Event Coverage B-bop's Laid off, make the most of it Solo road trip

B-bop you may have started something here. Next thing you know you will be leading a caravan of campers to exotic locations! Instead of the airstreamer's from the 50's you will be the teardropper's.

Can you say "new career opportunity "

 

More....I'm one of these guys, who, retired at 55, moved to the country, set up shop, set up the house, been here six years, built three cars, wired six, swore not to get too busy. I'm too busy, 61 now, been wanting to do Bonneville all my adult life, the only trip I ever felt I absolutely needed to do, and I haven't done it. The only way for me to accomplish this is to build a teardrop, hope like hell that the races happen next year and go. Your travelog has been totally inspiring, for me not so much the shops you visited, but more the places you saw and stayed at, the back roads, the weather and the solitude. Great post.

 

I'll have to take your word for it, until I can build my teardrop

 

How comfortable is my A? Well not as comfy as a Caddy, but it works for me. Anybody that owns a Model A knows there is lots of wind noise. I have a pretty good stereo, so to compensate for the wind noise, I just turn it up a couple notches. It has almost new leather seats from a VW Jetta, which are very comfortable for the long haul. Power windows, A/C, which I never use, and a heater, which came in kinda handy a couple times on this trip due to time of year and elevation.

If B'Ville is on this year...GO!!!! I cannot stress this enough. The BLM is mismanaging the place so bad, if you don't see it this year, you may never see it. There is no place like it. If you are a car guy you have to see it. And once you do, you will be back, again, and again , and again.

Hmmmmm, don't think so. I traveled with two other guys on a trip last year (link in my signature) and found this trip much more rewarding, because I stopped where ever, and when ever I pleased. The bigger the group, the more conflict in time and place you travel. I am not much of a structured guy as you may have been able to tell, if you mapped out my route.

 

Thanks for the ride. Next time you go off on an adventure I'll be waiting by the computer with my thumb out.

 

b-bob, Just stumbled across this, great time looks like. Since you drove right by me twice without stopping, I guess I will wait for Spokane. Are you in the parking lot this year?

Doug

 

Hey Doug, yeah, I was in a big rush on the way south, trying to beat the weather that eventually got me. Then on the way home I had to hurry so my wife didn't fulfill her threat of buying a dog because I was away for too long. One of these trips I will track you down on the way through.
Yes hoping to get into Spokane this summer. Will see you there.

 

b-bop a bunch of us overnighting at the Grey Eagle Casino enroute to NWDD in Victoria July 19.

 

Hogger, I will most likely be there. Although still in the middle of a big reno, so if the wife lets me go, I won't be heading to the Island until Friday night or Saturday morning. It will be a mad dash. Not the way I like to see the country.

 

Thanks for posting your adventure. It was a great read.

 

What a great read and thanks for sharing your trip with us. It inspired me to build a little 8 foot
tear drop. I found a guy with a really cool tear drop that was built in 1947. He let me copy the
profile. I built the sides and floor out of 3/4 inch exterior AC ( $45 a sheet versus $112 a sheet for marine) and the roof out of 3 mm marine ( made it double layer- 4 sheets at $40 a sheet ) I under stand Marine and Exterior use the same glue between the layers-the Exterior has more voids.
I used a Bi-Mart folding trailer so I am into the project for about $700.00 . Motel bills for a 2 week trip will easily pay for it and I don't have to worry about my car being gone when I come out of the Motel in the morning.
There are all kinds of web sites illustrating and describing how to go about the build.

 

Thanks

 

That is a great shot!

 

Every now and then... you'll hear someone say... how the heck did I miss this thread!?!?!? But I did, somehow. Great trip and pix. I can't imagine how you did the deep snow at the beginning without the suspension freezing up solid. Happy trails, Gary

 

I know this an old thread, but I just found it and really enjoyed reading and seeing all the pics!! What a great time! Makes me want to load up and head out to somewhere!

 

I didn't miss it the first time around; I read the whole thing at that time. But it's good to see it back at the top. It was well-written, fun to ride along vicariously, and quite an inspiration to many of us. I'm thinking of taking such a trip with my '47 Kit Kamper when I get my Hot Rod finished.

 

Thank you for sharing the story and the wonderful pictures!

 

Thanks for the kind words guys, I cannot tell you how much I am itching to get out and go for another long drive. But the snow is still falling here, and in order to get anywhere warm, I have to run a couple mountain passes that are just not looking good right now. I had enough of that "fun" last time.

 

It was white down here this morning after it had finally pretty much gone away.

 

Because a couple of you guys brought this back to the top, I did a quick re-read of this thread and noticed that I left something out that is pretty important. I had a post that cast the Pomona Swap meet in a pretty negative light. I exchanged a number of emails with Adam Johns from the swap meet and never added the results of that conversation to the thread. To make a long story short, this was his final sentence in his apology email:

"All of that said, we hate disappointing our customers, especially when they’ve come from so far away to see us! Please let me know the next time you’re planning a trip to Pomona, and I will ensure that we have a place for you to park, inside our gate and at no charge."
Sincerely,
Adam Johns
Operations Manager | George Cross & Sons, Inc."

So Thank You to Adam for stepping up to the plate and making it right, in my eyes. It is a 3000 mile round trip for me to get to the Pomona Swap meet, so who knows when I am going to jump in the A and head her south, but hopefully Adam is still working there, and I will have my day in the sun.

 

have you fixed that cracked windshield and touched up those rock chips?

 

Nice A happy ending!!

 

I thought about it. I got the biggest one in the windshield two days after installing new glass. I try to avoid having it in the pics that I take, so it is just a reminder to not follow big 4x4's with heavy lug tires that hold onto theie granite projectiles until I get close enough to have them kiss my glass. I guess I drive too much to worry about a few battle scars.

 

Figured I better bump this after re-reading. This is my favorite thread on here because it's exactly what I had in mind once my car is done. Would you mind sharing some of the main features your teardrop has? Is it 5x10 or 4x8? Estimated weight? Thanks for posting this. You have inspired many.

Edit: I found in another post your trailer is 5', and that you have a bbq and ice box, along with a link to the plans you followed. Thanks,

 

Happy Again.

 

Thanks for letting me ride shot gun with you . Great trip !! got to admit , I wish I had your balls !!!

 

Good news about the Pomona Swap Meet! I know people like to bitch about Pomona lately, but I feel we are fortunate to have such a great event multiple times a year. And it is close to me! I've been going nearly every time for the last couple of years and off and on for the last 35+ years.

 

You could always ask your wife to loan yours to you for a few days

 

Ha ha Larry, I will ask my wife if she can send them to you. She keeps them in her purse. But you gotta promise to take them on a long road trip if they show up in the mail.

 

I know, old thread, but I liked reading it last time, so I read it again today. Awesome. Two questions @b-bop what does your teardrop weigh and does it have brakes? Okay three questions, and this might be dumb, but what did you do for shower and bathroom when you're boondocking in the middle of nowhere?