The teardrop camper trend

4 April, 2023 By: Brendan Batty

Teardrops are the ‘pocket rockets’ of campers and their popularity continues to grow, including among DIYers who are building their own.

They’re cute, compact and are an interesting mobile extension of the current tiny accommodation holiday trend. But teardrop campers are far from a new thing.

They are believed to have emerged from Los Angeles in the 1930s, according to RV historian Andrew Woodmansey and were likely to have provided cheap accommodation for those who were travelling around trying to find work during the Great Depression.

It's hard to say precisely when they started being built and used in Australia, but The Melbourne Age was advertising some second-hand Sportsman Caravanettes in 1939, which were built in southeast Melbourne.

It is uncertain who first coined the term teardrop, but one of the earliest advertisements from a 1936 American magazine advertised plans for a “tear-drop shaped sleeper”. It's a shape that's almost certainly mimicking the 'aerodynamic fleetness' of automobile designs from the early 1930s, and potentially aircraft design of the 1920s.

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Small teardrop campers surfaced again in the 1950s, predominantly marketed as inexpensive, easy-to-tow campers. They were often homebuilt from plans found in magazines in addition to being bought from professional builders. This continued through to the 1960s until more powerful cars enabled larger caravans to be towed more easily, and alternative options, like camper trailers, gained popularity.

Teardrop campers on the rise again

Interest in teardrops resurged in the 1990s, starting most likely in California but fanning out worldwide as travellers recognised the convenience and capability of smaller campers, and the nostalgia and fun of these iconic trailers.

American woodworker and artist Matt Berger, author of the book The Handmade Teardrop Camper, told us, "A recent resurgence in teardrop trailers is a culmination of several trends - camping, DIY, tiny homes and vanlife - and it's introduced premium trailers with equally premium prices."

Josh McLernon, a former timber boat-builder (who helped build the HMB Endeavour replica), co-founded Cool Beans Campers in Fremantle and is one of the only Western Australian teardrop manufacturers.

He said that there were only a few other manufacturers when they began building them, but the concept has become much more popular. "The whole teardrop movement has come forward since then," he says.

From his point of view, that's because teardrops are so easy to use. They are light, don't need any unfolding or popping and can be ready to roll in as long as it takes to load in some food, clothes and toys.

"We do a lot of mountain biking, and so we can load up on a Friday afternoon, head an hour south to Dwellingup from Perth, have a great night under the stars before an early bike ride in the morning, then be home before the weekend's really started, without any real effort on our part."

Matt Berger is of the same mind. "The appeal of a teardrop trailer verses a campervan or tent is its mobility and autonomy. I love that I can keep all our camping gear stored in the trailer and hook it up to the family minivan in less than 15 minutes and be out on the road to our destination. At the campsite, we still have our vehicle to get around without disrupting the campsite."

Teardrop campers today

Modern teardrop manufacturers appear keen to play on the nostalgia and retro-styling of the '50s and '60s. The teardrop shape and profile, rear kitchen under a hatch and interior space dominated by the bed typifies the modern teardrop campers. Bright exterior colours are common. But that's often where the similarity with traditional teardrop campers stops.

Although their popularity has boomed in line with the popularity of camping and caravanning in Australia, it is harder to say it's now the 'inexpensive' or 'budget' entry to the pastime that it once was. Where a teardrop might have maxed out at half the cost of an average caravan in the 1950s, today, teardrops are closer to the price of an entry-level caravan.

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Andrew Woodmansey thinks there are a few reasons for that. "Australia is not able to make RVs cheaply because of high labour costs. Most new RV buyers will buy based on 'bling', so that's what the manufacturers give them. The cheap teardrops used to be self-made, but nobody has the time or the skills to make them anymore".

McLernon of Cool Beans somewhat agrees. "People are asking for everything that big caravans have, but in smaller packages. Cool Beans still has 60-litre fridges, sophisticated electronics and high-quality kitchens, suspension, and chassis. The only thing we have less of is walls, and that's not a major cost of building any RV."

Nowadays, there is a lot of choice, and modern manufacturers are building teardrops and pod campers (those with a boxier profile) to suit every sort of traveller. Even Jayco, Australia's largest RV manufacturer, has a range of pod campers amongst its range.

In addition to Cool Beans Campers in Fremantle, Caretta Australia is another Perth-based teardrop camper manufacturer and there are many more on the East Coast, including Smidge Teardrop Campers (Sydney), Ridge Teardrop Campers (Sydney), AdventureMan Teardrop Campers (Sunshine Coast) and Little Guy Campers (Adelaide), to name just a few.

Why would you buy a teardrop camper?

Teardrops cost less than full-size RVs, but are certainly not quite the bargain they once were. Teardrops can cost between $20,000 and $45,000 in most cases, although the Brüder EXP-4 starts at $89,000. An entry-level, 12ft Jayco Journey pop top caravan that sleeps two people is $36,000, for comparison.

Teardrops are easy to tow. Because they can be made small and light, teardrops are a great option for people who don't want to deal with the hassle of large trailers. With long drawbars and wheels set to the rear of the body, their handling and reversing characteristics are often excellent.

Also, many teardrop owners don't want to change or upgrade their tow vehicles to cope with the weight of a regular caravan. Some teardrops weigh as little as 350kg, so they can be towed even with the smallest of vehicles.

Many teardrop owners want to go off-road. The compact nature of teardrops makes them suitable for off-road travel, and with more compact cabinetry in the back, it's easier to make them stand up to the rigours of that style of travel.

Teardrops also have a low environmental footprint. Because they are small, they use fewer materials in construction, and generally have less aerodynamic drag than large, tall caravans.

Can you build your own teardrop camper?

Yes, it is possible to build your own and people often do, using the same plans home-based builders used in the 1950s and '60s. Many of these plans are still widely distributed online and easily found with simple Google searches. Berger's aforementioned book is also available from good bookstores in Australia.

In most cases, all you need to make the body and cabinetry of the teardrop camper is some basic woodworking skills and enough space to cut up a 1200x2400mm sheet of plywood. If you've got the skills to weld, you can make your own chassis, but most trailer manufacturers will be able to do that hard work for you if you give them the dimensions.

The benefits of making your own teardrop camper are many. For starters, you'll most likely save some money, as you're reducing labour costs significantly. Most DIY builders can expect to spend 200 to 500 hours building their own camper, depending on their skill level and the camper's complexity. If you are considering making your own camper, budget the cost of any extra tools you might need, as they can easily add hundreds of dollars to the total cost.

To build your own today with a utility trailer frame and materials from your local hardware store and specialty retailers, set aside three to five months and between $3700 to $10,000.

Making your own teardrop camper also means you can choose every aspect of it. You can make decisions that help determine its overall weight, strength, ability to go off-road, the position of the fridge and depth of the sink, and then, when you do finally take it away, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to maintain or fix it as needs be, wherever you are.

If you do build your own camper, especially if it's using plans from yesteryear or another country, you have to make sure it meets Australia's road standards, which are outlined in Vehicle Standards Bulletin VSB1. You are also responsible for your own safety while building the camper and then once it makes its way onto the road. Care should be taken. You will also need the skills of a qualified electrician for any 240V electrical wiring and a gasfitter if you're plumbing gas lines.

Of course, there's always the risk that in building your own teardrop, you'll build half a teardrop, get disheartened or distracted, and then have the project sitting in your shed for years. But that seems unlikely, right?

Are teardrop camper kits available in Australia?

If the concept of starting from scratch is daunting, some Australian companies still provide teardrop camper kits, usually with all the pieces pre-cut so you can focus on the assembly and finer details.

Denham Marine, a timber boat builder from Tasmania, supplies the Chesapeake Light Craft Teardrop kit (which is very classy) and suggests 250 hours are needed to build theirs. It's only a kit for the body, so you'll have to find your own trailer or chassis to suit.

Queensland company VanglassRV also advertises its ability to supply everything you need to build your own fibreglass and composite panel teardrop camper.

It's also possible to engage some woodworking shops or custom campervan manufacturers to CNC cut the timber pieces you need, particularly if you have the plans. American company Woodchief sells CNC-ready plans for US$99.

Whichever DIY option you take, if you are keen to build at least some of the camper yourself, make sure you do your research well and have a solid understanding of the work and skills involved.