SoCal Tear Drop Owners! Post up!
- Thread starter Yulli
- Start date
The trailer looks great! What do you plan on adding to it?
Semi-Hex
Enfant Terrible
Thank you both for the replies! We're having ours built by Wanderlust but with a May timeframe. We'll be up seeing him in January when he is building another 509xs. There are some things that need to be done while the trailer is being built but there are other things that I will do when I get it home. Solar and other stuff. I can't believe we still have to wait six months. The pics are a great help!
Awesome, another Wanderlust trailer out here! What are you having built? I'm sure it'll be worth the wait, but in the meantime, I'd be happy to show ours off. Where are you located?
Short term, a rack, cargo basket, bike racks and an awning (all installed now). Long term, I'd like to do a few small electrical and interior projects, perhaps a water and solar setup down the road. It's a long winter here in the PNW, so there's plenty of time to learn, research and tinker.
Is this the case when you have thier basket installed with RTT? CAn the fan work uninterupted with BAsket and RTT on top?
Looking to order a Krawler here in the next few weeks. Spent the past few days devouring this thread. Couple of questions for real life owners:
Where are you all stowing the sink?
Does anyone have pics of the swing away sparetire with sink?
Should I get spare on Teardrop or use spare on Tow vehicle?
Does the roof Rack/Basket interfeare with fan? How about if an RTT is mounted?
Heater? too much? worth the money?
Caged lockable storage? what do you use this for? Is there an option for a water proof version of this?
Extended tounge? I really want a nimble trailer. Does this options make the trailer to long?
Tongue box. What is in it? Battery?
Does it come with inverter to run a laptop etc?
Rear bump rails? DO they get in the way of cooking etc? Bump knees?
Cabin shelving? How is everyone storing thier stiuff? Clothes? Duffle bags etc. Kind of thinking saving money on cabinets and just doing open storage with baskets etc.
Any sugestions?
Where are you all stowing the sink?
Does anyone have pics of the swing away sparetire with sink?
Should I get spare on Teardrop or use spare on Tow vehicle?
Does the roof Rack/Basket interfeare with fan? How about if an RTT is mounted?
Heater? too much? worth the money?
Caged lockable storage? what do you use this for? Is there an option for a water proof version of this?
Extended tounge? I really want a nimble trailer. Does this options make the trailer to long?
Tongue box. What is in it? Battery?
Does it come with inverter to run a laptop etc?
Rear bump rails? DO they get in the way of cooking etc? Bump knees?
Cabin shelving? How is everyone storing thier stiuff? Clothes? Duffle bags etc. Kind of thinking saving money on cabinets and just doing open storage with baskets etc.
Any sugestions?
Here's my take:
Where are you all stowing the sink? My wife made a bag for it and I carry in the trailer on the bed.
Does anyone have pics of the swing away spare tire with sink? I've seen one, it was pretty cool, but I didn't want the added weight and it was costly.
Should I get spare on Teardrop or use spare on Tow vehicle? I decided I would rely on the tow vehicle spare just based on the fact that I've never really had a tire issue in the past.
Does the roof Rack/Basket interfere with fan? How about if an RTT is mounted? The basket SoCal makes has an opening for the vent. If you add a RTT you may only be able to open it an inch or two.
Heater? too much? worth the money? I wasn't going to add one, but several on this forum highly recommended it so I got one. Tried it last week and it works great. It really needs to be cold out before it's needed.
Caged lockable storage? what do you use this for? Is there an option for a water proof version of this? I carry a BBQ, floor mats for the ground by the doors, bumper dumper, small propane tank for the hot water heater, camp chairs. I'm not sure about a waterproof option, but I bet they can make one for you.
Extended tounge? I really want a nimble trailer. Does this options make the trailer to long? I'm not sure mine is considered an extended tongue, but so far I've had no issues.
Tongue box. What is in it? Battery? Yes, battery. I also carry a foldable solar panel, tire chocks, propane hoses for stove and heater
Does it come with inverter to run a laptop etc? I didn't get one, but I think it's an option
Rear bump rails? DO they get in the way of cooking etc? Bump knees? No. They make great drying racks for the kitchen towels.
Cabin shelving? How is everyone storing thier stiuff? Clothes? Duffle bags etc. Kind of thinking saving money on cabinets and just doing open storage with baskets etc. I have doors so I just put stuff on the shelves and close the doors. For bulky and seldom used items I have under bed storage.
Any suggestions? Everyone's needs are different, but I'm really glad I have the onboard water and water heater, the frig instead of an ice chest and the fantastic fan roof vent. Their awning is great that doesn't require legs.
Where are you all stowing the sink? My wife made a bag for it and I carry in the trailer on the bed.
Does anyone have pics of the swing away spare tire with sink? I've seen one, it was pretty cool, but I didn't want the added weight and it was costly.
Should I get spare on Teardrop or use spare on Tow vehicle? I decided I would rely on the tow vehicle spare just based on the fact that I've never really had a tire issue in the past.
Does the roof Rack/Basket interfere with fan? How about if an RTT is mounted? The basket SoCal makes has an opening for the vent. If you add a RTT you may only be able to open it an inch or two.
Heater? too much? worth the money? I wasn't going to add one, but several on this forum highly recommended it so I got one. Tried it last week and it works great. It really needs to be cold out before it's needed.
Caged lockable storage? what do you use this for? Is there an option for a water proof version of this? I carry a BBQ, floor mats for the ground by the doors, bumper dumper, small propane tank for the hot water heater, camp chairs. I'm not sure about a waterproof option, but I bet they can make one for you.
Extended tounge? I really want a nimble trailer. Does this options make the trailer to long? I'm not sure mine is considered an extended tongue, but so far I've had no issues.
Tongue box. What is in it? Battery? Yes, battery. I also carry a foldable solar panel, tire chocks, propane hoses for stove and heater
Does it come with inverter to run a laptop etc? I didn't get one, but I think it's an option
Rear bump rails? DO they get in the way of cooking etc? Bump knees? No. They make great drying racks for the kitchen towels.
Cabin shelving? How is everyone storing thier stiuff? Clothes? Duffle bags etc. Kind of thinking saving money on cabinets and just doing open storage with baskets etc. I have doors so I just put stuff on the shelves and close the doors. For bulky and seldom used items I have under bed storage.
Any suggestions? Everyone's needs are different, but I'm really glad I have the onboard water and water heater, the frig instead of an ice chest and the fantastic fan roof vent. Their awning is great that doesn't require legs.
We're new to the expedition trailer scene, but did quite a bit of research and reading before optioning ours. Your needs may be different. For us, we wanted a fairly basic trailer understanding we'd add options down the road as we needed them. It's more costly this way, but also perhaps a bit more fun and got us started without breaking the bank. As such, we didn't spring for quite a few of the options you list above, but probably will add some in the future as funds allow and once we've learned a bit more on how we like to camp.
Sink - Did not opt for. We will use a collapsible backcountry sink for dishes. Long term I plan on adding this with a water system.
Spare - Different pattern on trailer and tow vehicle, trailer spare when needed will be on top of 4Runner
Basket/Fan - We went with the Fantastic Fan, and have the SoCal brackets with a Yakima rack setup. With MegaWarrior rack installed, the fan pops up enough to turn on (needs ~2" lift to actuate switch) and should be OK. Will likely cut basket out and weld in frame to clear fan.
Heater - Don't plan on cold weather trips in the PNW, but trailer is comfortable down to high-30s with decent bedding.
Caged Storage - Will use this for camp chairs, firewood, chainsaw, and dirty hiking/cycling gear. Like the idea of floor mat storage, I'm going to steal that.
Extended Tongue - Can't comment here yet, but would trust SoCal figured this out well given the intended use of the Krawler
Tongue Box - Did not opt for, partially to keep tongue weight lower so our Subaru could tow if desired.
Inverter - This is an option, but one we didn't spring for. I've got an inverter I'll install down the road once I figure out what we need to power and where we want 110 available.
Bumper rails - Did not opt for.
Shelving - We went with standard shelving and lower flip doors. Will be building in a retention system for books/clothes for upper bins.
As far as suggestions, chat with your builder. Michael was really helpful in what to add now versus later. When all was said and done, there are a few things I wish I would have added (LED ground lighting, for example) but otherwise feel we've got our needs covered fairly well.
If you're looking for long trips, MtnToSea seems to have things pretty well figured out. As a side note, I'm pretty sure I saw his trailer being built when visiting SoCal in June in LA!
Good luck!
Adam
Semi-Hex
Enfant Terrible
I think you need an inverter if you carry a laptop computer or a cpap machine. All of our stuff is set up for our soon to be 12v dc solar (iPhone, iPad and etc.). We are getting the extended tongue, front tongue box and a custom box that this water tight.
Things I am pretty sure would be easier if you get it done while the trailer is being built:
The hidden trays.
The water tank.
Line-X liner.
Fan.
Internal lights.
External lights.
Custom cabinetry.
Outside flood lights.
Custom electric.
Additional 1.5" hitch mounts.
Bump bars.
Swing out tire, counter, bbq sink.
I am pretty sure I will have driven Mike crazy by the time the trailer is done. I will be installing the heater since I already have one from my current trailer. I may end up bringing a shopping list of electrical parts to be installed so I can have remote relays for lighting, Anderson Powerpole outlets since that is what I currently use, a larger fuse block since I will have more fixtures. I'll be installing my own solar setup and other things, but you get the picture.
Things I am pretty sure would be easier if you get it done while the trailer is being built:
The hidden trays.
The water tank.
Line-X liner.
Fan.
Internal lights.
External lights.
Custom cabinetry.
Outside flood lights.
Custom electric.
Additional 1.5" hitch mounts.
Bump bars.
Swing out tire, counter, bbq sink.
I am pretty sure I will have driven Mike crazy by the time the trailer is done. I will be installing the heater since I already have one from my current trailer. I may end up bringing a shopping list of electrical parts to be installed so I can have remote relays for lighting, Anderson Powerpole outlets since that is what I currently use, a larger fuse block since I will have more fixtures. I'll be installing my own solar setup and other things, but you get the picture.
cactusjk
Explorer
Same here although Treeline is now out to Dec 17!
Semi-Hex
Enfant Terrible
We live a lot closer to Treeline but his wait list was quite a bit longer than we wanted to wait, so we went with Wanderlust (I think the SoCal shop is fastest but also busiest). We have a May pickup date, which is perfect for camping.
I'm surprised you want ac. We were in AZ and spent three very warm 90+ nights but most of our nights have been comfortable. I'm hoping that the reversible Fantastic will expel the warm stuffy air and bring in nice cool air.
What do you camp with now? We have had a Jumping Jack for five years.
I'm surprised you want ac. We were in AZ and spent three very warm 90+ nights but most of our nights have been comfortable. I'm hoping that the reversible Fantastic will expel the warm stuffy air and bring in nice cool air.
What do you camp with now? We have had a Jumping Jack for five years.
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