Looking to upgrade your camping game from tenting? Teardrop trailer camping might be the perfect solution for you!
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Camping in general is becoming increasingly popular among young people, especially teardrop campers because they're a more affordable option than a full-sized RV.
Plus, teardrop trailers are easier to tow and maneuver than larger RVs. Whether you're looking to go on solo adventures or camp with a group of friends, teardrop trailer camping is a great option for anyone who loves spending time outdoors.
In this beginner's guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about teardrop trailer camping, from what to pack to where to find the best campsites. So grab your sleeping bag and get ready for some fun!
Teardrop trailers are an excellent choice for those who want to travel in comfort and style. Compared to other alternatives, teardrop trailer camping is relatively easy and convenient. And the two best things?
1) You can tow these small campers behind an SUV.
2) You aren’t restricted to campgrounds and national parks; you can go anywhere your trailer can!
There are several types of camping, such as backpacking, RV camping, setting up tents, and renting cabins. But in this article, we’ll be going over teardrop trailer camping and what makes it so interesting!
What is a Teardrop Trailer?
A teardrop trailer, or teardrop camper trailer, is a lightweight, streamlined caravan trailer with a teardrop profile, which is how it got its name.
Teardrop trailers first gained popularity in the 1930s, when DIY construction plans were published in magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated. As with anything, these days, retro and vintage are the new craze. This just so happens to be our favourite retro-turned-modern product because it brings us to the great outdoors.
Teardrop trailers are typically small, with widths ranging from 4 feet (1.22 m) to 6 feet (1.83 m). They have lengths ranging from 8 feet (2.44 m) to 10 feet (3.05 m) and 4 to 5 feet (1.22 to 1.52 m) tall.
Fenders usually cover the wheels and tires that are mounted outside the body. Because teardrop trailers are so light, typically weighing less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg), they can be towed by almost any car while consuming very little fuel.
The first teardrop designs used standard 4 by 8-foot (1.22 by 2.44 m) plywood sheets with hardwood spars. These campers were popular until the mid-1960s when they vanished suddenly. However, plans became available again in the late 1990s, and teardrop trailers have made a comeback, once again growing in popularity.
A teardrop trailer has space for two people to sleep as well as storage for clothes and other items. Outside, usually in the back under a hatch, is a galley for cooking. Some trailers have a small detachable toilet, too! The trailers typically have lighting and other electrical power supplied by a storage battery, though some, like regular travel trailers, have main power hookups.
Why Choose a Teardrop Trailer
Who doesn’t want a hassle-free camping experience? A teardrop camper doesn’t need the same preparation an RV needs. It also takes less packing than backpacking because you already have most things you need inside.
It can hold itself against intense weather and it's relatively affordable compared to other camping methods like van conversions. But the best part about camping with a teardrop trailer is you can tow is behind pretty much any vehicle. Have a minivan? Depending on the model of teardrop trailer, you can tow it! Have a Honda CRV? You can tow a teardrop trailer.
With the convenience of your camping gear staying in your trailer, all you have to do is toss on your hitch, hook up
What You Need to Know When Camping with a Teardrop Trailer
A teardrop camper trailer has the perks of easy accessibility and convenience, but if you're new to this, it can be overwhelming. To start with, here are some steps you need to know before heading off on an adventure with your new teardrop trailer.
While small in size, teardrop campers' electric power capabilities can range from simple to sophisticated, depending on the amenities installed. Trailers can be powered by a variety of sources, including:
Plug into a local power supply at a campground or other location to use electrical outlets for things like kitchen appliances and air conditioning.
Solar panels: these can be attached to the roof or packaged as portable units and recharge your battery during daylight.
Deep cycle batteries, such as AGM and LiFePO4 batteries, are available in a variety of sizes and capacities to meet a wide range of power requirements.
Gas-powered generator: When camping off-grid, another option for powering camper components is to use a gas-powered generator.
Vehicle connection: a trailer connected to a tow vehicle via proper wiring will assist in recharging your battery while driving.
Teardrop campers are known to withstand bad weather conditions. Rain, snow, and wind may make it difficult to enjoy the outdoors, but you can always curl up in your cozy teardrop.
However, cooking in this type of weather may be the most difficult aspect of teardrop camping. When the hatch is open, most teardrop models include a kitchen galley that provides valuable overhead protection, while the soft side wings block side wind and rain.
Because it is located in the back, you will have to brave the elements to some extent. Fortunately, simple set-up shelters are available to help cover the entire kitchen so you can stay dry and safe.
Most teardrop trailers have almost everything you need for a camping trip, though a proper bathroom isn't always included. Thankfully, there are several solutions to this. Many teardrop camper owners, for example, prefer to camp near a restroom or bathhouse at the campsite.
If you want your own toilet and shower there are a few products on the market that can help relieve the stress of not having access to a bathroom such as this toilet or this shower, quite common for campers and very handy.
Teardrops are great because they are lightweight but at the same time spacious. Almost any vehicle with a hitch can tow a teardrop trailer as long as the tow rating exceeds the trailer's weight. You can do the following to ensure that the teardrop is easily towable behind your specific vehicle:
Don't overdo it. If you've never towed anything behind your vehicle before, start slowly. Travel at or below posted speed limits for your own safety as well as your passengers.
Backing up a trailer can be difficult for beginners, so practice in your driveway or an empty parking lot before your fully head off.
Check your connections twice: make sure the hitch is properly secured, the safety chains are crossed and connected, and your lights are working. Make sure your brakes, blinkers, and lights are all working properly so you don’t need to worry about it when driving.
When loading your camper, keep cargo weight in mind and never overload your trailer or vehicle. Towing with too much or too little weight can lead to dangerous towing behaviour.
These mini trailers allow anyone (driving almost any vehicle) to be a weekend adventurer.
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Road trips and overlanding are more popular than ever — but not everyone can afford (or wants to) own an RV, an Airstream Classic or a custom-built overlanding rig. Small travel trailers can be a great option for a weekend traveler who wants the convenience of adventure on a (at least relatively) more reasonable budget.
These small camping trailers don’t require a full-size truck to tow them (GVWR under 5,000 pounds); a mid-size truck, SUV or even in a sedan (in some cases) will do. And they can typically fit in an average-sized home garage.
Airstream
The company is the world’s best luxury teardrop camper supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
The Bambi is Airstream’s lightweight, single-axle trailer which strikes a perfect balance between size, style and comfort.
No surprise that the road-tripping icon has a line of lightweight single-axle trailers. Along with Airstream’s classic design, Bambi models feature neutral interior colors, stainless steel appliances, plenty of windows, and a retractable awning. The entry-level Bambi 16RB measures about 16 feet long, and has a maximum GVWR of 3,500 pounds.
Polydrops
Polydrops is famous for their cool space capsule-like trailers. The P19 shorty is its basic, affordable trailer option.
The P19 shorty is Polydrops’s basic affordable trailer option. It’s durable with a rust-free frame, insulated for all four seasons. It’s an awesome option for towing with an EV with a weight of just 640 lbs. It provides sleeping accommodations for two. But the accommodations beyond sleeping are on the spartan side.
SylvanSport
The SylvanSport GO is a pop-up camper that can expand into a versatile tent, serve as a gear hauling solution or both.
The SylvanSport GO may not look like much of anything in road mode, but it’s basically a Transformer — a boring trailer that transforms into a tent camper/utility hauler/equipment rack. Measuring less than seven feet long, the pop-up tent setup expands to accommodate two XL-twin mattresses or one king. Also, it’s extremely lightweight at just 840 pounds.
Minnesota-based Scamp builds affordable, lightweight camping trailers that are designed to be affordable and easy to use.
Because Scamp trailers are sold factory direct, each order is essentially a custom build. The small trailers fit four, come in 13-, 16-, and 19-foot lengths, and are available in Standard or Deluxe trims — which really just means, bathroom or bunk beds? The GVWR for the 16-footer is 3,500 pounds, but Scamp says all sizes have been designed to be towed by small vehicles.
Colorado Campworks
The Colorado Campworks NS-1 is a rugged but compact off-road camping trailer that is ready for action with BG Goodrich KO2 tires and 18 inches of ground clearance.
Built for overlanding with a small footprint of barely nine feet, the Nomadic System One (NS1) is 100 percent solar-powered for on-demand hot water and induction cooking. Rugged but towable with a sub-2,000-pound dry weight, other features include a galley, a winter-ready structure and exterior mounts for gear. It comes in one fully stocked version with several color options.
Taxa Outdoors
The Woolly Bear is one of Taxa Outdoors’s more affordable camping trailer options. The Overland version adds a reinforced frame, electric brakes, a Timbren Axle-less suspension and nearly three inches more ground clearance.
Taxa Outdoors’s Woolly Bear was the ultimate mobile campsite for two We say was because the brand came out with a more robust Woolly Bear Overland. It packs a full-size kitchen, a pull-out cooler drawer, ample storage and a platform for a rooftop tent within a package that weighs just 1,400 pounds and is only five feet wide.
Scott Seiver
This trailer is a special edition collaboration between Airstream and REI Co-op. It comes in two floorplans and marries classic Airstream style with an outdoors twist.
Airstream’s compact Basecamp model is made for traveling beyond the beaten path on all sorts of adventures, fitting two adults with ease. The REI co-branded special edition elevates things with bespoke design features for an added bit of outdoorsy delight.
The HC1 is Happier Camper’s small, retro-modern trailer featuring their modular Adaptiv system that uses lego-like blocks.
Built for long-term travel, this 1,800-pound camper packs in all the essentials you’d find at home: a bathroom equipped with a dry-flush toilet and a shower, a full kitchenette with a dual-burner stove, battery-powered fridge and sink, and Happier Camper’s Adaptiv system, a partially modular layout that allows for the unique configuration of furniture. A Premium Package adds more features like solar power.
The Micro Minnie is Winnebago’s double-axle compact trailer that offers several amenities within a compact footprint for towing.
The ever-familiar Winnebago offers the Micro Minnie. These trailers are small in size but offer plenty of room for families. Even though it’s a double-axle camper (most small camping trailers use a single axle), the Micro Minnie is just seven feet wide — but smartly laid out. Sleeping quarters accommodate up to five, and windows on either side provide a nice cross-breeze on cool nights. Other amenities include USB ports and WiFi connectivity.
Taxa Outdoors
The Cricket is Taxa Outdoors’s lightweight and rugged camping trailer with a pop-top roof and a modular floorplan.
With a NASA-inspired design, the 15-foot Taxa Outdoors Cricket was built to handle the outdoors. Lightweight and rugged, the small trailer can sleep two adults and two children, features a modular design, innovative storage solutions inside and out as well as lots of windows for cross ventilation. It includes an integrated plumbing and electrical system with an optional air conditioner.
The Dub Box is a retro-style camping trailer with a strong essence of vintage Volkswagen Microbus. It’s truly customizable with a range of sizes, floorplans and color options.
Not a familiar name, sure — but in terms of design, if you don’t think Volkswagen when you think of road camping, are you even thinking? The Dub Box, which sits about 16 feet long and has a 2,314-pound GVWR, will definitely make people do a double-take. Other standard features include a kitchen with a two-burner stovetop and fridge, LED lighting, and room for a double-sized mattress. A pop-up rooftop, you ask? Of course, that’s an option.
nuCamp
The Tab 400 is a teardrop-shaped camping trailer from NuCamp that packs big trailer amenities in a classic teardrop style.
The nuCamp Tab 400 features an old-school teardrop design but with new school amenities, like instant hot water and air conditioning. A compact 18 feet in length, the Tab 400 still offers a dedicated queen-sized bed sleeping space, a spacious kitchen with storage, a three-person dinette area, and a wet bath. You can also tack on a Boondock off-road package and a Lithium power package.
Timberleaf’s Classic Teardrop trailer marries the classic silhouette with exquisite craftsmanship and modern amenities. Three suspension options allow it to accommodate a wide range of customers.
The Classic Teardrop Trailer by Timberleaf features one of the largest skylights of any teardrop-style trailer on the market. At 10 feet in length, there’s plenty of usable space for a queen-size mattress, storage shelves, and an equally laid-out kitchen galley. The camper can also be customized with All Road and Off Road packages depending on your needs. Timberleaf also sells smaller Kestrel and Pika models.
Courtesy
Airstream and the design firm Studio F.A. Porsche presented a “what if” collaboration, the Airstream Studio F.A. Porsche Concept Travel Trailer. It’s essentially what would happen if Porsche used its sports car sensibilities to design and build an Airstream. It’s a small 16-foot trailer about the size of the Bambi. It crams everything you’d want into that small footprint with some innovative features like a rear-opening hatch, an adjustable suspension for lowering into a garage and a smooth aerodynamic outer shell.
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