larger than average teardrop... but cool looking

 

I got a good trailer maker to tell you about, in Oklahoma

 https://www.mikesprettygoodcampers.com/

learn about it at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0Gi9Q7G6NeLNZfvJxhfGjpxG28XrWeZZB8GQi6P9GvmVAUJAnyn4GzSHA8JzE2FcDl&id=61563102572119 

Sergio, an experienced upholsterer in La Habra, made this cool VW Bug Teardrop trailer to pull behind a VW Van

https://vintagecampertrailers.com/california-dreamin-vw-teardrop-style/

steampunk teardrop

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-most-beautiful-teardrop-camper-i-ve-seen-is-covered-in-copper-and-has-suicide-doors-236205.html#

1961 VW and 1958 Serro Scotty

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/1961-volkswagen-bus-and-1958-serro-scotty-camper-combo-is-deliciously-vintage-182521.html#

Have you ever heard of a “foamie” trailer? I haven’t, but Thomas Burick built one and tows it with, of all things, a 1962 Vespa scooter.

 

Building the trailer started with the design – and Burick searched for what he would classify as the perfect design. His search stopped when he came across a 1947 Cabin Car trailer. That was an all-wood design that was crafted by one of the many companies who found the need for their manufacturing capability changed after World War II. They shifted from making aircraft-related products to making things for civilians, and Cabin Car was a small teardrop trailer for civilians.

The trailer’s light weight is a product of how it’s built. Like all RVs, the foundation is the place to start and the one under this foamie is all aluminum. The welded aluminum chassis was put together by another friend and incorporates 13” tires on a solid axle. These are significantly larger than the 8″ tires that the Vespa is shod with.

From there the sidewalls and roof are all cut from 1″-thick block foam, which is a material many RVers may already be familiar with. Many smooth-sided RVs are a product of a welded “cage” with block foam between the ribs.

But the foamie is only block foam, no ribs. Well, not many. More on that later.

The sidewalls and roof are mounted in place and then a layer of canvas is literally glued on top of the foam with “tight bond” glue. At this point you use a warm iron to seal and help dry the layer.

Once the glue dries, the canvas layer becomes rigid and is then painted with waterproof latex paint.

This glue and canvas layer is referred to as “poor man’s fiberglass.” It was around before actual fiberglass, but isn’t tremendously different in concept. In fact, many early trailers used processes similar to this for their skins.

“You would be surprised how much structural rigidity canvas and paint add to the build.”

Thomas Burick has always wanted to build a travel trailer, and now he has. He enjoys pulling it around at speeds up to 40 miles per hour with the collectible 1962 Vespa scooter.

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-review-vespa-foamie-trailer-1032b/

A design for an expandable teardrop that is planned to be in production if investors join up.

 

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/rv2035-proposes-a-teardrop-trailer-that-explodes-into-a-full-size-rv-170789.html#

interesting strange design for the the trailer, I wonder if it's a slide apart longitudinally design?

Imagine a 2 part trailer that slides for a much longer camping experience, but retracts for a much better driving experience!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/676841185784386/permalink/1953569508111541/

Cool teardrop, well equipped for road trips

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/b-bops-laid-off-make-the-most-of-it-solo-road-trip.1020556/page-11

Check out this homebuilt Teardrop... they used a droptank for the trailer fenders! Pulled by a '47 Buick Special (thanks Steve!)

https://vintage-trailer.tumblr.com/image/190789131145

Wow, thanks Barry! I've never seen a hot rod and tear drop posing with a tornado before! Damn!

  

a couple innovative things I came across at El Mirage today

What can you say, the use of old tractor tires as fenders? Beats using them as lawn planters for flowers

using a adjustable aluminum crutch for adjustable height is clever

Coffee and Donuts video of the day, father to son 1953 Willys and Kenskill teardrop

https://www.oldtrailer.com/vintage-teardrop-tent-trailer-pictures.html

nice woody and teardrop

Teardrop history

The March/April, 1939 issue of Popular Homecraft ran a story and plans for a teardrop trailer designed and built by Louis Rogers of Pasadena, California in the 1930's for his honeymoon coach.
https://td.roughwheelers.com/articles_and_plans/Pop_Mech_1940/index.html  for the entire article and prints

 This teardrop slept two and had the raise-up deck lid for the rear kitchenette with ice box and stove. A curtain-enclosed dressing room outside the starboard entry door provided privacy while dressing.

 The February, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics ran a story and plans for an egg-shaped teardrop trailer. It was built on a 1924 Chevrolet Superior front axle with disk wheels from a 1930 Chevrolet. The floor was of tongue-and-groove oak over a spruce chassis. The exterior was 1/8" pressed board sealed with varnish. This 9'x5'9-1/2" floor plan featured a pressurized water tank with running water to a sink, a stove and ice box in the rear kitchenette. The cabin provided standing room beside the double bed for dressing, a small clothes closet, a chemical toilet and a single entry door on the starboard side.

 Then in October of 1945, Kit Manufacturing Co. came along and began selling them

http://haw-creek.com/trailer-for-two/

Teardrops made from WW2 bomber aluminum, with wheels from Jeeps salvaged from sunken ships. True WW2 worker ingenuity

notice the above and below have different fenders

this one seems very original.

the way the owner explained it, the builder started in his garage, getting the parts together to make teardrops, from whatever  he could scrounge up cheap, and so not all his teardrops were made identical. Some have different fenders for example, like these two. 

The Kit Manufacturing company started in 1945 in Long Beach, California as a manufacturer of teardrop campers that were sold in kit form or as complete units. Kit teardrops have one of the classic teardrop shapes that people quickly recognize.

In October of 1945, C.W."Bill" Worman and Dan Pocapalia, co-workers at Vultee Aircraft in Norwalk during the war, formed Kit Manufacturing Co. in an abandoned fruit stand on Telegraph Road in Norwalk, California

 They had no orders yet, but their plan was to produce the cute little aluminum-clad trailers in knocked-down form to be assembled by the purchaser.

With a dream and 60 Fulton trailer hitches. They soon learned that the public wanted a completed trailer, not a kit. They decided to manufacture complete units and redesigned the earlier plans for easier assembly with less waste of materials.

After the war, material had to be obtained from surplus markets. The chassis was made of 2"x1" steel U channel, when it could be found, and from 1-1/2" round tube steel tube otherwise. Wheels were from Jeeps salvaged from sunken ships. Many had bullet holes in them which were welded up. Exterior skin was aircraft grade aluminum.

 The first public KIT Trailer showing was at Gilmore Stadium in L.A. February 1946. They took 12 completed units to the show and booked 500 firm orders at a dealer cost of $500. Some dealers paid in advance, many offered to pay a bonus to get early delivery.

The 4'x8' "Kit Kamper" TearDrop Trailer was destined to win the hearts of Americans... and a place in history.

 Later that year KIT Mfg. offered several options and Standard or Super Deluxe version. Options for example were a second door and fiberglass (a new technology) fenders, a 10 gallon water tank, chrome yoke and other cosmetics, including a stove with a Manchester butane bottle.

Sales were going crazy. Over 1,000 units were backlogged and by July, Kit was operating two shifts and turning out 40 trailers a day. A total of 4,500 Kit Kampers were produced in 1946 and 1947. Success demanded change and in January of 1948 Kit went into production of a more conventional 8'x14' "coach" with demand far exceeding production capability. The "Kit Kamper" teardrop assembly line was ended.

If you have one and want to upgrade the tires and rims: spindle upgrades by Big Tex trailers, 15” wheels are then easy, and so are radial tires.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/KNOBI-Knoblauch-International-394846383932721/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1106750976075588

Others are out there, but not in great shape. Some are cheap though, like this one for 1200 https://barnfinds.com/47-kit-mfg-co-teardrop-project/

There are many different shapes and styles of teardrop camping trailers, some are not even really a teardrop shape but the basics remain the same. A cozy compartment for sleeping and an outside kitchen, usually under a lift up hatch in the back. There were many volume manufacturers including Kit, Ken-Skill, Modernistic, Benroy, Kampmaster, Tourette, Scad-A-Bout among others. Several designs were sold as kits as well as factory assembled models. Some designs were also manufactured by more than one company. For instance the Benroy was later sold under the King Richard name and the Modernistic evolved into the Modernaire and Cub.

http://www.nicksteardrop.com/photos.htm

1948 Packard woody station wagon and matching teardrop trailer

https://silodrome.com/packard-eight-station-sedan-teardrop-camper/

A teardrop with 190 SL fenders and back bumper, pulled by a 190, very cool. This immaculately restored 1959 190SL has every available factory option – and tows its own matching teardrop trailer

This particular 1959 Mercedes 190SL was once all but forgotten – left to the elements and certain death – until a passionate owner and a talented restorer joined forces.

After a painstaking 12-month restoration that included the engine, leather, paint, chrome and tires, the finished product still wasn’t complete. After the basic restoration team finished, the search continued for as many factory, dealer, and aftermarket options available for this car some 50-plus years ago that could be found. Many of the options are almost undetectable, such as the Alboy spare gas tank and engine-bay work light or tool kit.

Others are more noticeable – and just as appealing; the matching five-piece leather luggage set, leather upholstery with contrasting piping, shortwave radio, wicker picnic set with original Mercedes-Benz 1950s’ glasses and tableware, front fog lights, and a trailer hitch. Each individual element is rarely found on most 190 survivors today, but they are perfect complements to the marque. It’s a marvel to see all of them on one example.

But the addition of these options was not enough. With that trailer hitch lacking an attachment, the owner thought, “Why not completely drive that 1950s’ message home and add a matching vintage-era teardrop trailer to the package?”

Starting with a basic reproduction of said era teardrop trailer designs from MiniTears of California – and adding some body panels, fenders and a few other details from the Mercedes-Benz spare parts bin – after about six months with 190SL restorer Bruce Adams in North Carolina, a custom-made one-off Mercedes-Benz teardrop trailer was created.

The 190SL has been equipped with every possible factory accessory listed in the factory catalog, including Spare Parts Box, picnic basket, fuel container, first-aid box, fire extinguisher, automatic antenna, short-wave receiver and spot lamp.

The trailer was built on special order by MiniTears  www.minitears.com of Lakeland, California

As completed, the 190SL and Teardrop combo took Best of Show at Germanfest XXVII in 2013 and has been featured in multipage spreads in Classic Mercedes-Benz magazine and the Mercedes-Benz Club of America's publication The Star.

https://www.mbca.org/star-article/march-april-2014/restored-190sl-and-teardrop-trailer

https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/23513/lot/58/1959-mercedes-benz-190sl-with-matching-mini-tears-teardrop-trailer-chassis-no-121-040-10-014685-engine-no-121-912-10-014809/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1357701941361757&set=a.616343417298362

fully ready for camping adventure teardrop

https://www.flickr.com/photos/punktoad/albums/72157626691244205/page11

A bit unusual for a teardrop trailer, someone liked the shape, but thought they'd rather stand up inside

it's in the Wisconsin auto museum http://carzhunt.blogspot.com/2016/03/six-days-on-road-day-3-part-2.html