SoCal Tear Drop Owners! Post up!

[MtnToSea]

Nice stove mod! The pictures were great also, where were you?

 

[Lucky j]

@Keith Starr nicely made on the stove!

 

[Sargus7]

What a great idea!

 

[jeremy70]

Here's a few more random pics to keep this great post going strong!

 

[jeremy70]

 

[jeremy70]

 

[jeremy70]

Ladies and gentlemen of Expedition Portal. My name is Jeremy Kuchera. My wife and I are the proud owners of Kaizen Teardrops. We are the regional manufacturer for SoCal serving Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. We built the 510XS shown above. Some of its features include 37x12.50 tires on Fuel wheels with a 5x5 bolt pattern to match the Jeep tow vehicle, hot water, furnace, BBQ grill, cafe table, ARB 2500 awnings, marine interior, off road full galley upgrade, expanded metal cage, sink, and solar just to name a few. We are a small business located in Farmington, NM and really look forward to showcasing our XS at as many outdoor expo's in our region as we can. How we got started not only involves Expedition Portal, but one of the members on this thread. I have wanted an off road teardrop for many many years. We've researched SoCal, Moby1, Little Guy and Oregon Trail'R for many many hours to come to the conclusion that the SoCal was the best bang for the buck. About a year and a half ago, my apprentice at work had gotten engaged to a gentleman who happen to have a 510XS, this gentleman being Keith Starr (see above crazy cool Partner Stove Piezo ignition video). Keith was kind enough to let my wife and I borrow his beloved 510 for nearly a month to get the feel for this camper. We took this wonderful camper off road, to primitive as well as full hook up camping areas, we took it out of state for adventures in Colorado, basically gave it as much use as possible to find our likes and dislikes. Our mind was made up for sure. The call to SoCal was made. After talking with Sierra and Gabe at SoCal, we found out our region didn't have a builder. With our interest at an all time high, we made the trip to Southern California, and made the decision to become the RMF for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. We've finished our build of the camper, a.k.a. Toby Hind, earlier this summer and cant wait to see what the future brings!

 

[john61ct]

Risk Management Framework?

 

[mizeide]

Risk Management Framework?

Regional Manufacturing Facility. Basically independently owned, regionally based teardrop builders designed to work closer with customers and alleviate some of the backlogs and crazy shipping or fly-in and drive thousands of miles home for those who want a So-Cal Teardrop but aren't in the area. http://www.socalteardrops.com/page.php?p=15&t=Where To Buy

 

[mizeide]

What are you using to cover the open hatch cooking area? We've tried a few different options with varying degrees of success. Looking at different options and maybe developing something to add to our options and accessories list. Pic for attention.

 

[Keith Starr]

What are you using to cover the open hatch cooking area? We've tried a few different options with varying degrees of success. Looking at different options and maybe developing something to add to our options and accessories list. Pic for attention.

I saw this option tested by @No Ma, not sure how it's worked out long term: https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/socal-tear-drop-owners-post-up.143786/post-2341299

Something made specifically for a SoCal could be nice. @AdvWife uses a Foxwing, seems to work really well although you have to swing it to close the galley and that can be an issue if you have it staked down and/or have any walls installed. The full wall kit on the Foxwing does give you an incredible amount of insulated outdoor space, though.

 

[mizeide]

I saw this option tested by @No Ma, not sure how it's worked out long term: https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/socal-tear-drop-owners-post-up.143786/post-2341299

Something made specifically for a SoCal could be nice. @AdvWife uses a Foxwing, seems to work really well although you have to swing it to close the galley and that can be an issue if you have it staked down and/or have any walls installed. The full wall kit on the Foxwing does give you an incredible amount of insulated outdoor space, though.

Yeah saw those, the @No Ma option looks decent but not quite enough side coverage. We've experimented with the Foxwing/Batwing doesn't seem to play well with either going over or under the hatch. Was wondering if anyone else had found anything that hadn't been posted yet. Hoping to develop something specifically for these trailers but wanted to get some ideas to help move the process along.

 

[Keith Starr]

Easy! A 270* awning that has some extra fabric formed to the hatch shape that became taught when the galley was opened; a way to remove the slack when the galley was closed with awning still deployed. Wait. Not so easy. Lol.

 

[Shower Pouch]

Two pages ago, someone requested if folks could post a photo of their Buzz Off setup. For the record, my trailer is a hybrid between the Buzz Off and 459. Has the width of the 459 but my galley is forward facing on the tongue.

 

[Shower Pouch]

My setup. It's hard to see but I have a batwing awning that flips towards the front of the trailer. My galley, fridge, sink, and hot water is in the tongue box. I have a propex heater that is taped to the 2.5" gallon propane tank on the outside of the trailer. To top it off, a Roof Nest on top of my trailer.
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