Tear Drop Trailer Plans

Teardrop revival

Fellow campers just can't seem to resist their little tin can of a trailer. With its pudgy little teardrop-shaped body set low on two white sidewall tires, and measuring a diminutive 9feet long by 4½ feet wide, it is the anti-RV.

There is just enough space for two people to cuddle up inside at night and cook out during the day from a rear hatch.

But what the Kosareffs' trailer lacks in amenities it makes up for in efficiency, ease and an indefinable cuteness that is fueling a mini-revival of “The Teardrop Trailer,” which was a familiar sight on America's highways back in the '30s and '40s.

“It's like the best of everything,” says Kosareff, a builder by trade who began making custom Teardrops after arthritis made it difficult for him to continue with his fine carpentry. “You're still camping but you have the convenience of a trailer. You just hook it up and go.”

Longtime campers, the 50-something Camp Meeker couple found themselves tiring of schlepping gear and sleeping on the ground. So after seeing a piece on Teardrop “gatherings” — camp-ins with fellow Teardrop aficionados — featured on the folksy PBS show “California's Gold,” a few years back, Leslie turned to her husband and asked, “Could you build one of those?”

“We were at that age when it was just getting too hard to get up off the ground,” says Joe.

“And then we were having to deal with air mattresses with leaks in them.”

And yet the couple wasn't ready to succumb to an RV when their goal was to get close to nature.

“We're not trailer people,” he says. “We're campers.”

The beauty of the Teardrops is that they're like a hard-sided tent on wheels. The sleeping compartment includes a full-sized bed and built-in storage and drawers for the accourtrements of outdoor living and simple travel.

The back, in typical Teardrop fashion, opens up to reveal a galley kitchen with drawers for pots, pans, plates and flatware, counter space for a cook stove and a deep cabinet for either a refrigerator or big ice chest.

“It just so easy,” says Kosareff, who now custom-builds Teardrop trailers in several sizes starting with a tiny 4- by 8-footer that weights only about 650 pounds. “It's all set up. All you have to do is pack your clothes. If it's midnight when you get to your campsite, you just crawl in.

Teardrop Trailers

Yesterday afternoon Eric and I came across several DIY teardrop trailers and now I’m hooked.  They are tiny trailers built for two that can be towed using any vehicle.

Teardrop trailers gained popularity in North-America during the 1930s. After the Great Depression and World War Two, the economy recovered, soldiers were home and people were looking to go on vacation with their families. This coincided with the development of America’s highway and road systems which made travel by car easier than it ever had been in the past.

Teardrop trailers were appealing during this period for the same reasons they are today. They are economical and they don’t require can be towed by any vehicle. If you had a family car, you could tow a teardrop.  Tear drop trailers were also popular with old school DIYers who found plans to build their own trailers in publications like Popular Mechanics.

Looking at vintage teardrop trailers you will notice that they often have a certain regimental or utilitarian aesthetic.  This related to the leftover, salvaged and surplus materials from the war that were often used to build these campers.

As the 1950s passed by, the popularity of teardrop campers began to dwindle. By this time, people were looking for campers that were bigger, more modern and sophisticated.

If you are fascinated by the smart and minimalist design of the teardrop camper and are interested in making your own Want to make your own, check out these plans for a Teardrop Trailer from Make.

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