
When you’re baking in 100-degree heat at home, the cool mountain air of Canada sounds like paradise and not one where you breakdown. My wife, daughter, and I were all set for a week-long road trip into the Canadian Rockies and Alberta plains. The teardrop trailer (my hand-built jPod) was packed. Audiobooks loaded. Coffee brewed. This wasn’t just any trip—it was our 10th wedding anniversary and a chance to introduce our daughter to teardrop camping life.
We planned to tow the trailer from home up to Edmonton for a family wedding, then stretch the trip into some much-needed time with nature. With a teardrop, camping becomes simple: pull up, unhitch, and enjoy. At least that was the plan.
Lesson | Details |
---|---|
Expect the unexpected | Even small mechanical failures can derail travel plans. |
Pack diagnostic tools | Code readers can quickly pinpoint problems on the road. |
Teardrop trailers offer flexibility | Easy to tow and adapt to unexpected situations. |
Keep your sense of humor | A little perspective turns breakdowns into stories. |
We didn’t even make it a mile.
The light turned green. I eased onto the gas. The Jeep lurched like I had accidentally hooked up to a T-Rex instead of the trailer. Then it lurched again. Power vanished as we tried to merge onto the highway. I coasted onto the shoulder.
No flat tires. No warning lights. No roaring dinosaur behind me. Just a completely useless tow vehicle and a fully loaded teardrop sitting behind it like a loyal but confused dog.
I stepped out into the heat—did I mention it was 100 degrees? The engine compartment blasted me with heat as I popped the hood. My sweat vaporized on contact, adding the pleasant aroma of cooked metal and electrolytes to the mix. At one point, I thought the fluid pooling under the Jeep was coolant — turns out it was my own sweat dripping off my elbows. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.
With the engine too hot to work on, I made the right call: phone a friend. My business partner Nathan showed up with tools, a code scanner, and the steady patience every road-tripper needs. After pulling error codes and doing some quick troubleshooting, we found the problem: the camshaft position sensor.
For those who don’t speak Jeep: this tiny donut-sized piece of plastic shuts down the entire engine if it detects a problem. Unfortunately, when the sensor itself fails, it thinks something’s wrong and shuts down the engine anyway. Smart system. Stupid outcome.
A few dollars, a screwdriver, and several gallons of sweat later, we swapped out the sensor. Technically, the fix was cheap. Realistically, we lost about 20 hours, nearly 30 hours of sleep, and most of the “relaxing” part of day one. Still, no breakdown will keep us from traveling to Canada.
We hit the road early the next morning. With a tight schedule to make the wedding in Edmonton, we powered through a 13-hour drive. Our daughter, not yet two, handled it like a road warrior, giving only the occasional “I need to stretch my legs” protest. Honestly, we all felt that way by the end.
Upon arrival, we made the highly logical decision every trailer camper understands: we booked a hotel. When your teardrop trailer tow vehicle almost self-destructs, sometimes a real bed and a shower feel like luxury camping.
The wedding went off without a hitch. Family was celebrated, a new relative added, and plenty of Canadian food was consumed. After that, it was time to ditch the urban setting, get out into the wilderness, and finally use that teardrop trailer the way it was intended.
Starting our trip to Canada with a breakdown wasn’t how we wanted to start the trip, but it reminded me why teardrop trailers are such a fantastic tool for family camping:
Sometimes, the best teardrop trailer travel stories come from the unexpected. And believe me — this won’t be the last mishap I write about.
If you’re dreaming of your own road trips — breakdowns and all — check out our complete DIY Teardrop Trailer Plans and Teardrop Trailer Kits. Whether you’re building your first trailer or upgrading your setup, we’ve got the tools to get you rolling.
-Originally published September 9, 2012
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