Teardrop dreams

[Devoman]

Well.... I have debated for a very long time and I am now working a teardrop camper. I will be pulling it with my 2011 Mini Cooper clubman of course.
Now I am not here to get ridiculed for towing something with a small vehicle and I am asking what the opinions of other out here that can possibly help me or have had experience with towing a trailer or camper with there mini.
I am just trying to get an idea on what I can do to better the situation.
Just so you know... My Mini has been upgraded so power is not an issue. Trust me.

[knunut]

Sounds Great .What a Cool Combo. We towed a "Cozy Cruiser " Teardrop for a few years before our Airstream. If I had the money and space i would be right behind you.
The Teardrop was so much fun ,did lot's of travel from east to west coast and Canadian Rockies.
Wish you Good luck and lot's of fun. Sounds like a Great combo.You will get a lot of lookers in the camp ground's.

[HowieE]

Hi Steve

Even if you just stop by for potluck bring it to the Canopener.

[terryV]

That sounds like a whole lot of fun. Those little teardrop units are so cute.
Pics, we need pics. I want to send them to my daughter, who is a mini devotee.

BTW, I met John Cooper in the summer of '65 at the Jaguar factory in Coventry, England. He gave me a ride in a highly tuned XKE that I will never forget.

[Jewel65]

I have been thinking about a teardrop, or other small camper also. I have been restoring our 1965 Caravel for over two years now and just got it usable this summer. Unfortunately we took our big trip this year from Tennessee to California in our Miata for an event there. It was an epic trip, but unfortunately couldn't pull the Caravel with the Miata. We had to resort to tent camping again and pulled our utility trailer with car topper attached. It works great, but we are still tent camping when we do this. We like the Miata trips we take, and love being around the people we meet with similar interests. Don't get me wrong, I am also excited about the Airstream, I just want both options. I am thinking that I will look for a small camper that can be light enough to be pulled by the Miata. Some of the teardrops are approaching 1000 lbs. I would probably have to build one in a similar fashion that Airstream does with aluminum interior and exterior panels and ribs if it is to be light enough. My utility trailer proved that an across country trip can be made with a Miata and a small trailer. You hardly know it is back there. I just don't think I would want it to be as heavy as most teardrops I have seen.

[Getaways]

Originally Posted by Devoman

...Just so you know... My Mini has been upgraded so power is not an issue. Trust me.

So I see Mark Wahlburg has joined the boards!

[ericpeltier]

A friend of mine had a teardrop he pulled with a Prius. I bet your mini has more getup and go than the Prius.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Jewel65

I have been thinking about a teardrop, or other small camper also. I have been restoring our 1965 Caravel for over two years now and just got it usable this summer. Unfortunately we took our big trip this year from Tennessee to California in our Miata for an event there. It was an epic trip, but unfortunately couldn't pull the Caravel with the Miata. We had to resort to tent camping again and pulled our utility trailer with car topper attached. It works great, but we are still tent camping when we do this. We like the Miata trips we take, and love being around the people we meet with similar interests. Don't get me wrong, I am also excited about the Airstream, I just want both options. I am thinking that I will look for a small camper that can be light enough to be pulled by the Miata. Some of the teardrops are approaching 1000 lbs. I would probably have to build one in a similar fashion that Airstream does with aluminum interior and exterior panels and ribs if it is to be light enough. My utility trailer proved that an across country trip can be made with a Miata and a small trailer. You hardly know it is back there. I just don't think I would want it to be as heavy as most teardrops I have seen.

Some teardrops can be built pretty light. I used to pull a small homebuilt one with a Honda Civic 1200.

Not a teardrop, but I have seen quite a few Lees-ure Lites behind the smaller cars and larger motorcycles. I actually towed one home from Ohio for a guy... behind my F350 Got a lot of looks over that one.

Aaron

[Devoman]

Hey Howie.
I'm gonna try and stop by.
My first post left a few things out. I am actually working on getting a teardrop sometime here in the future. I don't have one now. I'm still researching on the hitch and what possibility to beef it up some. I know Can Am is the man on hitch upgrading to make it stronger.also looking into making sure I will have sway control and electric brakes on the camper. Although I may not need it, it just seems to me that when stopping,it will keep the trailer straight behind me with no worries on jack knifing it. Just another be safer than sorry attitude.. Plus it will be with an aluminum outer shell. I don't think I could ever leave the aluminum scene. I see another Airstream in the future also But right now, I'm getting the aluminum teardrop bug.
Ericpeltier.... Yea. I can surly say its beefed up. Actually more than the john cooper works. It will be easy to tow it or pull it anyways.

[SteveH]

Didn't tow it with a Mini, but I built this one in '04 and used it for about three years. I loved it for what I was using it for, but the wife did not like it AT ALL.

[joelbert]

There is a really nice article here that came out recently...

The So-Cal Teardrop Project | Expedition Portal

[Stefrobrts]

About ten years ago I bought teardrop plans from these folks:

Teardrop Trailer Plans

The plans looked really thorough, but after a disastrous tent camping experience we decided to go with the full size trailer instead. However, I still have those plans in case I find myself with an empty garage and a winter with nothing else to do It just sounds like a fun project!

[Foiled Again]

Now that would make a nice "spare bedroom" for an Airstream too.

See you were expecting scorn and are getting support.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

About ten years ago I bought teardrop plans from these folks:

Teardrop Trailer Plans

The plans looked really thorough, but after a disastrous tent camping experience we decided to go with the full size trailer instead. However, I still have those plans in case I find myself with an empty garage and a winter with nothing else to do It just sounds like a fun project!

I have a set of those too...

It is probably 2/3rds of the way down my project list of 3,000 items

Aaron

[Devoman]

So far, this is what I have been looking at. It's really nice and so far it look to be very well built. Plus it's aluminum on the outside and gives it an updated retro feel
Oregon Trail'R

[Sbb]

I had a teardrop, handmade, drove behind my suburban, never even could it....needed bigger when grandkiddies came along. Had a T@b too, really liked that, infact just went to their factory. RV industry is busy.

[SteveH]

All you need to know about building your own teardrop camper: Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers • Index page

[PSYS]

MINI and a teardrop? ...sounds like an awesome plan to me.

[Bluestar99]

I have built 3 teardrops and it will still be my main travel trailer. When I finish restoring my Silver Streak Clipper I will use that for closer longer stay camping trips. The link SteveH posted is the best place for teardrop info. I camp with many people that pull teardrops with very small cars. that is the main point of them. We sort of look at them as hard sided tents. Some refer to their teardrop as "a bedroom inside with a kitchen in the rear and the rest of the world is your living room". I did not see if you camp alone or with some one. A 4ft wide unit is plenty for a single person. Look for a 5ft wide for a couple. Most 5 ft units can be found at under a thousand pounds. You may also consider brakes on the trailer.

Here is mine, it is 5 X 9 and weighs about 900lbs.

[knunut]

Beautiful Teardrop !!