You’d like to buy a trailer, but your budget is admittedly slim. While you could spend time budgeting for a bigger trailer later, you’d rather have a smaller one now.
Luckily, teardrop trailers exist. These small, lightweight vehicles won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It’s even possible to find one for $5,000 and under. You might be asking, where? In this article, I will tell you. All the trailers we showcase are less than $10,000.
That is before any extras and add-ons are included, as well as sales tax. Still, you’ll spend far less money on these teardrops than you would many other trailers.
Let’s get started!
1. Peewee Campers Small-Fry: $4,995
The first cheap trailer at your disposal is the Small-Fry from Peewee Campers. This vehicle has a box that’s four feet by six feet by 44 inches. It’s an extraordinarily small teardrop trailer.
Here are some other stats: it’s 59 inches high from roof vent top to the ground. Its total width is 64 inches; that’s from one outside fender to another. The total length is 10 feet, six inches from rear to tongue.
The Small-Fry has a two-inch ball hitch with a seven flat-pin wiring harness connector. You should keep the space between the ground and the ball’s top at 16 inches or more. From the center of the axle to the ground, there’s a clearance of 13 ½ inches. Its tires are six-ply and have a 27-inch diameter and are 13 inches overall. The wheel size is also 13 inches with a 5 x 4 ½ bolt pattern.
Inside the Small-Fry, you get such features as:
- Plywood flooring that’s finished with a layer of vinyl
- Dual stabilizer jacks at the rear corners of the trailer
- A 14×14 roof vent that can be customized with a three-speed fan (not included); the fan also has a vent screen and a hand crank for closing and opening the vents
- A 26×36 rear door with a keyed handle deadbolt, keyed lock, and screen
- LEDs for the running lights, turn signals, and brake lights
- Interior lights that are also LED; they run on batteries (AA or AAA) without draining the deep cycle battery
- A license plate holder, which you can find at the rear panel on the driver’s side
- A wheeled jack that doubles as a stabilizer
- Diamond plate fenders with a natural curve; you also get diamond plate aluminum edge trim on the outside of the Small-Fry
If you’d like, you can outfit the Small-Fry with several cool extras. These include:
- A bonus 22×15 window with interior trim, a screen, and tinting — $285
- A 22-inch wall-mounted flat-screen TV with a remote and DVD player; it’s eight pounds total and runs on 12 volts — $465
- Storage boxes for the tongue, which are diamond-plated and include locks — $230 for the 30x12x12 box and $265 for the 20x12x9.5 box
- An exterior storage box that’s attached to the rear; it has a deep storage tray and hydraulic locking lid — $270 for the 8x18x18 box
- Side wall spare tire mounting, which weighs 32 pounds —$235
- A 20-watt solar panel that weighs five pounds — $285
- A roof fan that runs on 12 volts and has three speeds — $300
- A six-inch thick mattress — $50
- Electric brakes if you have a motorcycle as your towing vehicle — $250
- Cable TV wiring — $75
- An air conditioner that runs on 5,000 BTUs and weighs 41 pounds — $495
If your budget is a little higher, you might be interested in the KnockAbout, which is five feet by eight feet by four feet. It’s $6,495 before adding bonus features. The ECONO is also bigger, as it’s five feet by eight feet by 43 inches. It costs $8,495.
2. Hiker Trailer Highway Deluxe: $3,795+
While there are cheaper models from Hiker Trailer than the Highway Deluxe, I think this is good mid-sized teardrop that won’t break the bank. The 4×8 costs $3,795, the 5×8 is $4,795, the 5×9 is $5,795, and the 5×10 is $6,795. These are all base prices.
No matter which size you choose, the Highway Deluxe comes loaded with features. These include:
- A 110-volt exterior plug with a power strip
- Vinyl flooring
- An exterior made entirely of aluminum
- Round fenders that are also made of aluminum
- A manual roof vent
- Rear galley doors
- Windows with two sides
- A curbside door
- Four-pin wiring
- Safety chains
- Towing lights
- Front-facing and rear cabinets
- Aluminum wheels that are 14 inches each
If you want even more features, you can design your own Hiker teardrop trailer from scratch. First, you start by choosing your trailer style, including off-road, mid-range, and highway. Then you pick whether you want a deluxe or basic vehicle.
After selecting your trailer size, you can move on to the doors, choosing between black or white (which is standard). You’re not done picking colors yet, as you also get to choose the color of the teardrop. Your options include charcoal, pewter, slate, silver, and white.
Next, you move on to the trim and diamond plating. If you want full diamond plating for the front of your teardrop, this can be 24 or 48 inches. You can also add on 12-inch side diamond plating. Don’t forget to select between black or white trim while you’re at it.
You even get to pick the windows and doors. You can add on an optional front window as well as a second door. If you want a windowed side door or a windowed screen side door, now’s the time to pick one out.
The cabinet package is worth taking advantage of. This gives you the opportunity to have side tables, slide-out trays, raised beds, and even a deep bunk bed that’s 23 inches. All these features are built into your vehicle.
For convenience’s sake, more features available for the Highway Deluxe are road showers, awnings, diamond black fenders, roof cages or front racks, and a roof rack. To keep the vehicle stable, you can upgrade to an axle that’s 3,500 pounds. With that, you might be interested in dual rear jacks (that include LED lights and stabilizers), electric brakes, and a 15-inch wheel upgrade.
Finally, you can select whether you want heating and air conditioning, a rear receiver hitch, and a tool box. Do keep in mind these additions will certainly increase the price of your teardrop trailer.
3. Casual Turtle Campers Hatchling: $6,250
Although a little more expensive than the other vehicles so far, the Hatchling from Casual Turtle Campers in Fort Collins, Colorado is still under $10k. This adorable vehicle has a max interior headroom of 56 inches, a floor area of 92.5×56.25 inches, a forward bulkhead height of 66 inches, and a maximum overall height of 77 inches. The trailer’s overall length is 12 feet, two inches. Its tire-to-tire width is 78 inches
Weighing just 840 pounds, the Hatchling includes the following features:
- Maple-faced plywood flooring that’s insulated
- A TPO roofing membrane that comes adhered to the vehicle
- An underside with a PVC membrane
- An A-frame tongue
- Trailer-rated tires that are 13 inches each
- A leaf spring that weigh 2,000 pounds
- An axle that weighs 3,500 pounds
- A boxed trailer frame that’s 5×8 and customized
Every trailer from Casual Turtle Campers is made by hand, giving them a unique touch. The building material of choice is western red cedar. This is a trademark for Casual Turtle, as the wood covers the exterior of all their vehicles.
The staff at Casual Turtle doesn’t use western red cedar for no reason. This wood holds up for years of regular use. It’s less likely to be an attractant to bugs and insects, upkeeping the quality and look of the wood for years. Western red cedar is also unlikely to rot from moisture, experience decay, and shrink. This is due to the woodgrain uniformity.
Over 12 weeks, the vehicle will be built to your specifications. There is room for customizing, but this will cost you more money.
One feature that comes standard is the domed roof. This provides more galley area headroom so even taller passengers aren’t excluded from riding. Another perk of the domed roof is it allows snow and rain to slide right off your teardrop trailer. It’s also useful for boosting the vehicle’s aerodynamics.
4. Wide Path Camper Bicycle Camper: $4,290
The Bicycle Camper from Wide Path Camper is another tiny, inexpensive teardrop. You can get it for less than $4,500, which is a great deal.
Inside, the vehicle is 57 inches tall. There’s also a bed that’s 35×79 inches. When you unfold it completely, the teardrop is 110×39 inches. The interior has features like a sitting area with an included table and plenty of under-bed storage. If you want, you can even convert the table to a full-sized mattress at night.
The height of the trailer floor-over-ground is 20 inches. Inside, you get a generous 56 inches of space so you can sit down without bumping your head.
Support legs that require no extra installation are another standout feature offered. The Bicycle Camper also has a slotted aluminum rail so you can add a sun cover or erect a tent. This way, more family members or friends can come along on your adventures.
Other great features available with this teardrop trailer are:
- A front ventilation slot to prevent mold and mildew from developing in the trailer
- A plywood floor that’s water-resistant; this gives you less concern about the floor rotting out
- Thick, comfortable cushions for sitting and lounging for hours
- A 300-liter storage area perfect for stashing essentials like clothing, cargo, and equipment
- A dining table that measures 20×30 inches
- A bed with a head-end nightstand
- Polycarbonate windows that are shatter-proof
- A UV-resistant exterior in appealing white
- Semi-insulating foam construction for added warmth on cool nights
There are several bonus packages you can select from when ordering your Wide Path Camper. These include an Outdoor Package, Kitchen Package, Solar Package, and Luxury Package. Any of these will push up your overall trailer price, so choose carefully!
5. Oregon Trail’R Do-Drop: $6,150
I featured the Do-Drop from Oregon Trail’R in our list about teardrop trailer weights. Besides being lightweight, this vehicle is also relatively inexpensive. It costs a little over $6k.
A tiny and impressive teardrop, the Do-Drop weighs between 550 and 700 pounds depending on the features you add. That lower weight gives you plenty of options for your towing vehicle. You could pull this trailer with a car, truck, SUV, and maybe even a motorcycle.
The Do-Drop has a square tube steel chassis that’s finished with a layer of textured black powder-coat paint. It has an overall height of 60 inches, an overall width of 66 inches, and an overall length of 120 inches. The body of this teardrop is smaller, with a length of seven feet, a height of 3.5 feet, and a width of four feet. It’s meant for at least two passengers.
Here are some great features that come with the base version of the Do-Drop:
- Integrated storage shelves made of Baltic birch for keeping all your favorite items close by
- An LED dome light that runs on AA batteries so it doesn’t suck power from your trailer battery
- A cabin with a birch exterior
- An aluminum mill finish for the roof and the exterior skin of the teardrop
- Dado-joined bulkheads, partitions, and flooring that connects to the vehicle’s walls
- An open-screened window that’s 21×14 inches and tinted
- A standard teardrop door that’s 26×32 inches and includes a screened opening and tinted glass
- Veneer-core panel plywood construction
- Powder-coating paint that’s industrial-strength
- A tow connector with four pins
- Tires and steel wheels that are 13 inches each
- A rubber torsion axle for better towing
- A ball coupler that’s either 1 7/8 inches or two inches; it includes hardware that’s grade-eight
- A tongue-mounted stabilizer jack
If you’re interested in adding on upgrades and extra options, you can! Here are the ones available to you:
- A wheel adapter or spacer that can hold onto a spare trailer tire
- Off-road tires and wheels that are 15 inches each
- Alloy wheel upgrade
- A stainless steel and aluminum roof rack system
- A ceramic disc heater system that includes a custom-mounted system
- A Versa-Track accessory mounting system with a second basket, a basket/table, and a Versa Track Rail
- A side shelf system that folds down
- An optional second door
- Interior clotheslines
- A multi-axis coupler system
- A 110-volt AC passthrough system
- A 12-volt DC distribution system that includes an SLA battery, fuse block, LED light, and exterior and interior outlets that are 12 volts each
- An anodized aluminum skin option
Conclusion
If you’re shopping for a teardrop trailer on a budget, you don’t necessarily have to go used. The five vehicles we presented in this article are each priced under $10,000. Some are even in the $4,000 range!
Teardrop trailers are small, cozy vehicles for one or two passengers. Many of the brands I showcased will custom-design and make their trailers for you from the ground up. That gives you the freedom to choose a vehicle with a personal touch that you’ll love for years to come. All that at a great price? It doesn’t get better.