/r/TeardropTrailers
A Reddit devoted to Teardrop Trailers and Tiny Campervans, it's the open road for us!
Welcome to /r/TeardropTrailers
A community to discuss and celebrate the classic Teardrop Trailer/Camper design.
Planning, building, using, buying or just plain admiring their wonderful sleek shape, this sub-Reddit is about everything and anything about Teardrop Trailers.
We hope you enjoy your stay, feel free to post links and join the discussion.
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/r/TeardropTrailers
39,225 Subscribers
2013 Little Guy Silver Shadow
Hey Everybody, Little Guy Owner from Asheville, NC. Working on rehabbing my 2013 Little Guy which was totaled by my insurance company, in May 2024, after a vicious hail storm. The damage is really all cosmetic to the roof. Replacing the main trim down each side of the top, the led tail lights which had segments which weren't working fully. I'm also looking to find internal lights which aren't quite as bright. Any suggestions on the recessed ceiling light replacement?
We are both older and our main issue with the trailer is trying to get dressed inside the trailer. We will probably get a changing tent to supplement the 8' x 8' canopy that we use over the kitchen of the trailer.
I'm also looking for a way to provide inexpensive awnings over both trailer doors, with enough coverage to keep shoes dry outside and sit in the opened sheltered door, to put on said shoes. Planning on going with two golf umbrellas and an umbrella mount over both doors. I've found a gray golf umbrella that should give great coverage. It has a fiberglass shaft, so it should be possible to cut the shaft down to a reasonable height and get a twist look to secure the umbrella shaft. Has anyone fabbed anything similar? Don't want any huge, bulky, expensive awnings. Any suggestions welcomed!
Avoid, hail, hurricanes, and volcanoes! Happy trailering!
18:50 UTC
Any good guides on installing a basic electrical system
Not looking for anything too nuanced, just wanted to use my jackery to power some lighting and a fan. Does anyone know any good guides or examples? I think I know enough to DIY it but I am especially interested in making the simple set up look good and professional!
01:41 UTC
Nobo 10.7 Beast Mode vs Luna Rover Off Road
I’m narrowing choices on a teardrop type trailer. I have RTT with annex room I’ll be using with whatever I buy. I want to use this for overlanding including going off road. Nothing too serious though. Mainly forest service roads and national forests. My tow vehicle is a 4 door Jeep Wrangler. I analyze everything before I buy, I’m just totally new to teardrops. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks!
17:07 UTC
20k
I have about 20k to spend on a teardrop. I have a 2017 Jeep Wrangler JKU. I would love something that can at least do forest service road etc. I will consider new or used. I also plan on putting my RTT on top of it. What do you guys recommend?
18:14 UTC
How do solar panels hold up to hail?
I'm still doing research on what model I want and when I want to buy (think I've got it narrowed down pretty well), but I'm still in the process.
I've always wondered how well the roof-mounted solar panels hold up to hail. I realize that large hail is probably going to do damage, but what about smaller hail? If you're out somewhere remote and can't get the panels covered in time for a storm, will there definitely be damage? I mean, I figure they can handle up to small marble size or so, but not sure. Thanks in advance!
03:55 UTC
Plywood or Styrofoam under poor man's fiberglass?
I am planning to build a camping trailer. Kind of like a teardrop, but taller. I'm very interested in the "poor man's fiberglass" technique of covering with canvas and then coating with glue and paint.
My question is, is it better to use foam or plywood under the canvas? I feel like plywood would be easier for me to work with and would be stronger. But also heavier (not a huge concern). Is plywood likely to change shape over time due to humidity?
Foam is obviously better for temperature control but I am not going to be camping in cold weather and in hot weather I can run AC if needed.
Any other reasons to choose one over the other?
18:04 UTC
In the RoadToad teardrops, how exactly will I power the fan?
Link to the electrical options: https://roadtoadcampers.com/electrical.htm
I’ll get the MaxxAir Deluxe Fan.
I know the fan itself won’t work without adding a power source. I’m just wondering how to connect it. Will it have a plug I can connect to, say, a Jackery? Or wires that need to be installed and attached to a true battery? Or is it already attached to a switch somewhere in the camper, in which case I still don’t understand the best way to get it to a power source.
08:31 UTC
Has anyone tried spraying truck bed liner on foamular instead of wood glue for PMF?
I'm sure it's been covered, but what would happen if you just use rhino liner in a few coats rather than painters tarp and wood glue? I did a quick search but it's just not returning anything useful. It would seem that there has to be some kind of material that is harder and stronger than wood glue and canvas while also being more user friendly for quicker application.
01:41 UTC
Experimental Foamie Build - thoughts?
A few pics of my almost complete experimental foamie build. It's made from a Foamular shell, all 2" thick except for the side walls which are 1-1/2". I started using rabbets and dados for strength and alignment when gluing up the sheets. Covered inside and outside with PMF, Tite-bond 2 and 5+ coats of paint. Roof is reinforced with a pine "I" beam for strength, easily holds my 170 lbs when sitting on top. Since pictures were taken, I've moved the axle back 8" to put more weight on the tongue. It's a little better balanced and a little easier to back up now. 100W solar panel and a 30 Ah battery is good enough for 3 to 4 days lights and Maxfan. It's got a built in cooler, keeps ice frozen for 3 days plus. Some finish and cosmetic work to do over the winter. Dry weight is ~840 lbs, tongue weight ~100 lbs. Could be towed with something as small as a Crosstrek or similar. Starting on a Mark II and will offer this one for sale in the spring of 25.
16:12 UTC
Wall-mounted heater?
Any reason not to or considerations before I install a wall-mounted heater in my teardrop?
Something like this.
Edit:
I’ll be working parts of the year out of the trailer and hooked up to shore power. so I want something somewhat permanent.
18:02 UTC
Foamie Build Progress
We've been working on our foamie for months, and we finally painted and got the door on tonight. Not completely finished yet, but we are about 95% of the way there. But we're too excited not to show it off!
06:40 UTC
Boondocks door seal
The door seals on my Boondocks keep curling up on the inside, exposing the inside of the cutout for the door. It's unsightly and annoying and the techs at the dealership just keep telling me to use a heat gun and it will lay right down, which of course it never does. Is anyone else experiencing this and if so, have you been able to fix it or replace it?
23:00 UTC
Exterior Maintenance
On most, if not all, hard sided RV’s you need to reseal vents,etc. on the exterior every few years. Same with popup campers, reseal edge pieces.
Do teardrop campers need this? I really like teardrops like the camp-inn models.
22:45 UTC
Substitute for the ClimateRight CR5000ACH, currently not available?
I was recommended the ClimateRight CR5000ACH to add to a CLC Teardrop, which is quite small and rounded so there's not any good place to attach an external 5000 BTU A/C unit. The ducted CR5000ACH is the perfect solution in this situation, as it can be placed in the tongue box (it's smaller than a typical 5000 BTU unit as well). Unfortunately, it's been discontinued, apparently a while back. I can't find anything similar available today. You'd think that someone would have stepped into that gap by now.
Anyone found a suitable A/C solution for this scenario?
17:14 UTC
Another chance? Further from my last post is this a better bet to buy?
Is this a safer bet for a conversion?
Apparently there is no deep rust, just some surface rust.
Thanks All!
17:08 UTC
Looking to purchase a basic, pre/owned teardrop.
Don’t need all the bells and whistles. Any advice on where to look online? Thank you
02:27 UTC
Really Happy with the Roam 270 Awning
19:13 UTC
Anyone have recomendations for 12v heaters?
Quick question for anyone with experience, I want a heater that I can turn on in the morning to help warm up and dehumidify my trailer, I'm on the oregon coast, it gets a little swampy inside.
Does anyone have some reccomendations on heaters? There's a lot of little 150 watt 12 volt car defrosters that migth work but none of them have particularly good reviews, but the inside of my trailer is smaller than a car by a lot so they may work just fine.
I'm wanting to keep the total wattage under 300.
Any experience?
17:54 UTC
So I am planning for cross country trip in a few months, this is going to my first long trip with a camper. Any suggestions on what emergency supplies to get.
So far I have a full size spare for my car and camper, first aid kit, fire blanket, fire extinguisher and emergency road lights (Really just the standard emergency stuff). I’m thinking about a better jack, portable air pump and some tire patch kits. So any advice for trailer specific items would be greatly appreciated.
23:35 UTC
Aluminum Frame Like inTech Flyer Chase
I went and looked at the inTech Flyer Chase after seeing the post by u/Psychological_Fee548 posted. I really like what I saw. I want to also look at some other aluminum frame off-road type trailers. Any suggestions on others to look at?
20:14 UTC
Best 4-season teardrop for family of 4
In search of a teardrop that will fit 2 adults and 2 kids, fit for 4-season use (plan to use it for skiing). Don’t need toilet/shower, bells and whistles, or tons of space. Outdoor kitchen would be nice. There are so many models out there it’s tough to know what direction to go in. Thanks for your recommendations!
12:40 UTC
Best teardrop trailer for $20K or less?
Hey everyone,
I'm in the market for a teardrop trailer and could use some advice. My budget is $20k or less, and I'm looking for something lightweight (around 1500 pounds or under) but still spacious enough for two people to sleep comfortably.
I've been doing a lot of research and checking out brands like TC Teardrops, Runaway Campers, Timberleaf, and Droplet, but there are so many options, and it's getting a bit overwhelming.
Anyone here have recommendations? Or are there other companies I should look into? Also, any tips on what to watch out for when buying a teardrop trailer would be super helpful.
Thanks in advance!
19:23 UTC
Anyone installed a rear view camera on their rear drop? I’ve looked at few and think I’m going to go with Furrion, and any advice would be appreciated.
07:34 UTC
Epoxy layers
So my dad (who still has an old Nokia and doesn't know how to geeksearch things) built this teardrop trailer. He is planning to get some extra layers of epoxy on the outside since the first three are clearly not enough. Has anyone of you some experience with how exactly he should do this? How many layers do you recommend?
06:58 UTC
