Category Archives: Jim

A Little Teardrop History

Jim:

TearDrop Trailers go way back and I started with some articles from old magazines. If you’re thinking of building one yourself, be sure to build it for modern highway speeds. Some of these vintage projects don’t look sturdy enough to me! But I was looking for a small trailer that my Mazda could tow.

An online search provided articles on teardrop trailers and their origins, plans and ideas.

Trailer for two Mechanix Illustrated, September, 1947  (pdf)
Luxury Trailers create a new army of “Modern Gypsies” Popular Science Monthly, April, 1936

Teardrop Trail plan

Mechanix Illustrated Trailer for Two — September, 1947

We met our good friends, Kyoko and Paul for a day of trailer shopping. They were also interested in small trailers. As we planned the day, Marilyn remembered a lot on the interstate frontage road that had teardrop trailers. Princess Craft RV was our first stop that day.

One small hand-made trailer caught our eyes. It was a custom-built trailer with many unique details like tile trim in the galley. Marilyn liked it right away, but we decided it was too expensive. Later that day we visited a lot with large RVs. As we looked around we were convinced we really wanted our very own teardrop. After the weekend exploration, we kept searching online and talking – Finally I decided that I wanted to build the trailer. The guys down the road who rebuild vintage cars would help. We looked at utility trailers at Tractor Supply as a base and continued to search the Internet for plans with the perfect combinations of comfort and style.

Why a Teardrop?

Camping is fun, but the days of tent camping are probably over for us. Setting up, coupled with sleeping on hard ground and dealing with weather argue for something more substantial and convenient. An RV would be nice, but who wants to invest a small fortune? With the recent purchase of a fuel efficient crossover vehicle, a Mazda CX-5, a lightweight camping trailer seemed perfect.

A Teardrop Trailer

A Teardrop Trailer

What to get though? Most camping trailers are large, heavy and expensive. A trip to the RV store revealed another option though — a teardrop trailer. A little research on the Internet (try: teardrop trailer) reveals a long tradition with the little trailers. They first started appearing after the First World War as folks began to have vehicles that could tow. The next several decades saw many clever do-it-yourself plans published in magazines like Popular Mechanics. Some of the early designs were very clever. They often used salvage auto parts and readily available building materials as a way of keeping the cost down.

Teardrop Trail starts with Jim and Marilyn’s first, excellent adventure!

The Cast of Characters

Every production begins with a cast of characters.

Marilyn: I got degrees in painting and drawing as well as art history but have done quite a few things. I have lived in some amazing places – Vail, Northern New Mexico and Hershey, Pennsylvania before moving back to Texas. I can trace My roots to Steven F. Austin and as they say around these parts, I got back as soon as I could.

Jim: I grew up in the Midwest and have travelled extensively in the Western United States. I’ve called the Hill Country in Texas home for nearly two decades now, and enjoy the country life. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the States.

We both enjoy food, wine, gardening and the quirkier aspects of life including the Teardrop Trail.

Jim & Marilyn in Park City

Jim & Marilyn at the Bistro 412 in Park City, Utah