Anyone who has ever owned (or used) a teardrop
trailer can tell you that the most often asked questions are:
"What is it?" "Is it for your dogs?" "Is it for
your camping gear? It's too small for anything else!"
If you are someone who has been asked these
questions, you already know! If you are someone who is asking the
same or similar questions, here's your answer ...!
In the most general terms, a teardrop trailer is a
comfortable, convenient, and compact CAMPING TRAILER! Most often, it
has a streamlined "teardrop" shape, especially the original types
from the '30s, '40s, and early '50s. There is room for two people to
sleep comfortably inside. And there is an area for cooking outside
under the rear "hatch" or "galley lid"
A typical teardrop is 4' wide, 4' high, and 8'-10'
long. Some are as big as 6-1/2' wide, 5' high, and nearly 12' long.
Most have the wheels & tires outside the body covered by fenders,
while larger types often have them inside the body.
(This image appears courtesy of Craig Dorsey at www.vintage-vacations.com, via George Thorton III.)
To the best of our knowledge (and our research is
FAR from complete), teardrop trailers as we know them first appeared
in the very early 1930s. From then until about 1975, someone
somewhere around the world was producing and marketing these little
gems to varying degrees of success. Plans to build you own were also
available from several "do-it-yourself" magazines of the time. The
teardrops popularity skyrocketed in the years after World War II,
partly as a result of the returning GI's wanderlust, and partly due
to the improved roads and cars of the day. They were, and are, a
convenient and economic way to get out and experience the beautiful
and wonderful countries we all live in.
Teardrop trailers are NOT an exclusively American
phenomenon! We have seen examples from Canada, England, Australia,
and Germany, to name just a few. And we fully expect to uncover
models from other countries, as well.
What can TOW a teardrop?
Just about anything! Jeeps, Corvettes, family
mini-vans, classic cars, pickups, Mercedes-Benz, Geo Metros, hot
rods, Harley-Davidsons and Honda Goldwings only scratch the surface
of available choices. The only real question is: "What have you
got?"
Stay tuned as we bring you more information, and
SHOW you the possibilities!
