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

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!