Kilometer 31
Novice
My wife Rosana and I are thrilled to join this community after purchasing 560 Ultra No. 786 down here in the Houston area. (Thank gawd it has air conditioning!)
Have followed this excellent forum for a couple of years while doing my teardrop research. Great people and lots of great information. We’re a few years away from retirement still, but saw the opportunity and just had to dive in. Not the most experienced of travelers/campers but looking forward to lots of trial and error. (For sure will be spending extended time in Big Bend!)
Preaching to the choir, obviously, but indulge me in getting out pent-up fawning over just how impressed I am with Camp-Inn in general, and this trailer specifically.
First off, I gotta ask: Is “Teardrop Research Withdrawal” a thing? I’ve spent probably three years researching/obsessing over all the trailer types out there. Probably a set of 40 YouTube videos I’ve watch over and over and over. (And kinda can’t stop.) Great fun and education in seeing all the different approaches, the design choices every builder makes and the inevitable “to get this thing, you gotta give up this other thing.” Camp-Inn obviously did a great job balancing those equations. I know they've made improvements over the years. But it's wild how much they got right from the very beginning!
I mostly ended up focusing on Camp-Inn, Vistabule, High Camp as far as the super-high-quality wood-built trailers. Tag and other "RV-ish builds just had no appeal. Bean Trailer impressed (and I rather liked the idea of having a teardrop called “The Dean Bean.”) Their quality is great but price for me was far too high. Their newish Beanstock 2.0 "entry level" trailer was a noble attempt. But giving up a real galley was too much of a leap for me. I did visit TC Teardrops (and kicking myself for not making the time to go by Camp-Inn on same trip). Very impressed with what Todd has done with his designs. Great price points and and very loyal customers. But once I saw the quality of the multi-ply wood in my top three, it was just too “rough around the edges” for me.
Back to Camp-Inn. Honestly thought I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) afford a new one. And did a lot of calculating on a defeatured 550 Ultra to get something at or under $27K. That WOULD have been a compromise. I knew the used ones sold fast and still hold their value so you kinda have to find a trailer with some age on it before it becomes a deal.
The good news is the 2015 560 Ultra I ultimately found was in beautiful shape – a testament to garage storage and Camp-Inn’s amazing build quality. Aside from inevitable amounts of scratching around the exterior aluminum, it might as well still be a new trailer. Can’t say that about many brands. It is Just. So. Well. Built. And it’s just plain beautiful.
OK, I’m running off at the mouth, as I knew I would. So let me wrap up with some first impressions bullet points:
Have followed this excellent forum for a couple of years while doing my teardrop research. Great people and lots of great information. We’re a few years away from retirement still, but saw the opportunity and just had to dive in. Not the most experienced of travelers/campers but looking forward to lots of trial and error. (For sure will be spending extended time in Big Bend!)
Preaching to the choir, obviously, but indulge me in getting out pent-up fawning over just how impressed I am with Camp-Inn in general, and this trailer specifically.
First off, I gotta ask: Is “Teardrop Research Withdrawal” a thing? I’ve spent probably three years researching/obsessing over all the trailer types out there. Probably a set of 40 YouTube videos I’ve watch over and over and over. (And kinda can’t stop.) Great fun and education in seeing all the different approaches, the design choices every builder makes and the inevitable “to get this thing, you gotta give up this other thing.” Camp-Inn obviously did a great job balancing those equations. I know they've made improvements over the years. But it's wild how much they got right from the very beginning!
I mostly ended up focusing on Camp-Inn, Vistabule, High Camp as far as the super-high-quality wood-built trailers. Tag and other "RV-ish builds just had no appeal. Bean Trailer impressed (and I rather liked the idea of having a teardrop called “The Dean Bean.”) Their quality is great but price for me was far too high. Their newish Beanstock 2.0 "entry level" trailer was a noble attempt. But giving up a real galley was too much of a leap for me. I did visit TC Teardrops (and kicking myself for not making the time to go by Camp-Inn on same trip). Very impressed with what Todd has done with his designs. Great price points and and very loyal customers. But once I saw the quality of the multi-ply wood in my top three, it was just too “rough around the edges” for me.
Back to Camp-Inn. Honestly thought I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) afford a new one. And did a lot of calculating on a defeatured 550 Ultra to get something at or under $27K. That WOULD have been a compromise. I knew the used ones sold fast and still hold their value so you kinda have to find a trailer with some age on it before it becomes a deal.
The good news is the 2015 560 Ultra I ultimately found was in beautiful shape – a testament to garage storage and Camp-Inn’s amazing build quality. Aside from inevitable amounts of scratching around the exterior aluminum, it might as well still be a new trailer. Can’t say that about many brands. It is Just. So. Well. Built. And it’s just plain beautiful.
OK, I’m running off at the mouth, as I knew I would. So let me wrap up with some first impressions bullet points:
- Quite surprised how roomy the insides feel. I’m 6’1 (so not Sweeney tall) but could happily spend an afternoon sitting on the couch and just reading a book. And sleeping was great.
- “Land Yacht” is the word the comes to mind when appreciating the interior and the galley. You feel spoiled inside.
- Have heard lots of varying opinions on all mattresses and sleeping comfort. Subjective of course. Ours has (I think) Camp-Inn’s standard mattress plus the Froli system under it. I found it completely comfy, even as a side sleeper.
- Had zero previous experience towing. I pull it with a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Perfectly at ease. But, yes, I suck at backing trailer in anywhere.
- Contemplated updates (and eventual visit to the mothership): Trailer has AC. No anticipated need for propane heater (wifey don’t go anywhere in the cold). Likely MaxxFan at some point. Want to explore merits of the current CTEK controller vs whatever was standard in 2015. (Maybe more solar charging capacity?) Door screens for sure.
- Seen a good bit in forums, but always up for hearing more experiences on various shelters to go over the galley. Clam and Gazelle I’m looking at.
My friends are sick of hearing how great CampInn is, not to discount vestibule or any other of the 'high qulaity' -- they just weren't available when I got into this game 
