Your First TearJerker Gathering?

[Zach]

Mine was the original "Tearstock" in 2010. Black Bear Campground in Phoenicia, NY.

I had just finished building my first teardrop, and until that weekend I had only ever met 1 person in the TearJerkers, but had become familiar with a few other 'local' names on the forum. They invited me to join up with them at a hunting camp in the Poconos on the Thursday leading up to Tearstock, and then we would convoy together up to the gathering on Friday. Friday morning we got up and 4 or 5 campers convoyed for a few hours to the Woodstock site in Bethel, NY. After a tour of the museum we finished our drive to the campground where we were met by many other TearJerkers. The owners of the tiny campground managed to wedge more than 60 campers into their facility, which we overtook (and overwhelmed). That was also the first time I met Todd, Coop, Nancy, and Len. Its been one fun crazy trip after the next ever since! 😜

By the way, if you want to see all the fun pictures from this gathering, click on "Gatherings" in the navigation bar above, and then "View Photos". Find the fold for 2010 and "Tearstock" is in there.

[Brian S]

June of 2015, Elkhorn Campground, Frankfort Ky.

I had just gotten my first tear, a Little Guy 4wide. The experience was so positive I was hooked. Five years and four tears later, not only have I made MANY good friends I'm now a chapter director.

No way to express what this group has done for me.

B

[Asheville George]

Ours was in 2015 with the Southern Appalachian cha pter at Moonshine Creek CG in Balsam, NC. 25+ Tearjerker events later we still love this group. We only had a teardrop for 2 or 3 gatherings, the rest were either in our Lil Beaver vintage camper or one of our Rpods. Have camped with our chapter, Florida, Dixie, Virginia, Tennessee chapters, two CRAs and a Teardrop City.
by

[Wayne in Maryland]

2010 for us as well. Just finished screwing the doors on and off we went to Elk Neck State Park. Met up with Orville, Todd, Lenny and a whole lot more. We had a blast and never looked back.
Gracie was 4 years old. (wow, she has been a Tearjerker for 10 years)

[Zach]

Hard to believe how fast time flies!

[Wayne in Maryland]

Elk Neck September 2010, our first gathering

[D.O.M.]

Ours was in 2004 @ Hickory Run S.P. We had just purchased our first teardrop. 2004, 4 wide Little Guy. At that time there were only 2 chapters in TearJerkers. It has really grown since then.

[Eric W]

My first gathering was with the old Alabama Chapter. "Sweet Tear Alabama" Gathering in Cloudland Canyon State Park in June, 2010. I literally put the last screw in my home built Tear and hit the road. No ressy, just drove. My 2nd was a month later, The old Tear Drop City, "East Coast Nationals". 30 or so campers and a guy named Todd. But he seemed to go by several names. Had a blast and kept attending gatherings. 1 year, 12 gatherings.

[Steve Morris]

We picked up our Hiker Squareback, our first camper of any sort, late September 2017. So our first TearJerker outing was the Buckeye Chapter Spring Gathering in May 2018, at Indian Lake State Park. It so happened that Indian Lake is only 10 niles from where I grew up and enjoyed much of my mis-spent youth.

[WayneW]

First Gathering Virginia Creeper July 2015. Took a year after getting a Tear Drop to get to a gathering. Was hoping to do more camping in 2020 but Coronavirus has already canceled my trip in March and April. Lets pray that this mess is gone before we meet up at Moonshing Creek in May.

[Jeff F]

My first gathering was the beginning of April in 2016. It was with the Dixie Chapter at Smith Lake in Alabama. A pic of my first rig.

[CrowsWing]

First Landing State Park April 2013. Meet some new and great friends that weekend!

[Zach]

First Landing State Park April 2013. Meet some new and great friends that weekend!

I remember that weekend! I believe we got quite a bit of rain Friday night and I had an incident with some fire.

[Glen and Sheila]

Our first gathering was a first everything!! Glen had been named the director of the Tennessee Volun'tears' chapter and we were hosting our first gathering, even though we had never even BEEN to a gathering! We met our first Tear Jerker friends! We hosted our first add-a-dish dinner and we took our first gathering photo!! Another first was I had to drive the teardrop home and back it into the garage, because Glen had a slight accident in camp. (He was okay, but couldn't drive.) All of this happened in September 2008 and we've had so many wonderful memories since!!
Sheila

[Asheville George]

I am so glad to see that there are so many archived pictures. Good job Zack!

[ArtMini]

Well, I don't know if you can call it my first since I only stayed about an hour. It was about ten years ago. I had just started my canned ham project and went out to meet some of the New England chapter at Harold Parker state park in Andover Ma. I stayed about an hour an talked to eveyone. I had hoped to make it to an event later that summer but it never happened. My project has dragged on now getting closer to finish every year. One of these days I'll make it.