Yesterday afternoon Eric and I came across several DIY teardrop trailers and now I’m hooked. They are tiny trailers built for two that can be towed using any vehicle.
Teardrop trailers gained popularity in North-America during the 1930s. After the Great Depression and World War Two, the economy recovered, soldiers were home and people were looking to go on vacation with their families. This coincided with the development of America’s highway and road systems which made travel by car easier than it ever had been in the past.
Teardrop trailers were appealing during this period for the same reasons they are today. They are economical and they don’t require can be towed by any vehicle. If you had a family car, you could tow a teardrop. Tear drop trailers were also popular with old school DIYers who found plans to build their own trailers in publications like Popular Mechanics.
Looking at vintage teardrop trailers you will notice that they often have a certain regimental or utilitarian aesthetic. This related to the leftover, salvaged and surplus materials from the war that were often used to build these campers.
As the 1950s passed by, the popularity of teardrop campers began to dwindle. By this time, people were looking for campers that were bigger, more modern and sophisticated.
If you are fascinated by the smart and minimalist design of the teardrop camper and are interested in making your own Want to make your own, check out these plans for a Teardrop Trailer from Make.
11 comments :
this is so true, but the today trailers are more matched to this time.
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so coooooool!
thanks for the historic knowledge and wonderful pics that makes me wonders of how was life so long ago!
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do these come with an AC? I really like the style and the fact that reuse materials from the war.
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Kristen Reply:
July 15th, 2011 at 9:46 am
Hey Ella: I think they are often bare bones sans AC… I suppose you could add AC if you made your own!
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This trailer is so cute! wish I could have one
I love this old picture, really cool one!
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Interesting, never really thought about this before. the trailers were very useful in the past. Maybe today they are not so useful but they seems so cool!
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This is so cool
and the plans looks so easy with the step by step plan…
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My dad has one but he now wishes he had something with a toilet…
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today alot of people returning or looking for the retro this tiniwini beautiful teardrop naby can return
beautiful picture
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Very cool. My wife and I found a 1975 Trillium camper on eBay a few years ago. Only 13′ long and very light. We love it.
Many have copied the design. Check out:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com
@stevencpotter
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Kristen Reply:
August 25th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Hi Steven: that sounds really cool! My husband and I often troll kijiji for old trailers! Thanks for stopping by!
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