Why We Bought A Gnome Homes Teardrop Trailer

“We’d have to drive to Alberta if we bought that teardrop trailer. That’s too far.”

I should have known I’d change my mind.

Sometime last fall, Darrell and I started talking about upgrading from a ground tent for our overlanding (aka car camping) adventures. Our backs weren’t enjoying sleeping on the ground as much as they used to. And having to set up a tent and sleeping bags and a camp kitchen at every new stop was taking more time than we liked.

We wanted something with:

• A quick setup
• A comfy bed
• The ability to go off-road
• The ability to be left at camp while we were exploring
• Room for us and the dogs
• A small size so it could fit down tight trails
• Only the things we really needed and no extra luxuries

It didn’t take long for us to decide against a rooftop tent. Getting three 40lb dogs up and down a ladder did not sound like fun. Nor did the idea of me having to crawl down a ladder in the middle of the night if I needed to pee. Also, it had to come everywhere with us. We couldn’t leave it set up at camp if we wanted to take the truck to explore.

Both of us were dead set against the typical travel trailers you see these days. They are not meant to go to the kinds of places we like to explore, and they’re too big.

But the more we looked at teardrop trailers, the more we liked this option. The right ones could check off every box on our list.

We started by looking into Ontario options. One company had several models but they were more of a campground kind of trailer. Not an off-road option. Another company could have made what we were looking for but the communication with them was terrible. Buying a trailer from the US wasn’t an option due to pricing, and that was the same for several options we found in BC.

Then one day Darrell sent me a link to the Gnome Homes Trailers website.

I immediately wanted one.

Here’s what made them the right choice for us.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

To start with, the website was easy to navigate, showcased each model of teardrop trailer they offered, listed starting prices, and was clear about what was included. They had a range of models from the classic teardrop that I’d say is more of a campground trailer, to the full off-road experience. Every model was customizable, with excellent optional features, and there was a virtual builder to let you see what the trailer would look like. You could go through the worksheet for each model, adding in your options, and find out how much the trailer would cost.

If a company gives me all the information I need straight from their website, I am WAY more likely to purchase from them.

We sat on it for a few weeks. I scoured the internet for reviews, and found nothing but love for these trailers. Many reviews cited how great it was to work with Cees Stolk, the owner of the company. Several reviews talked about him going above and beyond for customer service. It wasn’t long before we decided to go for it.

From sending in our order, to the emails for deposits, to getting updates, and the final pick-up, the customer service was FANTASTIC. The paperwork for the licensing showed up in the mail with plenty of time for me to get everything done before we headed out west. As I said in a previous post, Cees made us feel like he had all the time in the world to show us our new trailer and make sure we were set before driving away.

TEARDROP TRAILER MODELS AND CUSTOMIZATION

With all the different trailer models, there really is something for everyone. We filled out the worksheets for each model, adding in the options we would like and seeing where the price came out. The one that came within our budget, with all the must-haves we’d been looking for, was the Backcountry Gnome on a Budget (GOB).

With the Backcountry GOB, you don’t get things like cupboard doors in the sleeping area. It saves some money and honestly I prefer the look of open shelves. BUT, you get plenty of optional features that we really wanted to have, like:

• A 360 coupler hitch
• Roofs racks
• Awning
• Side tent (the BEST add-on)
• Gear tunnel
• Checker plating for the front of the trailer (the truck tires throw a lot of rocks)
• Headboard and storage space
• A sliding drawer for our fridge

You also have a full-size queen mattress that comes standard with the trailer. This teardrop trailer had nice, beefy tires for going off-road, and Timbren axle-less suspension, giving it plenty of clearance. In addition, all the trailers had a galvanized frame. Having had both galvanized and painted trailers, we loved the idea of a galvanized frame. Keep the rust away!

THE DETAILS

Once your trailer is ordered, you get to name it. I had no idea what to call it, but Darrell came up with the name we eventually chose – Fish Finder. Pretty apt for a trailer that is supposed to get us to fishing spots. There’s a beautiful nameplate inside stating the name and model of the trailer.

By ordering the gear tunnel we ended up with the headboard option and got to choose our own fabric. I found a fishing design online at Dinkydoo Fabrics and had it shipped straight to Gnome Homes. The cut of the fabric meant it needed to be stitched together to fill the headboard, and they went the extra step of making sure the fish all lined up. It’s beautiful!

The build is of excellent quality all the way through, with more lights than I think we’ll ever actually need, but I’m glad to have.

You get sent off with a detailed owners manual, including the original documentation for all the parts included in the trailer. But my favourite little detail was the gnome figurine ew found when setting up camp for the first time. It was a fishing gnome. Perfect!

THE PERFECT TEARDROP TRAILER FOR US

We really couldn’t have chosen a better trailer for us. When we get to camp we only have to lift the galley hatch and pull the stove out to start cooking. There’s no setting up our sleeping area or finding our clothes bag. It’s all there and ready to go. The side tent gives us more than double the living space and an area for the dogs to sleep on warmer nights. On the cooler nights all 5 of us manage to sleep inside.

By choosing the Backcountry GOB we got everything we needed, and didn’t have to spend money on extras we would never use.

Fish Finder has been dragged down so many tiny trails, through rock-filled mud puddles with big drops, over the bumpiest logging trails, and through many sandy play areas. I could not be happier with our Gnome Homes teardrop trailer. It’s been everything I dreamed of and more.

And the drive to Alberta? Well if you’ve read our series of posts about that trip, you’ll know it was absolutely epic. Driving through four provinces to get our trailer gave us an excuse to visit my best friend, and fall in love with the mountains.

10/10 would buy a Gnome Homes teardrop trailer again!