Beginner Info – Teardrop Guide https://www.teardropguide.com All About Teardrops Fri, 29 Jan 2021 09:31:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8 Can a Motorcycle Pull a Teardrop Trailer? https://www.teardropguide.com/pulling-teardrop-with-motorcycle/ https://www.teardropguide.com/pulling-teardrop-with-motorcycle/#respond Thu, 06 Jun 2019 09:55:08 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=9 Few feelings are better than rushing along in your motorcycle, the wind against your helmet and rustling your clothes. The rush of adrenaline you get as you cruise down the highway is unlike any other.

If you could, you’d travel just about anywhere on your motorcycle. That gives you an idea. You recently bought a teardrop trailer. The vehicle is small and dependable enough that it suits your needs and budget.

Now you’re wondering, can you tow it with your motorcycle? The average weight of a motorcycle is 400 pounds. That means you should be able to tow some lightweight teardrop trailers that are close to that weight. Any vehicle that’s 1,000 pounds and over is too risky.

Keep reading.

Can a Motorcycle Pull a Teardrop Trailer?

If your teardrop trailer is small enough, then yes, you should be able to tow it with a motorcycle no problem. Of course, this depends on the weight of your trailer. As you might recall from reading this blog, the average weight range of teardrop trailers is between 500 and 3,200 pounds.

As you could imagine, then, trailers that are on the heavier side of the spectrum are not eligible for towing with a motorcycle. You’d probably even be prohibited from using a car for towing, at least for your own safety. For teardrops that are 2,000 to 3,000 pounds and up, only pickup trucks and hardy SUVs will do.

What about the trailers that are in the 500 to 1,000-pound range? It depends. Most motorcycles weigh at least 400 pounds. Like any car or truck, they have a towing capacity. This is the max amount of weight the vehicle can safely pull.

Surpassing this weight threatens the engine and transmission. You’re also straining your brakes, drive belt, clutch, and the tires. Finally, pushing too far past your motorcycle’s towing capacity can put you and any passengers in danger.

The towing capacity is derived from the motorcycle’s Gross Vehicle Weight or GVW. This includes all passengers, cargo, and the weight of both the teardrop trailer and the motorcycle combined. We recommend you look in your owner’s manual or contact your motorcycle manufacturer to determine your bike’s towing capacity.

Given that most motorcycles weigh 400 pounds, it seems unlikely you’d be able to pull a trailer that’s more than 500 pounds. If you could swing it, you’d certainly be pushing the limits of your bike. Ideally, it’d be better to buy a lighter-weight trailer, one that’s 300 to 500 pounds.

While you are sacrificing space and amenities with a teardrop that small, they’re safe to tow with a motorcycle. You should be able to fit at least enough gear for an overnight trip. If you’re a light packer, you could even make a weekend out of it.

What Hitch Do You Need for the Job?

If you’ve ever towed a trailer or camper before, then you might have some spare hitches lying around your garage. These are not suitable for pulling a teardrop with a motorcycle. Instead, you need a specific hitch for the job.

It’s hard to track down these hitches. That’s because if you do an online search, you’ll find countless hitches for trucks or SUVs to pull a motorcycle. While this is handy, it’s not what you need, so disregard these listings.

One brand we found that does make hitches for motorcycles to pull trailers is called HitchDoc. They produce hitches for a variety of motorcycle brands, including BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Harley-Davidson, and more.

Their hitches are vertical receivers in a receiver system. With eight points of attachment, the HitchDoc is supposed to avoid ever clattering against your motorcycle. Each HitchDoc has a tongue weight of 40 pounds. Remember to keep the tongue weight percentage within 10 percent of the total weight of your teardrop.

The vertical receiver shaft of the hitch is made of solid steel that’s 1 1/8th inches. The receiver tongue is half an inch. If you don’t already own the right hitch for towing a trailer with your motorcycle, then HitchDoc is a great choice.

Tips for Towing a Teardrop Trailer with a Motorcycle

Okay, so you have a teardrop trailer that doesn’t surpass your motorcycle’s towing capacity. You’ve got your hitch attached and you’re ready to ride, right? Before you set off on a wondrous adventure, keep these tips in mind:

  • Practice, practice, practice. Driving your motorcycle with a trailer behind you is going to feel very foreign at first. I recommend riding out to an empty parking lot and maneuvering around for a while. Then, once you’re comfortable, you can hit the open road.
  • When you have to park, seek out pull-through spots. These are two parking spots that are vertical to one another. Parking here prevents you from having to back up. That can prove to be incredibly challenging in a motorcycle/trailer setup, so avoid backups if you can.
  • Trailers like teardrops don’t always come with brakes. If they are indeed lacking brakes, that means all the stopping power has to come from your bike. Stopping well in advance and slowly is the way to go. This way, you prevent your trailer from crashing into the back of your motorcycle when you hit the brakes.
  • Prepare to take wider and slower turns when towing a teardrop behind your motorcycle.
  • When choosing lanes, get to the center. This may feel weird since most motorcyclists avoid the center line. This is only when you’re not towing a trailer. When you have a teardrop hitched to your bike, the center lane is your best friend.
  • Make sure you’ve distributed the weight of your teardrop trailer evenly. If the trailer is too empty, it risks both swaying and bouncing as you ride. This makes you a liability on the road and puts you at a higher risk of an accident.

Never guess what your motorcycle can tow. Get familiar with the towing capacity and don’t surpass it. Also, make sure you have a hitch that’s meant for a motorcycle. Once you have all that taken care of, you’re ready to hit the road!

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Little Guy Max Review: Is This Teardrop Worth Your Money? https://www.teardropguide.com/little-guy-max-review/ https://www.teardropguide.com/little-guy-max-review/#respond Thu, 06 Jun 2019 09:30:26 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=82 If you’re looking for a dependable teardrop trailer, the Little Guy Max remains one of the most popular vehicles from the Little Guy Trailers brand. It’s a heavier, more spacious teardrop capable of fitting more passengers.

If you’re seriously thinking about getting a Little Guy Max, I implore you to read this article. In it, I’ll review the trailer. No matter what you want to know, I will cover it here. That includes a history of the Little Guy Trailers brand, specs and features of the Little Guy Max, pricing, and availability.

Let’s get started.

Who Is Little Guy Trailers?

First, here’s a history of Little Guy Trailers. Based in Uniontown, Ohio, Little Guy Trailers came into the world in 2002. It was that year a family business decided to make a small, retro teardrop with a 4×8 frame.

It caught on, and the Little Guy Trailers brand was born to accommodate the growing trailer demand. What started as a little company in a garage grew to have its own manufacturing facility within a few years.

Since 2002, Little Guy Trailers has made and sold thousands of teardrop trailers, lending themselves the great reputation they still enjoy today.

Which Teardrop Trailers Do They Produce?

You can select from three teardrops as part of the Little Guy Trailers family: the Little Guy Max, the Little Guy Mini Max, and the MyPod. All three trailers have made serious names for themselves amongst teardrop enthusiasts. If you read through this blog, we’ve touched on each vehicle before.

For the sake of this article, I will focus exclusively on the Little Guy Max.

What Is the Little Guy Max?

The Little Guy Max weighs the most and has the largest frame of all the vehicles from Little Guy Trailers. The company produces each Little Guy Max in the United States, specifically Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive into the features and specs now, shall we?

Little Guy Max Features

Exterior

What’s not to love in the Little Guy Max? I’ll begin by discussing the spacious exterior. Here, you can witness the tubular steel chassis, which the Little Guy Trailers Pennsylvania team customizes. It includes an automotive powder coat finish for durability. The roof and sidewalls have composite paneling as well as an aluminum cage, all of which are lightweight but tough. The roof, made of seamless fiberglass, makes for the perfect finishing touch.

Outside, you can entertain like never before with dual Furrion outdoor speakers (each five inches), power outlets (including HDMI), and a TV mount. When the sun sets, you can turn on your LED porch light and aluminum entry step lighting as well as use light-up door handles.

The dual-pane windows come insulated to retain heat. You get seven in all. These have a dark tint, partly for the abovementioned insulation qualities and also to provide you more privacy. Despite that these windows are for a teardrop trailer, they open wider than some RVs. You also get integrated blinds and shades.

At the back of the vehicle, there’s the rear receiver. This measures two inches, a standard. With the rear receiver, you can connect storage racks, bike racks, and more. Also around the rear is the pass-through storage area. This lets you enjoy 35 cubic feet of additional storage. The doors measure 13 by 30 inches each. With LED illumination for use at night, you’ll love this thoughtful feature.

For those days when you want to sit out and enjoy nature, the Thule Crown awning will keep you cool and safe from the sun. It has supports so you can adjust it to your preferences and even comes with LED strip lights for use at night.

I also have to talk about the trim and body colors available for your Little Guy Max teardrop trailer. You can select from one of the following options:

  • Blue trim with a silver body
  • Red trim with a silver body
  • Silver trim with a silver body
  • Black trim with a silver body
  • Red trim with a white body
  • Silver trim with a white body
  • Black trim with a white body

Interior

Now let’s get into what’s inside your Little Guy Max trailer.

First, there’s the entertainment area. In the dining room, you get a little entertainment nook that includes a 24-inch HD TV from Furrion and a pop-up electronic lift for a TV. The bedroom entertainment center has storage, shelving, a sound bar from Insignia, a swivel arm TV mount, and yet another HD TV from Furrion that’s also 24 inches. You’ll also get a full Furrion entertainment center that comes with a remote control, exterior and interior audio controls, a weatherband with AM and FM radio, auxiliary cords, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, and CD and DVD drives.

You’ll love the wetbath, as it features a full bathroom! That’s quite a rarity with a teardrop trailer. The marine-style toilet comes from Dometic. It includes a waterproof toilet paper holder and a pedal flusher. The ITC shower head has an integrated off/on switch and a three-speed sprayer. For each minute, it uses just 2.2 gallons of water, meaning it saves a lot of the stuff.

To keep the bathroom from getting too humid and attracting mold and mildew, you get a Dometic Fan-Tastic Vent. This has a translucent dome and can run on three speeds. It’s known for being quieter than most fans. I also have to mention the size of the wetbath, as it’s 47 cubic feet with a width of 41.5 inches, a height of six feet, two inches, and a depth of 26.5 inches.

Another nook you’ll spend a lot of time in is the kitchen, as it’s chock full of phenomenal features. This includes a two-burner stove from Dometic. The stove comes with recessed controls and a safety glass lid that resists heat. You also get a hot water heater (also from Dometic) that uses a DSI electronic ignition pilot. It gets power from either a 110-volt connection or LP gas. This water heater has a max capacity of six gallons.

When you want to cook food quick, you’ll appreciate the High Pointe microwave. It’s 1.0 cubic feet and includes time defrost, weight cooking, and eight express cooking settings. You can even put several food items in at once with the multi-section cooking. If you have children who linger around the kitchen, they’ll stay safer with the child lock setting.

The last feature of the kitchen is the Dometic stainless steel refrigerator. This has a capacity of 4.0 cubic feet. With positive-lock door handles, a defrost water drain system, adjustable bins on the doors, and an automatic LP ignition system, your food and drinks always have a frosty place to sit.

Also inside the Little Guy Max are the following safety and climate features:

  • Carbon monoxide and propane detector with battery and chassis power; it has both audible and visual alarms
  • Comfort control center from Dometic that you can use on the furnace and air conditioner
  • Dometic furnace that runs on 16,000 BTUs and uses 12 volts of DC power
  • Penguin II air conditioner, also from Dometic, that runs on 13,500 BTUs

Specs

As I mentioned, the Little Guy Max weighs quite a bit, 3,140 pounds to be exact. The tongue weight is 330 pounds and the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR is 3,800 pounds. This teardrop has an interior height of six feet, seven inches and an exterior height of nine feet, one inch. The overall width measures seven feet and the overall length 21 feet.

You get a nine-gallon blackwater tank, a 14-gallon graywater tank, and a 20-gallon freshwater tank.

Inside the vehicle, there’s a queen-sized master bed measuring 60 by 80 inches. You can add a pillow top with a thickness of five inches if you so choose. Your kitchen sink, which is made of stainless steel, has a depth of eight inches. The included awning that we discussed in the last section stretches an awesome 63 inches. Each mighty tire included in your Little Guy Max has a 15-inch width.

Here’s some specs for the interior storage: in the dining area, the space behind the left bench offers 0.94 cubic feet of space. This area measures 31 inches deep, 10.5 inches tall, and five inches wide. Underneath the left bench, there’s 2.67 cubic feet of storage that’s 32 inches deep, 16 inches tall, and nine inches wide. Then there’s storage beneath the right bench that’s 6.37 cubic feet. This measures 32 inches deep, 16 inches high, and 21.5 inches wide. Overall, you get 9.98 cubic feet of extra storage space.

In the closet area, there’s yet more storage to behold. The first area, the drawer beneath the fridge, has 2.60 cubic feet of space. It measures 19 inches deep, 11 inches tall, and 21.5 inches wide. Atop the fridge, the open cub has 3.11 cubic feet to offer and measures 18 inches deep, 13 inches tall, and 23 inches wide. Next, under your bed, the drawer here holds 2.02 cubic feet of essentials. It measures 19 inches deep, eight inches tall, and 23 inches wide. Lastly, you can use the closet storage for 14.58 cubic feet of bonus storage. This area is 24 inches deep, 60 inches tall, and 17.5 inches wide. Overall, this gives you 22.32 extra cubic feet of storage.

Add-ons

Want even more for your Little Guy Max? You can select from several bonus packages and add-ons sure to make your experience ultra incredible.

Rough Rider Package

If you’re a fan of off-roading, you will definitely want to add the Rough Rider Package to your Little Guy Max teardrop. It includes an axle riser that’s 3.5 inches. This gives you extra clearance so you can have more fun driving. You can also upgrade your wheels and tires for off-roading. Each one measures 15 inches.

Jack-It Bike Carrier

Do you want to bring more bikes on your teardrop trailer adventures? You’ll need the Jack-It Bike Carrier add-on. It can hold bikes weighing up to 25 pounds total, including almost every bike frame on the market.

Furrion Wireless Observation System

Drive more safely and navigate with ease when you get the Furrion Wireless Observation System installed in your Little Guy Max. This backup camera will hold up to climate changes as well as vibrations without damage. If your rig measures at least 100 feet, you should use this camera. The color display lets you see what’s around you on a screen that’s 4.3 inches wide. The backup camera uses infrared technology for better accuracy.

Dark Walnut Wood Species

Do you want even better hardwood cabinetry in the kitchen of your Little Guy Max? You can get it with the Dark Walnut Wood Species option. This gets you dovetail jointed drawers and cabinets made entirely of hardwood. What an even more beautiful space your kitchen will become!

Zamp Solar Power

Your last add-on option is to use solar power. With Zamp, you can get a Flexi Roof Panel capable of generating 100 watts of solar power. It comes with an Output Warranty good for 25 years. The panel has the capability of generating 5.62 amps with a power output of 100 watts. Your roof solar panel measures 41.5 x 21.5 x 0.5 inches.

How Much Does the Little Guy Max Cost?

The Little Guy Max from Little Guy Trailers costs $29,995 for the 2019 model. This price does not include any add-ons or extra amenities and features.

Where Can You Get Little Guy Max?

Want to score yourself a Little Guy Max? You can visit the Little Guy Trailers website to get started. Here, you can search for a dealer in your area. Just input your zip code and you’ll see the closest places you can shop for your Little Guy Max.

You can reach out to the dealer by phone or through the Little Guy Trailers website. It’s that easy!

Based outside of the United States? No problem. You can buy a Little Guy Trailer if you’re in South Korea, Colombia, Chile, Australia, and Canada.

Is the Little Guy Max a Good Value for Your Money?

Let’s answer the big question now: should you get the Little Guy Max teardrop trailer from Little Guy Trailers?

While it’s not the cheapest vehicle, the Little Guy Max also weighs more and affords much more space than the average teardrop. You get a spacious kitchen with all the fixings, such as beautiful cabinetry, a big stainless steel fridge, and a microwave. More amazingly, there’s a full bathroom in there with an indoor shower and a toilet. That’s very uncommon in teardrop trailers.

The level of craftsmanship and dedication put into each Little Guy Max teardrop trailer both inside and out certainly makes this vehicle a viable contender. If you have fewer passengers or less space needs, the Little Guy Max Mini makes for a nice substitute. For a middle-of-the-road option, you might consider the MyPod.

Either way, I think you can’t go wrong with a teardrop from Little Guy Trailers.

Conclusion

Little Guy Trailers in Ohio manufacturers all its vehicles in the US. They have three teardrop trailers: the MyPod, Little Guy Max Mini, and the Little Guy Max. Of the three, the Little Guy Max has the biggest profile, weighing the most and offering more space.

With a starting retail price of about $30k, we’re not saying the Little Guy Max is inexpensive, because it isn’t. For its size and the amenities (full bathroom, anyone?) you get, though, I think it’s worth the investment. Hopefully now you do too!

What are your thoughts about Little Guy Max? Please leave a comment below.

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7 Best Teardrop Trailer Manufacturers You Need to Know https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-manufacturers/ https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-manufacturers/#respond Thu, 06 Jun 2019 07:16:57 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=60 You may have owned an RV or even a travel trailer in the past, but now you want to downsize to a teardrop. These are no-frills vehicles that are inexpensive and perfect for boondocking. They’re also quaint and cute, possessing a certain charm with their size that you can’t find with other trailers.

You’re aware of some bigger RV and trailer brands, but what about those companies that make teardrops? What are the best teardrop trailer manufacturers? There are many teardrop manufacturers, some of which you may have heard of and others that are smaller.

While no one brand is the “best,” I think each company I’m going to showcase in this article is worthy of the acclaim they’ve earned.

As you start your search for a teardrop trailer, you should research these manufacturers first. With their high level of craftsmanship, variety of teardrop models, and competitive price points, you cannot go wrong.

The Best Teardrop Trailer Manufacturers

1. Vistabule

One teardrop trailer manufacturer that has come up on this blog before is Vistabule. They produce the eponymously-named teardrop the Vistabule. Their trailer has an aluminum frame with plenty of windows on the sides, front, and back. After all, what’s the fun of traveling the world if you can’t enjoy the view along the way?

The retractable kitchen—a standard in most teardrop trailers—is made of appealing natural wood. When fully opened, it has everything you need for your cooking adventures, including cabinets, utensil holders, shelves, a sink, drawers, and a cooking surface.

With a convertible sofa bed, a tall headboard with included storage, and retractable tables that can open up outdoors, you’ll be extraordinarily comfy. If you want to get back to nature, the Vistabule is a great way to start. This small, cozy trailer even has customization options so you can truly make it your own.

2. Timberleaf Trailers

Home of the famous Pika, Timberleaf Trailers is another great teardrop manufacturer. They also produce the Classic trailer.

The Classic is a tiny, bright orange teardrop towable by bigger cars and SUVs. It includes such perks as wood finishing, galley cabinets, retro laminate countertops, and Baltic birch plywood throughout. You also get a 20-square foot cabin, a four-inch foam Colorado queen mattress, skylight shades, an aluminum roof and sides, and insulation in the ceiling and walls.

Then there’s the Pika, a Timberleaf staple. This is the less expensive trailer of the two, even though it boasts much of the same features.

With either of your Timberleaf trailers, you can add:

  • A customized, upgraded Colorado queen mattress
  • A Rhino Rack Euro-style roof rack
  • A Rhino Rack mesh room
  • ClimateRight AC/heating at 2,500 BTUs
  • Shore power adapters
  • Zamp solar panels at 160 watts
  • A Partner Steel 22-inch two-burner stove with a windscreen
  • Maxxair upgrade fan
  • Detachable wood exterior shelf

3. Cozy Cruiser

A smaller, lesser-known brand, Cozy Cruiser is based in Eugene, Oregon. They’re a family-run business that manufactures six teardrops. Those are:

  • Columbia Cruiser: This deluxe trailer has a width of five and a half feet and weighs 1,250 pounds dry. You can choose from such hardwood options as mahogany, cherry, walnut, maple, and oak. You may also customize the fabric of the curtains. Other features include a plywood and vinyl ceiling, a vent fan with a rain guard, a MaxxAir 10-speed roof fan, LED interior lighting, a 55×80-inch queen-sized foam mattress, and locking shelves and cabinets.
  • Rogue Cruiser: The Rogue Cruiser is an extended Cozy Cruiser. It weighs 1,350 pounds dry. You get the same features as the Colombia as well as 14-inch wheels with moon caps, torsion flex axles, an aluminum underlay, and an aluminum diamond-plated cargo box.
  • Umpqua Cruiser: The Umpqua Cruiser has a wet bar. This comes with a gravity fill, hand-pump faucets, dual holding tanks that are six gallons each, and a stainless steel sink. If you’d prefer, you have the option to order an upgrade for the wet bar. This has double sinks and electric pumps that are 12 volts. The Umpqua Cruiser weighs 1,250 pounds dry.
  • McKenzie Cruiser: Boasting the same features as the other trailers (with the exception of the Umpqua Cruiser and its wet bar), the McKenzie Cruiser weighs 1,250 pounds dry.
  • Willamette Cruiser: The entry model of the Willamette Cruiser is smaller and a little less no-frills. It weighs less too, as it’s 1,200 pounds dry.
  • Deschutes Cruiser: If you’ve got a motorcycle that you want to use as a towing vehicle, the Deschutes Cruiser is the pick for you. This teeny-tiny teardrop weighs just 550 pounds dry. It’s three and a half feet by seven feet.

4. Aero Teardrops

Another Oregon-based company is Aero Teardrops, but this time it’s in Portland. Each Aero trailer is custom-built for a unique vehicle you’ll love for years to come.

You get three base models to work with: the Broadway 5×8, Steel 5×10, and the Steel 5×10 H/C.

The Broadway 5×8 has an overall width of 80 inches, an overall height of 66 inches, and an overall length of 12 feet. Its dry weight is 1,300 pounds and its tongue weight is 150 to 170 pounds. Included are a retractable kitchen, storage cabinets, LED ceiling lights, and a 58×75-inch sleeping space.

For more roominess, there’s the Steel 5×10. This model has an overall width of 80 inches, an overall height of 66 inches, and an overall length of 14 feet. Its dry weight is 1,400 pounds and its tongue weight is 195 pounds. Since it’s bigger, there’s more room for interior cabinets. In fact, the top cabinet is so big you can convert it to a bunk bed if you have kids and need the extra space!

The biggest option is the Steel 5×10 with a high clearance package. This teardrop has an overall width of 80 inches, an overall height of 72 inches, and an overall length of 14 feet. Its dry weight is 1,500 pounds and its tongue weight is 215 pounds. You get such features as LED reading lights and ceiling down lights, storage beneath the floors, a convertible top cabinet, Jeep fenders, and large wheels.

5. nuCamp

The manufacturer nuCamp is mostly known for their TAG teardrop trailers. You may have even heard of them. They also produce the TAB 320 and 400 teardrops. Let’s discuss each model in more depth.

You can build your TAG trailer from the ground up, customizing the graphics, colors, and the hue of the sidewall. There are two packages to choose from as well: the Sofitel and the Boondock. The former is more about luxury while the latter is for roughing it.

The TAG trailer has an exterior height of 72 inches, an exterior width of 80 inches from one fender to another, an exterior length of 163 inches, and an exterior box length of 116 inches. There’s a queen-sized mattress that’s 58×78 inches. Inside, the interior width is 58 inches and the interior height is 47 inches. The TAG teardrop has a Gross Axle Weight Rating or GAWR of 2,200 pounds and a tongue weight of 100 to 170 pounds.

The counterpart to the TAG is the TAB teardrop line. This includes models like the TAB 320, the TAB 320 Clamshell, and the TAB 400. Both 320 models have several floorplans.

For the TAB 320, the floorplans include:

  • TAB 320 U: The TAB 320 U has an exterior height of 89 inches, an exterior width of 78 inches, and an exterior length of 182 inches. Inside, the width is 71 inches and the height is 69 inches. You get a 70×73-inch bed, a 19-gallon graywater tank, and an 11-gallon freshwater tank. The TAB 320 U’s GAWR is 2,900 pounds and its tongue weight is between 138 and 198 pounds.
  • TAB 320 S: The TAB 320 S is even bigger. Its exterior height is 89 inches, its exterior width is 78 inches, and its exterior length is 182 inches. Inside, this teardrop has a width of 71 inches and a height of 69 inches. The bed is bigger at 70×73 inches. You get an eight-gallon blackwater tank, a 19-gallon graywater tank, and an 11-gallon freshwater tank. The GAWR is 2,900 pounds and the tongue weight is 140 to 200 pounds.

For the TAB 320 Clamshell, the floorplans are:

  • TAB 320 CS: The TAB 320 CS in the Clamshell line has an exterior height of 89 inches, an exterior width of 78 inches, and an exterior length of 182 inches with the coupler. The interior width is 71 inches and the interior height is 69 inches. The bed measures 70×58 inches. You get a 19-gallon graywater tank and an 11-gallon freshwater tank. The GAWR for the TAB 320 CS is 2,900 pounds. The tongue weight is between 156 and 216 pounds.
  • TAB 320 CS-S: Next is the TAB 320 CS-S, a step up from the other floorplan. It has an exterior height of 89 inches, an exterior width of 78 inches, and an exterior length of 182 inches. Inside the vehicle is an interior width of 71 inches and an interior height of 69 inches. The bed measures 70×58 inches. Included are an eight-gallon blackwater tank, a 19-gallon graywater tank, and an 11-gallon freshwater tank. The GAWR for this floorplan is 2,900 pounds. Tongue weight is 152 to 212 pounds.

Then there’s the TAB 400, which is the only floorplan available under this line. This teardrop has an interior width of 79 inches and an interior height of 81 inches. Included are a 12-gallon blackwater tank, an 18-gallon graywater tank, and a 30-gallon freshwater tank. The dry tongue weight of the TAB 400 is 457 pounds, and its total dry weight is 2,690 pounds.

6. Camp-Inn

A smaller but still great brand is Camp-Inn. They’re the manufacturers of the Tiny Camper. There are two models in this teardrop line: the 550 Teardrop and the 560 Raindrop.

Both are teardrop trailers, but the 550 is the smaller of the two. It features rounded styling, dual cabin doors, and front windows. At eight feet long, this is one lightweight trailer. The weight varies from 850 pounds at the lightest to 1,250 pounds at the heaviest.

If you need more space and room, the 560 Raindrop should satisfy. It too has the same rounded styling, dual cabinet doors, and stunning panoramic windows at the front of the trailer. It’s longer at 10 feet and heavier, too. The weight is between 1,030 and 1,430 pounds.

For both models, you get such features as a lengthy bed, a bunk/couch area, door stops, an aluminum body, roof insulation, stainless steel fenders, chrome cabinet hardware, storage cabinets, more storage underneath the floor, a Fantastic Fan on the roof, and a stainless steel sink.

7. Little Guy Trailers

Over in Uniontown, Ohio is Little Guy Trailers. This brand is best known for the MyPod as well as the Little Guy Max. They also produce a smaller version called the Little Guy Mini Max.

The MyPod may be tiny, but it’s cozy and adorable, too. It features everything you need inside, such as a Fantastic Fan that runs on three speeds, air conditioning, a generous sleeping space, window shades, power at 12 volts, and an entertainment center. Its overall length is 139 inches, its exterior height is 62 inches, the inside height is 37 inches, and the inside width is 60 inches. This teardrop has a GAWR of 2,200 pounds, a tongue weight of 110 pounds, and a curb weight of 630 pounds.

Another teensy-weensy teardrop is the Little Guy Mini Max. It can fit up to three passengers and is a rare trailer that includes a residential-style wetbath. Its exterior height is eight feet, six inches, its overall width is six feet, nine inches, its interior height is six feet, and its overall length is 17 feet, six inches. It includes a nine-gallon blackwater tank, a 14-gallon graywater tank, and a 20-gallon freshwater tank. The Little Guy Mini Max has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR of 2,900 pounds, a dry weight of 1,993 pounds, and a tongue weight of 280 pounds.

For the most room, you need the Little Guy Max. Here, you get an entertainment system, a 32×76-inch dinette, the wetbath, and a decently-sized kitchen. This teardrop has an interior height of six feet, seven inches, an exterior height of nine feet, one inch, an overall width of seven feet, and an overall length of 21 feet. The Little Guy Max also includes a nine-gallon blackwater tank, a 14-gallon graywater tank, and a 20-gallon freshwater tank. Its GVWR is 3,800 pounds, its dry weight is 3,140 pounds, and its tongue weight is 330 pounds.

7. High Camp Trailers

High Camp Trailers produces its teardrops in Portland, Oregon. All are made with a customized steel frame that’s powder-coated and welded. The trailer has a two-inch ball coupler, 10-inch electric drum brakes, and a torsion axle that’s 2,500 pounds.

The propane system comes with insulated currogated stainless steel tubing lines that are secured with brass fittings. The tank mount can be customized. Most propane tanks from High Camp Trailers have a capacity of 2.4 gallons and weigh 11 pounds.

To power the teardrop trailer, you get five fuse circuits, a shore power plug that’s 15 amps, a battery converter and charger from Progressive Dynamics, and a Duracell Group 27 deep cycle battery that promises 100 amp hours.

Inside the camper, you’ll find birch paneling and cabinetry. There’s LED lights on the porch, near the entrance doors, and in the cabin. The roof fan has 13 speeds; you can adjust these via remote control. At night, you’ll sleep on a five-inch foam mattress that’s queen-sized. The entire interior cabin is five feet.

The outdoor kitchen galley includes a locking latch handle, automotive latch lifts, a cubby under the counter that can be used for storage, and exterior LED lighting. You also get a Coleman cooler made of durable stainless steel and a cooktop stove with three burners.

Conclusion

Are you looking for some impressively awesome teardrop trailers to buy? If so, any of the above manufacturers I covered would be a wonderful pick. These are some of the best of the best in terms of teardrop trailer quality, floorplan availability, amenities, and sizing. Good luck with your search!

Which is your favourite teardrop trailer brand? Please leave a comment below!

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Teardrop Trailer Prices (with REAL Examples) https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-prices/ https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-prices/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:24:37 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=53 I already discussed the average weight of teardrop trailers, but how much do teardrop trailers cost?

On the lower end, some teardrop trailers start at just under $5,000. Others may be upwards of $20,000 or more. Depending on the size, the weight, and the amenities, prices will be higher or lower. If you’re buying a teardrop for just about $5k, it’s going to be tiny. Amenities may be lacking, but for some people, that’s okay. The more money you spend, the more space and features that are typically included in your vehicle.

Teardrop Trailer Price Examples

To give you a good idea of how much money you might put down for a new teardrop trailer, I scoured the Internet to find as many teardrop manufacturers as possible. If the brand produces just a single vehicle, I’ll quote one price. If there are several models to choose from, I will share the cost of each.

Let’s get started.

1. Vintage Overland — $12,500 – $16,500

The impetus for Vintage Overland trailers began sometime in the 1980s, when Britton Purser began making his own designs. In the years since, he moved on from fashion design to carpentry and then making teardrops and other trailers.

The Tuco teardrop from Vintage Overland costs $12,500. It’s 600 pounds. This trailer stands six feet tall and is 12 feet long. It also has a 4×8 cabin.

If you need more space, the Great Escape Caravan costs $15,000. It’s six feet tall, 12 feet long, and features the same 4×8 cabin. You also get an additional back hatch that’s 28 inches deep, 58 inches wide, and 20 inches tall. This teardrop weighs 750 pounds and is meant for two.

The final offering from Vintage Overland is the T.E. Lawrence for $16,500. It too is six feet tall and 12 feet long, but it has a bigger cabin that’s 5×8. You also get the back hatch, which is 28 inches deep, 58 inches wide, and 20 inches high this time. This vehicle weighs 900 pounds.

2. Oregon Trail’R Teardrop Trailers — $6,150 – $14,000

Oregon Trail’R is a teardrop manufacturer that’s based in Oregon. Not only do they sell a variety of trailers through their website, but they also have a teardrop accessories and parts store. Here, you can find items like twist switch plates, galley hatch support strings, couplers, cutting boards, batteries, and fuse panels.

The brand has many teardrops available. The costs can vary depending on what you add to your trailer, so all prices are estimates. They are:

  • FronTear: $14,000 for a trailer with a length of eight feet, a height of four feet, a width of five feet, and a weight of 1,100 to 1,400 pounds
  • TerraDrop: $16,000 for a trailer with similar measurements to the FrontTear that weighs 1,200 to 1,500 pounds
  • Do-Drop: $6,150 for a trailer with a length of seven feet, a height of 3.5 feet, a width of four feet, and a weight of 550 to 700 pounds

3. Vistabule Teardrop Trailers – $17,995

Based in Minnesota, Vistabule Teardrop Trailers is a small company that manufacturers just one trailer, the eponymously-named Vistabule. The vehicle costs $17,995 before you start adding on bonus features.

The body width of the Vistabule is five feet, its total length is 14 feet, and its body length is 10 feet. Including the fenders, the vehicle width is six feet, 10 inches. The interior cabin height is 43 inches, and you get 6.5 inches of foot room with the under-bed floor storage. From the fan cover top to the ground, there’s a height of 67 inches.

The Vistabule weighs 1,200 pounds when empty. If you fill it with water, propane, and other gear, the weight increases to 1,520 pounds. Its tongue weight is normally 130 pounds. If you connect a propane tank that’s 11 gallons, the tongue weight increases to 160 pounds. You get a graywater tank that’s nine gallons and a freshwater tank that’s also nine gallons.

Available bonus features that will drive up the price are:

  • Heavy-duty torsion axles
  • Alloy wheels
  • Solar plug-ins
  • Galley dome lights and top cabs
  • More storage compartments for beneath the bed
  • A sofa bed with a spare mattress
  • Porthole windows and privacy covers
  • Flip-up door side tables
  • Door windows with screens

4. Timberleaf Trailers — $19,750

Timberleaf Trailers is a Colorado teardrop trailer brand. They’re known for their Pika Teardrop, which is named after the tiny mammal that looks like a cross between a rabbit and a mouse. They also produce the Classic Teardrop.

The pricing for Timberleaf Trailers teardrops is $19,750.

The Classic Teardrop is 15 feet long and 65 inches high without vents. Its interior cabin height clearance is 36 inches and its base size is five feet by 10 feet. The dry weight is 1,400 pounds and the tongue weight is 150 pounds. The Classic Teardrop comes with a Colorado Queen mattress that’s 57×80 inches, leaf springs with a 2,000-pound axle, and 15-inch wheels.

The Pika is 11 feet, 10 inches long and 65 inches high as well. Its base size is five feet, six inches by eight feet. It too has a 36-inch clearance and 15-inch wheels. The Pika’s dry weight is 970 pounds and its tongue weight is 120 pounds. You get a 54x75x4-inch mattress and a 2,000-pound torsion axle with this trailer.

5. Colorado Teardrops – $12,995 – $24,500

A newer company that was only founded in 2014, Colorado Teardrops is settled amongst the Rocky Mountains. Dean Wiltshire, a carpenter from the United Kingdom, decided to start this company after he had a hard time renting a teardrop. He works with his children, Sarah and David, in this family-owned business.

The models in the Colorado Teardrops family include the Basedrop, Canyonland, Mount Massive, and Summit. You can also get custom-built trailers for more money. Used teardrop trailers are available as well.

Let’s discuss the pricing for the various Colorado Teardrops models:

  • Basecamp: $12,995 for a trailer with an overall length of 148 inches, an overall width of 76 inches, an overall height of 70.5 inches, and a dry weight of 1,000 pounds
  • Canyonland: $15,500 for a trailer with an overall length of 148 inches, an overall width of 82 inches, an overall height of 71 inches, and a dry weight of 1,150 pounds
  • Mount Massive: $21,500 for a trailer with an overall length of 173 inches, an overall width of 82 inches, an overall height of 80 inches, and a dry weight of 1,470 pounds
  • Summit: $24,500 for a trailer with an overall length of 173 inches, an overall width of 88 inches, an overall height of 84.5 inches, and a dry weight of 1,750 pounds

6. Hutte Hut – $63,900

The simplistic and modern Hutte Hut is both the name of the teardrop trailer and the company that makes it. The vehicle costs $63,900 for a base model. That makes it one of the most expensive teardrops you’ll find.

This trailer can fit two to three passengers. The frame is proprietary aluminum and the cabin is made of wood that’s bonded with epoxy and has no screws. The tongue length of the trailer is 42 inches. Its overall height is 72 inches, its overall width is 80 inches, and the overall length is 168 inches.

Inside the vehicle, the deck-to-ground height is 18 inches, with a peak ceiling height of 51 inches. The floor is 92 inches long and 66 inches wide, and the surface area of the entire trailer is 44 square feet.

The Hutte Hut teardrop weighs 900 pounds dry with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 3,500 pounds. Its tongue weight is a moderate 750 pounds. The ride height is 16 inches, and each wheel is 14×6 inches with 185/60/R14 tires.

You get several standard features in the Hutte Hut, such as a cotton canvas canopy that’s water-repellant, an exterior shore power inlet that runs on AC power, and convertible cushions that are adjustable.

7. Droplet Trailer – $14,450 to $16,450

The trailers from Droplet Trailer are designed to get you out in nature again. The company also gives back. For each trailer someone buys, Droplet Trailer gives 10 percent of the proceeds towards United States and Canadian landowners. The intention is to make this land into free campgrounds for trailers like yours.

The Droplet Trailer is the only vehicle produced by this brand. If you get the naked version, it costs $14,450. A base package drives the price up to $15,450. If you want the Off-the-Grid package, you’d pay $16,450.

One of these teardrops weighs just 950 pounds with a tongue weight of 95 pounds. The trailer itself is 5.5 feet high, 13.5 feet long, and 6.6 feet wide. The cabin is four feet high, eight feet long, and five feet wide.

Included in the trailer is a double-wheeled wide jack, 12-inch wheels, a tongue, an axle-free torsion suspension system, and a powder-coated steel frame.

8. inTech RV – $16,537 to $19,000

Despite its name, inTech RV produces several teardrop trailers. These include the Luna Lite, Luna, Luna Rover, and the Sol. The prices for these trailers range from $16,537 to $19,000.

Here are some specs and info on each inTech RV teardrop:

  • Luna Lite: The Luna Lite weighs between 1,450 and 1,630 pounds. Its GVWR is 2,220 pounds. Its exterior width is seven feet, 10 inches, its exterior length is 15 feet, six inches, and its exterior height is six feet, eight inches. The interior width is five feet, nine inches, the interior length is six feet, 10 inches, and the interior height is four feet, six inches.
  • Luna: Next is the standard Luna. It weighs between 1,700 and 1,800 pounds. Its GVWR is also 2,200 pounds. The exterior width for the Luna is seven feet, 19 inches, the exterior length is 15 feet, six inches, and the exterior height is six feet, eight inches. Its interior width is five feet, nine inches, its interior height is six feet, 10 inches, and its interior length is four feet, six inches.
  • Luna Rover: The Luna Rover is the biggest of the three trailers. It weighs between 1,643 and 1,770 pounds. It has the same GVWR as the other two Luna models. Its exterior width is seven feet, 10 inches, its exterior length is 15 feet, six inches, and its exterior height is seven feet, one inch. It has an interior width of five feet, nine inches, an interior length of six feet, 10 inches, and an interior height of four feet, six inches.
  • Sol: The mighty Sol has room for up to four passengers. It weighs between 3,290 and 3,375 pounds. Its tongue weight range is 450 to 470 pounds. The exterior width is eight feet, six inches, the exterior length is 19 feet, and the exterior height is nine feet, six inches. The Sol has an interior width of six feet, 10 inches, an interior length of 15 feet, nine inches, and an interior height of six feet, six inches.

9. Escapod TOPO Series – $16,500

Since 2015, Escapod’s team has been making each teardrop trailer it sells from scratch. Knowing how much the hustle and bustle of daily life can take away from nature, Escapod’s founders want their trailer owners to spend more time in the great outdoors.

The brand is known for the TOPO Series. New for 2019, a TOPO teardrop will cost you $16,500 as a base price. The TOPO has a body that’s five feet by eight feet, including a 2×2 power-coated frame that’s welded by hand. The roof and exterior walls are finished with a layer of aluminum to prevent corrosion.

You might also feel inclined to add these bonus features:

  • Electric brakes – $400
  • A second awning – $309 to $331
  • A battery charger – $65
  • Timbren 3500 HD axle-free suspension – $750
  • Frontrunner Wolf Pack storage boxes, three total – $200
  • Welded storage deck – $400
  • An air conditioner with all ports – $650
  • A fully articulating hitch – $300
  • Additional water tanks – $750 each
  • A propane heater – $1,000
  • A tire mount and spare tire – $600
  • A shower with a water heater – $400
  • Solar power – $275
  • A propane tank – $225
  • A stove with two burners – $325

1o. RetroRide Teardrops – $5,745 – $7,890

Over in Plover, Wisconsin is RetroRide Teardrops. These unadorned teardrops are designed with the retro feel their name invokes. You can choose from three teardrop trailer sizes: the 4×8 model, the 5×8, and the 5×10.

The 4×8 trailer starts at $5,745 for a two-door vehicle. It’s 68 inches wide, 12 feet long, and has a cabin area that’s 78×46 ½ inches. The trailer weighs 820 pounds with a tongue weight of 120 pounds. If you add Climate Right AC and heating, you’d spend $549 more. A 12-volt battery would set you back $125.

The 5×8 teardrop costs $6,845. It’s six feet, 10 inches wide and 12 ½ feet long. This trailer has a cabin that’s 78×58 inches. It weighs 940 pounds with a tongue weight of 155 pounds. The add-on features for this vehicle are Climate Right AC/heating (same price), a spare tire ($175), a cotton mattress that’s eight inches ($245), and a 12-volt battery ($134).

Finally, there’s the 5×10 trailer. This is priced at $7,890. It’s the biggest teardrop available from RetroRide, as it’s six feet, eight inches wide and 14 ½ feet long. It has a 78×58-inch cabin. The 5×10 weighs 1,100 pounds and has a tongue weight of 160 pounds.

AC and heating can be installed for you for $549. You might also consider adding a front tool box for $359, a spare tire for $175, extra windows for $445, a cotton mattress for $245, a 12-volt battery for $134, or radial tires (15 inches) for $100 each.

Conclusion

Teardrop trailers run the gamut from teeny-tiny ones for $5k to more sizable vehicles for $14k and up. Whether you have a small budget or a larger one, there should be room in your life for a teardrop trailer somewhere.

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Can You Stand up in a Teardrop Trailer? https://www.teardropguide.com/can-you-stand-up-in-a-teardrop/ https://www.teardropguide.com/can-you-stand-up-in-a-teardrop/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 19:04:35 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=94 You pride yourself on your height, but then you hear your spouse or partner wants to get a teardrop trailer. You like the look of these diminutive vehicles, but you have one very valid concern. Will you fit?

More importantly: can you stand up inside a teardrop?

You don’t want to walk around hunched over all the time. That will kill your back and could cause long-term issues with your posture as well. Plus, you know if you can’t even stand up in the trailer comfortably, you’ll have plenty of other problems to deal with. For instance, how will you fit in your bed at night? You don’t want your legs dangling off the edge.

Also, how will you shower? You probably won’t even have the freedom to squeeze into the indoor shower stall. Then you wonder how you’ll sit at a dinette, couch, or any other seating arrangement. Overall, it sounds like you could be in for a very uncomfortable, even painful experience.

No one wants that. That’s why you need to know, can you stand up in a teardrop trailer?

Can You Stand up in a Teardrop Trailer?

To answer the question of whether you can stand up in a teardrop trailer, I have to discuss the average height of these vehicles first. Generally, teardrop trailers are four or five feet high. Since they have a tapered shape, that height is the tallest point of the teardrop.

Now, keep in mind the above number is just an average. You can indeed find taller teardrops out there, but most have a height of five-and-a-half, maybe six feet at best. If you’re over the six-foot mark, you’re already running into trouble. More than likely, you won’t have the ability to stand in the trailer unless you hunch yourself over.

As I already said in the intro, that can lead to a lot of pain and discomfort. It’s just not worth it.

What to Do if You Can’t Stand

If you’re worried about whether you can fit in a teardrop trailer, you shouldn’t go right ahead and buy one. If it’s your spouse or partner who wants a teardrop, you should ask them to put the brakes on the idea for the moment.

While teardrops cost less compared to most trailers, you’ll still likely spend a few thousand dollars for one. That could be wasted money if you can’t even enjoy your vehicle. That’s why, before you sign that check, you should do the following.

Rent Before You Buy

The best way to get a feel for whether you can live comfortably in a teardrop trailer? Rent one! Rental prices vary depending on where you’re renting from, for how long, the type of vehicle, and how well you care for it. Generally, expect to spend a few hundred dollars for a rental over several days. That’s much better than a couple thousand dollars to own a vehicle you might not even fit in.

Once you pick a great teardrop trailer to rent, make sure you spend lots of time in there. Use all the amenities and see how well you mesh with them. Are they too small like you expected or do you actually fit? If it’s the latter, then great! You’ll want to shop for a teardrop just like this when you buy yours.

If you find you’re too big and tall for the teardrop, then you know the minimum size you can buy when you start shopping for your own trailer.

Take Very Short Trips

Let’s say your spouse or partner got overexcited and already put the money down on a teardrop without considering your height. Now you own the vehicle and it’s too late to do anything about it. If you still find you’re too tall for the trailer, then make sure you take very short trips. Maybe you drive out for overnight adventures, but no longer than that.

Upgrade, Upgrade, Upgrade

Your last option is the most sensible. If you don’t fit in the teardrop trailer you own, then upgrade to something you do fit in! Although I write about teardrop trailers a lot here, we know that not everyone can fit in these vehicles. That’s okay. Perhaps you want to try a camper or a pop-up trailer instead. These vehicles are a step up in terms of size from teardrops, but they don’t cost too much more. If you need even more room, then a travel trailer should suit you well.

Taller Teardrop Trailers

If you or a family member has their heart set on a teardrop trailer, make sure you buy one of these. They’re specifically designed for taller passengers like you.

Droplet Trailer

The Droplet Trailer might not look like it has much going on from outside, but inside, you’ll totally change your mind. It can accommodate passengers over six feet tall. With wide-entry doors, storage throughout, a six-inch queen-sized mattress, and a retractable outdoor kitchen with all the fixins’, you’ll have everything you need.

So-Cal Teardrops’ 511 Cal-Deluxe

Another teardrop that accommodates passengers over five feet tall is the 511 Cal-Deluxe from So-Cal Teardrops. This extra-large trailer weighs 1,120 pounds, with a tongue weight of about 140 pounds. It has a 5×11 frame that’s long and wide as well as tall.

Timberleaf Trailers’ Classic

Timberleaf Trailers also keeps taller passengers in mind with the design of their teardrops. Their Classic boasts more than three feet of headspace. That means no more bumping your head on the ceiling. The overall height measures 5.41 feet excluding the vents. With a 5×10 base, a 57 by 80-inch mattress, and a dry weight of 1,400 pounds, this compact trailer provides a lot of comfort and space.

Conclusion

With most teardrop trailers having an average height of about five feet, if you’re any taller than that, you’ll find it hard to stand up. Well, you can stand, but not without hunching over. You’ll still likely bump into everything around you as well.

Luckily, you can look into some of the taller teardrops I shared in this article. If those don’t work for you, then you might want to upgrade to a different, taller trailer. Good luck!

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How Long Is a Teardrop Trailer? (With REAL Examples) https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-length/ https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-length/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:11:35 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=78 You may wonder how much room you’ll actually have inside. More specifically, how long is a teardrop trailer?

This is important to know, so you don’t want to miss this article. In it, I will provide basic length measurements for teardrops. I’ll also delve into some real examples of various teardrops and how long they are.

How Long Is a Teardrop Trailer?

Teardrop trailer lengths vary. On the shorter end, a teardrop may stretch only four feet, making it a mini trailer. A mid-length teardrop might have a length of five or six feet. The biggest ones sprawl to eight or 10 feet, sometimes more.

Examples of Teardrop Trailer Lengths

Now that you’re armed with that information, you probably want to see some real examples of teardrops with these lengths. Without further ado, here’s an assortment of teardrop trailers at all different sizes.

Camp-Inn: 8 to 10 feet

If you’re looking for a bigger teardrop trailer, any of the vehicles in the Camp-Inn family should suffice. Per their specs page, their 500 Teardrop, 550 Teardrop, and 560 Raindrop trailers all have a body length of at least eight feet.

The smaller 500 and 550 stretch to just eight feet, one inch. They also have a total length 11 feet, 11 inches. If you need a bit more legroom, try the 560 Raindrop, as it has a body length of 10 feet, one inch. Its total length extends to 13 feet, 11 inches.

These teardrops have a width of five feet and a height of 61 to 64 inches. They include queen-sized beds that measure four feet, 10 inches by six feet, six inches.

Vistabule: 10 feet

The eponymous Vistabule teardrop also has a good length, as it’s 10 feet. Remember, with teardrops, you can’t really expect a trailer much longer than that.

The trailer body extends the total vehicle length to 14 feet. This teardrop also has a width of five feet; when you add in the fenders, it extends to six feet, 10 inches. From the fan cover’s top to the ground, the Vistabule measures 67 inches tall.

The trailer has an interior cabin height of 43 inches and a bed that’s 58.5 by 78 inches.

American Teardrop Trailers: 5 to 13 feet

You can select from a slew of vehicles from American Teardrop Trailers, including the Sparrow, Osprey (queen, full, and twin), Harrier, Eagle, Merlin, and Falcon.

Here’s a breakdown of specs for each of these teardrops, starting with length:

  • Sparrow: 3×3 teardrop with an overall length of five feet. The cabin height measures 24 inches, the overall width 50 inches, and the cabin width 36 inches.
  • Osprey Queen: 1×8 teardrop with an overall length of 10 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 80 inches, and the cabin width 62 inches.
  • Osprey Full: 6×8 teardrop with an overall length of 10 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 74 inches, and the cabin width more than 56 inches.
  • Osprey Twin: 5×8 teardrop with an overall length of 10 feet. The cabin height measures 44 inches, the overall width 60 inches, and the cabin width 42 inches.
  • Harrier: 1×10 teardrop with an overall length of 13 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 94 inches, and the cabin width 74 inches.
  • Eagle: 1×10 teardrop with an overall length of 13 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 80 inches, and the cabin width 62 inches.
  • Merlin: 1×9 teardrop with an overall length of 12 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 80 inches, and the cabin width 62 inches.
  • Falcon: 5×9 teardrop with an overall length of 12 feet. The cabin height measures 48 inches, the overall width 74 inches, and the cabin width 56 inches.

Why Does Vehicle Length Matter So Much?

Vehicle length matters for several reasons, which I’ll cover now.

Comfort

If you’re a bigger or taller passenger, you’re going to want room to stretch out at the end of the day. A smaller, shorter teardrop trailer does not always afford you this space. Feeling claustrophobic in a vehicle of your choosing is no fun. You also don’t want to bump into every last thing as you move about, such as the walls, ceiling, furniture, and cabinetry. If you’re too big for the trailer or if it’s too small for you, that will happen.

Price

Another reason you’ll want to know the length of your teardrop trailer before signing on the dotted line is its price. The lengthier your vehicle, the more money you can generally expect to pay. That’s because longer teardrops typically weigh more and may be taller to accommodate for their longer length.

Parking Options

Lastly, let’s touch on parking. Teardrops have such a great reputation because of their versatility. You can squeeze them in your garage or your driveway. This becomes less true the longer your teardrop gets.

That often means parking your trailer at a paid vehicle storage facility over the winter. This can cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars depending on the facility, your location, and the kinds of amenities you choose (heated vs. unheated storage).

Also, you’ll have to take extra precautions when staying at a campground with a longer trailer. Many of these sites have parking restrictions, meaning you should double-check if your vehicle meets the size requirements. You’ll also probably need more jacks and stabilizers to keep a bigger, longer teardrop in one place all weekend.

Conclusion 

Most teardrop trailers are six to 10 feet long, give or take. As you can see from the examples I provided, there’s variations to that. You might find a small trailer that’s five feet or a huge teardrop that stretches more than 12 feet.

Whether you’re okay in a compact space or you need something roomier, there’s a perfect teardrop out there for you somewhere.

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5 Reasons Teardrop Trailers are So Expensive https://www.teardropguide.com/why-are-teardrop-trailers-so-expensive/ https://www.teardropguide.com/why-are-teardrop-trailers-so-expensive/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:06:57 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=70 You assume because they’re generally so small that a teardrop trailer won’t be expensive. Then you find brand after brand with prices that start at $14,000. The more features you add, the more money that comes out of your pocket for your vehicle.

Is this some sort of mistake? Did these brands miss a comma or something when they listed the price? Nope. Some teardrops can be incredibly expensive, as is the case for other trailers like fifth-wheels, pop up campers, and travel trailers.

Why Are Teardrop Trailers So Expensive?

There are several factors that can influence the final asking price of a teardrop trailer, new or used. Let’s go over these now.

1. Overpriced Third-Party Sellers

If you go the used route, the price of the teardrop is very much at the discretion of the seller. If they want to inflate the cost so it’s sky-high, that’s up to them. Just remember that you don’t have to do business with this person.

You can always try haggling if you’ve found the teardrop of your dreams but it costs too much. If that fails, then move on. There are many other sellers. That teardrop you want will be out there somewhere. You might have to wait to find it listed again, but it’s better to do that than get willingly ripped off.

2. The Size of the Teardrop

If you’re buying a bigger teardrop, then you should expect to pay more for it than you would a mini one. For the sake of clarity, classifying a teardrop as large means its length is about 10 feet and its height is five feet and up.

The more space your teardrop trailer takes up, the more money you will shell out to own the vehicle. This is often regardless of if the trailer is new or used. After all, if a trailer owner spent more than $15k on their vehicle years ago, they’re going to want to start collecting on that investment when they sell it.

You don’t always necessarily need a large vehicle. Teardrops can often fit more than meets the eye. Many of these trailers have small nooks and crannies as well as opening compartments that take up every last square inch of space available. Your kitchen might be outside, but you’re paying less for your small teardrop than a hulking 10-footer.

3. High-Quality Materials Used for Procurement

Speaking of what’s inside and outside of your vehicle, materials are yet another factor that can increase the asking price.

Most teardrops are made of aluminum, which is a pretty inexpensive material. These vehicles may have stainless steel components for stability, but overall, they shouldn’t cost too much. Other trailers are built from a specific wood that’s a namesake to that brand. The time and work that goes into making these teardrops drives up the asking price.

Some smaller teardrop companies will make their trailers by hand from scratch. While you do get a one-of-a-kind vehicle, it’s going to cost you.

4. Amenities and Add-Ons

Finally, all those cool add-ons, bonus packages, and amenities you select when you order your trailer will push the price way up. Many teardrop manufacturers list the prices per amenity on their website. You might think $100 for a TV or $50 for a thicker mattress isn’t bad, and it’s not…individually.

Once you start adding solar panels, clotheslines, upgraded cabinetry, and this and that, suddenly you’re dropping several hundred or thousand dollars on amenities. This is on top of the price of your teardrop. Be careful!

Can You Get a Teardrop Trailer for Less Than $10k?

You now understand why a teardrop trailer can be so expensive. The above points may have you wondering then, can you find a teardrop that’s $10,000 or under?

Sure you can! I’ve written about some on this blog, so here’s a quick recap:

  • RetroRide has three teardrop sizes: 4×8, 5×8, and 5×10. The latter is the most expensive and costs $7,890 before you add amenities. The 5×10 includes a 78×58 cabin. It weights 1,100 pounds, has a length of 14 ½ feet, and a width of six feet, eight inches.
  • Oregon Trail’R and their tiny Do-Drop trailer is just $6,150. It weighs between 550 and 700 pounds. It has a four-foot width, a 3.5-foot height, and a seven-foot length.

What about Less Than $5k?

Are you looking for even cheaper new teardrop trailers? You’ll have to search a little harder, but they do exist. Here are some of our favorites that I’ve covered before on this site:

  • Wide Path Camper’s Bicycle Camper, which costs $4,500. It has a floor-over-ground height of 20 inches and an interior height of 57 inches.
  • Hiker Trailer’s Highway Deluxe comes in several sizes. For $3,795, you can get the teeny-tiny 4×8. If you need more space, you’d pay $4,795 for the 5×8. These teardrops are also customizable, but this would add to the total cost quite significantly.
  • Peewee Teardrop Trailer’s appropriately-named Small-Fry just squeaks by at $4,995. With a 10-foot total length, a 64-inch total width, and a 59-inch total height, the Small-Fry is more spacious than most teardrops.

Read my article here about Five Best Cheap Teardrop Trailers.

Conclusion  

Teardrop trailers, despite their diminutive size, can be quite costly. It’s not uncommon to see starting prices at $14k and up for a new vehicle. Some are even in the $30k range, although these vehicles are few and far between.

Whether you’re buying new or used, you should always shop smart. If it’s a used teardrop and the price is too high, then keep looking around. When buying new, know your options! You can find a fantastic teardrop for less than $10k if you limit your amenities. Some even cost $5k and under.

Yes, the sticker shock can be scary at first. If you’re willing to do your homework, though, you can eventually find an awesome teardrop trailer that perfectly fits your budget. Good luck!

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Do Teardrop Trailers Have Brakes? https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-brakes/ https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-brakes/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:56:05 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=32 When you drive your towing vehicle with a teardrop trailer attached, at some point, you will need to stop. As you do this, it’s important you roll to a stop long before you’d normally hit the brake. This allows both your towing vehicle and your teardrop trailer to pause at the point you intended.

You know that having brakes in your teardrop trailer would make stopping easier. It would also aide you when you park your trailer on uneven ground such as hills, slopes, or rocky terrain like what you see at campsites.

If you want to know more about whether teardrop trailers have brakes, I implore you to keep reading. I’ll tell you the answer in this article.

Do Teardrop Trailers Have Brakes?

Okay, so let’s start with the big question: should you expect to have brakes in your teardrop trailer? Like with most things, it depends. The teardrop model you choose will play a big role in whether your trailer has brakes. Not all trailers include them. For that reason, if you prioritize having brakes in your teardrop trailer, then I recommend you choose your brand carefully.

Is It Illegal to Go without Brakes?

In some cases, not only does having teardrop trailer brakes come down to a matter of personal preference, but it’s a legal issue, too. There are several states that mandate your trailer must have brakes. These include:

  • Wyoming, where a trailer should be able to successfully roll to a stop at 20 miles per hour within 40 feet
  • Utah, where the same requirements as above apply
  • Rhode Island
  • Oregon, where the vehicle’s empty trailer weight must be 1,000 pounds or under
  • New Jersey
  • New York, where the empty vehicle weight requirements are also 1,000 pounds
  • Idaho, which has an empty vehicle weight requirement of 1,500 pounds
  • California, where the same applies

If you’re caught without brakes in these states, you could incur a fine or possibly get into more serious legal trouble.

Even in other states without legal rules about teardrop trailer brakes, you probably don’t want to foregot them. That’s especially true if you often camp in mountainous terrain. You’ll often have to park on uneven slopes and rocky surfaces, as we mentioned before. To keep your trailer secure during your stay, a set of electric brakes will really come in handy.

Teardrop Trailer Models with Brakes

Are you looking for a teardrop trailer with brakes so you can assure it’s roadworthy? Look no further. The following manufacturers add brakes to their teardrops for matters of safety, convenience, and legality.

Camp-Inn

Whether you get the 550 Teardrop or the 560 Raindrop from Camp-Inn, you can expect electric brakes in both vehicles according to the manufacturer’s FAQs.

You can even get a breakaway switch system installed. You might want to strongly consider this. As Camp-Inn says, if legally you need brakes in your trailer, then you probably must have a breakaway switch system as well.

What does this switch system do? It can brake the trailer on the off-chance it ever gets unintentionally disconnected from your towing vehicle. While it doesn’t work the same as a parking brake, a breakaway switch system can save your trailer if the worst happens. You do want to make sure you have a fully-charged battery so the switch system can do its job.

Sierra Teardrops

Sierra Teardrops produce the T@G Escape, T@G Nomad, T@B Sofitel, T@B Bixby, T@B Outback, and the T@B Topanga. Per information on their site, the T@B trailers do come with electric brakes due to their weight, which exceeds 1,500 pounds.

To use these brakes, you need a 12-volt source of power (typically a line) and a seven-pin connector. While you tow your trailer, the battery will receive trickle charge power so it never completely drains.

Alternately, there’s the remote brake controller that Sierra Teardrops attaches to their trailers. You can find this on the frame of your trailer. It requires you use the 12-volt cigarette receptacle and attach a remote control unit to it.

With a remote brake controller, you can determine the braking pressure ahead of time so you can always stop safely.

High Camp Trailers

The simple design of Portland, Oregon’s High Camp Trailers includes one especially useful amenity: electric brakes. On their FAQs page, the manufacturer mentions that all its trailers come with these drum brakes. They’re 10 inches each.

You also get an emergency breakaway switch. You’ll need a battery in your vehicle for this switch to activate. Once it does, it can stop your trailer brakes for you, using the abovementioned battery power to do so.

 Can You Add Brakes Yourself?

What if you’re driving a teardrop trailer produced by another brand and it doesn’t have brakes? Remember that you don’t always need them. If you live in a state that doesn’t mandate electric brakes, you might consider foregoing them. This becomes especially true if you have a lightweight trailer that’s less than 1,000 pounds. You often don’t need the extra stopping power.

If you’ve reviewed the above criteria and have determined you still need brakes, don’t despair.

You can always get them added to your vehicle.

If you’re in the early shopping stages, you can ask the manufacturer to install the brakes for you. If it’s after the fact, you can install them yourself or hire a professional to do so.

Do you want a brake controller for a heavier trailer? You can find a whole slew of them at TeardropShop.com. While these controllers aren’t always cheap, they’re worth having.

Conclusion

Not all teardrop trailers have brakes. Still, plenty of states mandate these vehicles have electric ones, especially if the trailer exceeds 1,000 pounds. From Camp-Inn to Sierra Teardrops and High Camp Trailers, many manufacturers will add electric brakes to their teardrops. These brands also often include a remote brake controller or an electric breakaway switch for your safety.

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The Average Weight of Teardrop Trailers (with REAL Examples) https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-weight/ https://www.teardropguide.com/teardrop-trailer-weight/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:50:54 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=57 You’ve heard that teardrop trailers are small, but just how much do they weigh? Are they as lightweight as they seem or are they heavier?

In this article, I will answer that very question. Read on, as you don’t want to miss it. I’ll also share some of my  favorite examples of teardrop trailers at all different weights.

Let’s get started.

The Average Weight of Teardrop Trailers

The average weight of a teardrop trailer is between 500 and 3,200 pounds. Yes, that’s a huge range, but you can expect that most teardrops will weigh somewhere around 1,000 pounds. Those that are 1,500 pounds and up are heavier trailers, typically double-deckers or vehicles with lots of amenities.

There are also super lightweight trailers. These are incredibly basic with very few amenities. After all, the more that’s in your teardrop, the more it weighs.

Weight Terms You Need to Know

Now you know the weight range of teardrops. There are more weight terms to learn still, especially if you’ve never owned a trailer before. For instance, how much cargo can you bring? What is the weight of your trailer when it’s empty versus when it’s full?

To answer those questions, it’s time to study up on these weight terms:

  • Cargo carrying capacity (CCC): The Cargo Carrying Capacity is sometimes also referred to as Cargo Weight. It’s a calculation of your king pin weight or tongue weight as well as the weight of any optional equipment and personal cargo. Knowing the CCC will help you keep the load onboard your rig evenly distributed.
  • Dry Weight: A trailer’s dry weight is how heavy it is once you take out equipment, passengers, cargo, fluids, and fuel. Sometimes batteries do count, but other times not. Some fluids should be added to the calculation, such as fuel, coolant, oil, and onboard equipment liquids as well as generator fluid.
  • Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW): Another term to know is the Unloaded Vehicle Weight. The UVW is your teardrop trailer’s weight at factory standards. No optional accessories are included, nor is propane, water, and cargo. Fluids, fuel tanks, generators, and the weight of a full engine should be added to the UVW.
  • Tongue Weight: Also known as king pin weight, the tongue weight is the amount of downward pressure that can be applied on your trailer hitch ball. To calculate the tongue weight, you’ll need to know the Gross Trailer Weight or GTW. The tongue weight should be 10 or 15 percent of the GTW. We’ll talk more about the GTW shortly.
  • Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): Next is the Gross Axle Weight Rating. This refers to the gross axle weight for just a single axle of the trailer. Terms like the FGAWR (front gross axle weight rating) and RGAWR (rear gross axle weight rating) are occasionally used. Don’t ever put more weight on the axle than what the GAWR suggests. You could break the axle that way.
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): Then there’s the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. For teardrops and other trailers, the GVWR may be called the Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight. Both terms mean the same thing. The GVWR is the absolute weight limit for your trailer.
  • Gross Trailer Weight (GTW): Circling back to the GTW now, this also goes by the term Gross Vehicle Weight or GVW. You’d use the term GVW for all vehicles besides trailers, such as RVs. For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer to the term as the GTW. It includes the deployed jack weight, tongue weight, and the gross axle weight or GAW.

Examples of Teardrop Trailer Weights

Are you ready to see some examples of lighter and heavier teardrop trailers? Here are some of the most popular models as well as their weights.

1. nuCamp TAB Teardrop Trailers

The TAB trailers from nuCamp include the TAB Model 320, the TAB Model 320 Clamshell, and the TAB Model 400. Here’s the weights for those models:

  • TAB 320 U weights 1,766 pounds without the battery or LP and 1,826 pounds with the battery and LP. Its tongue weight is 138 pounds and its GAWR is 2,900 pounds. The TAB 320 U has a tire size of 205/75/14, a graywater tank that’s 19 gallons, and a freshwater tank that’s 11 gallons. The interior width is 71 inches and the interior height is 69 inches while the exterior height is 89 inches and the exterior length is 182 inches.
  • TAB 320 S weighs 1,788 pounds without the battery or LP and 1,848 pounds with the LP and battery. Its tongue weight is 200 pounds and its GAWR is 2,900 pounds. The TAB 320 S has a tire size of 205/75/14, a blackwater tank that’s eight gallons, a graywater tank that’s 19 gallons, and a freshwater tank that’s 11 gallons. The interior and exterior measurements are the same as the TAB 320 U’s.

2. United Recreational Vehicles, LLC

The teardrop trailers in the United Recreational Vehicles, LLC family are the iCamp Elite and the iCamp Lite. The only model with the weight specs available is the iCamp Elite, so let’s focus on that.

The iCamp Elite has a net cargo capacity of 524 pounds, a GVWR of 2,890 pounds, a UWV of 2,366 pounds, and a hitch weight of 236 pounds. Its interior length is 10 feet, seven inches, the exterior height is eight feet, one inch, the exterior width is six feet, eight inches, and the exterior length is 14 feet. The iCamp Elite’s interior height is five feet, 11 inches and its exterior width is six feet, three inches. It has a 20-pound LP tank and a 22-gallon freshwater tank.

3. Little Guy Trailers

Home of the MyPod, Little Guy Trailers also manufactures the Little Guy Max and the Little Guy Mini Max. Let’s look at the weight of all three teardrops:

  • The MyPod has a curb weight of 630 pounds, a GAWR of 2,200 pounds, and a tongue weight of 110 pounds. It’s 139 inches long, has an exterior height of 62 inches, an interior height of 37 inches, a fender-to-fender width of 72 inches, and an interior width of 60 inches. The tire size is 175/80/13 and the mattress is 52×76 inches.
  • The Little Guy Mini Max has a dry weight of 1,993 pounds, a GVWR of 2,900 pounds, and a tongue weight of 280 pounds. Its interior height is six feet, its exterior height is eight feet, six inches, its overall width is six feet, nine inches, and its overall length is 17 feet, two inches. The blackwater tank is nine gallons, the graywater tank is 14 gallons, and the freshwater tank is 20 gallons.
  • The Little Guy Max has a dry weight of 3,140 pounds, a GVWR of 3,800 pounds, and a tongue weight of 330 pounds. Its interior height is six feet, seven inches, its exterior height is nine feet, one inch, its overall width is seven feet, and its overall length is 21 feet. The tank capacity is the same as the Little Guy Mini Max.

4. Rustic Trail Teardrop Campers

North Carolina company Rustic Trail Teardrop Trailers has several teardrop models: the Papa Bear, Grizzly Bear, Polar Bear, and the Kodiak Stealth. Let’s get into the weights of these trailers, shall we?

  • The Papa Bear has a dry weight of 975 pounds and a tongue weight of 130 pounds. It measures five feet by 10 feet and includes aluminum wheels that are 15 inches each. Its total width is 80 inches, its total length is 14 feet, and its total height is 72 inches. The bed is 58 ½ inches wide and 75 inches long.
  • The Grizzly Bear has a dry weight of 1,300 pounds and a tongue weight of 130 pounds as well. It measures five feet high, 10 feet long, and five feet wide. It too has aluminum wheels that are 15 inches each. The total trailer width is 80 inches, its total length is 14 feet, and its total height is 80 inches.
  • The Polar Bear has a dry weight of 1,450 pounds and a tongue weight of 130 pounds. It’s six feet tall, 10 feet long, and five feet wide. It has the same aluminum wheels. Its total width is 80 inches, its total length is 14 feet, and its total height is 99 inches.
  • Finally, there’s the Kodiak Stealth. Its dry weight is 1,375 pounds and its tongue weight is 130 pounds, a standard from Rustic Trial. It’s five feet high, 10 feet long, and five feet wide. The Kodiak Stealth includes Black Steel wheels that are 15 inches each. It has a total width of 80 inches, a total length of 14 feet, and a total height of 80 inches.

5. Oregon Trail’R

The Eugene, Oregon-based Oregon Trail’R has the following teardrop trailer models: the Frontear, TerraDrop, Do-Drop, TerraDrop Alpha, and Do-Drop Alpha. How much do these teardrops weigh? Here’s the info:

  • The Frontear is roughly 1,100 pounds but can weigh up to 1,400 pounds. The trailer’s overall dimensions are a height of 66 inches, a width of 78 inches, and a length of 146 inches. The main body has a length of eight feet, a height of four feet, and a width of five feet.
  • The TerraDrop weighs between 1,200 and 1,500 pounds. The overall dimensions are a height of 68 inches, a width of 78 inches, and a length of 146 inches. The main body has a length of eight feet, a height of four feet, and a width of five feet.
  • The Do-Drop is lightweight at 550 to 700 pounds. Its overall dimensions are a height of 60 inches, a width of 66 inches, and a length of 120 inches. Its body has a length of seven feet, a height of 3.5 feet, and a width of four feet.

6. Vistabule Teardrop Trailers

Finally, there’s the eponymously-named Vistabule. This teardrop is 1,220 pounds empty. When you add water, propane, and gear, the weight increases to 1,520 pounds. It has a tongue weight of 130 pounds.

The Vistabule’s width is five feet, its length is 14 feet, and its length is 10 feet. The interior cabin height is 43 inches, the width with fenders is six feet, 10 inches, and the road clearance is 11 to 13 inches. This teardrop has 14-inch wheels, a graywater tank that’s nine gallons, and a freshwater tank that’s also nine gallons.

How to Calculate the Weight of Your Teardrop

In the last section, I shared the weights of many popular teardrop trailer models. What if you already own a teardrop and you want to know its weight? You can certainly figure it out.

For first-time trailer owners, we recommend using an online calculator. This one at Changin’ Gears is meant for travel trailers, but the measurements should still work for teardrops.

Here’s what you need to input into the calculator:

  • Your trailer’s GVWR
  • The Combined Gross Weight Rating (CGWR)
  • The trailer weight rating when the teardrop is fully loaded
    The max tongue weight rating
  • The RGWAR
  • The GVW and RGAW of your towing vehicle
  • Your trailer’s GTW or GVW
  • The tongue weight of your teardrop
  • A tongue weight percentage override, which sets the tongue weight at 15 percent by default if you don’t input anything into the calculator

Once you have all those numbers, you can calculate your teardrop trailer weight in pounds or kilograms. If you don’t know all the measurements of your vehicle, we recommend checking your owner’s manual. You can also contact the manufacturer.

Why Knowing Teardrop Trailer Weight Is So Important

By this point, you have some great reference points of how much teardrop trailers should weigh. If you already own a teardrop, we even told you how to figure out its weight.

Why does knowing the weight of your trailer matter so much?

There are several reasons for this, so let’s explain them in more depth now.

Choosing Your Towing Vehicle

Some teardrop trailers can be quite heavy. Sometimes you can tell they’re weightier just by looking at them, but not always. If you buy a teardrop without bothering to figure out its weight, then who knows what towing vehicle you can use? You certainly won’t.

Every towing vehicle has what’s called a towing capacity. This cannot be exceeded by too many pounds or you risk serious damage to the car. The transmission and even the engine can be destroyed. This is because your towing vehicle strains to pull a heavier load than it’s designed to.

Now, most towing capacities are lower than what the vehicle could truly pull. This is done by the manufacturer on purpose for the longevity of your vehicle and for passenger safety. Whatever your towing capacity is, learn it, know it, and follow it.

Selecting a Hitch

While hitch types vary depending on your towing vehicle, the weight of your rig also matters. If you don’t bother to calculate how much your teardrop trailer weighs, then there’s always a chance you could get an insufficient hitch.

If the hitch cannot handle the weight of your trailer, it will likely snap when you’re on the road. Your teardrop is then free to sway across lanes of traffic, hitting cars and anything else that gets in its way.

Unless you have trailer insurance, you’d have to pay for all the damages yourself. Ouch.

Weight Distribution

Teardrop trailers are amongst the smallest trailer types and thus the ones that can generally hold the least amount of weight. By piling everything on one side of the vehicle, the weight distribution gets thrown out of whack. Your trailer is more likely to drag along on one side. That puts pressure on those front or rear tires. Also, your entire rig is now unstable. Your trailer could jackknife or fishtail out of control.

Overall Safety

You want your teardrop trailer ownership experience to be a pleasant one. That goes for yourself and all your passengers, be those friends or family. The least you can do to be safe is get familiar with your trailer weight.

Conclusion

Teardrop trailers can be incredibly lightweight vehicles that barely scrape by 500 pounds. On the bigger side of things, some teardrops are more than 2,500 pounds. That makes them comparable with fifth-wheels and even some tiny travel trailers.

The examples I provided show these weights in action. If you don’t know how to calculate your own teardrop trailer weight, you can always use an online calculator for the job. Before you do that, though, you’ll need to know terms like the GVWR, GCWR, RGAWR, GVW, and tongue weight.

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Do Teardrop Trailers Have Bathrooms? https://www.teardropguide.com/do-teardrop-trailers-have-bathrooms/ https://www.teardropguide.com/do-teardrop-trailers-have-bathrooms/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:41:43 +0000 https://teardropguide.com/?p=26 Everyone’s gotta go sometime, and if you have kids onboard, it’s way more often than sometimes. The only other perennial question besides “are we there yet?” that parents tend to get on road trips is “can I go to the bathroom?”

You might be thinking of getting a shiny, new teardrop trailer for your family adventures. The price is right and you like the idea of roughing it at campsites. Well, that is, until you think about where your family will end up using the bathroom.

Do teardrop trailers even have so much as a toilet or will you be forced to find onsite facilities to use no matter where you go? In this article, I will answer that very question so you can decide whether a teardrop is right for your needs.

Do Teardrop Trailers Have Bathrooms?

Before I get into the answer, let’s first define what a bathroom is in trailer terms. This space often just includes a toilet. Rarely is a shower part of the deal, but it does happen on occasion. A sink may be attached to the bathroom nook or you may have to wash your hands elsewhere onboard the trailer.

With this definition, do teardrop trailers have bathrooms?

For the most part, no, teardrop trailers do not have bathrooms. That’s not to say every model doesn’t. Later in this article, I’ll show you several teardrops with all the fixins’. Generally, though, as you begin shopping for teardrop trailers in your area, you will be hard-pressed to find one with a full bathroom.

Why Not?

There are two great reasons bathrooms tend to be omitted from teardrop trailers. The first of these is space and the second is pricing.

Let’s talk about the space issue first. Most teardrop trailers are incredibly tiny. Maybe they can fit four or five people max, but many are made for up to two passengers. There’s room for a living space, a bedroom corner, and other essentials, but sacrifices must be made. The kitchen will tend to be outdoors and retractable. That leaves little if any room for a bathroom. What space remains would be reserved for a cassette toilet. This is a portable, often plastic toilet that you can connect to some hookups to get water in the bowl.

Besides space, there’s pricing to think about. Teardrop trailers are among the cheapest trailers you’ll find. That’s because they’re the smallest. To keep costs down so you’re not paying more than five figures, teardrop manufacturers have to cut some things. These often include luxuries like a full bathroom.

Three Great Teardrop Trailer Models with Bathrooms

Again, it’s not always true that teardrop trailers won’t have bathrooms. It all depends on the brand. If you want to go on springtime adventures, summer road trips, and autumnal excursions with your family, you will probably need a bathroom onboard. These three teardrops fit the bill.

The Happier Camper

The Happier Camper will make your family happier as well since it has a bathroom. Do keep in mind that not every floorplan does. You’ll want the Sleeper or Premium models for a toilet and sink.

Weighing just 1,100 pounds dry, The Happier Camper is 13 feet long and seven feet, four inches tall. It’s made of double-hull fiberglass with stylized panoramic windows. You get a range of fun hues to choose from, among them Silverlake, Topanga Turquoise, Pacific Blue, Mammoth White, Mojave Sage, Sequoia Orange, and Bishop Red.

You can fit up to five people in this diminutive trailer, which features solar paneling as well as electrical and power components.

Jayco Hummingbird

Jayco is a brand better-known amongst travel trailer owners, but they’re synonymous with quality teardrops, too. The Jayco 2019 Hummingbird may have an outdoor kitchen (complete with a TV, by the way), but inside, you get your own small bathroom with an indoor shower!

The bathing space has a showerhead that you can detach. There’s also a cabinet for keeping all your bathroom essentials dry during shower time. Other floorplans include a toilet and a sink in the bathroom as well.

Once you step inside and see all the luxury offered in a Jayco, you might not ever consider another teardrop trailer brand.

Homegrown Timberline

Our final pick is the Timberline. Homegrown Trailers makes this impressive solar-powered teardrop. It has panels that can generate between 600 and 800 watts of power. There’s room for up to five passengers, making it an ideal family trailer.

Besides that, the biggest perk of this wooden teardrop is the indoor shower. This wet bath area is fueled by a freshwater tank with a capacity of more than 23 gallons. Did we mention you get a composting toilet, too? You do!

The external height of the Timberline is eight feet, 11 inches and the internal height is six feet, two inches to six feet, 11 inches. The external width is seven feet, 11 inches and the internal width is seven feet, five inches. Its external length is 23 feet and the internal length is 18 feet, 10 inches. The camper weighs between 4,150 and 4,350 pounds dry.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, most teardrop trailer models don’t come with a bathroom. If these small, streamlined vehicles do have a hygiene nook, there’s typically room for a toilet and that’s about it. Teardrops are designed with minimal features to save on space and lower the overall cost.

If you have a bigger family and you want a teardrop with a bathroom, that doesn’t mean you should give up the search. If you look hard enough, you’ll find there are some teardrops out there with bathrooms. Some of them even have indoor showers, sinks, and toilets!

The three teardrops I have outlined above are great options to consider. There are more models still with potties and showers for you to discover. With so many wonderful teardrops, you’re sure to find one that fits your budget.

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