Tiny Trailers/Teardrops

[D Fresh]

Forrest River Rpod, 20 ' and 3,900lbs or so. Not glamorous but has all the amenities. About 12,000 miles so far and getting ready to retires and put more miles...

And cost less than a lot of these tear drops!

Those R Pods are nice looking. I don't need anything glamorous either. And unlike the perception that some appear to have, I'm certainly not looking to spend all day inside. But I'm also not looking to spend $15-$20k for a hard sided tent on wheels. My old ground tent works perfectly fine as a place to sleep, and it's paid for.

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[JACKSMYDOG]

So much going on in this thread, wow.

I've been tenting my whole life. Lots of years with 50+ nights in a tent, lots of 20+ night solo trips in a canoe and tent. Everything I need I carry or process on route.

Car camping is a huge upgrade having better chairs, cooking gear and various other amenities that are too big heavy to carry in my pack.

I like the idea of a trailer, but IMO to be worthwhile it has to offer things a tent doesn't. For me, the must haves are:

- enough height to stand and walk around comfortably
- dinette table and seating
- queen size bed, separate from the dinette table
- toilet (shower optional)
- 2 burner cooking (fridge optional)

I don't need tv or entertainment systems, heat, AC, or a generator. I do not want pop-outs or anything else that is going to break or wear out. Pop-up tent trailers offer many of these things, but additional set-up time and limited storage in transport counter those benefits.

A tear drop or off-road trailer with kitchen on the outside, no toilet, and no sit down table is just a hard wall tent, that requires allot of work to tow, park when not needed, store and maintain, with little benefit over a regular tent/camp set-up IMO.

I did venture into RTT this year, because I found an instant set-up option which also allows some bedding and thin storage when closed. Previous to this, I find most fold-out, or semi-pop-ups, take as long or longer to set-up than my ground tents, and are a PITA to enter exit, especially with dogs. I'll be mounting my RTT sideways across the box, and using the tailgate, and tonneau cover to climb in, which the dogs can also do, and the ladder can stay at home (may have a fold out step for the dogs if needed).

I know lots of people like their compact trailers, and I'm not suggesting they are wrong or made bad decisions. There are lots of people who do not want to sleep on the ground, and finding idela tent areas is not always easy. Rain and wet ground can also be problematic. Teardrops give them an easy option, and clean dry beds are a wonderful thing. There are also other benefits of storage, etc, but just not enough of the right perks for me.

 

[Msfitoy]

Does this qualify as tiny? I get about 15mpg @55mph.

I had a larger version of this type called a Casita...loved it...regretted selling it everyday...

 

[OFC Ranger]

That's essentially the same argument people use for a lot of things. Why did you buy a Ranger when you could get an F-150 for cheaper? Why does anyone buy a Ferrari when a Golf GTI is cheaper? It's all about purpose. Size isn't everything. A teardrop fits our needs perfectly, so I'm willing to pay a bit more to get exactly what I want. And so are a lot of other people.

This is what we call a logical fallacy.

In your first example, the price difference would be due to upscaling of features, but but both products provide the same basic features. Two/Four seats, a motor, an engine, ability to tow, etc etc. Also the price difference between a bare bottom F-150 and a bare bottom Ranger are negligible.

Your tear drop midget trailer will never have a bathroom, never be able to be stood in (unless you have a fancy top expanding model), and never have any of the other features of a small sized travel trailer.

Your second example is just grasping at straws and making an asinine comparison and does not warrant an explanation.

 

[mtbikernate]

This is what we call a logical fallacy.

And comparing built-to-order teardrops from small manufacturers with mass-produced Jaycos isn't?

 

[OFC Ranger]

And comparing built-to-order teardrops from small manufacturers with mass-produced Jaycos isn't?

At the end of the day is this the core of your argument? Hand-made?

I can hand-make something. That doesn't mean its worth anything beyond what I can convince someone it is worth.

My opinion is not based on if something is hand-made or not.

With that said, your money do what you want.

 

[mtbikernate]

At the end of the day is this the core of your argument? Hand-made?

better quality, sturdier materials and assembly that's not rushed are, since it appears you haven't gotten the point already, even though several others appear to have.

 

[OFC Ranger]

better quality, sturdier materials and assembly that's not rushed are, since it appears you haven't gotten the point already, even though several others appear to have.

I'll go outside to my shop and hand make a 6" x 6" x 6" wooden box with some scrap construction grade lumber, sand it, stain it, and coat it.

I'll give a 100% lifetime guarantee as long as you don't throw it against a wall it will never break down and fail.

$5,000.

You can keep thinking I don't get it, but that is because you believe my opinion has any basis in something hand made, or if something is constructed with the rare tears of a baby. My opinion is based on diminishing returns in relation to cost verse features, but do go on.

Edit: Let me break it down in the most juvenile way possible. I think gucci tear drop trailers are stupid rip-off. There is nothing you can say to make me think they are not stupid rip-off. Surely you have not gotten this far in life to realize opinions are like assholes? I see you have the chrome package on your Ranger, so I know you've been around this earth longer than me.

 

[Big Blue]

Forrest River Rpod, 20 ' and 3,900lbs or so. Not glamorous but has all the amenities. About 12,000 miles so far and getting ready to retires and put more miles...

And cost less than a lot of these tear drops!

Looks alot like mine. This is our campsite this week. Enjoy your retirement, I am mine.

 

[WOADKIL]

Looks alot like mine. This is our campsite this week. Enjoy your retirement, I am mine.

Nice looking rig and camp spot Big Blue! we spend most time outside and cook on my coleman on the picnic table unless it is wicked outside, but nites are nice on the bed, and older bladders love the wet bath, especially on the road!

Enjoy!

 

[mtbikernate]

I'll go outside to my shop and hand make a 6" x 6" x 6" wooden box with some scrap construction grade lumber, sand it, stain it, and coat it.

I'll give a 100% lifetime guarantee as long as you don't throw it against a wall it will never break down and fail.

$5,000.

You can keep thinking I don't get it, but that is because you believe my opinion has any basis in something hand made, or if something is constructed with the rare tears of a baby. My opinion is based on diminishing returns in relation to cost verse features, but do go on.

Edit: Let me break it down in the most juvenile way possible. I think gucci tear drop trailers are stupid rip-off. There is nothing you can say to make me think they are not stupid rip-off. Surely you have not gotten this far in life to realize opinions are like assholes? I see you have the chrome package on your Ranger, so I know you've been around this earth longer than me.

I see you like making assumptions of your own. particularly about my age. the ranger I bought was on the lot and it had a decent deal. I wouldn't have chosen all of the chrome on it, but that's what this particular truck had. so that's what I wound up with.

I also don't think you've got a particularly realistic idea about the quality of the typical teardrop trailer versus the quality of the typical mass-produced travel trailer.

Why don't you do yourself a little thought project? Look at what would be involved in building a teardrop with fairly common features. You clearly have the skills to do the actual work, so you could do the research yourself. Give yourself an estimate of how many man-hours it'd take you to do the build (as well as what you'd call your "shop rate"), and report back on whether the price you come up with is competitive with what one of the popular manufacturers charges.

 

[Big Blue]

Nice looking rig and camp spot Big Blue! we spend most time outside and cook on my coleman on the picnic table unless it is wicked outside, but nites are nice on the bed, and older bladders love the wet bath, especially on the road!

Enjoy!

Ours has the pull out stove and sink in the front pass through so we use that for cooking. Don’t like frying inside the camper, smell it for ever. Can relate to the older bladder. Used it more than once in Texas where some of the waysides are little more than wide spots in the road. Also works well when spending the night in truck stops.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I see you like making assumptions of your own. particularly about my age. the ranger I bought was on the lot and it had a decent deal. I wouldn't have chosen all of the chrome on it, but that's what this particular truck had. so that's what I wound up with.

I also don't think you've got a particularly realistic idea about the quality of the typical teardrop trailer versus the quality of the typical mass-produced travel trailer.

Why don't you do yourself a little thought project? Look at what would be involved in building a teardrop with fairly common features. You clearly have the skills to do the actual work, so you could do the research yourself. Give yourself an estimate of how many man-hours it'd take you to do the build (as well as what you'd call your "shop rate"), and report back on whether the price you come up with is competitive with what one of the popular manufacturers charges.

And if I do what do I win? You don't know me very well. Hee hee

 

[txquailguy]

I will probably buy a tear drop or similar camper in the next few years. I appreciate this thread with the link to all the used setups. With inflation, these manufacturer's have really jacked up prices. I know a used trailer is the way to go. We lived in a 42' 5th Wheel for a couple of years (2016-2018) and we are very tuned into the ways of the RV life. For us to have a no frills way to sleep and have the built in galley is awesome! We are simple folks that like to customize things to our liking, so I'm sure we will thrive with one of these things. I have a small chemical, portable toilet and I plan to get one of those shower/bathroom/changing room triangle tents to set next to the camper when in use. Now for the typical weekend road trip to anywhere, just being able to pull in a parking lot and crash for the night will be epic! I'm thinking of all those hotels nights I'll be saving money on.....
We'll be gone every warm weather weekend once we get hooked up with one of these things......

BTW...one of my requirements for having a camper is no storage. I refuse to pay for RV storage or any other kind of storage, it's a rip-off. So, that is why I am so interested in these tiny campers. It will fit in my garage.....

 

[adisidoro5]

What you guys need is a Tiffin Motorhome instead of these tiny trailers. Why go camping when you could go glamping?

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