Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello All,

To use an incredibly overused phrase, I've been "lurking" for a while now, enjoying the forum. I've gotten bit by the teardrop bug.

I'm looking for some help in identifying the following trailer. Is this a vintage benroy or king richard? The seller isn't terribly well versed in teardrop history, and cannot tell me much more than the fact that he thinks it is a 1959 model.












I know the pictures are pretty rough... I have some better ones, but they are not on the web, rather saved on my machine, and I do not know how to post them.

Any guesses what this is worth??

Thanks! Jason

You may want to PM Gage. He's an encyclopedia of teardrop history.

Jason, you have a PM waiting for you.

aggie79 wrote:You may want to PM Gage. He's an encyclopedia of teardrop history.

No not really. Being retired, I'm able to spend more time researching, plus you might say I grew up around teardrops. Thank you for the confidence.

Gage wrote: plus you might say I grew up around teardrops. Thank you for the confidence

Hey Gage....I think you have a pic somewhere in you vast album of photos to back this one up, don'cha?.....Doug

You mean this one?

If the aluminum skins are original, then it is probably a bona fide Benroy or an early King Richard (probably no later than late-'56 or early '57) ... later KRs had "messa'd" skins and several even had the the diamond-quilted side skins ... only the Benroys and early KRs had the smooth skins.

The trailer has been modified ... in the galley, in the interior, the roof-rack of course, and the tongue, so it can't be valued as an absolute "original". It's kind of tough to estimate value based on just those few pics (really should see it in person, and give it a very thorough once-over), but depending on where in the country the trailer is located, I'm going give it a ball-park guestimate of $1K to $2K ... and could be more, even less, depending on the overall condition.

Definitely worth picking up and fixing up, though ... ...!

CHEERS!

Grant

Hey Everybody,

Thanks for the info. I'm growing optimistic about this teardrop! Unfortunately, the trailer is an approx. 4 hour drive from me so I am trying to learn as much as I can about it by email/the web. When I go to look at it I need to be ready to buy it on the spot.

Jason

Just figured out how to post better quality pictures in my posts... Does anyone have any additional thought on this teardrop??

















Thanks for everyone's help! Jason

Jason!

At least three things are bothering me about this trailer:

1) the galley lid looks like it is "sagging" and may have had some issue 'round the hinge attach area in the past ... check this out very carefully! It can be fixed, but that usually entails a complete new lid/hatch construction!

2) that spot above the passenger side door ... if it is "localized" and just under that peeling paint, there might be enough surrounding wood to hold a patch ... if that rot has spread, the only fix is a whole new wall ... ...! Doable, mind you, but for that kind of work, you wouldn't want to have to pay more than maybe $750 for the rig, IMHO

3) the propane bottle under that galley counter ... really bad idea! It needs to be in a vented box, or better yet, out on the tongue where it belongs (easy enough fix!).

Take an ice-pick with you when you go to look at the trailer ... gently push it into the wood all along the bottom of the walls from inside the cabin and under the cabinets ... if the wood is soft & the pick penetrates it easily, turn around & leave (or really start chiseling the price down, if you feel like taking on that kind of project!). Look it all over carefully to be sure you know what you are getting into ... and don't be afraid to just walk away if it doesn't feel right (there'll be another one come 'round soon enough ... ...!).

Good luck, and ...

CHEERS!

Grant