Saturday, December 31, 2016

Is a Teardrop Camper Right for YOU?

Even though teardrop campers have been around for a long time, lots of people have no idea if teardrop camping would be right for them.  In this blog post I'll try to cover one of the most common questions that gets raised.

Can I fit in a teardrop camper?  

The floorspace available for a mattress in the Gateway Teardrops camper is 60" wide by 80" long.  That is the exact size of a standard Queen-sized mattress.  Once you are in and lying down, the bed may even seem a little larger than a standard queen because you can lean against the sidewalls and doors.  You can't do that in a regular bed or you would fall out so that's why it will seem larger.  

There are doors on both sides of the camper so two people don't have to crawl over each other to get in or out.  However, the biggest challenge for a person getting in or out will be their flexibility.  To get in you must back INTO the doorway and sit down onto the bed.  Then you scoot yourself back into the camper until you can draw your knees up to your chest and rotate your entire body so that you can then sit back against the front wall inside the cabin.  From there you will have to scoot down toward the foot of the bed in order to lie down.

If this sounds complicated then maybe you should try a little experiment:  

You can try this on your own bed by pretending your headboard is the front wall of the cabin.  Measure about 14" from the headboard and then another 26" from there.  That 26" space is the door of the teardrop.  Sit yourself down on the edge of the bed in the middle of the 26" space.  (Use a stool if it helps you get farther onto the bed.)  Then using only your hands on the top of the bed, scoot yourself all the way onto the bed, pull your knees up to your chest and then spin around on your butt and rest your back against the headboard.    

The second issue with a teardrop is dressing.  Again, you can try another experiment out in your own bed.  See if you can change clothes while sitting in the middle of your bed with only the headboard and the mattress to push against.  Here's a hint:  Pullovers are easier than buttons and zippers; slip-on shoes are easier than lace-up shoes.        

I'm about 5'11" and weigh 225 pounds.  I'm certainly not as flexible as I used to be but I've learned to get in and out pretty easily.  The best thing to do if you really want to know is to try one out.  Come see us at Gateway Teardrops in Conway, Arkansas, and we will let you crawl in and out as long as it takes to see if it works for you too.  

James Albritton


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