Teardrop Trailer
Teardrop trailers are the new cool thing! They were popular travel trailers in the 1930s and 40s because of their compactness and ease of use, and now they’re coming back! They are smooth and sleek for great aerodynamics while driving and use of space for camping. There is usually a sleeping cabin and a kitchen area. The sleeping are can be roomy – some have queen size beds in them! It is easy to find one that are plenty roomy for 2-3 people. The kitchen area takes some set up for use, but is very quick and easy. Different than a typical travel trailer, they are so lightweight that practically any vehicle can tow them. The cars that were around in the 30s and 40s didn’t have enough horsepower to tow like the capacity we have today. It only takes about 100 horsepower to tow one. Several teardrops trailer are less than 1000 lbs with a tongue weight under 200.
The teardrop trailer is an abode that would substitute for a tent or cabin while camping. More convenient than a cabin, you can camp anywhere with it. And it is more convenient than a tent because it has a hard outer shell, there is no set up or take down. The sleeping area can double as a storage area while driving allowing you to take much more than only what fits in the tow vehicle.
Teardrop trailers are much cheaper than traditional travel trailers. New trailers range in price from about $1500 to $16000. This is of course a big discrepancy and differs in the size and materials and comfort the trailer will give you. I have found used trailers on Craigslist, Ebay, and the like for just $100. You could also try looking for them at trailer and RV auctions. When looking at used trailers it is important to make sure that everything is in working order. It’s awful to buy something for a steal, but then have to put hundreds of dollars and several hours into it to have it be in a usable condition. The trailers range in size from 8 to 10 feet in length and 4 to 6 feet in width with most of them having a height close to around 5 feet.
Since teardrop trailer are not as complicated as other large travel trailers and fifth wheels, several people have taken to making them themselves. It is a fun project (kind of like putting together a model, only in real size). If you are not completely creative, or just don’t have the proper experience you can always find teardrop trailer kits with all the instructions and materials necessary to build one. You need a large area for the teardrop trailer construction, but a normal sized back yard should work (which means make sure you take on this task in nice weather).
Smaller teardrop trailers have wheels set on axles outside the body on the trailer for the best safety and stability. They are covered by fenders for safety. Larger trailers have the wheels set directly under the trailer because it is wide enough for the proper axle proportions.
There aren’t hundred of teardrop trailer plans like in regular travel trailers, so decisions aren’t as difficult to make. However there are still several features to choose from. Some are listed below:
Front Windows
Two Doors
Front Door Screen
Sunroof
TV/DVD
Air Conditioning
Roof fan
Built in Charger
City Water Hookup
Battery On-Board
Aluminum vs. Fiberglass Siding
Wheel Size
Spare Tire
Front Tongue Jack
Roof Rack
LP Furnace
Bike Hitch Mount
Size of Bed
See! Plenty to choose from, but not an overload; plus you still get to pick your colors scheme.
Whether you are new to “RVing” and are downsizing from an RV or travel trailer, here are a few tips that will help you in your new tear drop RVing.
1. Mark each item you take with you. Especially if you are going from a large travel trailer to a teardrop camper trailer, you may find either that you cannot fit all the things you normally take with you, or you don’t bring enough of the essentials since there were other amenities the travel trailer afforded that a teardrop trailer won’t. (A teardrop camping trailer is much closer to a tent big bulky travel trailers.) As you use the items you have marked, take off the marking. After several trips if you have not “unmarked” an item, don’t pack it. And as you bring new things, be sure to mark them, you may find that several thing you think you may need, are not actually that necessary and you don’t end up using them.
2. When packing your kitchen, putting cloth, newspaper, or a paper towel between the dishes will prevent scratching, scuffing, and in several cases breaking.
3. To keep condensation from causing mold, place a small hand towel at the bottom of each window at night. This will catch all the condensation so mold doesn’t have the chance to get started. Also, open several windows and vents throughout the day to air the whole thing out.
4. Wrap your cooler in a towel. It makes the cool last longer, plus it may eliminate scuffs around the place.
5. Lastly, sew your sheets together at the bottom like water bed sheets, and you top sheet will never get lost, and will stay on while you sleep much more easily.
Hope this gives you a few tips to make your next camping trip a bit easier. Good luck!
Looking for caravan awnings