The T@B Clamshell: When Will It Come Back?
Mike and I saw a listing for a T@B Clamshell trailer at a local dealer. Even though our little Prius couldn’t tow it, we took the drive up north to see it. They are so rare to see in person, that I just couldn’t resist.
Even though the graphics on the side aren’t retro by any stretch of the imagination, I still loved how this trailer looked. The blue is the appropriate color of aqua to please me, apparently.
I even liked the huge T@B logo on the back of the trailer.
I absolutely adore the kitchen in the back of the trailer. I love to be outdoors while I’m cooking and a clamshell teardrop is the best way to achieve that with little setup. This T@B had a sink and a fridge (12V only). The water reservoir for the sink was in the cabinet under the sink. It was just a five gallon jug that you could carry to the water faucet and fill by hand.
I was a little wary of the cooktop, however. I’ve had a couple of greasy pans flare up while cooking and I would feel much more comfortable if the cooktop had a metal wind guard around it.
The downside of the T@B came inside, however. Mike is six feet tall, so he did not fit in the bed. I loved that the bed converted to a table, but Mike would have hit his head on the wall of the trailer every night if he tried to squeeze in there to sleep.
The ceiling height was 5’9″, so Mike couldn’t stand in the trailer either. It was tall enough for him to be able to put on his pants, but he would definitely have to sit on the bed or bench to put on a shirt in the cabin.
One other problem with the T@B is there is no place for Mike to sit if he’s not sleeping. There was an adorable bench next to the door and flanking a window. I imagined I could sit there and read a book if it were raining outside, but when Mike tried to sit there, he couldn’t fit. The curved roof prevented him from finding a comfortable way to sit on that lovely little bench.
He was able to sit on the spot above the Cool Cat heater, but it was a pretty small spot and it was right next to the bed, so he didn’t feel comfortable there, either. In the end, it wasn’t a good fit for my husband, but for me, I was in retro heaven.
Sadly, no one is making the T@B Clamshell design right now. Little Guy is making T@B Trailers, but they are only making the Q floor plan. You can see a tour of their T@B trailers here:
I fell in love with the T@B Clamshell and I wish I could buy a brand new one from Little Guy right now. All I need to do is convince my husband that a bumped head every now and again is a small price to pay for a lightweight trailer that can keep us warm when we camp in the winter.
Update 03-31-12: Just noticed on the T@B website that the T@B clamshell design is coming back in Fall this year!
Thanks, Little Guy, for bringing back the best designed almost-standy teardrop!
Update 11-22-12: Little Guy has just announced TWO new floor plans! The return of the clamshell design AND one with a BATHROOM!