Teardrop pendant
A teardrop trailer (in the United States and Canada teardrop trailer , in Australia teardrop camper trailer ) is a light, small teardrop caravan which takes its name from English teardrop for tear derived. These trailers offer no standing height, only sleeping space for two adults and usually have a simple outdoor kitchen under the tailgate.
history
Teardrop pendants became popular in the United States in the 1930s when magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated published plans to build them yourself. The earliest teardrop designs used the standard size 4 × 8 foot plywood sheet. Teardrop trailers were very common in North America until the mid-1960s, when they gradually disappeared from campsites. In the mid-1990s, the old plans reappeared on the Internet, many Americans built trailers for their vintage or small cars, and since the turn of the millennium, more and more commercial providers have been offering ready-made teardrop trailers.
construction
A teardrop pendant is typically four to four feet wide, six to four feet long, and six to five feet high. The cabin lies deep between the external wheels, which are covered by fenders, often in a vintage look. Because the weight is usually less than 500 kg, almost every car can legally pull these trailers and the additional fuel consumption is low. Small teardrops are even suitable as motorcycle trailers , for which there are no width restrictions in the USA.
For self-construction projects , the chassis is usually a simple hardware store trailer with a rigid axle and leaf springs , the structure is often built from plywood or aluminum panels on a wooden or aluminum frame. A small door on one side and a window opposite complete the simple concept.
Inside there is space for two people to sleep and above the space for the feet there is also storage space for clothes and camping equipment . At the rear is the outdoor kitchen with a cooker, cool box and cupboards under a tailgate. The battery for light and other electricity consumers is also housed there. Like normal caravans, some teardrop trailers also have a connection to the normal electricity network of the campsite .
distribution
Some owners of teardrop trailers take part in organized camping meetings , so-called gatherings , and with the renaissance of teardrop trailers in the USA, campers and do-it- yourselfers around the world are rediscovering the benefits of simple camping life.
See also
literature
- Bob Ashley: Nostalgia makes a comeback In: RVBusiness , No. 3, June 2008, pp. 28–32, 47 ( PDF; 9.22 MB ; English).
- Douglas Keister: Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. Gibbs Smith Pub, Newburyport 2008, ISBN 978-142-360-274-3 (English).
Web links
- Teardrop Campers - Sources for self build projects and teardrop providers. American overview on campingearth.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- Build Journals - Build blogs in the American Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailer Forum . Retrieved June 5, 2015.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Hi Sibley: Trailer For Two. In: Mechanix Illustrated , September 1947, pp. 112–117 (PDF; 1 MB) ( Memento from September 23, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ RVBusiness , No. 3, June 2008, p. 28
- ^ Douglas Keister: Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. Gibbs Smith Pub, 2008, pp. 9-13.
- ↑ George P. Blumberg .: Teardrops of Joy for Campers Who Don't Mind Small Spaces. (Tears of joy for campers with modest space requirements), in: The New York Times , August 16, 2002.