Teardrop Trailers

[CanuckExpat]

There is great discussion on the forum about van conversions, I wanted to check if anyone had thoughts/experiences with teardrop trailers. I'm thinking specifically about towing one behind a compact four-cylinder and using it the same way you might tent and car camp. Kind of as a home base for hiking/biking trips or quick getaways.

From a cost perspective tent camping seems much cheaper of course. It seems like the teardrop wouldn't be too bad compared to an RV or pop-up trailer that would need a special vehicle (truck) to tow it. Does anyone know what maintenance tends to be like on a teardrop, and depreciation if you buy one used on Craigslist?

I'm pretty happy generally with tent camping, so I'd also like to hear from people about what if anything makes a tear drop better.
The main thing I'd be looking forward to is that first night where you pull in late to a campsite. With a teardrop, you wouldn't have to set anything up. Of course that is a pretty niche application to necessitate buying a whole trailer, so it would be great to hear what other things, if any, that it does better then tent camping.

[Goldielocks]

My DH says that he needs to be able to stand while dressing, and doesn't want others to see him without pants.   So no teardrop for us.

[JennaF]

no teardrops

[herbgeek]

I had originally dismissed teardrops as being 1) too small and 2) impractical with the kitchen outside.  No way am I going outside in the rain to make my morning coffee or risk having to talk to someone before I've had it. 

Then  I stumbled onto the T@b trailers, specifically the Tabitha.  Inside bathroom, inside kitchenette.  Tall enough to stand in. 

I am hoping that in a couple of years I can find a used (read: depreciated) one of these.  Doesn't need a heavy duty vehicle to tow, but it will need something larger than my current Honda Fit.

[MandyM]

+1 to T@b trailers! I've been internet stalking them for a while now.

[Mrs.LC]

Checkout TCteardrops.com. They make a variety of models of small campers. Been in business since 2008 and are great people to work with.

[DecD]

There's a whole subreddit dedicated to teardrops.  My husband is thinking of building one post-FIRE so he browses ideas there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TeardropTrailers/

[Capsu78]

I owned one, enjoyed it some but made a buyers error up front- it was only 4 ft wide.  An adult couple really need a 5 ft width to not breath in each others faces during the night.  As for cooking outside, I thought it was superb and I used it a number of times to "anchor" outdoor parties.  As for changing cloths, one solution is a little pop up changing hut that are available commercially or even can be homemade pretty easily.  To the OP, yes, I found it much better tan sleeping on the ground.

This is what I find to be the definitive website for asking any sort of questions, from building yourself to cooking with cast iron:

http://www.tnttt.com/

As for T@B, I liked the look but I think the "TD purists" believe it doesn't really belong in the teardrop class- and I recall others saying for that amount of money you can buy a lot more conventional trailer. 
What I will say is that if you travel with one, its best to be social because everybody wants to walk up and talk to you!

I ended up donating mine to a local BSA troop.  (I still have borrowers rights) 

Edit: I consider this company to be the gold standard and worth looking at to compare...but they do come at a cost.
http://www.tinycamper.com/

[spokey doke]

Edit: I consider this company to be the gold standard and worth looking at to compare...but they do come at a cost.
http://www.tinycamper.com/

I've been wanting one of the Camp Inn trailers for a number of years...just can't pull the trigger though, as I'm not convinced I'd use it enough to justify the expense

[beberly37]

My father-in-law built one a few years ago.  When I say built one, I mean he started with a pile of steel tubing, lumber, and plywood, and a roll of aluminum.  Plus an axle, wheels and trailer lights.  Granted he is a seasoned contractor and a remarkable craftsman. 

I haven't borrowed it, but my in-laws have been car/tent camping their whole lives and the motivation behind the trailer was that they are in their mid-sixties and are "tired of sleeping on the ground".  Its basically a way to take a real bed camping. 

His trailer is way beefier than the typical one (either diy or purchased) so it easily over 1000 lbs, and couldn't be safely pulled by a 4 cylinder car, maybe a 4 cylinder pickup truck/SUV with trailer brakes.

Aside from getting a lot of attention at camp grounds or the eccentricity of having a teardrop, I'm not sure there is any benefit over a tent beyond a real mattress.

I think its great and we plan on borrowing it for camping, but I probably wouldn't get one of my own.  But then again, I'm still pretty young, an having a crappy night's sleep with a rock in my back is part of the "fun" of camping.   

[Capsu78]

I haven't borrowed it, but my in-laws have been car/tent camping their whole lives and the motivation behind the trailer was that they are in their mid-sixties and are "tired of sleeping on the ground".  Its basically a way to take a real bed camping. 


Aside from getting a lot of attention at camp grounds or the eccentricity of having a teardrop, I'm not sure there is any benefit over a tent beyond a real mattress.

I would add points for quickest camp set up time of nearly any other style, from tent to RV.  Park it, unhitch it, level it, unfold chairs and open beer in less time than it takes figure out the best place to pitch a tent!  Seriously, I pulled in next to an RV once who arrived at the same time as I and I had dinner cooking before he was done futzing with levelers and pop outs.  So add additional points for the functionality of the outdoor kitchen.

As for RV's, if you have to vacuum you can't really call it camping!

[CanuckExpat]

Thanks for the responses everyone. From what I'm reading I guess it sounds like a lot of people look at trailers/RVs because they don't like aspects of sleeping or camping in a tent, and for this crowd it seems the teardrop is too primitive.

Our normal set-up is usually either a largish tent if we have space/time, or a small two person backpacking tent since it goes up so easily. So I don't worry about a tear drop being too small or the horrors of having to face the outside to use a kitchen :)

I mainly wanted to know the experiences of people who do have teardrops and what they thought the advantages over a tent were.
The quick set-up and not having to deal with re-packing a wet tent if you are touring and have several days in bad weather might be very nice. Maybe not nice enough to justify the initial cost and on-going trailer registration.

I would usually not consider a trailer, but I just happened on my local craigslist and saw some that seemed small enough to be towed behind our Honda Fit (we already have a hitch), and I wanted to know what people thought about them.
There was a decent looking on for $3000, which seems like somebody has already absorbed the depreciation. My favorite type of purchase.

[herbgeek]

Having formerly been a tent camper, there have been too many weekends with damp or wet weather to count.  In a tent, /everything/ gets damp.  There are few yuckier things in life IMO than getting into a damp sleeping bag for the night.  That's the primary appeal for me in having a hard sided structure.  And I've also had my share of dismantling a wet tent and having to set it up when I got home to make sure it didn't mildew.

The not having to face people without having had my coffee yet is just a bonus of a trailer, not my primary driver.  ;)

[Rural]

My parents have a teardrop too large to tow behind a small car (a Casita with bathroom and kitchenette). They love it, have had it over a decade, got it used. It was great before they retired, but since then, they've lived in it for a cumulative couple of months, minimum, each year. This year will be much higher because they are on a trip now that they left for at the first of June.


My father lived in it four days a week for about a year when he helped us build our house.



So a teardrop, well maintained, is something that you might be able to transition into as you age. My mother is no longer fit for sleeping on the ground (understatement, that, since I'm not fit for sleeping on the ground anymore due to arthritis).


The do park it, or mostly, in the winter. The kitchen and bath pipes have to have antifreeze to protect them if you're in a climate that freezes. So, can be used for sleeping in winter, but only that.


Oh, and it's a spare bedroom in a pinch for overnight guests.

[Cassie]

That was me that said it was like sleeping in a coffin:))  Although, I am not usually claustrophobic I instantly knew I would not be able to sleep in one. Also 2 people are very snug indeed.

[Daisy]

No camping expert here, but to me a teardrop trailer doesn't seem worth the money or effort. It looks so coffin-like, as others have said, that you might as well sleep in a car or van. And with a car or van you don't have the issue of lugging something around the back of your car messing with gas mileage, driving ease, etc.

I learned about car/van camping on this forum and am very intrigued by it. I recently slept in my hatchback a couple of nights at work to avoid having to get up really early and commute to work for early morning meetings. It helps that we have a gym and shower at work.

I am fascinated by the car/van camping option. It's even better than a tent! You can camp in your car at a campground with showers or do some stealth camping in a more urban area in short spurts to get you where you want to go.

My hatchback wouldn't be good for anything long term but I am thinking if I ever do a cross-country road trip I can either sell my car and buy a van or something like that to add a bed and supplies to, or just temporarily buy a used van and then sell it after the trip. The depreciation costs would be the cost there.

Sprinkle in some hotel stays for comfort and batch cooking, and it sounds like a frugal way to travel for a long time.

[Retire-Canada]

From a cost perspective tent camping seems much cheaper of course.

Not only cheaper, but also:

- easier to store
- less hassle when driving
- allowed in places that don't accept RVs/trailers.

The main time a small trailer would be better than a tent is if you were going to camp during an extended period of rain. But a quick look at a weather forecast can prevent that accidentally happening and it would still be cheaper to grab a motel for the odd night if you had a couple days of rain on an extended trip.

[FriendlyFIRE]

http://trekkertrailers.com/

HGTV had an entire Tiny House hunters episode featuring his designs.

https://www.facebook.com/TrekkerTrailersLLC?fref=ts
https://www.youtube.com/user/trekkersdaddy08

I know this guy.  Good person.

[Bob W]

Forego the teardrop and tent camp.  Buy a very nice used tent and all the used shit you want off of craigs list.  (for like 1/4th the cost of new).    If you most have more space then build a cargo carrier as MMM outlined.    You will be very comfy in a stand up tent.   After a few years and you tire of this simply resell you shit on craigs list and call it good.

I used to sell RV, Pop Ups and Tear Drops ---  All the people laughed our asses off at the people buying tear drops.   So impractical and limited, something made to appeal to the kid in you.   Good Luck. 

[TheFixer]

I agree with what was said about being able to stand up in a camper to get dressed.
If I can't do that, I might as well sleep in the back of my station wagon.

We have a hard sided trailer called a Scamp, and a heavy duty diesel vehicle for towing it.  Here's a pic from a recent trip:


We like it a lot, because it is small enough that towing is a non issue.  Fuel economy sucks though, going down below 30 MPG on one particularly bad trip (uphill, into a hurricane). 

Compared to tent camping, it's much easier to setup camp or knockdown, especially in the rain.  The dog is less of a hazard to a solid camper than the tent.

I've also had a pop-up tent camper before, and a hardside trailer is better because of no wet canvas, warmer in cold & windy weather, drier in the rain and the weight is not much different.

Most camper trailers are built of wood sticks skinned in aluminum foil, which is really short-lived.  As soon as the unit starts flexing, seams open up, water leaks inside walls, the rot begins.  All aluminum or all fiberglas is the way to go for longevity (and value retention).

[MoonShadow]

A teardrop is basicly an enclosed bed, and nothing more.  Better than tent camping, not as good as an RV.  It's greatest disadvantage is that it's dependent upon a road.

If you hike and camp much, have you ever considered a camping hammock, like a Hennessy?

http://hennessyhammock.com/

[Rural]

Okay, so apparently I misunderstood what a teardrop trailer is. What my parents have is a small trailer, more egg-like or bubble-like than teardrop:


http://casitatraveltrailers.com/spirit-16-17/

[FuturePrimitive]

I'd like to get a tear drop some day, or maybe one of these adventure style trailers if I ever get a Jeep but for now we're tent camping. And as far as cooking outside, I'd have it no other way, that's one of the major appeals of tear drops to me. Cooking in a small enclosed space (even with open screens) has a lot of negatives, everything absorbs all the smells, introduces a lot of moisture, etc.

Anecdotally (is that a word?), when I was a kid we towed a Coleman pop-up stuffed with 2 weeks worth of gear for a family of 4 +dog from NY to FL with a 1985 VW Jetta, it had 85hp and managed just fine. (What a great car that was!) I'd be shocked if most modern 4 cylinder compacts couldn't handle a small tear drop trailer.

[MustacheExplorer]

Teardrops are cool but I got to at least have a trailer with a potty.

[Cassie]

When we were in Yellowstone & the Grand Tetons by 5pm the mosquito's were out full force & would eat you alive. There were no picnic tables provided & I am guessing because you can't sit outside at night. We were grateful that we could cook inside. We brought a small card table & chairs so we could eat outside if no table was provided. We were able to use it in some states but not there.

[mm1970]

my boss has a scamp - cute!!

[powersuitrecall]

Not a teardrop, but similar ... we enjoyed our ALiner.  It's a lightweight a-frame hardshell popup.  It takes about 30 seconds to set up.  They've been around a while so they do show up on the used market (but only consider 2004+ as the older ones had floors that would rot out).  Brand new, they are prohibitively expensive.

[Daisy]

No camping expert here, but to me a teardrop trailer doesn't seem worth the money or effort. It looks so coffin-like, as others have said, that you might as well sleep in a car or van. And with a car or van you don't have the issue of lugging something around the back of your car messing with gas mileage, driving ease, etc.

I learned about car/van camping on this forum and am very intrigued by it. I recently slept in my hatchback a couple of nights at work to avoid having to get up really early and commute to work for early morning meetings. It helps that we have a gym and shower at work.

I am fascinated by the car/van camping option. It's even better than a tent! You can camp in your car at a campground with showers or do some stealth camping in a more urban area in short spurts to get you where you want to go.

My hatchback wouldn't be good for anything long term but I am thinking if I ever do a cross-country road trip I can either sell my car and buy a van or something like that to add a bed and supplies to, or just temporarily buy a used van and then sell it after the trip. The depreciation costs would be the cost there.

Sprinkle in some hotel stays for comfort and batch cooking, and it sounds like a frugal way to travel for a long time.

I posted the link below in another thread about small car camping kits you can buy (or make yourself) that can convert a small hatch back into a bed and use it as a place to sleep.  I think I'd like that, combined with a tent set up for longer stays at campgrounds, better than a tear drop trailer. It's probably not good for stealth camping though as it's too obvious - a van is best for that - but it would be a great way to just have a place to sleep for a few nights in a campground when in transit. I recently rented a Mazda 5 for a month long road/mostly camping trip around Calif and it was small but pretty great. Just folded down all the seats in back, put a thick foam pad and some bedding and I was good to go. Might look into getting something like that once the truck is kaput. Of course it was just me alone with a small dog so a bigger van (or a bigger teardrop trailer, would probably be needed for 2 or more people.

http://www.visualnews.com/2014/06/19/car-camping-revolutionized-bed-folds-suitcase/

But I kind of like the whole stealthy part of van camping. I don't think car camping with a tent protruding from the back of the car will survive a night of camping in a residential area.

I now look at every van parked on the street as a potential car camper and wonder if someone is sleeping inside.

Sounds like a cheaper way to travel than always having to find a hotel or campground when in transit from one area of interest to another. Sometimes you just have to sleep overnight somewhere just to get you somewhere else.

[CanuckExpat]

There was a lot of good input here. Thanks everyone. I thought I'd share this cool kit under construction that I came across: http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/development-projects/clc-teardrop-trailer.html

(the cheap teardrop that showed up on Craigslist in my area which piqued my curiosity had disappeared very quickly, so I will wait until another cheap one does and see if I am still curious to try it out)

[StetsTerhune]

As someone who car camps a lot, I've spent time looking at nearly all the trailer options. Someday I may buy a trailer or RV and full-time for a while, but until then, I just don't think the math makes sense.

All in, my car camping equipment probably cost me $400 dollars. Ongoing, probably $100 a year to replace stuff as it wears out. This is including an air mattress, which to me is just as comfortable the mattress you'd get in most trailers. Conservatively, it takes me 20 minutes to set up, and 20 minutes to pack up. I'd guess I camp 60 nights a year, so that's 40 hours a year I spend packing and repacking campsites.

My guess is a trailer would save me about 3/4 of that time, but then add some time back dealing with maintaining it, etc. Cost me 5-20k upfront, cost me a bunch in extra gas, cost me some in registration fees, some in extra wear and tear on my vehicle, quite a bit in hassle driving and parking, etc.

And for what? Essentially to save myself the hassle of packing up a wet tent every fifth night? For some marginal comfort?

[therethere]

You seriously can unpack the car, set up a tent, blow up the air mattress, make the bed, and get all your crap set up in 20 minutes and with no yelling at each other?! That's amazing. Unfortunately this couple cannot. What about in the dark? You are also excluding the time it takes to play tetris to pack and unpack the car . Also, maybe my air mattress is awful but whenever I've slept on it its freezing, hurts my hips and wakes me up every time DH rolls over. I much prefer my memory foam mattress in the camper. Setup time is one of the main reasons I made a teardrop and I love it!

Yes, its no where near as cheap as tent camping in terms of initial equipment. I think the total for my foamie build was a little over $3,000. This includes the trailer hitch and a decent buildup of hand and power tools and everything bought for the inside. Tags cost $45/ year. Gas mileage goes down only 2-3 mpg. I built with weight in mind so I expect it to weigh 750lbs empty and have no issue pulling it up the mountains or braking when going down. So if I owned a home with a garage the ongoing costs are very very low.

But it WAY easier. To get ready to go camping all I have to do is pack food and clothes. The rest is in the teardrop. Bed is already made. It is insulated. I can backup into the campsite usually getting the kitchen pretty close to the table. To be honest, I suck at backing it up so I usually try once then we just unhook it and move by hand. Throw three scissor jacks under it while the other person makes the fire and cracks the beers. So much easier. We typically leave after work on a Friday maybe 6-7pm for areas that are 2-4 hours away. So we always arrive at dark usually around 10pm. The near zero setup of the teardrop has allowed us to expand our driving radius because we no longer have to waste as much time setting up. On longer trips, its very easy to go to multiple sites over a few day span. The drive home is much more leisurely because we can leave very quickly and take our time driving back. If we want to stop along the way we can pull off anywhere, pop open the back, and have a hot lunch. Another benefit, because its made of 2" thick rigid foam, we can go camping both early and late in the season and not freeze.

I have been contemplating selling it so I can rent a cheaper place without a garage. But the setup time and frustration of tent camping would be greatly missed. Still, the $300 or so I could save in rent may have me selling it in a month or two. That is unless someone has a garage or carport I could rent (:
I've thought about switching to a converted truck or van for camping. Mainly so I could disperse camp on high clearance roads and the no garage needed. But I don't want to sleep in the same place as my cooler. Everywhere I camp has the potential for bears and I do not want to have one trying to get in where I sleep since you have to sleep with the windows cracked at the least. How has anyone that van camps gotten around this? Or are bears just not as prevalent as Colorado?

The only thing I dislike about my teardrop is the attention. I'm introverted and go camping to get away from people and enjoy the peace. People are always staring and coming up to talk to you! Especially when they find out the woman built it and its made of foam instead of wood.

[NESailor]

There was a lot of good input here. Thanks everyone. I thought I'd share this cool kit under construction that I came across: http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/development-projects/clc-teardrop-trailer.html

(the cheap teardrop that showed up on Craigslist in my area which piqued my curiosity had disappeared very quickly, so I will wait until another cheap one does and see if I am still curious to try it out)

I was furiously scrolling down the page to see if anyone had posted this yet ;)  I'm a big fan of CLC so this is a post FIRE bucket list project.  I'm a few weeks from finishing one of their kayaks and it would look SO good on top of that trailer behind our Honda Fit.  Of course there's the thing that we don't camp all that often and the in-laws own a camp in the adirondacks that has running water...but it looks so nice!

[therethere]

There was a lot of good input here. Thanks everyone. I thought I'd share this cool kit under construction that I came across: http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/development-projects/clc-teardrop-trailer.html

(the cheap teardrop that showed up on Craigslist in my area which piqued my curiosity had disappeared very quickly, so I will wait until another cheap one does and see if I am still curious to try it out)

I was furiously scrolling down the page to see if anyone had posted this yet ;)  I'm a big fan of CLC so this is a post FIRE bucket list project.  I'm a few weeks from finishing one of their kayaks and it would look SO good on top of that trailer behind our Honda Fit.  Of course there's the thing that we don't camp all that often and the in-laws own a camp in the adirondacks that has running water...but it looks so nice!

One thing to caution about this build. The width. 4ft can be pretty tight in a teardrop but 5ft is perfect.  I would say that extra foot is one of the defining splits in teardrop builds. Yes, the extra foot makes it more difficult to build since its pretty simple to build a 4x8 with 4x8 plywood. But for two people its much more comfortable and fits a queen size bed. Definitely something to consider when buying used or looking at plans.

[zephyr911]

I traveled extensively around the U.S. pulling a hand-built 4x8 wooden teardrop behind a 2002 Mazda Protege5. I bought it pre-assembled from an eBay seller, then added solar panels and an AC unit with a couple of small truck batteries for a buffer, and a full-size futon mattress. It was OK for me and my dogs, and even for two people on a few occasions.

I generally got about 25mpg (compared to average of 30 without trailer). I even used it to move a couple of times. I still have that teardrop stashed in a garage for possible future use, but haven't hauled it anywhere in a couple of years (since I traded cars). Keep thinking about selling it off, but can't decide.

[StetsTerhune]

You seriously can unpack the car, set up a tent, blow up the air mattress, make the bed, and get all your crap set up in 20 minutes and with no yelling at each other?! That's amazing. Unfortunately this couple cannot. What about in the dark? You are also excluding the time it takes to play tetris to pack and unpack the car . Also, maybe my air mattress is awful but whenever I've slept on it its freezing, hurts my hips and wakes me up every time DH rolls over. I much prefer my memory foam mattress in the camper. Setup time is one of the main reasons I made a teardrop and I love it!

lol, two secrets. 1. We have two twin air mattresses, so my wife rolling over doesn't wake me up and we can have different firmnesses. 2. I set up the tent. Takes about the same amount of time and MUCH less yelling than if my wife was helping. My tent is pretty close to needing replacement, but I've set it up so many times that it's pretty much auto-pilot for me to set up.

[Cassie]

When we went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons last June by 5 pm you could not stand to be outside the mosquitoes were so bad.  Without a kitchen or bathroom we would have been in big trouble. WE bought a old motorhome with low miles which made it affordable.

[NESailor]

One thing to caution about this build. The width. 4ft can be pretty tight in a teardrop but 5ft is perfect.  I would say that extra foot is one of the defining splits in teardrop builds. Yes, the extra foot makes it more difficult to build since its pretty simple to build a 4x8 with 4x8 plywood. But for two people its much more comfortable and fits a queen size bed. Definitely something to consider when buying used or looking at plans.

Thanks for the heads up.  I'm in the dreaming stage so I'm not considering anything anytime soon.  This build is stitch & glue so if they wanted to make it 5ft wide they easily could have.  I think they came up with this size for the economy of being able to tow it with just about anything.  My wife and I are lucky to be pretty small, under 280lbs combined in our "winter holiday size" :)

[Conjou]

Posting to follow, but a couple things--I have a scamp fiberglass 16' that I stripped out everything but the bed platform and a couple of the shelving units in order to get the weight down for pulling behind my Subaru cross trek. I think that was mostly successful as I towed it for 2 months around the mountainous west. I can't get over the fact that it is likely hard on my car to do thus. Maybe I am just being paranoid. In any case, I travel with a cat and though I would be fine tenting, I don't think he would be safe in just the tent while I went off biking or hiking or whatever. And I can't leave him in a vehicle in the heat. So my thought in exploring a teardrop is to meet the needs of a car and a cat (crazy, I know). If people have other suggestions, I am all ears, but for the users of teardrops or make your own versions, how much air circulation or venting were you able to get?

Thanks, OP, for starting the thread.

[MrsPete]

I've been wanting one of the Camp Inn trailers for a number of years...just can't pull the trigger though, as I'm not convinced I'd use it enough to justify the expense

Yeah, I could've written this.  They look like the best on the market, but the price is just too high. 

We are looking at the Little Guy trailers instead -- yes, teardrops.  Having analyzed our camping habits and retirement interests, this seems to be a good compromise for us:  We don't want to own a vehicle big enough to pull a full-fledged camper, and the clamshell type kitchen /exterior shade tent appeals to us.  Oh, and the idea of an air conditioner appeals to us.  These are widely available used for 5-10K. 

Additionally, we will use it as an extra guest room at home! 

Teardrops are cool but I got to at least have a trailer with a potty.

See, that's why you have to analyze your own comfort level honestly.  I don't want to camp in places that don't have flushie toilets and hot showers, and I do not want to clean out a nasty tank in my RV.  I also don't want a sink and stove in the back of my teardrop. 

You seriously can unpack the car, set up a tent, blow up the air mattress, make the bed, and get all your crap set up in 20 minutes and with no yelling at each other?!

Yeah, I'm not that good either -- and I have the self-inflating air mattresses.  Plus, the reality is that we're middle aged, and we just don't want to sleep on the ground any more.  We love camping, but we want to do it in a real bed. 

[Cassie]

WE use our RV as a extra guest bedroom too. My kids wanted to save a lot of $ so lived in our RV on our lot for 16 months. JUst keep in mind if you have an outside kitchen and encounter lots of mosquitoes like we did you will not be able to be outside to cook.

[MMM98]

I saw this thread when it was fairly old and did not want to revive it, I  now it is timely that it has gotten some interest and it is the kickoff of the camper sales season in the southern US.  We have a little Guy 5’ wide.  It can be easily be towed with a 4 cylinder sedan and it gets you off the ground.  We had no problem with a Camry.

It’s a fun toy.  It was bought exactly for that purpose, knowing what I know now I would not get one.  Some of its limitations can be worked around with an add-on tent room.  We find ours very useful. Mainly our long term vision does not include camping with a tear drop.  I paid 9,500 3 years ago and I would accept 40% depreciation today.  If I had my heart set on one I would buy one from someone used like myself – it only makes economic sense.

[YK-Phil]

Posting to follow, as we (DW, cat and me) have not finalized our setup for our next road trip from British Columbia to Central America in the fall. Our most economical option was to get a teardrop trailer that we could pull behind our current vehicle, a Fiat 500, but we concluded it was not practical for a number of reasons, one of which is to look inconspicuous at times. We also considered a used Class C RV, but for the same reasons, plus the huge fuel expense for a 16,000 km+ trip, we crossed that option off. For now, our best option is to get a small Japanese van such as a Mitsubishi Delica, Toyota Hiace or Mazda Bongo, practically indestructible vehicles that are available in 4WD and Diesel for under $8K, which can be easily converted into a nice camping set-up, with the addition of a vehicle-attached tent for rainy days or longer stays. The only drawback is the right-hand drive setup but it is not a deal breaker. I would personally prefer a VW camper but what you can find in a similar price range requires a complete and costly overhaul.

[CanuckExpat]

I traveled extensively around the U.S. pulling a hand-built 4x8 wooden teardrop behind a 2002 Mazda Protege5. I bought it pre-assembled from an eBay seller, then added solar panels and an AC unit with a couple of small truck batteries for a buffer, and a full-size futon mattress.

How did buying it from eBay work, was it a local seller, did you have them ship it, or did you buy it then drive over and tow it back?

Seems like eBay would have a much larger market than local Craigslist, but I'd be hesitant to buy sight unseen.

[Beridian]

I am nearing retirement and I plan to travel a great deal  around North America.   I considered teardrop trailers and other small fully set up camping trailers.  In the end I took the plunge and bought one of those new Euro-style Ford Transit vans.  It has just over 6ft interior headroom so I can walk around inside.   I outfitted it with bunk beds, a refrigerator, a porta potti, and a small electrical  system with battery and inverter.  Everything is easily removable so I can also use the van for cargo purposes or even sell it as a cargo van if I find I am not using it.  The van can also easily pull a medium trailer if needed and gets about 18mpg which is decent for a vehicle this large.   It parks easily in the back of my driveway at the rear of my house and is a breeze to drive, it’s footprint is about the same as an extended cab pickup truck.

The van beats the teardrop in so many ways.  You can sleep in rest areas and Walmart parking lots (we did this while in-route to visiting Yellowstone last summer).   A passenger can use the porta-potti, get a snack, or stretch out for a nap while driving.  It is certainly miles ahead of a tent.  I love that you can sleep the night and literally start the engine and drive away without having to even exit the vehicle or dealing with the tedious set up and tear down of a tent.  Also like a tear drop you are off the ground and warmer and more secure than in a tent.  The van has the added advantage that if it is excessively hot or cold you can run the engine for heat or AC.  All this plus it comes in handy for other chores not related to camping or traveling, for example I may try my hand at expedited shipping/delivery to help fund my retirement and travels.

The things that turned me against a tear drop camper were (1) no toilet facilities, (2) cannot stand up, (3) where to store it when not in use, I doubt I could back it up into my steep narrow drive way, (4) No privacy or separate beds within (I sometimes travel with my daughter), and (5) the added stress and complications of driving while towing a trailer.

Clearly the van is a great deal more money over a tent or a teardrop.  Traditional motor homes are silly stupid expensive for a reliable one, operating costs are high, they are single purpose vehicles, and I would have to pay to store one when not in use.   The van was $30K new but I was willing to pay this price for reliability, plus since these were new models at the time there was no used market, you could now probably get a decent used one for about $23K.    When I camp it’s generally just to spend the night, I am not in to hanging around in a campground, the kind of travel I enjoy is more touring and seeing all the sites.  The van seems an ideal fit for me and actually was the most affordable option that met all my requirements.

Here is a link to another forum where I gave the details regarding setting up my van:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/camper-vans-conversions/17209-my-build-sliver-touring-class-b-light.html

[nobodyspecial]

There is a whole site of Sprinter (Mercedes version of the euro-transit) conversions.
This one  http://www.sprinter-rv.com/2012/05/21/stealth-sprinter-rv-down-under/ is nicer than my house.

[MrsPete]

This is why different options exist! 

The van beats the teardrop in so many ways.  Disagree.
You can sleep in rest areas and Walmart parking lots  You can do this in a teardrop as well. 
The van has the added advantage that if it is excessively hot or cold you can run the engine for heat or AC. Teardrops have the option of heat and air conditioning. 
No privacy or separate beds within   I don't see that the van offers much privacy either. 
Clearly the van is a great deal more money over a tent or a teardrop.  Given that it has an engine, the van is definitely much more expensive -- and is subject to greater maintenance over the years.

[Beridian]

To each his own, but for privacy my van has a fully enclosed vented porta potti closet, it also has two separate bunk beds.  As far as sleeping in a rest area or Walmart parking lot, you have to exit your vehicle and climb into the teardrop, not good if there is trouble and you need to quickly drive away, not to mention changing clothes, accessing luggage, etc,.  While it's true that the teardrop can have air conditioning and heat, you will need a camp site with an AC hookup for air and heat or a propane system or generator.  I chose not to install a propane system in my van because of the dangers involved.  The van engine can quietly idle (much quieter than most generators) using less than half a gallon of fuel an hour, not ideal but sufficient.  I can idle that engine for over 500 hours (figuring $2 gallon gasoline) for the price of a decent/quiet $1000 Honda or Yamaha generator.  Using my remote start key fob I can even start the engine without leaving my bunk if it starts to get too cold.

One other advantage over the tear drop, I can leave my dog in the van with the max air power vent open without a problem in all but the hottest weather.  I am not so sure I would want to leave a dog in a tear drop trailer, I guess it would be OK if it was properly vented or cooled.

If I couldn't afford the van the tear drop trailer is a great option, I certainly would prefer that over tent camping.  The tear drops do have a coolness factor and are green and cost efficient, hard to argue with that.  I also considered that a properly designed tear drop can also serve to haul cargo.

[CanuckExpat]

Converted vans are pretty interesting, the thread in this forum first brought that to my attention. While looking at those options I had come across tear drop trailers and was curious what people's thoughts and impressions were. At least for our immediate purposes, a converted van is a bit of overkill, so I was curious about tear drop trailers as a cheaper, more accessible, and lower footprint alternative. I wasn't sure if they did have any advantage over continuing to tent camp, and what I've been most surprised by in this discussion is how many people seem to not like tent camping :)

I like the van conversions, but I don't think we need one (right now) though I could see it being interesting if we were travelling full time and also wanting to sleep in non-camping spots. Given that we enjoy tent camping, perhaps a tear drop trailer is also overkill.. however the quicker set-up on one day stays and rainy days might be nice, but I don't know if it would justify the use.

The other reason I was thinking tear drop was there seem to be commercial tear drop trailer manufactures so perhaps it might be easier to find one to "borrow" from Craigslist, see if I like/use it, and then return it when done. Vans seem to be custom builds, so I'd be a bit more skeptical buying second hand, but it is not out of the question, they also seem expensive enough that I couldn't just pick one up on Craigslist to play with and then return it when done.

Is it about right to eyeball that a used teardrop can be had for $1,000 - $5000 , while a converted van used you are looking at $10,000 - $30,000?
The lower MPG of the van is also a bit of a bummer, seems like they average 20 MPG or so at best, is that about right? From what I've read it seems like a tear drop towed behind a normal car should only be a couple MPG hit, so you could stay at your normal 30-40 or higher MPG range. If possible I'd also like to avoid adding another internal combustion engine to our lives, but that might be more ideological than practical.

There is also the coolness and cuteness factor of a teardrop, but that might not be reason enough to buy one :)

[Jacks flunky]

If you want to learn all about teardrops (and building them), perhaps mosey over to tnttt.com. I see one as being far more likely in my future than a camper van. We have a car that can do light towing, and I plan to keep it that way. Since we only need one car, I see no benefit for my wife and I financially etc to have a camper van. However, unless you are towing with a truck or midsize SUV, I would expect a larger fuel hit than a couple MPG.

Tl;dr... For me there are benefits to camper vans, but vans are pricey compared to a teardrop, as noted above, so a long trip will likely mean I build a teardrop rather than a camper van.

[CanuckExpat]

If you want to learn all about teardrops (and building them), perhaps mosey over to tnttt.com.

Thanks. I explored there, but it was mainly people who had already drank the Koolaid, so to speak, I figured here I would get skeptical and alternate points of you (thanks to the people who said just use a tent or sleep in your car, that is the kind of feedback I expect :), do you know of good threads there that cover the pros and cons of tear drops compared to alternatives, and what people expectations are? Would love to see some feedback there from people with more expertise

A lot of the discussion there seems to be about building them as well, which is awesome and cool if you are into it, but for now I'm not looking for a project, I'm happy to buy something used and let someone else absorb the depreciation :)

However, unless you are towing with a truck or midsize SUV, I would expect a larger fuel hit than a couple MPG.

I had read that and was skeptical too, but I'd like to find out. I think the gas savings comes from being small, non-boxy, and fitting in the aerodynamic shadow of the car, the weight becomes not (as) much of an issue. I guess that is also the advantage to narrower builds..