Death of a Trailer

The Best Laid Plans...
We bought this lovely little trailer a few years back having it in mind for several different purposes, such as Burning Man, trips to Mammoth Lakes, saving money on rent when I worked in Los Angeles as well as when and/or if I went on location. 
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Success of Sorts

I parked myself, truck and trailer up in Mammoth Lakes and was loving it up until it snowed and my little trailer became an ice chest and even in my sleeping bag and a few layers of blankets it became just too uncomfortable.

I camped out at the beach in Los Angeles which was pretty cool except when I was working on a job that was between an hour to two hours away depending on traffic. I was leaving and coming home when it was dark. I would still do my best to take a walk to the beach, sit and watch the waves and the stars above. The bathroom and shower situation was interesting to say the least. If you were staying in the trailer park area, you had access to nice clean facilities which weren't even used by most of the people staying there because their fancy RV's had luxurious bathrooms.

There are also limits to how long you can stay at various locations. So after I used up my days by the beach I ended up in the hills which was an even longer commute. And ironically the campground was incredibly load and noisy, depending on which neighbors ended camping next to you. 

Burning Man

Or burning a man; what was a refrigerator in the mountains became an oven in the desert.  However it was very comfortable at night and a few hours into the morning. It was certainly better than a tent, even my ultra luxurious safari style "glamping" tent.  

And the set-up and break down was just a matter of putting the bikes on the rack and hooking it up my truck. 

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It's So Small and Compact
One of the trailers biggest draws was how lightweight and small it was. I could easily find parking for it and it didn't slow me down, which ironically was my undoing. 

On the way to California from Burning Man, I got pulled over by the police. I had no idea why. I was going the speed limit, my lights were all in good working order, my registration was up to date.

As it turned out, I was pulled over because one of the tires on the trailer had blown out and I had been riding on the rim for a good amount of time, leaving a trail of sparks behind me, which I didn't see, because the trailer was so small and dainty. 
I managed to not only mangle the tire and the rim but completely destroy the frame. 
It was going to cost to much to tow it to anywhere that might be able to service it and the local junkyards didn't want it because there wasn't enough metal to make it worth the trouble. 

I ended up hauling it to a storage facility near Burning Man and it became a sole-purpose trailer. 

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6 Times a Charm
After the first time I went to Burning Man, I told myself, my family and anyone that would listen, that I wasn't going back again. I'd seen it and done it.
And for the next 5 years, I ended up returning. 
This year, I again said I wasn't going and again I ended up going back.
But I didn't make it through the event.
I had gone in about a week early to help set up our camp. And  two days after Burning Man had officially started, I had had enough and much to the dismay and disappointment of my camp, I left.

I unfortunately didn't make it very far. 

I blew a tire and ended up unhooking the trailer and spending the night in a hotel.
Since I really do believe that last year was my final trip to Burning Man and I still do believe that is the case, it was time to finally put the little trailer that couldn't down to rest. 
I luckily found a salvage yard that would take it. They didn't want to at first, but then I think the owner felt bad for me. Even though it wasn't worth much in regards to scrap metal there were usable parts that could be stripped, like the AC unit that had almost rattled of the year before and a sweet little flat-screen TV which I almost never used. 

It was bittersweet driving away. 

The little beast had been an overpriced albatros around my neck for years and I was now rid of it. 
But it also signified an end to my Burning Man years and going back to living steps from the sand in Los Angeles.