Custom, small shop versus Assembly line

[kVox42]

With the help of some great people - like the ones on this forum - and by doing some research as I've had time, I've gradually educated myself (at least somewhat) about small trailers, teardrop and otherwise. Since I intend to take a VERY extended road trip that will involve lots of volunteer work, and since my trailer will serve as "home base" for 6 months to a year, it's an extremely important purchase. I have done enough homework now to have arrived at a fundamental question and I would love to get the take from some seasoned, well educated, experienced trailer owners, designers and builders.

The issue is ... deciding whether to purchase something built by an individual/small company ... OR ... get a more mass-produced unit? In the teardrop world it looks to me like Little Guy (which also builds the T@G, the T@B and the Silver Shadow lines), is probably the most broadly marketed brand(s). I think they have many nice design features and there are some things I really like about them. But are they well built, durable and solid? Is the quality of materials acceptable or better? How about the level of craftsmanship? The fit & finish? Etc? As I've discovered, this is particularly important for the Little Guy company since it has apparently changed hands multiple times over the past few years. That could be a good sign. That could be a really bad sign. I've done a fair amount of looking but can't find many honest, unbiased, thoughtful, technically detailed reviews of them. And you can't ask the dealers who sell them; they want to make a sale.

They do have some positives:iIn general they're usually less expensive (although not always), and you don't have a lengthy waiting period if you "custom order" one. However, I have seen some red flags in the few reviews I've seen of Little Guy Built trailers. On the downside, they ARE just "cranking them out ... and could be cutting corners to keep their profit margin up.

The pros for getting a "hand built" unit from a small shop? Hopefully, there's more attention to detail and the quality of materials and workmanship are better (although not always). They're also more customizable. The down side: they're usually more $$$, in some cases by a LOT, and there are some really long turn-around times.

At any rate, I'd love to hear some experienced people weigh in.

Kevin
Raleigh, NC

[halfdome, Danny]

From what I've noticed we seem to only hear of the negative reviews of some producers of teardrops.
To me a company that gets sold more than once may have lost the original mission.
Overall, Camp Inn seems to have few, if any negative reviews, and if I was looking for a mass produced teardrop ( I made my own) they would be a consideration.
I'm not fond of the Good Humor ice cream truck type cabinet storage lids in the galley, would seem difficult to access while preparing a meal.
The stove seems too far back for my lower back.
http://highcamptrailers.com/ looks like a nicely built teardrop and a member of this board.
Both use birch plywood throughout and you may or may not like that look.
Personally I like hardwoods and easy to maintain plastic laminate (weather resistant too) which may be available in your region by a small builder.
You didn't mention what features you're looking for or your price point.
Good luck in your search.
Danny

[deleted]

Hi Kevin,

Your 6 months living full-time from your teardrop is something I just went through a year ago.

With hindsight I can say I'm very glad I went the (yes, more expensive) custom built route. At the time I had no idea I would ever be using my trailer for more than overnight stays. Instead there have been only a handful of trips that were overnight and many more that were much longer.

The pros of being able to customize to suit your needs can't be overstated. For me it was being able to have far more storage where I needed it as well as extra features like more than one exterior light (for safety), having the 12 volt and 110 built in, with an already placed wire running to my fuse panel for a solar panel (and mounting brackets on the roof) if I decide to add one at a later date. The windows are large enough to be used for emergency egress if ever needed, and being able to have my battery fit in the interior-access-only tongue box to help deter thieves from stealing it have all made using the trailer less stressful knowing features like this are covered.

Even the interior height of the trailer was made to fit my height comfortably so that not only can I sit up and stretch out, I can even do stretching exercises (full leg extensions, not planned but turns out I can) as well as use my Thetford porta potty as needed when no public toilets were available or it was too late at night for me to feel safe to leave the trailer to use them.

Also, depending on the climate you'll be staying in to have good insulation will make a huge difference in your enjoyment of your personal space. I've heard about trailers that are covered in interior condensation (windows, walls, bedding soaks it up) in cold weather. In some climates this isn't a concern, in others it will be a major inconvenience to not have the needed insulation and ventilation to keep condensation at a minimum. This was something I didn't realize the significance of until I started using my own trailer and was glad to have good insulation on a few high 20 and low 30 degree nights even in the summertime in certain areas.

[mikerueve]

I went with a custom builder and couldn't be happier with my decision. He worked with me every step of the way from design to finished product to be sure I was getting exactly what I wanted. He's a small
builder located in the Atlanta area. Bobby Morgan of Teddybear Teardrops. He used to have a web site, but I think that someone "squatted" on it and he no longer has it. I know you can find them on Facebook.

I felt his price was very reasonable, his build quality was outstanding, and the fact that I spent so much time conversing with him throughout the build helped me build a relationship with him to the point that
I don't ever hesitate to just pick up the phone and call him.

We took the teardrop cross-country last year on Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica and then back to Birmingham. All in all, we put over 8000 miles on it in a little less than 8 months and a few thousand more so far this
year with zero issues.
It's water-tight when it rains, tracks well when towing, and exactly what we were hoping for when we started looking at teardrops.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss any of this further.

[RudyS2MT]

We went with "Cozy Cruiser" out of Eugene OR 2 years ago and could not be more satisfied!

I met with them in June 2013 to go over details. 6 weeks later I picked up the trailer. I did take it back to them last Spring for a few details but we love it. It's very well made. And it will serve us for many, many years!

I think many of the smaller builders will give you the same service.

Happy camping! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Rudy in Helena, MT

[kVox42]

THANK YOU for the input and advice, (and if anyone else is up for sharing they're take and experience, I'd love to hear it. I'd build my own but I'm not confident enough in my skills to do that.

One of the hurdles I seem to running into is finding a small, quality builder near Raleigh, NC. There's a guy & his son who are about 2+ hours from me building some teardrops. I've made the drive, but I wasn't impressed with the quality or the amenities. They were very basic. To be fair they were also much cheaper. There's also a builder in Roanoke (anybody heard of Silver Tears?), but they've only built 2 or 3. I've made the trip up there as well (3+ hours each way) and the quality is definitely better ... but so far they don't seem terribly responsive or motivated. That's giving me pause. I'm afraid I might get something in the pipeline (assuming I can afford it) and it'll just keep sliding down the calendar, which has been the pattern just trying to get an idea of what they could build and what it would cost.

For some reason there seem to be pockets around the country where teardrops are built - but unfortunately for me - they're all 5 or more states away: California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, etc. I guess my ideal would be to find someone within a reasonable traveling distance from me (meaning 5 hours or less), who has built multiple trailers; I'm operating under the theory that when you build anything you learn as you go; tricks of the trade if you will. And it would be nice if they'd be open to some level of customization ... and were reasonably responsive :-) I have looked into Camp Inn. They have a good reputation and it sounds like they build a good product, but they're not inexpensive, their turnaround time is 6 months+, and they're located in Wisconsin. That combination of factors doesn't fit my needs real well.

I feel like I'm almost being "forced" to consider an assembly line product (like a Little Guy or similar), if for no other reason than I can at least see what I'd be getting, they're affordable, and I could get something within a reasonable time frame. They do have some design elements and amenities that seem like good ideas for an extended road trip.

Among my personal criteria:
- I need the weight to be around 1,000 lbs, preferably lower, (which eliminates a LOT of options immediately).
- reasonably good quality materials and workmanship. I'm not looking for a work of art (I can't afford it), but words like solid, stable, well designed, watertight, functional come to mind.
- Since I will be doing a little work on the road (VERY little thankfully), I would love to have a decent size video monitor since I'll be editing some video from my laptop.
- A very basic galley is OK, but having some items like a small stove & sink would be definite conveniences that would be nice to have.
- For the cabin: intelligent design so you maximize space and have as much storage space as you can get, good insulation, good ventilation and some source(s) of natural light. I see a lot of builds that are fine for what they are but they have no feeling or sense of interior space because there are no windows, skylights, or similar. I'm not at all claustrophobic but I know there will be days when conditions could keep me "in the house" for an entire day, maybe 2 ... or 3.

At any rate, thanks for the input so far. I'm continuing to look and if/when I track down a good option I'll certainly post the info here.

[Esteban]

Little Guy has an active and friendly Little Guy Forum that's well worth reading whether or not you decide to buy a teardrop from them. A wealth of good ideas are shared on their forum. Little Guy has many optional upgrades or customizations they can and will do...if you just know what to ask for to best meet your budget and needs. Their forum is a good place to learn what the best options are. It's a little like learning about a restaurants "secret menu."

BTW I do not own a Little Guy or work for them. I do read and participate in their forum.

[48Rob]

There's a guy & his son who are about 2+ hours from me building some teardrops. I've made the drive, but I wasn't impressed with the quality or the amenities. They were very basic. To be fair they were also much cheaper.

Being unimpressed with quality means you are ahead of the game. Cheaper isn't bad, but it is no excuse for poor quality.

Hold out for someone/company that impresses you. You are the customer, if you aren't impressed, they are not the one.

A thousand pounds and a kitchen with other amenities might be difficult (as you suggested)

I would not overlook the used market.
Very possible you can find either a factory built, or very well home built with the amenities and quality you need without having to order and wait.

Rob

[Java Jack]

The best thing you can do is check them out in person to see if it will meet your needs. I know for me, I went with CampInn because they had the best design, quality and fit/finish that met my needs but it was quite a bit more expensive than many of the other trailer options out there.

They are not for everyone and they are more expensive than other solutions out there. What did impress me about the CampInn was that they used marine grade plywood throughout (which is vastly different than standard plywood or press board) along with stainless steel in the galley and the fit/finish was the best I had seen on any trailer I was looking at. I know they will gladly put you in touch with someone local to you so you can see theirs in person as that is what we did.

I did look at the T@G at a local dealer and I was not really impressed. I did not like that they used press board materials or linoleum surfaces in the galley. We have all seen what happens to press board when it gets wet, it expands and then crumbles and this does not make sense to me for use in a galley where liquids are often present and therefore, ensuring everything is completely sealed is critical. For me, this is just not durable or long lasting, but it does allow for much lower costs which can be passed on to the customer. I don't mean to knock T@G, just pointing out what was important to me and why I ruled it off my list when making my choice.

Ultimiately the Raindrop shape of the CampInn is what pushed me over the edge as it was unique and more roomy than a traditional teardrop. While I am not sure I would full time for more than 6 months in a teardrop or not but admire those that do. You might look at something like a Scamp or something similar as they are light weight and might be more feature rich for a full time experience.

https://www.scamptrailers.com/