Teardrop trailers, like conversion vans, have become extremely popular over the past couple of years. More companies keep surfacing offering many luxuries to keep you comfortable while out enjoying mother nature. Here we discuss if Teardrop Trailers are good for families of 4 or more!
Are Teardrop Trailers Good For Camping?
Yes! What makes teardrop trailers so unique is their size, and if outfitted correctly with suspension and tires, their ability to get deep into the scenery to get you to some epic spots with minimal to no other foot traffic. With serious suspension built right in, 33-inch All-Terrain tires and an articulating hitch, you can bet these trailers can go more places than you can go!
Try Renting a Teardrop Camper If Your Not Sure
Outdoorsy runs an excellent Rental service nationwide that will give that first-hand experience of a camper without your wallet having the firsthand experience of buying one. Coming with 1Million dollars in insurance with your rental you can rest sure that you are safe by doing your homework before the new purchase. Plus, with the current outdoor season aiming to be the biggest yet, lead times for new builds are stretching from 12 to 18 months! Check out Outdoorsy Camper Rentals here.
Overlanding Vehicle For Families? Nah, Get a Teardrop!
That’s going to boil down to many factors including personal preference. Recently, my family and I received our Escapod Topo Series Teardrop Trailer after a long 9 month waiting period. We had set criteria, but most important was the ability to sleep 5-6 comfortably…after all we are a family of 5 now, with our oldest daughter coming to visit as frequently as she can as she has now entered into true adulthood.
There are many manufacturers of these styles of trailers, but we settled on Escapod Topo Series for their unique look, use of quality products, and top-level craftsmanship. Now you may ask, how did you know they had top-level craftsmanship? Well I conducted a lot of research, spoke with current owners, and had conversations with the company where I had the privilege to talk to one of the owners and lead designers. And let’s not diminish that gut feeling you get when you’re in a situation that requires a big decision.
The inside of this Teardrop style camper sleeps 2 comfortably (queen-size bed), but this specific manufacturer adds crossbars to the roof that allows a Roof Top Tent or other accessories to be mounted to the top. If your looking for a good Overlanding Vehicle For your family to pull the teardrop, check out our write up on the Best Overlanding Vehicles For Families, we cover it all from small families to the BIG ones!
Roof Top Tent On Top Of The Teardrop Trailer- Sleeps 6
In my case we opted for the Free Spirit Recreation High Country Premium 63 roof top tent which provides an additional sleeping capacity of 3-4. This roof top tent is also a four-season tent, making it ideal for year round use as to not deter us from exploring during the winter season…which we did on her maiden voyage in the snowy mountains of Colorado as we picked our trailer up in mid-December.
For those chilly nights and adventures the cabin stays nice and toasty with a propex heater and well insulated walls. For warmer conditions a 4-Speed Maxxair exhaust fan will help to draw out any hot air or help to circulate air throughout the cabin. As previously stated, the roof top tent is a 4-season tent so it has insulated walls which help.
For those in the tent on those frigid nights we have opted for a 12V heated blanket, some quality Nemo sleeping bags, and an amazing Pendleton wool blanket that serves as the top blanket. We may eventually opt for a 12V fan that can be easily mounted in the tent for some added circulation on those not so windy days during the warmer months. With sleeping covered, let’s talk about keeping the family fed. Most Teardrop Trailers have some form of cooking platform that mimics a traditional camping experience. In our trailer, the galley is the star!
Teardrop Trailers Have Awesome Kitchens and Galleys!
2-burner cooktop integrated into a large stainless steel countertop, plenty of pantry storage shelves, a 65qt Yeti cooler on a slide-out tray and we have what we need to make some good meals. Add in there a 120 AC outlet and you can bring along a blender if you really want to get creative while out adventuring…we like smoothies in our household.
Teardrop Trailer Add-Ons To Improve The Experience
Sleeping Capacity: check, Kitchen: check, Food Storage: check! So what else…worried about rain…no worries there are a few options. One is gather the family and head up to the root top tent and play some games, or we can split up between the cabin and the tent and the kids can play their devices or games. Want to still sit outside, put up the awning.
Escapod outfits each trailer with a 6.5’ X 8’ Roam Adventure Co awning which is extremely easy to deploy. Need some extra square footage, Roam Adventure Co offers an awning room that easily attaches giving you more square footage with protection from the elements. Beauty of this awning room is you can easily remove the floor or it can be used to sleep some friends who want to tag along.
Keeping Your Teardrop Trailer Clean and Sanitary
Dirty dishes, dirty humans…well that can easily be tackled in a few different ways depending on your budget. Our Escapod Teardrop Trailer has an on-demand hot water heater combined with a 21-gallon fresh water tank. So washing dishes is a breeze as well as washing up any dirty humans before relaxing for the evening.
If you are worried about taking a shower in this setting, you can always get a pop-up privacy shelter that will help in this endeavor. With regards to hygiene, some are not so comfortable doing a #2 the old fashion way of digging a hole in the earth, doing your business, and then covering it up.
These Teardrop Trailers typically do not come with a toilet/cassette, but this is something that can be tackled a few different ways. We opted for a portable toilet that folds down like a briefcase. It uses eco-friendly bags, and remember that pop-up privacy shelter discussed in the previous paragraph, well that provides that out-house like feel that makes it a little more comfortable. And for Dad, there is no heading to the waste station to dump tanks. For more options that might work for you, check out the Best Camping Toilet Setups for some Intestinal Inspiration!
Power Options for a Teardrop Trailer
Ok, so now let’s discuss power, because we all know we need to be able to charge devices, and have lights when it is dark. Have no fear, these trailers come outfitted with different power options that will meet your needs and not have to rely on a RV park.
To ensure we can stay off-grid for at least 5-days, we went with a dual battery bank system and a custom 100W solar panel that attaches to the rear galley door and trickle charges while connected. And it can be removed and stretched out when at camp.
What is the Weight of Teardrop Trailers?
The majority of them can easily be towed by a small SUV, which means no need to go out and buy that big truck. They also can fit nicely and comfortably in the garage when you are not out exploring, as they do not take up much more space than a small SUV. Most of these teardrop trailers are under 4,000lbs and can be pulled by most vehicles. Specifically, on mine, the Escapod Topo Series weighs around 1600lbs, and once it’s loaded up and full tanks it’s around 1800-1900lbs. As you can tell, there is lots of power leftover even in the mid-size vehicle range when towing an Escapod Topo Series.
Try Renting a Teardrop Camper If Your Not Sure?
Outdoorsy runs an excellent Rental service nationwide that will give that first-hand experience of a camper without your wallet having the firsthand experience of buying one. Coming with 1Million dollars in insurance with your rental you can rest sure that you are safe by doing your homework before the new purchase. Plus, with the current outdoor season aiming to be the biggest yet, lead times for new builds are stretching from 12 to 18 months! Check out Outdoorsy Camper Rentals here.
Bottom Line
So to answer the original question, yes these trailers are sufficient for families. They can pack a lot of amenities inside what may seem like a small amount of space, but we often forget why we are out camping in the first place…to enjoy the great outdoors, not to be cooped up inside an RV.
I have been nothing but impressed with all the features offered in these styles of trailers. And the best part is we are not restricted to RV parks. In fact, I have yet to use an RV park with our Escapod and instead have opted for BLM and National Forest Service land. As always, it’s fun to talk shop, but it’s way more fun to go GET OUTSIDE.