guy drove off with our baby in tow, but then I stepped back into our new home-away-from-home and I once again knew I’d never want another trailer!

Although this blog is primarily geared toward those on Road Trips with a tiny trailer, there will be tidbits for all travel enthusiasts.  We’ll tackle everything from choosing a trailer, to how to pack, how to plan a trip, what to eat, where to stay, how to preserve your memories, etc…etc… and just how to make the most of your travel.

I’ll also share info as we cruise and backpack across the World.

Stay with us as we share our tips, tricks, and experiences!

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HAPPY TRAVELS!!