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.

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!

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!

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.

It’s a different story in the summertime. The temperatures soar both day and night, giving you little if any relief from the warmth. During the summer, the inside of your teardrop trailer is like an oven. Sure, you can rig up a small oscillating fan or two, but this only seems to shift the warm air from one corner of your vehicle to another.

There’s got to be something more you can do, right? There is. If your teardrop doesn’t already come with one, you might be interested in adding an air conditioning system to your vehicle. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about teardrop AC, including sizing, pricing, power requirements, weight distribution, and maintenance.

Let’s get started.

Do Teardrop Trailers Come with Air Conditioners?

Since teardrop trailers are supposed to be lightweight and tiny, most of them don’t come equipped with air conditioners right off the bat. If you do enough digging, some teardrop companies do offer AC as an extra amenity. This will cost you, but hey, on those hot summer days and nights, you’ll be glad you have it.

On this blog, I’ve talked about several teardrop trailer brands with optional air conditioning. I will discuss them again now.

The first is the TOPO Series from Escapod.

This teardrop costs $16,500 as a baseline. Measuring five feet by eight feet with a 2×2-inch frame, the TOPO Series trailer is small, small enough that the kitchen expands outdoors. The AC is a compact portable unit that runs on 5,000 BTUs. You get all the ports you need for quick and easy setup.

Another teardrop with optional air conditioning is the Small-Fry from Peewee Campers.

This trailer has a total height of 59 inches (from the roof vent top to the ground), a total width of 64 inches (from one outside fender to another), and a total length of 10 feet, six inches (from the rear to the trailer’s tongue). Its box height is 44 inches and its exterior box is 4×6 feet.

The air conditioner that you can buy for the Small-Fry goes in the trailer’s front wall. The unit weighs 41 pounds and runs on 5,000 BTUs. It will come out near the tongue.

According to their FAQs, you can add air conditioning to your Tiny Camper teardrop from Camp-Inn as well.

Their AC is more like a window unit, in that it fits within the body of your teardrop in a wooden compartment. It comes with a drain pan. There’s also a plumbed drain pipe that goes all the way out through the teardrop from the cabin. This way, there’s no condensation buildup, which can lead to mold, mildew, and other vehicular damage. The other perk of this setup is that when you do a lot of dish-washing or it rains, the drain pan passes all that water out through your air conditioner’s external vent area.

What Size AC Unit Is Supported in a Teardrop Trailer?

If your teardrop trailer air conditioner is running on at least 5,000 BTUs (which seems to be standard), then it should sufficiently cool 100 square feet, sometimes 150 square feet. Let’s look at a 5,000-BTU air conditioner on Amazon to get an idea of the sizing. This one is a Frigidaire Window-Mounted Mini-Compact.

It’s 12 inches tall, 15 ¼ inches deep, and 16 inches wide. Its Energy Efficiency Ratio is 11.1. The unit has air direction controls that let you move the air two ways. There are also fans with two speeds, two cool speed settings, and mechanical rotary controls. This air conditioner is powered by an electrical outlet that runs on 115 volts.

That’s just one example to give you a good idea of the dimensions of a 5,000-BTU air conditioner. For teardrop trailers, many manufacturers favor ClimateRight. This company produces portable heating and air conditioning units for trailers like your teardrop. They also make humidifiers, aroma diffusers, and air cleaners.

For a teardrop, your ClimateRight AC unit would likely be the CR5000ACH. This is a 5,000-BTU air conditioner. It too runs on 115 volts like the Frigidaire we used as an example.

It has a dual air hose system that allows for simple and fast installation through the trailer wall. You get a three-speed fan, automated on/off timers, and a sleep mode. This unit can also double as a dehumidifier; it even has heating settings. If your teardrop is at least 1,200 square feet, this is the air conditioner for you.

Here are some specs:

• Produces 55 decibels of noise when running
• Has a nylon mesh air filter that can be taken out and replaced
• Uses R410a refrigerant
• Assembles via a flange kit and a quick-connect hose
• Weighs 63.6 pounds
• Measures 19 inches deep, 15 inches wide, and 15 inches tall
• The control panel has an IR remote control sensor and a digital temperature display
• The thermostat is also digital and includes an infrared remote control
• Uses 11.3 heating amps when in operation and 1,300 heating watts
• Uses 6.2 cooling amps when in operation and 700 cooling watts

If your trailer is even smaller than that, ClimateRight also makes a 2,500-BTU version of their air conditioner called the CR2500ACH. This is a mini air conditioner and heater. You get all the same features you do with the CR5000ACH but in a more convenient tiny size. This unit is only meant for spaces of at least 400 square feet.

Here are some specs:

• Also produces noise at 55 decibels when running
• Has the same nylon mesh air filter
• Includes the flange kit and quick-connect hose as well
• Uses the same refrigerant, R410a
• Weighs 55.6 pounds
• Measures 19 inches deep, 15 inches wide, and 13.5 inches high
• Has the same control panel and digital thermostat
• Uses 7.8 heating amps when operating and 900 heating watts
• Uses 4.3 cooling amps when operating and 480 cooling watts

How Much Does It Cost to Add Air Conditioning to Your Teardrop Trailer?

By this point, you might be seriously considering getting an air conditioning unit for your teardrop trailer if yours is lacking one. You have to ask though, how much is it going to cost you?

You’ll spend between $450 and $650 for an air conditioner on average.

The ClimateRight CR2500ACH costs $449 while the Peewee Campers Small-Fry air conditioner is $450. For bigger units, the price goes up. The CR5000ACH is priced at $549, for instance. The Escapod TOPO Series air conditioner is $650.

Remember, these are just the prices for the air conditioning unit. This does not include the cost of the teardrop trailer itself or any other amenities you might add. Also, ClimateRight is the only company with units that can heat and cool a trailer. All other air conditioners offered from the other teardrop brands are just that, air conditioners.

Can You Install the AC Unit Yourself or Should You Let a Pro Do It?

Whether you install your teardrop trailer air conditioner yourself or let a professional do it is mostly up to you. We say mostly because it depends on what kind of air conditioner you buy. If it’s the AC unit for the TOPO Series teardrop, then it sounds like you’ll be the one in charge of setting it up.

The Tiny Camper from Camp-Inn, on the other hand, should be installed for you. Any ClimateRight air conditioner does not come pre-installed. You’ll have to do it yourself. According to the brand, to install your ClimateRight AC unit, all you have to do is move your outflow hose and air intake hose assembly by porting it through the teardrop trailer.

All the parts required for installation, including quick-connect flanges, hoses, and an assembly kit, do come with the purchase of your ClimateRight unit. Once you set up your air conditioner, you just plug it into a generator or outlet that runs on 110 volts. You’re all set!

If you’re not comfortable with installing your air conditioner on your own, you can always contact a technician to do the job. This will cost you extra, but at least you can ensure your AC is set up the right way the first time.

Weight Distribution in Your Teardrop: Does an Air Conditioner Change It?

Most air conditioners for teardrop trailers weigh between 40 and 65 pounds. While that may not sound like a lot, you have to consider the weight of the trailer you’re working with. For instance, the Small-Fry from Peewee Campers has a dry weight of about 350 pounds. Its tongue weight is 35 pounds. That’s an incredibly lightweight vehicle.

What happens when you add even 40 extra pounds to a trailer that doesn’t even hit the 400-pound mark? The weight distribution can shift. While it depends where you install the air conditioning unit, you have to make sure that one side of the trailer isn’t heavier than all the others. Otherwise, you risk causing damage to the teardrop.

If you do have an AC unit installed in your trailer, we recommend traveling a little more lightly. You want to cut back at least 40 to 65 pounds. Alternately, you can balance the weight on the side of the trailer opposite the one with the air conditioning unit.

Even if you do this, traveling light is still a good idea. Why is this? In addition to the weight distribution of your teardrop, you also want to be sure you don’t exceed its weight capacity. This tells you the max amount of weight your trailer can handle. You can typically find this information in your owner’s manual. If not, we recommend you reach out to your trailer manufacturer and ask.

Don’t be surprised if the weight capacity is pretty low for a teardrop trailer. Give or take a few pounds, you should always follow the weight capacity to the letter. Failing to do so could cause the trailer to come loose from its hitch. A teardrop trailer might not look like it can do much damage, but a 350-pound casing of metal rolling along at 30 or even 40 miles per hour is going to destroy vehicles and anything else nearby.

Teardrop Trailer Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips

You’ve got your teardrop air conditioner all rigged up and ready for summertime humidity. As you use the unit now and over the future warm seasons, you need to make sure you’re taking good care of it.

Regular maintenance is key to the longevity of your air conditioner. Otherwise, the unit could prematurely break. Getting replacement parts is not cheap, by the way.

Here’s a breakdown of parts replacement costs for a ClimateRight air conditioner:

• $19.99 for a brand new wireless remote control
• $24.99 for a replacement hose flange kit
• $14.99 for a fresh unit flange kit
• $24.99 for a hose kit specific to the CR5000ACH
• $19.99 for a replacement interior finishing kit
• $9.99 for a fresh flange cap kit
• $24.99 per replacement air filter
• $49.99 for a new wired remote thermostat

All said, those replacement costs tally up to $190. At that point, you’re nearly halfway to buying a new air conditioner. Now, hopefully, you can see why regular air conditioner maintenance is so necessary.

Here are some maintenance tips and steps to follow regularly:

• Make sure your generator is the appropriate wattage for your air conditioner. It should be somewhere in the ballpark of 2,000 watts if your AC runs on 5,000 BTUs.
• If your air conditioner has foam filters, you can’t leave these in forever. At least monthly, take them out, clean them with water and soap, let them dry, and then put them back.
• Every year, or even twice a year, pay for a professional air conditioner technician to come out and inspect your AC unit. They can diagnose any issues that could cause issues now or down the road.
• Speaking of, if your air conditioning isn’t running optimally, it’s better to fix the issue right away. Most of the time, it will only get worse if you ignore it. Some trouble that starts off small can later spell the end of your air conditioner.
• With the right setup, your air conditioner should not have any water pooling in or around it. Make sure you look for signs of leaks often. Water damage in a trailer is one of the worst things that can happen. It rots wood, warps metal, and corrodes and rusts important components. In short, your vehicle is no longer safe to use.
• If your air conditioner comes with a cover, then put it on when the unit is not in use. This is especially important if your AC is installed outdoors. Make sure you clean the cover every now and again so it’s not filthy.
• Know that trailer air conditioners don’t last forever. Is yours having some serious problems? The costs to repair it could be higher than what you paid for the AC unit in the first place. At that point, it’s just time to get a new one.

Conclusion

Teardrop trailers can have functioning heaters and air conditioners despite not being very large. Sometimes these units are included. In other instances, you have to buy them separately as an amenity.

Most teardrop trailer air conditioners run on 5,000 BTUs. This should be enough to adequately cool the inside of your vehicle. The costs vary from $400 to more than $600. The unit may come pre-installed, but most of the time, you’ll have to take care of setup yourself.

To keep your trailer AC unit running over several hot summers, make sure you add the above maintenance steps to your teardrop care routine. Good luck!

What if you want to bring more than one person? Perhaps you have children and you want them to experience the wonders of camping in a teardrop trailer firsthand. Maybe you have some friends who have expressed interest in going with you on one of your trips.

Either way, you now have a very interesting question in my hands. That is, how many people can sleep in a teardrop trailer?

How Many People Can a Teardrop Camper Sleep?

Most teardrop trailers have room for two passengers, as that’s standard. Some of the bigger ones can fit up to five people, but you’ll rarely find more sleeping accommodations than that. That’s because teardrop trailers are among the smallest towable vehicles on the road.

Teardrop trailers have an average height of four to five feet, so they’re sort of unforgiving on taller passengers. Teardrops have an okay width, four to six feet. Their length is eight to 10 feet. Overall, they’re quite petite vehicles unless you go for the bigger models. Thus, you only get room for five people max, and that’s in the abovementioned bigger teardrops.

Where Do These People Sleep?

Okay, so now you have to do some sorting. After all, if you bring three or four people with you on your teardrop trailer road trip, where will everyone sleep?

Queen-Sized Bed

Since most teardrops can fit at least two passengers, manufacturers often include sleeping accommodations for that amount of people. This comes in the form of a queen-sized bed. Obviously, you can fit just a single person in this bed, and quite comfortably at that. If you have a partner or spouse traveling with you, then the two of you can share the bed.

Bunk Beds

Do you have kids or are you traveling with another friend? Then you’ll appreciate that some teardrop trailers have the capability to house bunk beds. You may have to convert these at night from some other part of the vehicle. Many teardrop floorplans have daytime and nighttime setups to make the most of the limited space you’ll find in one of these vehicles.

Like most bunk beds, you’ll often get a top and bottom bunk. When combined with the queen-sized bed that comes standard in many a teardrop, you now have room to sleep up to four people.

Couch

Few teardrop trailer manufacturers don’t include couches in their vehicles, but you will want to check the floorplan before you buy yours. If you have a couch in your teardrop, then that should act as another place for someone to sleep.

While catching some Zzzs on a couch maybe doesn’t sound like the most appealing thing in the world, you have to remember you have limited sleeping options in a teardrop. You have to make the most of the space. If you can sleep on it, then it’s worth trying at least once. That includes the couch.

If your teardrop has both bunk beds and a couch and you add in the queen-sized bed, then you can bring up to four other people with you on your journey.

Convertible Bed

Sometimes the couch is more than it seems. You can possibly pull it out and convert it into a sleeper bed. Again, it’s not the comfiest thing ever, but it does let you get some rest. In some models, even the dinette will expand into a convertible bed, but this all depends. It’ll be one or the other, though, not both.

Since you’d convert the couch into a bed, this still means you can only sleep five people max on a teardrop trailer.

Teardrops with Room for Five or Less

Now that you know such spacious teardrop trailers exist, you might want one for you and your family/friends. The following teardrop trailer models can sleep five people or fewer.

Colorado Teardrops’ Summit — Sleeps Four

The Summit from Colorado Teardrops has a queen-sized bed (that fits two) as well as a sofa that transforms into bunk beds. That means you can bring three other passengers with you, such as a spouse and your children.

The queen-sized bed measures 60 inches by 78 inches. This teardrop has an overall length of 173 inches, a body length of 126 inches, an overall width of 88 inches, and an overall height of 84.5 inches. Inside the cabin, it’s 57 inches high and 60 inches wide. You even get 41-inch galley counters.

Little Guy Trailers’ Little Guy Max — Sleeps Three

If you have fewer passengers, you’ll love the Little Guy Max from Little Guy Trailers. I’ve talked about this teardrop trailer many a time on this blog. In the bedroom, you’ll find a queen-sized bed as well as a storage center, device-charging area, shelving, storage, and an HD TV that’s 24 inches. You can convert the dinette in the kitchen to a single bed for one more passenger.

The Little Guy Max 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. It weights 3,140 pounds dry and has a tongue weight of 330 pounds.

TAXA Outdoors’ Cricket Camper — Sleeps Four

Although not as teardrop-looking as some of the other trailers on this list, we’d still count the Cricket Camper from TAXA Outdoors as a teardrop nonetheless. This spacious vehicle has room for two kids and two adults, so it’s perfect for a family of four.

Inside, you’ll find a queen-sized bed as well as bunks. The trailer includes storage beneath the main bed. It has a length of 15 feet and a dry weight of 1,500 pounds.

United Recreational Vehicles, LLC’s iCamp Elite — Sleeps Two to Three People

If you want to bring just a few people with you, then look into the iCamp Elite from United Recreational Vehicles, LLC. This teardrop has an overall height of eight feet, one inch, an overall width of six feet, eight inches, and an overall length of 14 inches. Inside the trailer, the measurements are five feet, 11 inches tall, six feet, three inches wide, and 10 feet, seven inches long.

You get a standard queen-sized mattress as well as an adjustable dinette table that converts into a bed for the third person. This vehicle has a hitch weight of 236 pounds and it weighs 2,890 pounds dry.

Happier Camper’s HC1 — Sleeps Four to Five

Another favorite of this blog, the HC1 from Happier Camper is a remarkable teardrop trailer. In part, that’s because it has room for up to five passengers. If you recall from this blog, the HC1 also has Happier Camper’s Adaptiv System technology. This allows you to rearrange the components via cubes as needed.

This is one such trailer where you can have daytime and nighttime arrangements. With a modular layout, you set up the floorplan however you want it or need it. This teardrop trailer has an overall length of 13 feet and an overall width of seven feet. The width at the bed is six feet, eight inches. The HC1 also weighs 1,100 pounds dry.

Homegrown Trailers’ Timberline — Sleeps Five

Let’s end this list with another teardrop trailer that has room for five passengers. It’s the Timberline from Homegrown Trailers. How does it fit so many people? This teardrop trailer has a convertible dinette. Passengers can also sleep in three bunk beds and a queen-sized bed. Impressive, right?

The Timberline has an interior height of up to six feet, 11 inches, an exterior height of eight feet, 11 inches, an external length of 23 feet, and internal length of 18 feet, 10 inches, and an external height of seven feet, 11 inches. It weighs 4,150 to 4,350 pounds dry.

Other fun features that make this one of the best trailers around for big families? Homegrown Trailers designed the Timberline using nontoxic, sustainable, weatherproof materials. The vehicle includes a composting toilet, a rarity for teardrop trailers. You get a huge 23-gallon freshwater tank for showering and using the sink. Yes, there’s a shower in the wetbath.

The headroom is almost seven feet, which is practically unheard of for teardrop trailers. You also get solar paneling that can generate up to 800 watts of free power from renewable energy.

Conclusion

Although you wouldn’t think it, some teardrop trailers can accommodate five sleepy passengers. Through convertible beds, couches, bunks, and a queen-sized mattress, there’s plenty of room.

This means you can bring your family or pals on your road tripping adventures. You also never have to worry about feeling lonely in a teardrop trailer

What if you’re interested in renting a teardrop trailer before buying one? Is that a possibility? In this article, I’ll tell you.

Let’s get started!

Can You Rent a Teardrop Trailer?

Like you can with many other trailers and RVs, it is possible to rent a teardrop trailer. If you want to get an idea of how this trailer handles when you attach it to your towing vehicle, renting is a great opportunity. You can also go camping just you and another buddy, spouse, or loved one and truly rough it.

Where can you find teardrop trailers for rent?

That depends. I recommend you start with a local search. Use your favorite search engine to look up “teardrop trailer rentals near me.” You’ll see a whole list of local businesses that rent out teardrops.

Do keep in mind that if you’re taking a trip, you should rent the trailer in the location you’ll be traveling to. For example, if you’re from California but you’re traveling in Denver, then rent your trailer in Denver. This way, you’re not racking up thousands of miles with the rented teardrop.

If you can’t find anywhere local that has teardrop trailers for rent, don’t fret. RVShare.com, despite its name, rents all sorts of trailers. These include campers, teardrops, and travel trailers. RV Rental Connection is another site you can use.

You might also consider Off The Grid Rentals. They make custom teardrop trailers you can rent out. Some of these vehicles even have room for five passengers! That’s practically unheard of with a teardrop.

How Much Do Teardrop Trailer Rentals Cost?

You’re thinking about it more seriously and now you’re strongly leaning towards renting a teardrop trailer. Great! Now let’s talk money, shall we? How much will one of these trailers cost you?

Well, that depends on a couple of things:

• How old the teardrop is
• How long you’re renting it for
• Included amenities (not every amenity is always available, so read the listing carefully!)
• The size of the teardrop
• How many passengers can fit
• The third party’s discretion

Prices will vary, and the ones we list here are just meant to be used as examples. Even if you rented the exact same teardrops I wrote about, you might not get the same price.

With all that in mind, I scoured some well-known RV rental sites to bring you a couple of pricing examples.

On RVShare.com, a 2017 Intec Flyer Max Off-Road Camping Trailer is available for $39 nightly. This is a 14-inch trailer with room for two. It has a height of almost four feet, a width of nearly five feet, and a length of eight feet, one inch. You get such features as a USB charging port, a roof rack, LED lighting, air conditioning, a stereo, a refrigerator, outdoor cooking options, stabilizer jacks, and an off-road package.

Over at Off The Grid Rentals, their Krawler teardrop trailer can fit between two and five passengers. Rentals could cost anywhere from $45 to $113 a night depending on the size of the trailer.

The Krawler features storage beneath the mattress, exterior LED lighting, heavy-duty leveling jacks, a customized roof rack, a Scipio awning, and front storage boxes. You can also enjoy solar paneling, ceiling vent fans, USB outlets, and a four-inch memory foam mattress.

How Long Can You Rent a Teardrop Trailer?

When you rent a teardrop trailer or any trailer, really, the least amount of time you can do so is one night. The general expectation is that you’ll have the vehicle for at least a weekend. While weeklong rentals are common, some people will rent for even longer, such as a month.

That’s why you can often get deals that help you save money the longer you rent. Going back to the listing on RVShare.com for the 2017 Intec Flyer, for a week, you’d spend $220. For a month, it’d be $650.

That listing has a minimum amount of nights you have to rent, which is two. Again, do read the listings carefully. Since one-night rentals are out of the question, you will have to multiply the daily rental costs by two, three, sometimes even seven nights.

Where Can You Take Your Teardrop Rental?

Once you get the keys to your rented teardrop trailer, where can you take it? While most listings will have specific daily mileages you should follow, the answer is almost anywhere. If you want to hit up a national park or a campground, then go for it!

Just make sure you take care of the trailer so you don’t get slammed with damage fees. And yes, again, watch how far you go to avoid excess mileage charges.

Reasons to Rent a Teardrop Trailer

Finally, here are some great reasons to consider renting a teardrop trailer:

• You can truly experience what life is like inside one of these tiny trailers without making the financial commitment. In that way, it’s like an extended test drive.
• You can see how well a teardrop cooperates with your towing vehicle of choice, be that a car, truck, or SUV.
• You can get away and enjoy a unique accommodation for a relatively cheap weekend.

Conclusion

Teardrop trailers are small, inexpensive vehicles. They’re available to rent, and you often won’t spend much. Few teardrops exceed $100 for their daily rental fees. Just keep in mind that you’ll rarely rent a trailer for a single day, and there are other charges like cleaning and late fees you might have to take into account as well.

If you were thinking of renting your own teardrop trailer, you’re now armed with all the information you need to do so. I hope I’ve helped you make up your mind!

Now it’s time to tow it. Don’t worry too much, as tugging along a teardrop trailer is not nearly as difficult as it is with many other trailers. These are among the lightest-weight vehicles, giving you tons of towing versatility.

Still, it never hurts to be prepared. That’s why, in this article, I’m sharing my favorite towing tips. Everything you need to know, from selecting a towing vehicle to attaching a hitch and doing the actual towing will be covered in this article.

Let’s begin.

Towing Vehicle Tips

Almost Anything Goes When Towing a Teardrop Trailer

Teardrop trailers have a weight range that’s rather impressive, we must say. On the lower end, these can clock in at under 500 pounds. Larger teardrops might exceed 2,000 pounds, making them more akin to towing a camper trailer.

Depending on the weight of your teardrop, you either get tons of freedom with your towing vehicle or only some. If your teardrop is in the 500-puond weight class, then almost anything goes. Your motorcycle is eligible to tow trailers that are lightweight enough. With slightly heavier ones, you’re better off using your car.

If you already own a truck or SUV, you can still rely on these vehicles for towing a lighter teardrop trailer. It might feel like you’re towing nothing at all, so you’ll have to be careful with your driving techniques (more on this later).

Know Your Towing Vehicle’s Towing Capacity

How do you know if you should use a motorcycle or an SUV for towing your teardrop trailer? You must get informed on towing capacity. The best way to do this is to check your owner’s manual. You should find the towing capacity for your towing vehicle in there. Otherwise, get in touch with the manufacturer of your towing vehicle and ask.

The towing capacity is the max amount of weight your towing vehicle can pull. Motorcycles will be able to handle the least amount of weight and SUVs and heavy-duty pick-up trucks the most.

Once you know the towing capacity of your vehicle, it’s your duty to follow it as closely as possible. Here’s a secret: most vehicle manufacturers print a purposely lower max towing capacity than what your towing vehicle is truly capable of.

Why is this? If you exceed the max towing capacity, you can cause all sorts of damage to your vehicle. The engine and transmission will be the first to go, costing you up to thousands of dollars in repairs. To make themselves less culpable and to keep your vehicle running longer, vehicle manufacturers will print a somewhat lower towing capacity than your true max.

That doesn’t give you permission to push your towing vehicle to the limit. It just means that if you’re over the max towing capacity by 50 to 75 pounds or less, you shouldn’t panic. Listen to your towing vehicle. If it’s showing signs of straining, you might want to rethink your rig for the next trip.

Hitch Tips

Choose Your Hitch Wisely

Great, you’ve picked out your towing vehicle, but you’re not done yet. You must also select a hitch. While there are many hitches on the market, a lot of them aren’t suitable for your teardrop trailer.

Here are some you might consider:

• Weight distribution hitch: While typically intended for larger rigs, you can use a weight distribution hitch for a heavier teardrop trailer. These have a receiver hitch attachment that fits perfectly in the rear of pick-up trucks and other large towing vehicles. The hitch has spring bars for transferring tongue weight to your teardrop’s axles.
• Bumper hitch: For cars or trucks, there’s bumper hitches. These have a receiver tube opening that’s typically 2×2 inches. While you can often tow less weight with a bumper hitch, given that you own a teardrop, that’s not a big problem.
• Class 1 hitch: Then there’s the Class 1 hitch. Receiver hitches are classed by weight on a scale of one to five. A Class 1 hitch is rated for towing the least amount of weight, no more than 2,000 pounds. That’s suitable for a bigger teardrop. For some large models, you might need a Class 2 hitch. This is rated at 3,500 pounds.

Know Your Tongue Weight

Once you pick your hitch, you need to calculate its tongue weight. This is the amount of downward pressure that’s applied on the hitch.

To figure out your hitch’s tongue weight, you must first know your Gross Trailer Weight or GTW. This may be in your owner’s manual, so be sure to check.

Your trailer’s tongue weight is a percentage of your GTW, typically nine percent on the lower end and 15 percent on the higher end. You do not want to exceed 15 percent, as that means there’s too much weight on the tongue. This can cause the teardrop to come loose from the hitch and cause severe damage.

Do Hitch Maintenance Regularly

My final tip for your hitch is to get into a maintenance routine. Every week or so, get out there and take a look at all the hitch parts. Do any of them need lubrication? If so, then do it. Are any of the parts rusted or corroded? You might want to think about investing in a new hitch, especially if yours is a few years old.

Towing Teardrop Trailer Tips

Plan Your Trip Route Early

Are you feeling up for an impromptu road trip in your teardrop trailer? That’s great! Before you get gung-ho about leaving, though, you want to know your route down to the letter.

You may be very familiar driving your towing vehicle, but once you have a teardrop trailer lugging along behind you, the whole experience becomes an alien one. Everything you thought you knew about driving is pretty much thrown out the window.

The less you have to maneuver those first few trips as you acclimate, the better. That’s not to say you shouldn’t practice before you go, because you absolutely should. Still, there’s a difference between backing up in an empty parking lot and doing the same in one with cars on all sides.

To alleviate your nerves, prepare a trip with as little tough driving as possible. Tight turns and sudden stops aren’t all you want to look out for. You may want to limit highway driving, since teardrop rigs should go slower (keep reading for more on this).

If you must go on the highway, then maybe avoid four-lane ones for your first outing.

Measure Your Rig’s Clearance

Before you ever hit the road, you kneed to know the height of your towing vehicle with your teardrop attached. This is how you determine the clearance of your rig. You don’t want to find out the hard way when approaching a tunnel or overpass that you cannot fit through.

Since most teardrops aren’t particularly tall or fat, we don’t suspect you’ll have much if any trouble navigating through tunnels. Still, it’s better to be on the safe side. Having your rig’s clearance as a clear-cut number lets you know when you can pass through tunnels and when you have to plan an alternate route.

Readjust or Upgrade Your Mirrors

Your mirrors might be in the ideal position now, but once you add your teardrop trailer, that’s no longer the case.

It is of the utmost importance that you have full and clear visibility of what’s going on around you when on the road. If your teardrop is blocking your view from any of your mirrors, that needs to change ASAP.

That’s why I recommend you spend some time in the driver’s seat fiddling with your mirrors before you take off on your adventures. There should be no blind spots. Otherwise, you never know what’s coming up behind you, which is incredibly dangerous.

Some trailer drivers opt to install rear-vision cameras and extended side-view mirrors. Rear-vision cameras have their own cockpit monitor for drivers. This gives you a clear view into what’s going on behind you at any given time. While such a camera is not cheap, it greatly improves your visibility, so think about getting one.

Then there are extended side-view mirrors. For a less permanent solution, you can opt for the clip-on version of these mirrors. These attach over your current side mirrors for a short-term solution to little visibility. You can also buy a permanent installation.

Signal Your Intent

Are you the type of driver who’s been doing this for so long that you feel there’s no need to put on your turn signal? That’ll have to stop when you’re towing a teardrop trailer.

Your rig is now considerably bigger than it would be if it was just you in your towing vehicle. Other drivers might get apprehensive around you, so you want to make it as easy for them to get around you as possible, right? To do that, all you have to do is flick on your turn signal.

Don’t wait to put on the signal for a turn right as you approach it. That doesn’t help anyone. You want to begin signaling early to give other drivers plenty of room to shift lanes or do what they want/have to do. Just don’t signal so early that you confuse people on the road.

Prepare for Wide Turns as the Norm

If you’re signaling, it’s probably because you want to make a turn, right? Well, that’s another thing you better practice before you go, because turning isn’t as easy as it is without a teardrop trailer.

It’s not inherently difficult, either, but it will definitely take some time to get used to. Due to gravity, when you make a slow, conscientious turn, your trailer should naturally move with you. The only way that won’t happen is with hitch mismanagement, which we talked about earlier in this article.

One major difference in the way you turn is you’ll have to go much wider than what you usually do. This is to accommodate your teardrop and give it sufficient room to make the turn with you. It’s imperative you slow down when doing this maneuver instead of speed up.

Also, you want to keep away from very sharp turns. Those that are 90 degrees or more put you at risk of an accident if you attempt them. This is why planning your route is so necessary.

What if you find yourself facing an unexpected sharp turn? First, don’t panic. You can get through it with skills and pacing. You just want to do a wide turn as usual within the space that’s afforded to you.

Slow Way Down

If you’re a speed demon, you’ll find this next tip particularly hard. Still, you must accustom yourself to going slower than you ever have. You should stick within the speed limit, but don’t exceed it.

You’re pulling at least twice the weight of your usual setup, so speeding is not easy to do anyway. Even if your foot is lead on the accelerator, driving too fast means you can’t brake as quickly as you’d like. With a teardrop trailer attached to your car or truck, braking is an ordeal at any speed. You need to stop well before you’d like to so you can ensure your rig slows down enough at that predetermined point.

Another risk of driving too fast is you have to make turns quickly, which is scary. You also don’t get nearly as much time to react as you really need, putting you at a higher risk of accidents.

By slowing down your pace, you can be a safer driver. You can even improve your gas mileage, so going slow isn’t all bad!

Get Into the Habit of Checking

For your first trip, you might be obsessive with monitoring your hatch locks, tires, and the hitch itself. You want to make sure these crucial components are all okay and working as expected.

This is a good habit to get into. While you won’t have to check so obsessively on future trips, giving your locks, tires, and hitch a once-over before you disembark for the day is always a great idea.

Take Your Time Parking

Your days of quick parking are over now that you’re towing a teardrop trailer. You can’t just squeeze into a tight area. There’s no more rushing to beat someone to a spot, either.

Instead, you’ll spend more time than ever parking. First, you have to find a suitable spot for your rig.

Two vertical spots are ideal so you can park your towing vehicle in one and your trailer right behind. Don’t try to park in horizontal spots, as it will not go well. Avoid diagonal parking as well.

After finding a great spot, you’ll have to slowly inch your way in there without hitting other parked cars on either side. Leaving the spot is much easier since you can just drive forward in most instances.

Learn to Back up and Maneuver

Just because you don’t have to back up when parking doesn’t mean you won’t ever have to. This is one maneuver you must master sometime.

I recommend practicing in an empty parking lot before your trip.

To back up, you want to first check your mirrors. If you don’t have full visibility, the abovementioned rearview camera really comes in handy. Otherwise, you’ll have to adjust your mirrors until you can see.

Then, going very slowly, begin moving out of the spot backwards. You want to keep your teardrop trailer moving with you. If it begins to do its own thing, it could be fishtailing or jackknifing. Both are no good, as you could hit another car or anything else around you.

If your trailer is moving the same way your towing vehicle is, then keep going backwards, taking it incredibly slowly as you do. When you’re fully out of the spot, you can get yourself going forward again and enjoy the rest of your road trip from there.

Conclusion

Are you towing a teardrop trailer for the first time? It’s normal to feel apprehensive, but you’ll get over this this with time the more you drive with your trailer.

First, you need to pick your towing vehicle. This may be a motorcycle, car, truck, or SUV. Then, you need a suitable hitch for the weight of your teardrop. You also have to know the tongue weight so you can avoid jackknifing and/or fishtailing.

Next, I recommend you practice maneuvering before you go. This gives you a feel for what it’s like to tow your teardrop. Remember that going slow is best in your rig. Good luck!