Buy A New Teardrop Trailer For Half Price By Supporting This Kickstarter Campaign

Kent Breckenridge is a guy who loves teardrop trailers.

So much in fact, that all he wants to do is build them full time. We found him on Kickstarter, trying to raise money to bring his business to the next level. Because we’ve been in the market for a groovy teardrop trailer we decided to support Kent and buy the teardrop trailer that he’s currently building for the campaign. We’re excited to drive around the country with an American made trailer that supports an ambitious craftsman like Kent.

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We got in touch with Kent and asked him a few questions about teardrop trailers, and how he get started building them.

50CF: How did you get started building tear drop trailers?

Kent: I kept seeing these tiny trailers pulled behind cars and trucks, but had no clue what they were. A friend of mine told me that they were called teardrop campers and a lot of people were into this kind of camping. I started looking around on the internet and saw all sorts of teardrop campers ranging from very simple to the elaborate.

My wife and I hammock camp and when she saw the photos if these little teardrop campers she said “We have to try this out…we need one!”  This is when I started trying to find one for sale and found that they could be pretty pricey depending upon where you buy one. One day I stumbled across some plans for a vintage style teardrop and decided that I could build one myself.

I had a lot of fun building the teardrop and realized that it had been years since I had really taken on a project like this and remembered how much it helped me to relax doing woodworking.  People loved the work I produced and I decided that I could build these for others since I was getting several requests. This is the main reason for my Kickstarter campaign…to raise funds to buy better tools and if I could raise enough money I wanted to hire someone to work with me.  We live in an area where there are lots of great people that need jobs and I am hoping that I help create a job for at least one person in my community. I believe in serving the community and when you have an opportunity…”You pay it forward.”

50CF: What are some advantages of tear drop trailers vs. RV’s?

Kent: The main advantage is that they are small and can go almost anywhere. Some people are completely self contained and do not need electricity or are running on solar and battery banks for their lights, ventilation fans, etc.

Teardrops are light and can be moved around very easily.

They are super cool looking…who doesn’t smile or stop and look at one of these tiny campers when they have a chance?

Teardrops are very customizable, people can design them any way they want and put anything in them….the possibilities are endless.

50CF: What size automobile do I need to tow a tear drop trailer?

Kent: Teardrops were designed in the very beginning to be pulled by cars and at the time most of these cars were only cranking out 100 horsepower.  Keeping true to this sort of design, my teardrops weigh roughly 800 lbs and can be pulled with any car or truck so long as they have a standard hitch installed.  The trailer base I use weighs 270 lbs and the camper unit weighs another 510 lbs on average.  The weight on the trailer tongue is about 36 lbs, and that is without extra gear stored on the outside of the teardrop on the trailer frame.

50CF: What kind of regular maintenance is required in owning a tear drop trailer?

Kent: This is one of the best things about teardrops. Just keep them cleaned on the inside and out. Make sure you keep your battery bank charged if you have one. Some people have small water storage tanks, make sure you keep them flushed and clean.  I would also suggest that you park it in a covered area to keep the direct sunlight off of it for extended periods of time or buy a cover for it.  UV radiation can bleach most items and you want your teardrop to look its best for a long time.

50CF: What is the best thing about owning a tear drop trailer?

Kent: Owning a teardrop opens countless camping opportunities that otherwise would be off limits in another type of RV. You can pull this right up in a secluded place in the woods with very little room needed.  My favorite thing is…meeting new people, they always stop and ask you about your teardrop. It’s fun to meet people and see their excitement when you show them your teardrop.

So there you have it campers – if you’re still reading this, you’re thinking about getting a teardrop trailer too. This is your opportunity to get a new one for about half the price of the leading manufacturers out there – $3000. Oh the adventures you’ll have!