Hi from Nova Scotia

Hi Barry & Annie from Musquodoboit Harbour Nova Scotia so potentially the furthers East Members on the Map.

Hopping to place an order for a new camp inn Tear for a winter/spring build and still deciding on a 550 or a 560 classic model with some extras and upgrades to be determined.

Never seen a tear in person so we are planning to travel down to main for the Mi Te Jo camp out 10th to 12th September to get a first chance for a look. Alan from Popular Hill has given me the details so if you are going and taking a Camp Inn please let me know your site number and we will come and say hello.

Two questions we have between the 550 and the 560 are.

When you lay in bed the couch is behind the head end of the bed how does this effect sitting up in bed watching tv/reading/drinking coffee without getting out of slumber land and onto the couch.

Also when sitting on the couch what happens with the bedding at your feet?

 

Hi Barry & Annie, Jackie and I will have our 560 at Mi Te Jo so you can look all you want and ask questions. It is a 2007 model so it has the smaller tv but basicly it is the same. We do have alot of the options so you can get a good idea of them also.
Bruce
P.S. There are no site numbers but we will be in a group area

 

Barry and Annie,

I have rented the 560 for 3 nights. Initially I left the couch seat in the "slanted" couch position and used for a shelf. Eventually i placed the couch seat flat to continue using as a shelf. I found this a better arrangment for me. Only used the DVD player one night. Sat on the couch seat while flat, legs stretched onto mattress.

Easy to slide into bed after watching DVD. As for refreshments, only me in the raindrop so I set the refreshments on the flat couch seat in a corner. There are drink holders on each side wall.

I did not watch a DVD while "in bed".

Theoretically the couch could be used as a part of the bed if you have extra long bottom sheets. As for me, well, I have not made a decision on the 550 or 560 yet. Renting the 550 in September for 10 days.

Jean

 

If you plan on spending waking time in the trailer, I would go with the 560. The couch is slanted just right so that your feet go out onto the bed - just like a recliner couch.

If you wanted to watch TV while in bed you would probably just need the right pillow behind your head. We've always just sat on the couch when watching - it's easy to slide down into bed.

 

Hi Bruce thanks for that we look foward to a tour of your 560

 

Barry & Annie,

We have the 550 and the bed works just like at home. You can't tell it isn't a 20 cm mattress. Adjust the pillow and pick an angle for coffee, reading or a movie. You can't do that in a 560.

Another thing I noticed is that with the pony trailer one would have to do a lot of scooting. Sit down in the doorway getting in, and then scoot down so you can lie down. Then scoot up so you can swing out. Or scoot up to the couch. Scoot, scoot; scoot, scoot; scoot..... We don't have to do that in the 550 as the pillows are in front of the doors and our butts stay pretty much centered in the door way. This makes it much easier to get in and out and we don't wear out the sheets or something else scooting all the time.

Hilditch

 

Barry,

From my experience renting the 560 I disagree with the scoot activity.

Jean

 

Thanks both of you always good to have a balanced opinion on another note a couple of questions that have been running through my mind.

How do you fill the water tank can you use a garden hose or fill from a container when on the road.
How do you drain the grey water I have no external drains at home but I could drain into the woods if there is a hose attachment.
Does anybody know what inputs are on the TC/DVD combo we watch most of our movies though a PC/Laptop so I want to weigh up the options of installing the TV if I cant connect I may as well install a third party monitor with the connections I want.
Does or is there available an owners manual for download I love to research and know my product in advance of purchase.

 

The water tank can be fllled EITHER with a hose or from a container. This past 3 week trip, many of the camp grounds had communal water taps. We took a 5 gal water container (like a blue gas can we got for earthquake emergency water storage) and filled it at the taps and then filled the water tank as needed.

The grey water has a hose attachment so you can lead the draining water to the garden. Or you can drain it into a shallow bucket/dishpan. We keep the water in this tank to a minimum. We use plastic dishpans for washing up, so dispose of the the dish water as indicated at that particular camp.

We do not have a TV. The 120v plug charged our laptop when we had shore power.
I believe you can buy an owners manual from CI, look in the store section of their webpage. It will answer LOTS of question!

Like Hilditch, we use pillows to prop up for reading (get the upgraded cabin lights!) Tim did find he was slouching while reading at first and getting backaches. Once we realized he needed to make a concerted effort to protect his back, he was fine.

Eileen
PS Nova Scotia is on the "list"

 

A long way to bring the tear CA to NS

Thanks Eileen

 

We have the 550 and love the size and simplicity. We considered the 560 but decided we did not need the extra space. After camping this summer 19 nights - we never thought that we wished we had gotten the 560 - we are very comfortable sitting for reading in the 550. We also love the cabinets at the head of the bed - nice for all the little things that you want close at hand like kleenex, medications, cribage board, etc.

Re: filling the water tank we use a drinking water hose to fill before we leave home, we did not take the hose with us so found at one place we camped that we ran out of water. We had neglected to bring any proper jug to fill the tank - so we cut the bottom off of a pop bottle and used it as a funnel and poured water in from a pan - worked fine. We use our laptops for movies.

 

I second the bright lights recommendation. Wow, what a relief in that otherwise-dim cabin when one wants to read with these old eyes.

(And my 560 and I are heading from SF Bay Area, via Albuquerque -- Baloon Festival time! -- to RI/MA/NH/Maine and return in October/November for a month).

 

Barry & Annie & all,

We fill up with the garden hose before we leave and then add bottled water if necessary. I just don't trust camp site water and don't like soft or sulfur tainted water. We use the tear water for doing dishes & stuff but not for drinking. This way, we don't worry about filters, taste or those big bad germs.

On the way home at a dump station, or at home in the driveway we then drain both tanks. The gray water (which is actually dish rinse water) looks clear so we don't bother with a drain hose.

If you don't drink the tear tank water, you don't have to worry about it much - unless you want to.

Hilditch

 

The Cabinets hidden behind the couch was also something I did not like but the couch now thats cool I can do a couch especially with the panoramic windows and the doors open with the bug nets on and perhaps the sunroof almost outside then.