What I Actually Use (and don’t use) After One Year of Teardrop Camping
I bought my NuCamp T@B 320 imagining cozy mornings, easy meals, and the freedom to just go. After a full year of real-life use — weekends away, multi-week road trips, solo camping, and camping with grandkids — I have opinions.
This isn’t a spec sheet. It’s what I actually learned from living with this trailer for a year: what got used constantly, what surprised me, and what I could have left at home. If you’re considering a teardrop trailer or already own one, this is the honest rundown I wish I’d had.
As an Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
What I Used All the Time
The Oscillating Fan — My Most-Used Item
This was unexpected. I have a perfectly good overhead fan built into the trailer — but this small rechargeable oscillating fan became the thing I packed first and reached for every single night, inside and outside the camper.
Why it’s essential:
- Moves air in a small space
- Quiet enough for sleeping
- Rechargeable = no power stress.
In a small space, air circulation matters more than temperature. The fan moves air quietly enough to sleep through, acts as white noise, and on warmer nights keeps things comfortable without running the AC. It also helps to keep the bugs away when you’re sitting outside.
The one I use is the Odoland rechargeable fan — it has a built-in light, runs for hours on a charge, and hangs from a hook and oscillates in any direction you point it!
with LED Lantern, Rechargeable Battery Operated Oscillating with Remote Hook, Portable Tent Fan with Timer, 4 Speeds for Outdoor RV Jobsite Power Outage, Green
The Electric Kettle
If I could only tell you to buy one thing for teardrop camping, this would be it. My small electric kettle replaced the stovetop for probably 80% of my in-camper cooking. Coffee, tea, instant oatmeal, ramen, boiling water for cleanup — all of it, without heating up the galley or dealing with lingering cooking smells in a small space.
What I used it for:
- Coffee & tea
- Instant oatmeal
- Quick meals and heating up water for dishes
The key is finding a low-wattage model that runs comfortably off a power station when you don’t have hookups. I use the balbali 20oz Electric Kettle — it draws only 400W, which means it’s easy on the Goal Zero, and the collapsible handle makes it easy to store.
For Boiling Water - Collapsible Handle Mini Electric Kettle/Boiler for Tea - 400w Low Wattage Portable Kettle for Travel Green
The USB Heated Blanket
This one earns its spot in the “used constantly” category. Teardrop camping means spending a lot of evenings outside, and in Minnesota, “outside in the evening” covers a wide temperature range. For sitting around the campfire, the Z-Walk Cocoon wearable heated blanket is a fun option — it wraps around you like a vest and comes with its own battery pack.
Inside the camper in colder temps, it will genuinely warm you up fast without draining your battery station. I’ve used it camping in temps as low as 25°F, running off the battery pack. I use it inside my sleeping bag and it’s never let me down.
Check out my article about Staying Warm in a Small Camper.
- 2 in 1 design: a blanket, a vest
- 3 Heat Settings: High (140°F), Medium (122°F), Low (104°F)
- Comes with a Free 5000 mAh power bank, up to 3 hours of heating. Compatible with all USB interfaces
- Waterproof, stain-proof, windproof; 230 gsm insulation
- Wipe clean and machine wash
String Lights — Not Necessary, But Absolutely Necessary
These cost almost nothing and do more for campsite or camper ambiance than anything else I own. Warm white fairy lights draped over the awning or along the side tent transform a campsite into somewhere you actually want to sit for three hours after dinner. I run them inside my camper instead of the harsh camper lights for a cozy nighttime glow.
Why I love them:
- Soft, cozy lighting
- Makes the camper feel like home
- Uses almost no power
They draw almost no power, pack into a small pouch, and get compliments at every campground. Pro Tip: Warm White only!
Waterproof Multi Color Changing Fairy Lights with Remote for Indoor Outdoor Patio Wedding Party Christmas Bedroom Decoration
The Lectric eBike — My Biggest Surprise
Campgrounds are more fun on two wheels. Quick trips to the bathhouse, cruising over to the camp store, exploring the surrounding trails or small towns — the eBike turned campground downtime into something genuinely fun.
Why I used it constantly:
- Easy rides around the campground
- Quick trips to the bathhouse, dumpster or camp store
- Exploring nearby trails and small towns
- Folds up and fits perfectly in my small camper
The eBike gave me freedom without breaking camp. Just hop on and go.
I have the Lectric XP 3.0, but if I were buying again I’d go for the Lectric XP Lite — it’s lighter and easier to fold, which matters more than I expected when you’re loading and unloading solo.
What I Thought I’d Use — But Didn’t
The Stovetop
This genuinely surprised me. The T@B 320 galley is beautifully designed and the stovetop works great — I just stopped reaching for it. Cooking smells linger in a small space, I like to use the stovetop area as extra counter space, and the electric kettle handled most of what I needed anyway.
For real outdoor cooking I use a camp stove outside, which honestly makes meals more enjoyable. The stovetop will probably see more use in wet or cold weather when cooking outside isn’t appealing — but for now it mostly sits there covered by a mat to protect the glass cover.
The Microwave
I knew going in that I probably wouldn’t use it much. I didn’t use the microwave in my previous T@G, and the T@B 320 was no different. It requires shore power, takes up a chunk of cabinet space, and I just don’t camp that way.
I currently use it for storage. Eventually I’ll likely remove it entirely for more usable space — something a lot of T@B owners end up doing. If you love campground hookups and reheating leftovers — keep it. If not, you won’t miss it.
The TV
I used it almost never — and I don’t regret that at all. I camp to unplug. My phone handles Youtube, and campfires are better than anything streaming anyway.
That said, I kept it. When the grandkids camp with me, movie night in the camper is a genuine highlight. And on rainy afternoons parked in the driveway, it’s surprisingly nice. So it stays — and it’s the only way I can play my VCR movies!
What One Year in the T@B 320 Actually Taught Me
The T@B 320 is genuinely well-designed. NuCamp put real thought into the layout, the storage, and the heat and a/c system. But after a year of real use, the lesson isn’t really about the trailer — it’s about how you camp.
I value simplicity. Easy setup, minimal cleanup, and comfort. The gear that earned permanent spots in my kit all have one thing in common: they make the camping experience better without adding effort or (much) weight.
You don’t need to use everything that came with your trailer. You need to figure out how you like to camp — and then build around that.
