A teardrop trailer, also known as a teardrop camper trailer, is a streamlined, [1] compact, lightweight [2] caravan, which gets its name from its teardrop profile. They usually only have sleeping space for two adults and often have a basic kitchen in the rear. [3]
Teardrop trailers first became popular in the 1930s, when magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated published DIY construction plans. The first teardrop designs incorporated standard 4 by 8 feet (1.22 by 2.44 m) sheets of plywood with hardwood spars. Teardrop trailers remained popular until the mid-1960s, after which they disappeared from mainstream camping. However, in the late 1990s, plans became available on the Internet and in recent years teardrop trailers have made a resurgence and are again growing in popularity.
A teardrop trailer is generally small, ranging from 4 feet (1.22 m) to 6 feet (1.83 m) in width and 8 feet (2.44 m) to 10 feet (3.05 m) in length. They are usually 4 feet (1.22 m) to 5 feet (1.52 m) in height. Wheels and tires are usually outside the body and are covered by fenders. Since teardrop trailers are so light, usually less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg), just about any car can tow one and fuel consumption is minimally affected.
There is room inside a teardrop trailer for two people to sleep, as well as storage for clothes and other items. Outside, in the rear under a hatch, there is usually a galley for cooking. Teardrop trailers tend to have lighting and other electrical power supplied by a storage battery, although some have mains power hookups like regular travel trailers.
Teardrop trailers are featured in California's Gold Episode 6001 with Huell Howser. [4]
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located 32 miles (51 km) west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet (291 m). The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.1 square miles (39.1 km2).
Weaverville is a census-designated place and the county seat of Trinity County, California, United States. Its population is 3,667 as of the 2020 census, up from 3,600 from the 2010 census.
Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping. The usage differs between British English and American English.
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent. It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.
Huell Burnley Howser was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing California's Gold and his human interest show Visiting... with Huell Howser, produced by KCET in Los Angeles for California PBS stations. The archive of his video chronicles offers an enhanced understanding of the history, culture, and people of California. He also voiced the Backson in Winnie the Pooh (2011).
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. Named after California Governor Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr., the over 400-mile (640 km) aqueduct is the principal feature of the California State Water Project.
A campervan, also referred to as a camper, caravanette, motorhome or RV in North America, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term describes vans that have been fitted out, whereas a motorhome is one with a coachbuilt body.
A trailer is an unpowered vehicle towed by a powered vehicle. It is commonly used for the transport of goods and materials.
A motorhome is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels.
A camper shell is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck or coupe utility accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, but sometimes wood or canvas, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. It usually covers the entire bed of the pickup truck, and is large enough to be used for camping purposes, thus making the vehicle an RV. The top of the camper shell is usually even with or above the top of the truck cab. Even though use for camping may have been its initial purpose, it now seems most often to be used for utility and storage purposes – particularly the protection of cargo from the elements and theft.
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army post in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuvers and live fire exercises are performed. It is roughly 25 miles northwest of Camp Roberts, California.
The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper was a conversion of the Volkswagen Type 2, and then, the Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), sold from the early 1950s to 2003. Volkswagen subcontracted the modifications to the company Westfalia-Werke in Rheda-Wiedenbrück.
Hollywood Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Hollywood Hills, situated in the Santa Monica Mountains and north of the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The reservoir and surrounding neighborhood lie east of the Hollywood Freeway and are overlooked, from a distance, by the Hollywood Sign.
Santa Barbara's Moreton Bay Fig Tree located in Santa Barbara, California is believed to be the largest Ficus macrophylla in the United States.
A trailer sailer is a type of sailboat that has been designed to be easily transported using a boat trailer towed by an automobile. They are generally larger than a sailing dinghy. Trailer sailers include day sailers and small cabin cruisers, suitable for living on.
Whitewater is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California. It is directly off Interstate 10 halfway between North Palm Springs and Cabazon on the way from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. It is known as the site of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm. The ZIP Code is 92282, and the community is inside area code 760. The population was 859 at the 2010 census. The elevation is 1,575 feet (480 m).
The Volkswagen California is a campervan based on the mid-sized Transporter panel van, developed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) and sold since 2003. It is the first campervan designed and built in-house by VWCV Special Business Unit, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
A pop-up camper is a type of towed recreational vehicle that can be collapsed for easy storage and transport. When set up, this type of trailer provides a large amount of interior space when compared to its size when collapsed. Its relatively affordable price makes it a popular choice for some RVers and its small size contributes to easier towing than many other types of RVs.
An off-road trailer is designed to be towed behind a 4x4 or off-road vehicle to remote places not possible with a standard utility trailer. Most off-road trailers are associated with Overlanding, the self-reliant exploration of remote locales where the journey is as important as the destination.