550 / 560 Would You Do It Again

Discussion in 'Camp-Inn Options & Accessories' started by Oysterpot, Mar 6, 2010.

  1. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    As you all have read from my intro, I am a "Wanna b". But I feel like the new husband to be, on the nite b4 the wedding.
    So my questions to the masses on forum is;
    Would you buy a Tiny Trailer again? This question is non Brand specific, just style. Would you do it again?

    I am sure that if you would, you would stay with the Camp Inn.
    It looks to be the best I have seen pictures of.
     
  2. Evan

    Evan Administrator Donating Member

    George,
    I took the liberty of adding a poll for your question...
     
  3. Evan

    Evan Administrator Donating Member

    Of course, we just got ours 3 months ago... so perhaps we aren't the demographic you are looking for. However, after 3 months of winter camping no regrets so far - just can't wait until summer!

    A big issue for some people would be the size and whether they would feel claustrophibic. We don't have a problem with that - I am sure that having the 560 with the extra room and the sofa is a big helper there.

    Some of our friends see it and think it is so small - they could never get in it. But they have no problem sleeping in a tent. So we tell them not to think of it as an RV. It is a super deluxe tent on wheels with hard walls.... and AC, heater, sunroof, DVD, kitchen, sofa, etc...
     
  4. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    I guess a hidden question, is does everyone feel that the Tiny Trailer is worth the money spent? From all the sites I have visited, the listed price with accessories is quite significant.
    Do you feel ya got your money's worth with the type of trailer.
     
  5. Steve & Ellen

    Steve & Ellen Novice

    George and all,
    I have never been content with the ordinary. I built my own house in the middle of the woods. I built my wife an indoor swimming pool for therapy. I shoot very good but not very ordinary guns and bows. I drive Subaru vehicles. I now own a Camp-Inn TD. It is not ordinary. It is an eye catcher/show stopper. It fills my needs for camping/hunting. It is on the upper end of teardrops for $. It appears to be on the top with quality. It is a niche product. I really did not consider anything but, would it take care of my needs and do it with a little flair.
    Also My wife is handicapped and she likes it. It gets us together and outdoors. And if Momma's happy I am happy.
    Steve
     
  6. Ladymc

    Ladymc Novice

    We have not purchased ours yet, but we have viewed, sat in and fell in love with the 560. I tend to be claustrophobic and I DID NOT feel the least bit claustrophobic in the 560. Personally, I think the type of person that purchases these units are as unique as the trailer's themselves. Quality is important to these types of people. I'm guilty of all of the above!
     
  7. bherbig

    bherbig Novice

    We have had a 4 footer and now a 560 and we loved them both. Even tho the 4 footer was small it gave us a chance to try it out and it got us hooked. If you camp in a tent it is close but with all the extras a tent can't have and comfort to boot. As far as the cost you get what you pay for and we have found that Camp-Inn is great.
    Bruce
     
  8. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    Thanks Bruce,
    So the answer to the question for you is Yes you would, because, yes you did. My situation is I have a pretty good sized PUP, and a 25' Hybrid (love the openness of the canvas). The wife is indicating that she may not camp any more.
    I don't need the 25' AND the PUP, and have always liked the concept of "simplicity" of the TD. In fact I was shopping for a TD when I found the Hybrid. Bought it on the [romise that the boss would go camping. Now I am back on my original trek. Find a TD.
    Now you know the rest of the story.
     
  9. eileenpaine

    eileenpaine Novice

    I LOVE our teardrop. Even though we haven't had it a year. It makes it so much easier to go camping, so we go more often. We are lucky to be within hours of the high Sierras, the coast and the desert - someplace to go all year. No looking for the tent,groundcloth,sleeping bags, cook stove, etc -its ready! Just add food, a change of undies and we're golden. Its small enough that i can handle it, push it around and it tows with ease. We have an older sailboat -and the head/holding tank scene is the biggest downer of the boat. So no toilet to cope with is a BIG bonus in my book.

    The biggest downer -you can't sit in the campsite, just hang and have a beer because of all the attention it gets! "Can I just take a peek?", Can i show my wife? " " you really sleep there?" " How cool is this."........
    But, it is so worth it.
    Yes Camp Inn is pricey -but it is so well built, well thought out,etc We will have it till we can't camp any more. I believe in buying once and then going out and enjoying, No wishing I had spent a bit more for more enjoyment down the road.
    Eileen
     
  10. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    Thanks Eileen.
     
  11. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    Thanks Steve, Looking forwaard to meeting you and your wife and of course seeing your 550.
     
  12. Kent Kanipe

    Kent Kanipe Novice

    I guess we all have our tale to tell. I love our 560 for all the reasons everyone posts plus my own set of priorities. Tows and u-turns on a dime. You can sneak into small spaces, campgrounds or any old flat spot by a stream. Outdoor kitchen sets up in less than one minute even for a snack or cup of fresh coffee on the side of the road, comfortable even after living in it a month on my alaska trip. This is not a RV, an even greater reason to love it. It does draw attention which is good and bad. The price? We believe we bought the best and no matter how you figure it it was expensive. To me, it was worth every penny. After saving all my life for retirement I managed to have enough pennies......I'd do it again, but will never have to.

    Kent
     
  13. Ken & Peggy

    Ken & Peggy Moderator Staff Member Donating Member

    George, we have had our 550 since last June, so I guess we could still be considered to be in the 'honeymoon' phase of TD ownership - we're still adjusting where things should be stored, etc., for our style and convenience.

    But in terms of 'would we buy a TD again?', absolutely. As former tent, then pop-up, and briefly back to tent campers, the ease of just dropping the TD on the back of the car and going is a huge plus. Everything we need is already stored and ready to go. It tows like it's not even there, a big plus vs our pop-up. And once in a campground, setup is a snap. If it's raining when you pull in, you can just leave it hooked up to the car and jump in, something you couldn't do with either a pop-up or a tent. Once set up a pop-up gives more room, but the ease of towing and setup of the TD outweighs the space advantage for us, as we don't spend a whole lot of time inside either camper. Being off the ground vs tent camping, especially when it's raining, is an obvious plus. My wife wasn't really thrilled about going back to tent camping anyway.

    Storage is another plus for the TD. While it does take up a BIT more room than our tent, it has a much smaller footprint than our pop-up. We can easily store the TD in our garage, something we couldn't do with the pop-up.

    As for the CampInn brand specifically, the build quality is the best I have seen. Cary, Craig, Marty and the entire crew in Necedah are obviously committed to putting out the very best product on the market. And they seem to be constantly innovating: when we took our TD up there to have a few options added, they put the new, improved design door seals in and other updated features at n/c. CampInn's are pricey, but I think you get what you pay for with their trailers.

    Good luck whatever you decide.
    Ken
     
  14. Oysterpot

    Oysterpot Moderator Staff Member

    Thanks for the input. I am looking at the options and accessories now to see what I need vs want vs too much
     
  15. Evan

    Evan Administrator Donating Member

    George,
    Feel free to start a new discussion about any of the options you have questions about. I'd like to have a chance to get everybody's input on all the different choices anyways...
     
  16. bcannizzo

    bcannizzo Novice

    We've had Towed Hall B & B for 2+ yrs and do week+ trips in it twice a year... Love parking it, hauling it, not setting it up and the smiles it puts on people's faces. We haul with a diesel Jeep liberty so when my daughter and I pull up to the diesel pump.... there is always a gentleman who says... "That's diesel!"... followed by "does that trailer go up/out" and then a big grin. Figure all of those nice gentlemen are living longer because of the smile our CampInn put on their faces! Just love it!
     
  17. seastman

    seastman Newbie

    Yes! Definitely!

    After 6 years and over 45,000 miles of Teardropping, Diane and I can't imagine any other way to travel. We've been across country three times, and I've towed it to Kansas for my summer bike rides 6 times. We have a routine for getting into and out of camp that only takes a few minutes, do find that it attracts attention almost everywhere we go, and our Odyssey has averaged just over 20mpg while towing it.

    I researched EVERY teardrop on the web, and though I agree that the 550 Ultra is not inexpensive, it is absolutely worth everything we paid. And the company is second to none when it comes to build quality and service after the sale. Buy from Camp-Inn and you'll never have to say you settled for second best.

    Later,

    Skip Eastman
     
  18. Evan

    Evan Administrator Donating Member

    Second that, Skip.
    (Hey, we've got almost 10,000 miles on ours in six months...)
     
  19. Hilditch

    Hilditch Novice

    George,

    Our tear is way better than I expected after camping at the Holiday Inn for 35 years. Fortunately both of us are are willing to put up with (or actually enjoy) spending a lot of time outdoors and cooking out. A canopy is an absolute requirement for that enjoyment. After two years we wouldn't trade for any other camper or RV, period.

    However, I'd trade in a heartbeat for a canned ham tiny trailer or one of those A-Frame pups if it was only me going camping. Putting the canopy up & down by myself would be too much of a pain and I wouldn't be making 3 course meals + sides for myself, so a mini-kitchen would work fine. Most of all, it would provide a comfortable place to relax in the evenings or during rain which a tear does not do. On nasty nights, we have ended up eating in the car. Good luck.

    Hilditch
     
  20. Dave

    Dave Novice

    Absolutely
     
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