Teardrop Trailers

Teardrop trailers are compact, streamlined and lightweight travel trailers that get their name from their distinctive profile.

Homemade Teardrop1

Most teardrops are sized to sleep two, with storage for clothing and other items as well as a basic exterior kitchen at the back, under a lift-up hatch.²

1936 Teardrop with cooking facilities in rear3

Teardrop campers date from at least as early as the 1930s, when magazines such as Mechanics and Handicraft, which provided instructions and plans in December 1936 and said,

For the summer vacationist or motoring enthusiast who enjoys frequent outings, but who cannot afford frequent hotel bills or expensive camping equipment, a “teardrop” trailer, which comfortably accommodates two persons, will prove just the thing for many pleasant weekend trips.  This can be built for approximately $50 by anyone who has ordinary carpenters’ tools.

Teardrop trailers usually range from 4 to 6 feet wide, 8 to 10 feet long, and 4 to 5 feet tall, though larger teardrop shaped campers are on the market. Usually weighing less than 1000 pounds, teardrops can be towed by most small cars and trucks.  Wheels and tires are usually outside the body, under fenders.

Electrical power for lighting and other uses is generally provided by a battery, though some models can be connected to shore power.

From  a September, 1947, Mechanix Illustrated article “Trailer for Two:”

“Getting away from it all” doesn’t mean giving up the comforts of home, for with this compact trailer you bring them right along with you.  As it’s only a fraction of the size and weight of a full-grown trailer, you can take this 10-ft. tourer wherever a car will go.  And when you reach some iseal spot between a lake or stream, up goes the kithenette and in a matter of minutes there’s an appetizing meal cooking away on the pull-out stove.  Under the same hood, there’s an icebox (for the big ones that didn’t get away), a water tank, folding table and cupboard space for a raft of food.  After you’ve finished tucking away your share of it for dinner, you can open one of the doors and there’s a full-length mattress waiting for you when you turn in.  And if you like fresh air when you sleep, just open the screened-in panels on the doors.