Green Goddess Glamping: The Green Goddess Camps On: a Report From Her New Owners

The Green Goddess back in 2019 at Howell Station Campground

I've received great news that the new owners of my first travel trailer, an RTTC Polar Bear--aka the Green Goddess--are enjoying camping with the tiny "standy" trailer and are traveling much more than my wife and I did. As the Rustic Trails Teardrop Campers company and owners have their fourth Gathering this weekend, it is supremely appropriate that I provide an update on the travels of the Green Goddess.

Sold to David and Patti, October 2020

Bought by David and Patti Steuer a year ago, their original purpose for buying the trailer was to provide David with a safe means of traveling during the pandemic from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest so that he could visit and assist family. Now David and Patti are traveling and camping together. They tell their story below with a guest post, mostly written as a text responding to a neighbor who wanted to learn more about the trailer.

RV Park in Twin Falls, Idaho

--by Patti Steurer

Thanks for reaching out to us and asking about the teardrop camper trailer we bought from Tom Kepler. We are now in the state of Washington visiting family. Then we are heading down to Oregon for a few days on the coast. The next step of our trip will be to Tucson, Arizona. Finally we will be returning home the first week of November.

We love the Green Goddess, as Tom called this teardrop trailer. It is comfortable, easy to pull and travel with, and it sets up quickly. We like that it has electricity and an air conditioner. We bought a small heater for it, and that has worked well. We cook using our Instant Pot and rice cooker, and we stay in RV parks and RV campgrounds that have restrooms so we can use the toilet and take showers. We haven't set ourselves up with a composting toilet yet, but we might do that in the future.

Olympic Mountains

Or, we might upgrade. We have found that we really like this lifestyle and want to continue traveling the USA and hopefully Canada in the future, and like Tom we might upgrade. Not sure yet, but thinking of it seriously. We have traveled to Vermont and now out to the Northwest to visit with our family who all live in the state of Washington. And, then to Arizona. We've been using it all this summer, and it has been awesome.

This little teardrop is really easy, fun, and it works. We love the smallness of our camping with this teardrop. It doesn't take much to make it all work. We haven't ventured too far off road, but might in the future. This summer has been about trying it out and visiting family. Sometimes we are using the teardrop, and sometimes we are staying with family in their homes, and for about six weeks we house sat for a friend in Port Townsend, Washington, where my brother lives.

Old growth in the Ft. Warden campground
Port Townsend, Washington

You know that Tom has a blog about his camping with the Green Goddess. I hope some of his posts are still up for you to peruse. [Green Goddess Expeditions] He did so much more with it when camping using tents outside the teardrop and really setting up house. We haven't done that yet . . . but we will.

We are loving the teardrop. So easy to travel, work and enjoy the outdoors, camping and seeing the USA. On this trip we have made it a priority to spend time with family in the Northwest. We did some house sitting along the way so we haven't always been in the camper. It does get us from one place to another safely and comfortably. That is the best part in the middle of this pandemic.

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It was fulfilling for me to hear that our first travel trailer is still in loving hands. I also found it interesting that the Steuers' motivation for buying the tiny trailer fit the same reasons that my wife Sandy and I had: fits many camping spots, easy to tow and back, a "safe haven" but still with an emphasis with camping outside. Now that I own a "little" rather than "tiny" trailer, I am still pleased that many of the tiny trailer boxes for enjoying a trailer are still checked. (I wrote about this recently: "Transitioning from a Tiny Trailer to a Little Trailer--My Airstream Basecamp Experience") I should also add that the RTTC builders now emphasize their smaller campers. The Polar Bear is their biggest model and is now sold only as a limited edition model.

To all of my RTTC friends who are gathering this weekend at DeSoto State Park in Alabama, I wish you a wonderful weekend. I couldn't make it this year because my focus is on family right now, but I hope to make the reunion next year. Meanwhile, the Green Goddess glamps on--and, honestly, I'm just a little bit jealous.