Teardrop Trailers and Jeeps

[Inspector-Gadget]

Deals on Wheels

Hello Everybuggy!

It seems to be a slow day for posting, so I will throw out an idea only distantly related to Jeeps.

The four pics below are of "Teardrop" trailers. The Teardrop trailers were manufactured during the 1930s and 40s. A "Teardrop" is a camping trailer for two adults, with a sleeping area inside which is the size of a queen-size bed. The rear hatch opens upward like the trunk of an old car. Under that swing-up rear lid is a very complete kitchenette.

During 1947, "Mechanics Illustrated" magazine published plans for a homebuilt Teardrop trailer. Supposedly, many were built. You can still buy brand new Teardrops today, fully constructed or as kits. You can also by plans to build a Teardrop from scratch. The plans are updated for contemporary materials and construction methods.

As related to Jeeps, so far the Teardrops are the only camping trailers I have found that satisfy the size and weight constraints imposed by a SWB Jeep as towing vehicle.

I was wondering if anyone has experience building, towing and using a Teardrop as a camping trailer.

If anyone would like more info about Teardrops, a Google search on "teardrop trailer" will turn up countless links. Evidently, there exists a group of people -- "Teardroppers" -- loyal to these little trailers almost like the group loyal to "Airstream" trailers, or even ... Jeeps.

Any thoughts/comments/ideas regarding these little gems?

Gadget

 

[Tug-n-pull]

Talk about a cozy evening with that special someone! I do not remember ever seeing one of the teardrope trailers before. I did spend a winter in a Jellybean camper just a little bigger with a Kitchen and bed room all in one. But you could at least stand up in it. I even lived for a couple of months in the show room window in a tent at my old Backpacking outfitter store. Wake up crawl out of the tent a little hung over from the night before and have folks pressed up against the glass as surprised as you are. Now that was many years ago like 1977 and I don't awake hung over any more. Sorry to get off the subject and Thanks for bringing teardrop's to our attention! tug

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

HAHAHAHAHA @ Tug and the story about living in a store window tent.

Just thinking...if you had slept in "Sasquatch" pajamas, the Dr. Denton style with the feet and hood, think what an impression that would have made on the window shoppers.

I can see the newspaper headline now...."Residents report sighting cranky Sasquatch in downtown sporting goods store."

LOLOL

:mrgreen:

Gadget

 

[pinaplebob]

I like the matching tires and the diamond plate fenders. You can get them for off roading too supposedly.

i saw a site for a fully loaded brand new on for $7000 seems pretty pricey for me at least. It is still a really neat a idea.

 

[avyoung]

Not to get off the teardrop but A guy in my club has a Offroad Tent trailer. It is a lifted tent trailer on off road tires. I don't think I would buy one but All they did was weld on a box under the fram then put a little lift in the springs. It accually had a lot of clearance.

How expensive is it to build a Teardrop?

 

[K_K_PSI_GUY]

Dude, that is nice! I would not mind one of those, but 7 G is a tad too much.-al

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Hi again,

pinaplbob and K-K_PSI_Guy: I agree that $7K is WAY too much to pay for a Teardrop trailer. In my opinion, that is an exorbitant price to pay for a Teardrop.

Like many things that started out affordable, the Teardrop manufacturers of today have tinkered with evolution and turned a perfectly serviceable mouse into a lumbering elephant.

Here is a picture of a Teardrop with a Jeep, CJ3B. This is more my idea of a back-to-basics, down to earth camping trailer.

I have looked at a few Teardrop designs that include $2k worth of stereos, air conditioners and other very expensive options that would seem to contradict the original design philosophy. These things started out as extremely basic and inexpensive designs -- the "everyman's" camping trailer.

The kits are much more reasonable in price and allow customization to the builder's taste and wallet.

One can also buy plans which use a Harbor Freight 4X8 utility trailer as the chassis. That trailer is about $400. A perfectly serviceable Teardrop could be built on that trailer for around $2K, total. That price at least falls into the range of "reasonable."

Gadget

 

[K_K_PSI_GUY]

2K, very reasonable. AND you get to build it yourself. You can't beat that. That is something I would definetely not mind looking into. IG, you are definetely right about the basic idea getting out of control and becoming something unreasonable. But, well, you can't really blame the company too much for it. After all, some people go camping with Direct TV in their RV and other such luxuries. In that case, why waste you fuel, simply stay home and watch tv. But, whatever, to each is own. I personally like to get away from it all. I do take my mobile phone, but I have it off and is there in case of an emergency. Not very good recepion, but I can usually go to the highway and call.-al

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

K_K-PSI_GUY,

There are at least a couple of web-sites that start-to-finish document the building of a Teardrop from a set of plans.

Give me some time to re-find those web sites, and I will post hyper-links to them here.

Gadget

 

[L33TJ33P]

http://www.outbackteardrop.com/

 

[Tug-n-pull]

Hey Jason, with all the travle you do to wheel this would be like the perfect travle camper to pull with ol Black and Tan. Going to the LA. Swamp country, TN. hills or any where else, you would be doing it in style. tug

PS not that you need a place to stay in the TN hill country!

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

To anyone interested in this topic,

The link listed above by L33TJ33P is a very good web page.

(Thanks L33!!)

Teardrop Plans:

http://www.kuffelcreek.com/

Teardrop plans using a Harbor Freight utility trailer as the chassis:

http://www.desertteardrops.com/

A pre-fab trailer could be an advantage. In NY, a trailer must be inspected and licensed. The DMV will require a Builder's" documentation for registration. The Harbor Freight trailer comes with a "Builders Certificate" which supposedly will satisfy DMV requirements. There are procedural ways around that requirement for home-built trailers, but they are not simple or easy. Perhaps other states require the same documentation.

Teardrop Construction web pages:

http://hometown.aol.com/br8945/Construction.html

http://www.sizzlefish.com/trailer/teardrop.html

http://teardrop.superboxes.com/4x8_construction/index.html

http://myweb.cableone.net/jimbeckwith1/

The above links were active as of this afternoon.

Regards,

Gadget