550 / 560 Considering
- Thread starter Neil Barr
- Start date
Les Izmore
Junior Ranger
If you don't have any luck in PA, we'll be in Cooperstown, NY the weekend of June 24th, and will likely be around Dansville & Wellsville, NY the following week.
While nothing beats seeing one in person, I do have a couple of videos that do a walk through of my 2012 along with an update video on a 2016. I also have a ton of images that give a close up view of almost everything. Link to my youtube channel is in my signature.
Sorry for the long winded answer but I wanted you to have a more detailed view of why I bought CampInn and how my view has changed over 2 years of ownership.
First, I wouldn't say any major negatives. I think the way I would explain it is that there are 2 different types of areas of challenge/issues...general teardrop camping type challenges and CampInn specific design choices.
However, let me preface some thoughts here. I am an Engineer by trade so I always look for ways to improve. I am also the kind of person that researches EVERYTHING in detail before I buy anything....it does not matter if it is a $10.00 USB cable or a $20K trailer. It's just my nature so I spent a great deal of time looking at trailers of all types before deciding on a teardrop and then spent even more time researching teardrop vendors, looking at a bunch in person before deciding on CampInn. From a quality perspective, there was a significant difference in quality between different manufactures and CampInn had the best quality of build I saw. I think their quality was even better than many, many of the full trailers I checked out. I am still in awe of the build quality of this trailer.
My wife and I actually considered building our own as we have a woodshop. However, one thing that is a real advantage with CampInn is that you can see some of the evolutionary changes that they have worked into the design that we would not have thought of on the first couple of builds. For example, in the galley, they have these channels built into the storage bins to funnel water out so it does not drip into your storage area. Imagine you are working in the galley and spill something wet, the gutters built into the storage area channel it away. It's detail things like that throughout the trailer that you learn over time you need. Because CampInn has years of experience and customer feedback to work from, they solved many of the issues that would take a home builder to resolve after a few builds.
Also note, that since I bought my trailer used, I did not have the benefit of going through the orientation and some of my comments may have been addressed by going through orientation with the CampInn team.
So, let's talk about the different challenge types.
CampInn Design Specific Choices
I think there are some things I might have played around with from a design perspective. For example, the stove is set back in the galley. Now, this has pros and cons. Being at the back of the galley, it helps protect it from wind while cooking so you don't have the burners going out. However, being at the back of the galley, if you are cooking in a deep pot, you have to lean over a little to see inside...this might be more challenging if you are vertically challenged. So, I think if I were building one from scratch, I would play around with different placement locations for the stove to see if there were alternative locations that might work. It may be that this is the most efficient placement because there really isn't any wasted space in the galley.
The hatch design and prop mechanism in the galley are awesome. Again, I think this I a reflection of just how bright the engineering and design of CampInn team really are. With that said, the Galley Hatch might be a little heavy for some. I won't say that it is a struggle to lift, just that it is solid and therefore, a little on the weighted side. I have thought that adding some gas struts to help make the latch easier to lift might be nice. I would not use them to keep the hatch open, just aid in the opening and closing. However, I don't know if this would impact other aspects of the design so I would need to study this more.
About the only thing I would like to see improved is the locking mechanisms. This may be more of a reflection on the locking options provided by the industry than a CampInn choice as they can only choose from what is on the market. The locks function fine, I just think they could be a little more snug.
I do wish they had a fully stainless steel option but having worked with stainless steel, it is a massive pain in the arse to bend, cut, trim, etc. so I totally get why that is not an option. It would also add considerable weight to the trailer which would impact gas mileage, tongue weight, etc.
Teardrop Camping General Issues
Not having a bathroom or shower, might be a negative for some. For us, just building a side entrance tent and putting a Luggable Loo in solved that issue for us. For the shower, we have a separate shower tent and working on getting a hot water heater.
The tent also solves an issue of getting dressed. It was a little inconvenient to get dressed lying on your back but the tent fixed that as well. I have a separate video on our side tent if you haven't seen it, it might be worth watching.
Outdoor cooking might be both a negative and positive. Negative because you might have to cook in inclimate weather. Positive because you are cooking outdoors, no lingering smells in the trailer, etc. To address the bad weather issue, we have 2 different canopies. One for fair weather camping (Quick Shade Summit 170) that goes up fast/easy and protects us from sun and light rain. If we know there is heavy rain in the forecast during any part of our trip we bring our Northern Breeze. This provides shelter from rain, wind, etc.
So, after 2 years of ownership, I still have no regrets on buying our CampInn. It was and still is the best teardrop trailer I have seen. It has the best design I found, the best build quality and great customer service.
As for teardrop camping, it's not for everyone. If I were full timing, I might go with something larger but I have spent 3+ weeks in the trailer and it worked fine the entire time.
Hope that helps.
First, I wouldn't say any major negatives. I think the way I would explain it is that there are 2 different types of areas of challenge/issues...general teardrop camping type challenges and CampInn specific design choices.
However, let me preface some thoughts here. I am an Engineer by trade so I always look for ways to improve. I am also the kind of person that researches EVERYTHING in detail before I buy anything....it does not matter if it is a $10.00 USB cable or a $20K trailer. It's just my nature so I spent a great deal of time looking at trailers of all types before deciding on a teardrop and then spent even more time researching teardrop vendors, looking at a bunch in person before deciding on CampInn. From a quality perspective, there was a significant difference in quality between different manufactures and CampInn had the best quality of build I saw. I think their quality was even better than many, many of the full trailers I checked out. I am still in awe of the build quality of this trailer.
My wife and I actually considered building our own as we have a woodshop. However, one thing that is a real advantage with CampInn is that you can see some of the evolutionary changes that they have worked into the design that we would not have thought of on the first couple of builds. For example, in the galley, they have these channels built into the storage bins to funnel water out so it does not drip into your storage area. Imagine you are working in the galley and spill something wet, the gutters built into the storage area channel it away. It's detail things like that throughout the trailer that you learn over time you need. Because CampInn has years of experience and customer feedback to work from, they solved many of the issues that would take a home builder to resolve after a few builds.
Also note, that since I bought my trailer used, I did not have the benefit of going through the orientation and some of my comments may have been addressed by going through orientation with the CampInn team.
So, let's talk about the different challenge types.
CampInn Design Specific Choices
I think there are some things I might have played around with from a design perspective. For example, the stove is set back in the galley. Now, this has pros and cons. Being at the back of the galley, it helps protect it from wind while cooking so you don't have the burners going out. However, being at the back of the galley, if you are cooking in a deep pot, you have to lean over a little to see inside...this might be more challenging if you are vertically challenged. So, I think if I were building one from scratch, I would play around with different placement locations for the stove to see if there were alternative locations that might work. It may be that this is the most efficient placement because there really isn't any wasted space in the galley.
The hatch design and prop mechanism in the galley are awesome. Again, I think this I a reflection of just how bright the engineering and design of CampInn team really are. With that said, the Galley Hatch might be a little heavy for some. I won't say that it is a struggle to lift, just that it is solid and therefore, a little on the weighted side. I have thought that adding some gas struts to help make the latch easier to lift might be nice. I would not use them to keep the hatch open, just aid in the opening and closing. However, I don't know if this would impact other aspects of the design so I would need to study this more.
About the only thing I would like to see improved is the locking mechanisms. This may be more of a reflection on the locking options provided by the industry than a CampInn choice as they can only choose from what is on the market. The locks function fine, I just think they could be a little more snug.
I do wish they had a fully stainless steel option but having worked with stainless steel, it is a massive pain in the arse to bend, cut, trim, etc. so I totally get why that is not an option. It would also add considerable weight to the trailer which would impact gas mileage, tongue weight, etc.
Teardrop Camping General Issues
Not having a bathroom or shower, might be a negative for some. For us, just building a side entrance tent and putting a Luggable Loo in solved that issue for us. For the shower, we have a separate shower tent and working on getting a hot water heater.
The tent also solves an issue of getting dressed. It was a little inconvenient to get dressed lying on your back but the tent fixed that as well. I have a separate video on our side tent if you haven't seen it, it might be worth watching.
Outdoor cooking might be both a negative and positive. Negative because you might have to cook in inclimate weather. Positive because you are cooking outdoors, no lingering smells in the trailer, etc. To address the bad weather issue, we have 2 different canopies. One for fair weather camping (Quick Shade Summit 170) that goes up fast/easy and protects us from sun and light rain. If we know there is heavy rain in the forecast during any part of our trip we bring our Northern Breeze. This provides shelter from rain, wind, etc.
So, after 2 years of ownership, I still have no regrets on buying our CampInn. It was and still is the best teardrop trailer I have seen. It has the best design I found, the best build quality and great customer service.
As for teardrop camping, it's not for everyone. If I were full timing, I might go with something larger but I have spent 3+ weeks in the trailer and it worked fine the entire time.
Hope that helps.
Jay provides an excellent introduction to Camp Inn teardrops.
A few more added pro's: able to pull with energy efficient vehicles, such as a Subaru Outback.
Stores in a standard garage space.
Able to move teardrop around by hand easily on solid surface, maybe able to move by hand on various dirt/gravel surface.
Keeps a person outside to enjoy mother nature.
Pulls great, easier to maneuver around gas stations compared to a full sized stand up trailer.
Small spaces means taking less stuff. The old saying, Less is More.
Easy set up, depending on site, may not need to unhitch from vehicle to spend the night,
Will bring many curious visitors asking many questions about teardrop
Holds excellent resale value
Higher price point compared to some brands, this is an investment, that IMO, money well spent on quality.
Fits well into my lifestyle.
Limited storage space which keeps the junk load down, requires well thought out necessary items.
Con's:
Can't stand up inside teardrop
No inside bathroom
Brings lots of curious visitors asking many questions about teardrop
Higher price point compared to some brands, this is an investment, that IMO, money well spent on quality.
Limited storage space which keeps the junk load down, requires well thought out necessary items.
There are other pro's and con's this is what comes to mind now.
Jean
A few more added pro's: able to pull with energy efficient vehicles, such as a Subaru Outback.
Stores in a standard garage space.
Able to move teardrop around by hand easily on solid surface, maybe able to move by hand on various dirt/gravel surface.
Keeps a person outside to enjoy mother nature.
Pulls great, easier to maneuver around gas stations compared to a full sized stand up trailer.
Small spaces means taking less stuff. The old saying, Less is More.
Easy set up, depending on site, may not need to unhitch from vehicle to spend the night,
Will bring many curious visitors asking many questions about teardrop
Holds excellent resale value
Higher price point compared to some brands, this is an investment, that IMO, money well spent on quality.
Fits well into my lifestyle.
Limited storage space which keeps the junk load down, requires well thought out necessary items.
Con's:
Can't stand up inside teardrop
No inside bathroom
Brings lots of curious visitors asking many questions about teardrop
Higher price point compared to some brands, this is an investment, that IMO, money well spent on quality.
Limited storage space which keeps the junk load down, requires well thought out necessary items.
There are other pro's and con's this is what comes to mind now.
Jean
Maybe consider renting a competitors teardrop for a trial fit into your lifestyle and needs. Spend time stocking with the items you will need, use for a week on a trip or camping in the yard.
After the experiment, travel to see the closest CampInn teardrop, which Cary or Craig can provide assistance contacting local owners.
Jean
After the experiment, travel to see the closest CampInn teardrop, which Cary or Craig can provide assistance contacting local owners.
Jean
Les Izmore
Junior Ranger
There can be a lot that goes into determining whether teardropping is right for each of us. Just remember that the camper is only part of the equation. The tow vehicle you choose has a lot to do with how well everything functions. Your style of travel, your personal need to express individuality, personal health problems, hobbies, passions and other factors should probably also be considered. The more stuff you need to take traveling with you, the more you will need to figure out where to put it all. For some folks, that means a trailer that needs to be pulled by a pick-up that cost more than what we paid for our van and camper.
Bear in mind that Little Guy has a number of teardrop choices, none of which, in my humble opinion, stack up well against Camp-Inn. Some have similar features and options, but you look at them and ask yourself "Why did they design it like that?" The simple answer is because they had to meet a particular price point. The designs are simple enough to be put together by someone making minimum wage who doesn't need much experience. And they can be assembled in very little time, so their labor costs are much lower.
The design of Camp-Inns products are far more intricate and require a much higher level of craftsmanship. Imagine trying to get the aluminum skin on the hatch cover. That's pretty much a work of art. I can't fathom how they do that. And consider the way that the top of the footwell is the galley counter. Doing that greatly increases the functionality of the galley, while also putting the cabin cabinets within arms reach. Incredibly functional design, but something that takes additional skill and more labor to construct. Little Guy can't afford to do that and still sell their products through RV dealers (who need a significant percentage of the sale to cover their own costs).
So if you check out a Little Guy, bear in mind that:
Bear in mind that Little Guy has a number of teardrop choices, none of which, in my humble opinion, stack up well against Camp-Inn. Some have similar features and options, but you look at them and ask yourself "Why did they design it like that?" The simple answer is because they had to meet a particular price point. The designs are simple enough to be put together by someone making minimum wage who doesn't need much experience. And they can be assembled in very little time, so their labor costs are much lower.
The design of Camp-Inns products are far more intricate and require a much higher level of craftsmanship. Imagine trying to get the aluminum skin on the hatch cover. That's pretty much a work of art. I can't fathom how they do that. And consider the way that the top of the footwell is the galley counter. Doing that greatly increases the functionality of the galley, while also putting the cabin cabinets within arms reach. Incredibly functional design, but something that takes additional skill and more labor to construct. Little Guy can't afford to do that and still sell their products through RV dealers (who need a significant percentage of the sale to cover their own costs).
So if you check out a Little Guy, bear in mind that:
- Camp-Inns generally have more window space (which translates into feeling less claustrophobic),
- The Camp-Inn door design is superior, making it much easier to get in and out of the cabin,
- The Camp-Inn galley is far more functional, with more counter space than many full size trailers,
- Camp-Inn has tons of great functional touches: the wallet tray at the head of the bed, the cabinet doors that double as drink trays, the storage behind the TV (why can't Little Guy do that?), the marine grade hardware upgrade, the stainless steel galley, and on and on....
I agree, there is a significant, notable difference in quality between CampInn and Little Guy. I don't want to berate the Little Guy as they do a lot to create awareness of teardrop camping and from what I have seen, they do try to help customers in need. If you are interested in what I learned about the Little Guy trailers when I did my research, PM me and I will be happy to share. I don't want to hijack the thread and turn this into a Little Guy vs. CampInn debate.
Van_and_Terri
Ranger
We looked at Little Guy, but when we located a used Campinn at a reasonable cost near us, that was the best decision we have ever made. We hope to move into a 560 someday.
birder526
Novice
Congratulations!! Happy trails!
Warren Mary Ellen
Ranger
We considered a Little Guy briefly. Research made us believe Camp Inn was the better choice and we have we not regretted it. On a recent weekend outing, a park ranger looked at our CampInn and asked if we built it ourselves. When we told him no, "who did, because it is hand built?" We made our decision without looking at either one, just a lot of research. Turns out, there is another Camp Inn, but we did not know that until we had purchased ours and registered on this site just before going to Necedah to pick up our unit.
Last summer in Glacier, someone showed us their teardrop from another manufacturer and I know I made the right decision. A friend who is an engineer looked at it and said Camp Inn did not corners. And he is not easily impressed so that again reaffirmed our choice.
Last summer in Glacier, someone showed us their teardrop from another manufacturer and I know I made the right decision. A friend who is an engineer looked at it and said Camp Inn did not corners. And he is not easily impressed so that again reaffirmed our choice.