For sale is my personal teardrop trailer. I had this trailer custom-built to my specifications by a teardrop builder with many years of experience. It is currently located in Spokane, WA.
This is a classic 1947 KIT-style teardrop. It was hand built in 2005, following the original 1947 KIT Manufacturing Co. design plans, but incorporating many improvements. Everything is high-quality and built to last: the teardrop was built on a brand-new Northern Tool heavy-duty trailer, it uses durable steel-belted radial tires instead of typical skinny trailer tires, the roof is insulated for your comfort, the entire body and doors are made of solid ¾” oak plywood with several layers of polyurethane coating to keep out the elements, and the galley lid features a hurricane hinge. This teardrop shows significant attention to detail.
As a custom-built trailer, this teardrop has been safety inspected by the Washington State Patrol and approved for use on roadways. The teardrop uses a standard 2" ball for towing and is wired for a round 6-pin connection to the tow vehicle. The teardrop is specially wired so that its battery will charge when towing, assuming you have a charge line installed from your tow vehicle's battery. This makes for easy camping at sites without electrical hookups, as you'll have enough battery power for several days of dry camping. You can also hook up the battery to a standard outlet, whether at home or at a campground, and the built-in trickle charger will charge your battery and provide all the power you need. The small round black cap on the utility box at the front of the trailer indicates the electrical connection point. There are 12-volt power plugs in both the cabin and the galley, so that you can connect or charge your electrical equipment (including, if you like, a 12-volt blender or coffee maker!) The trailer has been stored in a garage when not in use. The trailer has never been exposed to cigarette smoke.
Fully loaded with water, supplies, clothing, chairs, and everything else you would need for an excursion, this trailer weighs only 760 lbs. You can tow it with even a four-cylinder vehicle. We often towed it behind my wife's VW Beetle convertible with no issues whatsoever, even going up hills. You'll love how easy it is to tow--the trailer tracks well, and it's easy to see behind the trailer without using special mirrors. Basically, you'll hook up the trailer, toss your gear inside, and hit the road. When you arrive at your campsite, set-up takes less than five minutes. I love this trailer, and the only reason we're selling it is because we have a new addition to the family, and the three of us can't comfortably fit inside.
This trailer has lots of unique features that I specifically included for camping comfort:
The galley features a stainless-steel countertop and stainless steel sink with a battery-powered pump for the water faucet. It's great having a sink with running water, and the sink is deep enough to allow washing of pots and pans after cooking.
I've installed a propane stove and propane oven, each on sliding shelves. They tuck away nicely during travel, and pop out for easy access while cooking. You'll love the convenience. My wife and I really enjoyed having an oven while camping. We regularly baked corn bread, muffins, cakes, and even pizzas. Fun!
The teardrop uses standard green Coleman-style disposable propane canisters rather than a large (and ugly) refillable tank. If you ever were to run out of propane, just buy a replacement canister at any local grocery, rather than drive around looking for a propane refill station. Even better, I have the propane plumbing set up so that one Coleman tank powers both the stove and oven at the same time. The tank hides nicely out of view underneath the sink.
Dishwater drains directly from the bottom of the galley, into whatever container you choose, rather than into a disgusting greywater tank. We used a foldable plastic container that we could easily slide under the galley and empty when necessary. No need to deal with the smelly blackwater dump tanks at campgrounds.
I've installed marine-grade 12-volt lights in both the galley and cabin. Their glass-and-metal look nicely complements the aluminum exterior of the trailer, and they provide a great light source at night, especially when you're cooking in the dark.
The cabin includes small vanity shelves on either side of the bed. Perfect for holding a book, your car keys, a cell phone, or anything else you want accessible but out-of-the-way during the night.
I cut down a memory foam mattress topper to fit the exact dimensions of the custom-sized bed. Note that the bed measures 74.5 inches long by 46.5 inches wide. I made it this length so that I could accommodate the slide-out stove and oven in the galley. This trailer probably isn't a good choice for anybody over six feet tall.
There's a large wooden shelf above the foot of the bed. We have used it in the past to store clothing, toiletries, and supplies. We've set a DVD player on the shelf and watched movies on rainy days. And after we got our dog, we put his bed on the shelf and had him sleep there! This wouldn't work with a large dog, but if you have a small breed, it's fun to have your dog sleep on a shelf!
I've installed two fans in the cabin to ensure your comfort. Both are controlled by retro-style metal switches on either side of the cabin ceiling light. The first fan is from a computer CPU and is installed at the top of the cabin to pull warm air out of the cabin and draw cool, fresh air through the windows. The small vents on either side of the teardrop allow the warm air to vent out of the galley. The other fan is a standard-style fan that blows air across the bed to keep you cool on hot summer nights. My wife and I have camped in 100+ degree daytime temperatures and still slept well at night with the help of these two fans.
For fun, I've installed a digital thermometer in the cabin so you can see both interior and exterior temperatures.
The cabin interior has been finished with oak walls and trim on every surface. All walls and shelves have been varnished with several coats of polyurethane for durability and a nice-looking retro shine, much like the wooden boats of past decades. For full disclosure, the varnish scent can be noticeable if the trailer has been sitting closed in the hot sun for a number of hours, but a few minutes of open doors and fans are enough to clear the air. It doesn't bother my wife and me, but I know some people can be highly susceptible to scents.
The cabin features two large doors, each with retractable screened-in windows. Many teardrops have only one door, but the hassle of climbing over a partner to use the restroom at night made two doors a must-have for me. Each door has a keyed exterior lock, and is also lockable from the inside for your safety.
Also thinking about safety, the entire cabin is surrounded by solid ¾” oak plywood. When camping in bear country, you'll be happy to know there's something solid between you and the outdoors, unlike what you would find with screen walls on pop-up trailers.
Welded to the rear of the trailer undercarriage are two heavy-duty leveling jacks. These work great for keeping the trailer level and still, and they're easy to use.
There's a custom folding table that attaches to the side of the teardrop for extra counter space while camping. It's covered with aluminum to match the rest of the trailer, and it works great for keeping dishes or extra food accessible while cooking. When it's time to pack up, the table folds and stores safely on the bed in the teardrop cabin.
The front utility box is separated into three compartments. One houses the battery and trickle charger. Another holds a large plastic box; we stored our bug spray, sunblock, and other camping supplies in it. The last stores propane canisters. Note that there are vents at the bottom of the propane and battery sections to allow any vapors to escape--these vents face the cabin of the teardrop so they're invisible from the exterior.
All the photos I've taken show our gear, so that you can get an idea of how you might use the teardrop. Note that we'll be keeping most of these supplies (things like pennants, decorations, cookware, pillows, etc.) When you buy this teardrop trailer, you will get the trailer itself with all its permanent hardware, plus the water tank and pump, propane plumbing, stove, oven, battery, trickle charger, supply box, baskets, curtains, mattress, memory foam mattress topper, red blanket, and sheets and pillowcases. You'll have everything you need to start your adventure.
The trailer is sold as is with no warranty implied or given. However, I am the trailer's original and only owner and I know it is in excellent shape.
This has been a great trailer. It is so fun and gets lots of attention when camping. It is very quiet to sleep in, especially with the fans running to drown out any exterior noise. It pulls great and weighs so little that we can easily push it into its storage place by hand. It pulls like a dream behind our VW Beetle Convertible. Any small truck or car will pull it effortlessly. We have camped in high winds and strong rain and never had a problem. We're only giving it up because our family circumstances have changed.
Come pick it up and camp on the way home. Please ask if you have further questions. I've included all major dimensions below so that you can get a sense of the size of this trailer. Thanks for your interest.
Interested in purchasing? Send me a PM, call 509-720-8720, or visit http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221072063204.
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Dimensions:
Cabin and Galley Section: 96 inches long x 48 inches wide x 48.5 inches maximum height
Fenders: 11 inches wide each
Tongue: 38 inches long
Total Trailer Dimensions: 134 inches long x 70 inches wide x 60 inches maximum height (above roadway)
Storage Box at Front of Trailer: 13.5 inches long x 32.5 inches wide x 15.5 inches tall
Doors: 30 inches wide x 31 inches tall at corners
Windows: 17 inches wide x 12 inches tall
Bed: 74.5 inches long x 46.5 inches wide
Cabin: 74.5 inches long x 46.5 inches wide x 38.5 inches maximum height
In-Cabin Shelf: 46.5 inches wide x 12 inches long x 12.5 inches minimum height (should you want to build/install cabinets someday)
Folding Table: 18 inches wide x 29 inches long
Cooking Counter: 46.5 inches wide x 21 inches long
Sink: 13 inches wide x 10.75 inches long x 6 inches deep
Clearance: 9.5 inches between roadway and bottom of trailer (may vary slightly depending on tow vehicle hitch height)
