Hello Everyone!
My name is Dick, and I am the new owner of a 2004 Camp-Inn Model 550 Classic Teardrop Trailer. I purchase this camper (unit #0036) in Massachusetts from the Manthe’s on August 31, 2013. They were the original owners and purchased it new from Poplar Hill RV in Maine. They used it lightly over the years, and took exceptional care of it. It has had less than a dozen trips with approximately 2500 total miles logged, and only in New England. They reluctantly sold it to me due to personal reasons. I consider myself to be very fortunate and am absolutely thrilled to have successfully located and purchased this fine example of the classic Camp-Inn Teardrop Trailer!
I have named her “Tin Lizzie”, as I have found from the forums that many of you have also done so. The rational for the name is twofold. As with the original Ford Model T, it does remind one of “tin can” when unpainted and resulted in that nickname being adopted for that automobile. The second is in honor of my 5-year old grand daughter, Elizabeth. She absolutely loves this camper! We have already spent many hours together cleaning and polishing her up, and yes, watching some of her DVDs in the TV/DVD Player, while lounging in air conditioned comfort in our driveway. She can’t wait until we take our first official camping trip in the “Tin Lizzie”. We will enjoy this camper for many years!
Because of her age, she (anything this cute has to be a girl) is showing some oxidation and blemishes in her skin. I do not believe she has ever had any polishing or sealing performed. I will therefore be working to clean/polish and restore her luster over the winter. I have sought out and followed many of the discussion threads on many subjects, including aluminum skin cleaning and polishing, and appreciate the many comments and suggestions you collectively have provided in this forum. They have proved to be very valuable to me, and have served to reinforce my buying decision for Camp-Inn. Thanks you again for your many passionate and unselfish contributions to the forum!
I do have one question though. I have found a water leak at the top of the front storage box, and this has allowed water into both the top and bottom storage sections. Not much, but still there. In the forum, I have found very little discussion of CI water leakage problems: this is good and quite encouraging to me. The source of the leak appears to be at the corner of the trim line where the box attaches to the camper body. As an interim step, I have caulked the junction area with clear silicon caulk. I will monitor to see if this has been successful. Is there a better product to use? Is there another possible source for this leak? And a related question, do the body seams between the aluminum panels require any maintenance or periodic resealing, as airstreams often do?
I am privileged to join this teardrop community, look forward to contributing my inputs, and sharing your insights in this forum, now and into the future.
Regards, Dick B
My name is Dick, and I am the new owner of a 2004 Camp-Inn Model 550 Classic Teardrop Trailer. I purchase this camper (unit #0036) in Massachusetts from the Manthe’s on August 31, 2013. They were the original owners and purchased it new from Poplar Hill RV in Maine. They used it lightly over the years, and took exceptional care of it. It has had less than a dozen trips with approximately 2500 total miles logged, and only in New England. They reluctantly sold it to me due to personal reasons. I consider myself to be very fortunate and am absolutely thrilled to have successfully located and purchased this fine example of the classic Camp-Inn Teardrop Trailer!
I have named her “Tin Lizzie”, as I have found from the forums that many of you have also done so. The rational for the name is twofold. As with the original Ford Model T, it does remind one of “tin can” when unpainted and resulted in that nickname being adopted for that automobile. The second is in honor of my 5-year old grand daughter, Elizabeth. She absolutely loves this camper! We have already spent many hours together cleaning and polishing her up, and yes, watching some of her DVDs in the TV/DVD Player, while lounging in air conditioned comfort in our driveway. She can’t wait until we take our first official camping trip in the “Tin Lizzie”. We will enjoy this camper for many years!
Because of her age, she (anything this cute has to be a girl) is showing some oxidation and blemishes in her skin. I do not believe she has ever had any polishing or sealing performed. I will therefore be working to clean/polish and restore her luster over the winter. I have sought out and followed many of the discussion threads on many subjects, including aluminum skin cleaning and polishing, and appreciate the many comments and suggestions you collectively have provided in this forum. They have proved to be very valuable to me, and have served to reinforce my buying decision for Camp-Inn. Thanks you again for your many passionate and unselfish contributions to the forum!
I do have one question though. I have found a water leak at the top of the front storage box, and this has allowed water into both the top and bottom storage sections. Not much, but still there. In the forum, I have found very little discussion of CI water leakage problems: this is good and quite encouraging to me. The source of the leak appears to be at the corner of the trim line where the box attaches to the camper body. As an interim step, I have caulked the junction area with clear silicon caulk. I will monitor to see if this has been successful. Is there a better product to use? Is there another possible source for this leak? And a related question, do the body seams between the aluminum panels require any maintenance or periodic resealing, as airstreams often do?
I am privileged to join this teardrop community, look forward to contributing my inputs, and sharing your insights in this forum, now and into the future.
Regards, Dick B
