Saturday, September 6, 2008 1:01 AM EDT
Teardrop campers rally in N. Stonington
 A teardrop camper at the first New England T@B/T@DA rally. DANIEL HYLAND / THE SUN |
 Sue Luke of Albany, N.Y. in her and her husband's T@B. DANIEL HYLAND / THE SUN |
 A camper and enclosed area at the Mystic KOA in North Stonington. DANIEL HYLAND / THE SUN |
N. STONINGTON — Sue “Tool Belt Sue” Luke loves her camping trailer so much that she beams when she talks about it.
“We just love it. We have so much fun,” Luke told a visitor to her campsite on Friday.
Luke, who traveled to the Mystic KOA campground in North Stonington from Albany, N.Y. with her husband Rich, wasn’t talking about just any camper. She was talking about her teardrop-shaped T@B camper, one of about 30 at the first annual New England T@B/T@DA rally.
A throwback to a model that was popular after World War II, the T@B is hardly vintage. In addition to the eye-popping colors, some come with air conditioning, heat, running water, ceiling fans, refrigerators and stove tops, and even cable television and DVD players.
The T@DA is the newest model, which trades the teardrop shape for an oval one, and gets more space and a bathroom in return.
The T@Bs don’t have bathrooms, but there is a cabinet for porta-potty storage. Luke doesn’t have that facility in her camper, and instead keeps a large plastic container labeled “redneck porta-potty” to use as a nighttime chamber pot.
“We all have our little methods,” she said. “This is mine.”
Because the campers are small, only about 10 feet by 6 feet, most visitors attached screen rooms or awnings to their campers to extend the space. Sally Jenkins of Silver Spring, Md. used her screen room to add extra space for her spinning wheel and Chinese crested dogs, Julie and Brownie.
June Leslie of Acton, Mass., the rally organizer and an enthusiastic T@B owner, scheduled activities such as potluck dinners, a sightseeing time, and a Yankee swap. Highland Orchards, the camper sales and service center next door, sponsored a free dinner Friday night, as well as seminars, free repairs, and other giveaways. The rest of the weekend is to be spent getting to know their fellow T@B owners, many of whom had already met online.
Several people put their own touches on their campers, making them either more homey, more useful, or just more unique. Prudence Simmons of Bangor, Maine made custom curtains and valences, attached with Velcro, and a fitted tablecloth for the camper she shares with her husband David. She also sews and sells storage bags that fit nicely in the units.
“In this kind of small space, anything to help you organize is handy,” Leslie said.
Because of their head-turning shape, several owners said they get questioned wherever they go, “Each one of us, in our travels, could sell a few of these,” noted Leslie.
David Simmons said people even shout out to him while driving on the highway, asking questions about the camper.
“We tell them the Web site is on the back,” said Prudence, referring to a decal placed on the rear of each camper.
Dennis and Carol Hodgkins of Billerica, Mass. removed their decal and replaced it with a large photo of a sunset over Lake Huron. In addition, the Hodgkins family made several changes to their camper, including an outdoor lamppost, an on-demand hot water heater, a flagpole, and a sign declaring their campsite to be “Camp Nana Bampy.”
One of the few T@DA owners at the rally were Paul and Mary Combs of Putnam, Conn. The Combs said they bought the bigger camper, which had red trim to match their Red Sox sign. But after owning a T@B, it was the bathroom that really brought them around – following a long trip with closed rest areas. Besides, Paul said, “It’s nice to have a shower in the middle of nowhere.”
Leslie said the North Stonington rally has attracted more T@B owners than any others. The plan is to hold the rally each year, rotating between the New England states.
lrovetti@thewesterlysun.com
“We just love it. We have so much fun,” Luke told a visitor to her campsite on Friday.
Luke, who traveled to the Mystic KOA campground in North Stonington from Albany, N.Y. with her husband Rich, wasn’t talking about just any camper. She was talking about her teardrop-shaped T@B camper, one of about 30 at the first annual New England T@B/T@DA rally.
A throwback to a model that was popular after World War II, the T@B is hardly vintage. In addition to the eye-popping colors, some come with air conditioning, heat, running water, ceiling fans, refrigerators and stove tops, and even cable television and DVD players.
The T@DA is the newest model, which trades the teardrop shape for an oval one, and gets more space and a bathroom in return.
The T@Bs don’t have bathrooms, but there is a cabinet for porta-potty storage. Luke doesn’t have that facility in her camper, and instead keeps a large plastic container labeled “redneck porta-potty” to use as a nighttime chamber pot.
“We all have our little methods,” she said. “This is mine.”
Because the campers are small, only about 10 feet by 6 feet, most visitors attached screen rooms or awnings to their campers to extend the space. Sally Jenkins of Silver Spring, Md. used her screen room to add extra space for her spinning wheel and Chinese crested dogs, Julie and Brownie.
June Leslie of Acton, Mass., the rally organizer and an enthusiastic T@B owner, scheduled activities such as potluck dinners, a sightseeing time, and a Yankee swap. Highland Orchards, the camper sales and service center next door, sponsored a free dinner Friday night, as well as seminars, free repairs, and other giveaways. The rest of the weekend is to be spent getting to know their fellow T@B owners, many of whom had already met online.
Several people put their own touches on their campers, making them either more homey, more useful, or just more unique. Prudence Simmons of Bangor, Maine made custom curtains and valences, attached with Velcro, and a fitted tablecloth for the camper she shares with her husband David. She also sews and sells storage bags that fit nicely in the units.
“In this kind of small space, anything to help you organize is handy,” Leslie said.
Because of their head-turning shape, several owners said they get questioned wherever they go, “Each one of us, in our travels, could sell a few of these,” noted Leslie.
David Simmons said people even shout out to him while driving on the highway, asking questions about the camper.
“We tell them the Web site is on the back,” said Prudence, referring to a decal placed on the rear of each camper.
Dennis and Carol Hodgkins of Billerica, Mass. removed their decal and replaced it with a large photo of a sunset over Lake Huron. In addition, the Hodgkins family made several changes to their camper, including an outdoor lamppost, an on-demand hot water heater, a flagpole, and a sign declaring their campsite to be “Camp Nana Bampy.”
One of the few T@DA owners at the rally were Paul and Mary Combs of Putnam, Conn. The Combs said they bought the bigger camper, which had red trim to match their Red Sox sign. But after owning a T@B, it was the bathroom that really brought them around – following a long trip with closed rest areas. Besides, Paul said, “It’s nice to have a shower in the middle of nowhere.”
Leslie said the North Stonington rally has attracted more T@B owners than any others. The plan is to hold the rally each year, rotating between the New England states.
lrovetti@thewesterlysun.com
Kathy wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:44 AM:
" Where can you purchase one of these and how much do they cost? "
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