Teardrop trailers may not be as expensive as travel trailers or fifth-wheels, but you could still end up shelling out five figures for one. Before you jump into what is frankly an investment, you want to be sure a teardrop trailer is right for you.
How can you do that? Well, researching as much as you can about these vehicles is a great starting point. You can also rent a teardrop teardrop trailer. This is a great way to sample the teardrop lifestyle before plunking down your hard-earned money!
Once you’ve done your research and maybe even lived a weekend in a teardrop, you want to consider the pros and cons of teardrop trailer ownership.
Pros of Teardrop Trailer
1. Teardrops Are Inexpensive
As I touched on in the intro, teardrops may cost you five figures. The good news is they shouldn’t be more than $10,000. Some are even half that price, so you wouldn’t pay more than $5,000.
Now let’s compare that to the average price of a fifth-wheel, which is between $15,000 and $50,000. Travel trailers aren’t much cheaper. On the lower end, these vehicles may cost anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000. The most expensive travel trailers are priced at $30,000 to $65,000.
Except for maybe smaller pop up campers, you can’t find a better price for a trailer than a teardrop.
2. You Can Tow Them with Just about Any Vehicle
While we just covered the topic in more depth on this blog about teardrop trailer weight, most teardrops are 500 to 3,200 pounds. The heavier ones are out there, but they’re admittedly less common.
If your teardrop trailer doesn’t surpass the 1,000-pound mark by too much, then you should have plenty of versatility when it comes to your towing vehicle. There’s no need to reconsider if you can own a teardrop if your towing vehicle is a car. Most cars should be able to tow teardrops no problem.
Of course, if you have a bigger, heftier vehicle like an SUV or a pickup truck, then you don’t have to even think twice about hooking up your teardrop trailer. Even if you buy a bigger trailer, you can tow it with relative ease.
3. You Don’t Have to Worry about Vehicle Storage Facilities
Once autumn ends and the colder months arrive, trailer owners have a tough decision to make. Do they keep their vehicle or put it in a storage facility until the spring?
If you own a bigger vehicle like an RV, a fifth-wheel, or a travel trailer, that decision is made for you. You have to shell out for a storage facility. Whether it’s an outdoor facility or an insulated one indoors, the monthly fees can be significant. By the time the winter is over, you’ve probably spent several hundred dollars if not more.
With a teardrop trailer, you don’t even have to bother researching vehicle storage facilities. Your teardrop is small enough that not only can you fit it in your driveway, but you can probably squeeze it in your garage. You might have to take an afternoon and clean up in there, but once you make some room, your humble teardrop trailer will be safe from the cold and wind for the next several months.
Of course, if this is the route you take, we do advise you to go check on the trailer at least every week or so. Clean it up and keep it looking and running nicely. This way, once the winter is over, you’ll be ready for a spring road trip.
4. You Can Fit a Bed in There
From the outside, a teardrop trailer looks like it won’t be able to fit much. Once you climb aboard and see inside, you’ll be surprised. While the features in many teardrop models are bare-bones (more on this later), you do at least get a bed.
Is it a big bed? Sometimes. Do keep in mind that if you want a larger mattress, you’re losing out on other features or amenities. There’s only so much space inside a teardrop, and it has to be allocated somehow.
At night, once you’ve settled in at your campground or state park, you won’t have to sleep in a tent. You can enjoy a stable roof over your head and a comfortable bed in your teardrop trailer. That makes roughing it so much easier.
5. Teardrops Are Customizable
Do you have the perfect teardrop trailer in mind? You have it kitted out so it truly reflects your personality. Once you start browsing around online, though, you’re disappointed by what you see. None of the vehicles quite match what you had in your head.
If you want to customize any trailer, a teardrop is a pretty great blank canvas. Customization is easier than you think, too. You could try the Cozy Cruiser, which is a brand of custom-designed teardrops based in Eugene, Oregon. Aero Teardrops is also in Oregon and has made a big impact since coming onto the scene in 2015.
Don’t live in Oregon? No problem. Hiker Trailers is in Colorado, as is the aptly-named Colorado Teardrops. In Canada, a company called The Teardrop Trailer manufacturers custom versions of these vehicles as well.
Those are just some examples of many. If you want to custom-make your own teardrop trailer, the options are certainly out there. It may cost you more money versus buying a trailer as-is, but it’s worth it to achieve your dream.
6. They’re Cute, Too
Let’s be honest: teardrop trailers are pretty darn cute. They’re just so small and cozy-looking, not to mention that adorable shape they have. They can be colorful and vivid or rough and rugged depending on your tastes.
When you buy a vehicle like a trailer, looks certainly matter. With a teardrop, you definitely win in the looks department. That’s a pretty big benefit.
7. You Can Really Get Back to Nature
Do you wish you could put down the phone and shut down the computer for a while? You know, get back to nature a little? It seems so hard in our hustle-and-bustle, technologically-connected world, but it’s not impossible.
With a teardrop trailer, it becomes easier than ever to disconnect and take in the beauty of the world around us. These are no-frills vehicles that can inspire an equally no-frills lifestyle. When you sleep in a small teardrop and do most of your cooking outside, you really feel like you’re one with the great outdoors. That can be a truly amazing feeling.
Cons
1. For Some, Teardrop Trailers Are Too Tiny and Cramped
If you’re tall, you need lots of room to stand up and stretch your legs, right? You probably won’t find either in a teardrop trailer. The average height of teardrop trailers is five feet. If you’re any taller than that, you’re not going to be very comfortable in a teardrop.
You’ll always have to duck your head when you walk to avoid banging the ceiling. After a day or two, sometimes less, this puts strain on your neck and back. You’re then sore. Who can enjoy a camping trip like that?
Also, you’ll always be sitting with your knees and elbows kind of hitting against everything. It’s tough to get comfortable, whether you’re lounging in a dinette seat or trying to get some shuteye. That also detracts from the teardrop experience.
If you’re shorter than five feet, then yes, a teardrop isn’t so bad. Plenty of people might find them too small and too cramped, though, and those are valid concerns.
2. You Can’t Bring Many Passengers
Do you enjoy taking long camping excursions with a group of your best friends or your bigger family? If so, then a teardrop trailer more than likely won’t suit your needs.
Most teardrops are designed for two passengers max. Are there exceptions to that? Certainly, but those trailers are not super easy to find. Since these teardrops are bigger, they’re probably going to cost you more as well. With their length and weight, you might also have to reconsider the towing vehicle you choose, not to mention your wintertime storage options.
If you have a best friend or a spouse you love traveling with, then being a twosome isn’t the end of the world. However, if you’re a family man or woman with several kids, you might want to try a pop up camper instead. These vehicles can typically fit at least four passengers and aren’t too much more expensive than teardrop trailers.
3. Forget About Bathrooms
Nature calls for everyone at some point, but answering the call in your teardrop trailer isn’t always possible.
Most teardrops won’t have full bathrooms, so you’ll have to leave that luxury behind. Again, are there exceptions? Yes. Some trailers like the iCamp Elite and The Happier Camper do have bathrooms, it’s true. For many teardrop trailer manufacturers, though, the definition of a bathroom is a sink and a toilet. The iCamp Elite does have a shower, but you won’t find that often.
That means you’ll have to get creative about how you shower. Maybe you take advantage of the hygienic facilities at a national park or campground. Perhaps you hook up an outdoor shower and bathe that way. You’ll have to figure it out, because showering is definitely something you don’t want to skip doing if you’re camping for days. Remember, teardrops have quite close quarters.
4. You’ll Have to Get Used to Outdoor Cooking, Too
While you’re showering outdoors, you’ll be cooking out there as well. Again, not every single teardrop trailer on the market has outdoor kitchens, but the majority do. It comes down to a space issue. While you need kitchen amenities, these often cannot fit inside the tiny teardrop.
That means you can open a back door or compartment and do your cooking outside. Some teardrops even have overhangs so if the weather is less than sunny, you can still whip up a meal for a friend or loved one without getting rained on.
For some people, the idea of cooking outside may be exciting, and it really can be! Outdoor kitchen areas tend to have lighting as well so you can cook even if it’s dark or overcast. You should also get a sink so you can immediately wash your dishes before insects and critters start coming around.
5. You Can’t Bring Much
We also have to mention that you cannot bring a lot of gear with you if you plan on camping in a teardrop trailer. The storage compartments are often limited.
You might think you need lots of clothes when camping, but you’ll have to either cut back or get really good at folding your clothes until they’re compressed. Also, while there’s a ton of cargo and equipment you consider must-haves, again, you’ll have to be choosy.
After all, you don’t want to interrupt the weight distribution of the teardrop. Since these are more fragile vehicles, overloading one corner with a heavier load can tip the balance. This puts you at risk of losing your teardrop from its hitch once you start driving.
If that doesn’t happen, your trailer could sway and hit other vehicles. Sure, teardrops don’t look like much, but when they come slamming into another car, they can do plenty of damage.
Getting used to minimalist packing isn’t such a bad thing. If you go on vacations with your family or business trips for work, you can get away with bringing maybe just a bag or two. That’s quite handy.
Having limited storage space might be a dealbreaker for you. In that case, we recommend looking into a bigger teardrop trailer. If that still doesn’t do it for you, then you might want to buy another trailer like a pop up camper.
Should You Get a Teardrop Trailer?
Okay, I’ve covered all our pros and cons for teardrop trailer ownership. Now we’ve arrived at the big question:
should you buy a teardrop?
That’s an answer only you can come to. I think teardrop trailers are great, dependable, adorable, fun little vehicles. They’re certainly not for everyone, and there are obvious cons to having one. You can’t bring a lot of people or cargo, and you have to do a lot of basic tasks outside because of space constraints.
If those issues don’t really bother you, then I would advise you to try renting a teardrop trailer. This way, you can experience firsthand what living in one is like. If you don’t enjoy the experience, then you know not to buy one. If you have a blast renting a teardrop, then make the move and get your own!
Conclusion
Teardrop trailers are small vehicles that get their name from their signature teardrop shape. They sometimes don’t even break the 1,000-pound mark. For their compact size, their price tag is often just as small.
You can tow a teardrop trailer with almost any vehicle, which is a plus. You can also fit the trailer in your garage when you’re not using it. However, the small size is not great if you have a big family. Leaving certain members of the family at home is out of the question.
If you’re tall, you might find it hard to maneuver around a teardrop without bumping your head. There’s also the matter that some teardrops only have toilets. Most of the time, you’ll have to shower outside, not to mention cook out there, too.
Now that you have a comprehensive list of the pros and cons of owning a teardrop trailer, you can decide if you want one.
Please share your thoughts and leave a comment below!
