Hi from Jeff & Carolyn - Composing wish list

JeffL

JeffL

Newbie
Hi all, from Jeff in Rochester MN. My wife Carolyn and I have been dreaming of getting a Camp-Inn teardrop since 2005, when I had my first e-mail conversation with Cary. Since then we've visited the factory a couple of times, and rented a 550 (from Cary) to attend a weekend wedding celebration in Amherst WI. Now we're getting serious about acquiring a Camp-Inn of our own, and have narrowed-down our choice to the 550 Ultra. We're saving-up money and composing our list of options and accessories.

I'll post to the "Options & Accessories" forum, with my question about your recommendations for "must-have" options.
 
Welcome Jeff & Carolyn! I'm sure you'll get plenty of suggestions. There are people here with a variety of camping experiences. Have you camped in the past?
 
Hi Jeff & Carolyn and welcome to the most active owners forum I've ever seen.

As Ken mentioned, you'll get plenty of suggestions here. There's a ton of information, so read everything, the search bar will become your best friend. You'll be surprised at what you'll learn about our teardrops. But the best advise any of us could give you, is to think long and hard about how and where YOU intend to use the trailer, that should determine your "must have/wish list"

Happy researching… and so it begins.
 
Thanks for the quick and thoughtful replies, everyone.

Ken and Peggy, in response to your question: Yes, we've camped many times over the years. Mostly car camping (in a tent) at state parks; but also some backpacking. I'll continue the conversation on the "Options & Accessories" forum.
 
Well hi there, Jeff and Carolyn! You are going to bless the day you finally drop the other boot and bought a CI. We did. Nothing like being able to take off at a moment's notice and travel the country with the ease of a college grad with a back pack.

Sue and Jim
 
Welcome Jeff and Carolyn. We also are Minnesotans and have a 550 classic with some upgrades. We went pretty basic to begin with but have added the Alan cover, I think the one you are considering has everything else we have. We are considering adding the bumper the next time we go to Camp-inn. We did not get the tv - just use our iPads or laptop. And i like the open shelf above the cabinets - very versatile. We did not get the handicap aids but think it would have been a good idea if dressing in the cabin. The bigger things we have added are a northern breeze screen tent, pett toilet and dometic frig. We did not get ac or heater. We have not needed the ac and for heat we got a small ceramic heater but have not needed it much.
 
Welome Jeff and Carolyn! Bob and I have a 550 Ultra and love it! You can get a lot of good advice from the people on the forum! It's great group!
Deb
 
Jeff & Carolyn,

Welcome from another satisfied Rochester resident. Currently there are 3 550 Camp Inn's in Rochester!

Gee we could hold our own rally.

Jean
 
I recently order my 560 which is a ways out for a build. I would skip the solar option. You can buy Zamp 60 watt panels from Costco complete with the controller and you are set for about 270.00 total. Or I found a 80 watt Zamp with controller for $425.00. So you have everything in one package.

Just my opinion. I am still not sure which is the better option 60 or 80 but if money is a concern the Costco package is a good deal.
 
However, the dedicated controller that Camp-Inn installs may end up being more efficient and charge your battery to a higher level than the built-in controllers that come with many kits. Perhaps Steve (of slumry) has some insight here...
 
I have some very high power requirements and have a goal of being able to dry camp for a week. I have the Camp-Inn solar kit and it has the Morning Star controller. The reason I got the kit was to have a built in controller if I wanted one and to have everything prewired. It is not as if Camp-Inn is making big profits on the solar option and having it keeps one’s options open.

In any event I recently purchased a 120W ZampSolar look alike that has two 60W panels that fold. It has a controller and a case and a wire setup that allows you to switch plugs. It was a cheaper than a Zamp and I figure it will be replaced with a flexible panel when those are more practical and economical. I used the panel by plugging it into the galley DC port. I also used it to charge some standalone 55W AGM batteries that I carry using the clips plugs. The refrigerator uses the 55W battery while in camp. Even though the panel’s built- in controller was of reasonable quality, it did not seem to charge as fully as was possible. In solar panel’s controller pretty much states that one of the things it does is to make sure it is not delivery anything above 12.5 volts. The solar panel itself puts out as much as 14 volts which is likely not good for many electronic devices.

I suspect that the Morning Star is more efficient and maintains a tickle charge to keep the battery more fully charged. My solar panel did keep all my batteries topped off but it rarely pushed the battery past 12.5. At least with 120W it was able to charge pretty quickly. Since I have the solar option, when and if I get just a panel without a controller, I can just plug it in and it will not take up the galley’s DC plug and it may charge the main battery more efficiently. Also, I can put a switch on my panel and have the panel use either controller, the best of both worlds.

YMMV.
 
I wanted something cheap, quick and that would ship from within the US. I found the following ebay item and it is pretty much as advertised. Shipping was included and there was no tax. They shipped promptly. Ebay has been pretty reliable for me but it is not for the squeamish or risk adverse. Panels are pretty much a commodity item and they are mostly made in China. If they work out of the box, you are pretty much good. If they don’t work properly you can ship them back. The panel sits comfortably behind the back seat while traveling. If I had wanted to hassle with a direct shipment from China, I would have picked something from the second link. Their flexible panels, which can live under a mattress, are pretty interesting. Rumor has it that the US is going to slap a tariff on Chinese panels because they are too cheap so now is a good time to buy.


120W Panel

Major Chinese ebay vendor
 
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