Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardrop?

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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby mtbikernate » Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:04 am

stevef22 wrote:Thanks for all the info and considerations.  :D

The budget of 8K is before upgrades. Looks like used market is the way to go. Considering any new models have a waiting time. 
What are some good used base models to be on look out for? Im searching CL and FB marketplace.... 

The Bean ( Fiberglass teardrop ) looks like a great teardrop and really well built, but finding a used one at 8k is hard. Base model is 22k yikes. 
https://beantrailer.com/build-trailer/

Im located in San Antonio Texas, any builders out this way?

Thanks for your help.


The used market isn't going to be much of an improvement over new prices because of the aforementioned wait times for a build.

You absolutely won't be buying one in good condition, used, for more than 50% off MSRP. Maybe 80% of MSRP. If you're lucky. Teardrops aren't as bad as a lot of cars these days (I could take my 2019 Ranger to Carmax right now and sell it for more than I paid for it), but they hold their value really well. Even before the pandemic, values were pretty durable because they were growing in popularity (especially offroad capable ones) and all the good manufacturers had huge waits.

Also, I think you're not quite looking in the right spots. The general FB marketplace sucks. I know Hiker (the brand I own) has a used trailer buy/sell group on Facebook. They're desirable enough that people join that group and they wait for a used one that suits them to pop up. Some get into bidding wars and sell for more than original asking price. I expect that other manufacturers have a similar specific used marketplace for their trailers.
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby stevef22 » Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:02 pm

mtbikernate wrote:
stevef22 wrote:Thanks for all the info and considerations.  :D

The budget of 8K is before upgrades. Looks like used market is the way to go. Considering any new models have a waiting time. 
What are some good used base models to be on look out for? Im searching CL and FB marketplace.... 

The Bean ( Fiberglass teardrop ) looks like a great teardrop and really well built, but finding a used one at 8k is hard. Base model is 22k yikes. 
https://beantrailer.com/build-trailer/

Im located in San Antonio Texas, any builders out this way?

Thanks for your help.


The used market isn't going to be much of an improvement over new prices because of the aforementioned wait times for a build.

You absolutely won't be buying one in good condition, used, for more than 50% off MSRP. Maybe 80% of MSRP. If you're lucky. Teardrops aren't as bad as a lot of cars these days (I could take my 2019 Ranger to Carmax right now and sell it for more than I paid for it), but they hold their value really well. Even before the pandemic, values were pretty durable because they were growing in popularity (especially offroad capable ones) and all the good manufacturers had huge waits.

Also, I think you're not quite looking in the right spots. The general FB marketplace sucks. I know Hiker (the brand I own) has a used trailer buy/sell group on Facebook. They're desirable enough that people join that group and they wait for a used one that suits them to pop up. Some get into bidding wars and sell for more than original asking price. I expect that other manufacturers have a similar specific used marketplace for their trailers.


Thank you, I joined 3-4 fb groups as well. Asking around. So Hiker is your fav teardrop manufacture?
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby gudmund » Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:43 pm

if Hiker trailers looks interesting - you may also take a look at Sherpa Trailers (http://www.sherpatrailers.com) -trouble is, they are located just a bit even further away from Texas than Hiker, they are located NW of Hiker's Colorado location in Libby, Montana.... I have been to their shop and their trailer build reminds me alot of Hiker's and they also seem to be very open for working with their customers in building what is wanted. Their "Urban Street Yeti" model starts at $9300 with their "Offroad Bigfoot" starting at $9900. One thing they were very adamant in telling me was that they try to have "built in stock" trailers in their inventory on hand available......( :thinking: they may have info on used ones :thinking:)
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby stevef22 » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:32 pm

gudmund wrote:if Hiker trailers looks interesting - you may also take a look at Sherpa Trailers (http://www.sherpatrailers.com) -trouble is, they are located just a bit even further away from Texas than Hiker, they are located NW of Hiker's Colorado location in Libby, Montana.... I have been to their shop and their trailer build reminds me alot of Hiker's and they also seem to be very open for working with their customers in building what is wanted. Their "Urban Street Yeti" model starts at $9300 with their "Offroad Bigfoot" starting at $9900. One thing they were very adamant in telling me was that they try to have "built in stock" trailers in their inventory on hand available......( :thinking: they may have info on used ones :thinking:)


:beer: Cheers, thanks for the info! I will reach out to them.
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby mtbikernate » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:58 pm

stevef22 wrote:Thank you, I joined 3-4 fb groups as well. Asking around. So Hiker is your fav teardrop manufacture?


I'm not sure I'd say it's my favorite. It's what I own, and what I'm able to reference with some knowledge. Proximity to where it was built was a big deal when I bought it. I lived about 20min away from their Indiana facility when I bought it.

So was build time. I wanted a TC Teardrop back then, but the long build time was a killer. I got my Hiker in about 4mo, just before they got super popular. And of course tiny campers in general have become a lot more popular, and there are many more new manufacturers since I bought mine.

I've made a number of modifications to mine, and I continue to fiddle with it and tweak it to my needs. Currently carving up the cabinetry to install some hatches to give me better access to the storage space.
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby gudmund » Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:44 am

someone's 'quote' from here on the forum (just I hope I can do it justice) ......."?? is it done, yet ? - surly you jest...A teardrop is NEVER done !!!......" :thumbsup: and Yes, I find this to be so true!!! am always thinking about, finding/planning ways to improve on - change - just make it "more cool"!!!! It has so far, been such a -great- retirement 'hobby' project for me - that "never" seems to end = and I don't want it too............ being I enjoy it so much!!!! For so many years, when seeing a teardrop on the road somewhere, I would say to myself = I need to check one of them out being they look so cool. Finally, I did it in 2012 and am now wishing I had done it years and years ago!!!! :) Take care
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby gudmund » Fri Feb 18, 2022 11:56 pm

this may have already been mentioned, but another idea would be to contact - example - say Hiker trailer and find out if they "rent" trailers and if they do?... find out what they do with them after so many rentals?? do they sell them as used ones???...............
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Re: Need your advice help on new purchase. Best value teardr

Postby Mikel46516 » Sun Mar 13, 2022 4:22 pm

I would seriously consider one of these as a blank canvas to add to and modify. Not junk. https://roadtoadcampers.com/index.htm
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