A Decision Made

Although I love camping, I'm DONE with sleeping on the ground. I want a small trailer that I can pull behind my '05 MINI convertible... and I'm going to build it from scratch!

The first step was on-line research—who trod this ground before, what did they do, and will I find new and creative ways to make my own designs as well as mistakes? Before long I found a number of teardrop builders and designs, some beautiful and creative, others less so. Then I went deep...

Dozens of designs, an untold number of web sites and opinions, and thousands of photos later, I chose a design first published in the April 1953 issue of "Popular Mechanics"—The Wild Goose (article). What followed was six months of drawing and re-drawing before I had my final (or so I thought, right Ed?) design.

Outside it will still look pretty much like the original (with similar proportions), while inside it has many changes and upgrades. This site will update periodically and share design information, photos showing the progress, and useful hints for those who may wish to follow in my sawdusty footprints. See “The Build” page...

Thank you to all the individuals and web sites (way too many to mention) who've helped my along this fun and educational journey.

Thanks especially to Ed the Welder! He built exactly the chassis I envisioned—even when my vision was less than clear and in spite of numerous change requests. Ed is a very patient and skilled craftsman who takes his time and gets it right the first time. He also needs to raise his fees—except to me! Ed the Welder, Gresham, Oregon.

Email me for Ed's contact details.

Thanks also (in the order they occurred) to:

• George at Mini-Madness for his spot-on (pun unintentional) recommendation of welder Ed Niger

• Ernie @ RV Hitches & Welding, Olympia, WA (360) 456-6100

• Tilo and the Crew at Olympia Sheet Metal, Olympia, WA (360) 491-1123

• All my friends who regularly ask (okay, used to ask), "How's the teardrop coming?" and to whom I reply, "Uhhhhhh..."

• Marty and the entire TOW (Teardropers of Oregon and Washington) organization for their open, friendly, and helpful attitudes and awesome collection of teardrops—every one different.

• George @ teardropparts.com for his unhesitating offer of "call anytime you have a question"
  and especially for saving me from riveting the aluminum sides to the underlying wood walls,
  thereby preventing expansion bubbles.

• Bill R. @ D.K. Boos Glass in Olympia (360) 456-0668. Bill did not rest until the two windows I ordered were what I wanted. If you ever buy windows, buy them from Bill. He is a great advocate for his customers and I recommend him highly.

• Good friend Barbara Graham for the beautiful gift of the first piece of artwork for the interior—months before there is an interior.

• My new friend Dave for the wonderful gift of one of his hand-made Tree Ring Pens.
  It is now my favorite pen and it will be used in the teardrop—once it (the teardrop) is finished...

• CT @ CedarCide, who returned my call, complimented me on this site, my initiative, and then thanked me for using his product—in that order <BIG smile>. He also requested permission to link to this site from his as well as to use some of my photos on the CedarCide site.

• Solar Consultant/Designer/Installer Erin Scott for her very helpful counsel on choosing the best panels/controller/inverter fit.

Here is another photo I found while searching the Internet for "Wild Goose Teardrop" trailer...

Click here to see the current working drawings—subject to change at any moment, of course...

In the four-plus years since purchasing my MINI Cooper (to an afficianado, a "Mini" Cooper is one built before the BMW version first introduced in 2001 as a 2002 model), we've had countless adventures together—many with just the two of us and many more shared with one to dozens of other MINI and Mini owners...

Click here to read a day-by-day accounting of one of the more interesting road trips I've ever done... including a chase by a black bear ;)

One of my favorite photos of my MINI was taken in Mount Rainier National Park: