We have been camping in Sunflower, the teardrop trailer, for more than 10 years and while it has been so great for us, we were looking for a trailer we could stand up inside and cook inside out of the weather. During some of our teardrop trailer trips, we have experienced desert wind, thunderstorms, pouring rain, and even snow. While it doesn’t stop us from camping, it has either cut some trips short or has made them more difficult than usual.
The Burro (named
Wonky Donkey for its not so straight lines), is a 1,100 lb. fiberglass trailer from 1982. We spent about six months fixing it up and turning into a basic, but comfortable camper for weekend or week-long trips.
It has a deep-cycle battery that runs our lights and a two burner stove that runs off propane. We also have a 10 gallon water tank with a pump faucet and sink, but no shower or toilet. Other than that, we have kept the trailer just as simple as the teardrop by using solar devices to charge our phones and cameras and doing most of our cooking outside on a portable Coleman stove when the weather permits.
So, with a little experience in this new trailer we feel we have a good sense of what makes up the pros and cons between the teardrop and the Burro.
Teardrop trailer pros
Better insulation
Because the teardrop is made of wood with interior insulation, it is much better than the Burro at keeping in heat or keeping out cold. In addition, because the teardrop bed area is so small, it heats up much quicker on a cold night.
A better outdoor cooking space
Because we prefer to cook outside, having the teardrop galley already set up for preparation space is useful. All we do is pull out our stove on a picnic table and use the galley for chopping vegetables or setting up the ingredients.
Lighter and easier to pack up
The teardrop is only 850 lb. and we can actually pick it up and move it around or pull it onto our hitch. Also, because it is smaller and we have been using it for so many years, it is so much quicker to pack up. We have clocked our pack up time to about 10 minutes on a good day.
Teardrop trailer cons
No escaping the wind and storms
While camping in the teardrop, there have been a few times where the weather has either driven us to shelter into the tiny bed area or has forced us to eat at a restaurant since we couldn’t cook outside. When the weather is great, the teardrop is the best camper ever. When the weather is bad, it’s a real challenge.
No or limited views
Much of the time our teardrop trailer “living room” is outside and our views are amazing. When we are inside the trailer, our views are non-existent unless we have the doors wide open. While we are inside the Burro, we can pull back the curtains and enjoy views from the bed or the dinette without having to go outside or be exposed to the elements.
No standing up or interior room
Of course, one of the main reasons to get a standy trailer is so you can stand up inside of it. It’s probably the biggest complaint that most people have about teardrop trailers. There is no headroom and no space inside to put on clothes.
Fiberglass camper pros
We can stand up and move around inside
When we first stepped inside the Burro, we were amazed at how much headroom the tiny trailer had. With its raised trolley roof, the interior has at least 6’2” of headroom in the middle of the trailer. With its less than 13-foot interior space, we can actually move around each other (within reason), change clothes, cook, eat, make the bed, and other chores that can be more challenging in the teardrop.
More storage space for clothes and gear
Along with the extra space comes additional areas for storing gear and clothing. In the teardrop we have been extremely minimal for many years. It works great at keeping camping simple, but we do have to store more stuff such as camera gear inside the car. We now have a hanging closet and easier storage under the bed.
We can cook inside or outside
With just a few Burro trips under our belts, we have cooked both inside and outside the camper. Having that choice is so nice when the temperature drops, the wind picks up, or we just don’t feel like going outside in our pajamas to make coffee. The interior stove is not as powerful as our Coleman, but it does heat up the Burro quickly on a cold morning.
Fiberglass camper cons
No insulation
Because the lightweight Burro is made of two thin pieces of fiberglass, it has no insulation, so it gets darn cold inside in the early morning. We have been experimenting with various blankets and
some heaters so this is still a work in progress. However, this can also be a pro since as soon as the sun hits the Burro, it warms up very quickly on a cold morning.
Takes a little longer to set up and take down camp
We are teardrop trailer professionals and can pack up for a trip or pack up camp very quickly. There is a bit of a learning curve with a larger trailer and it takes us a little longer with the Burro. For example, we need to fill up the water tank before taking off, and pack outdoor items away inside the under seat storage area in the correct order.
We are not used to an actual door
With the teardrop we have gotten used to ducking our heads while getting in and out of the doorways. Now we have to get used to stepping up and down out of the Burro. I think the Wonky Donkey has a bit of a lift on the axle, so the step down is taller than most fiberglass campers. While carrying out pots, pans, and ingredients for outdoor cooking, we have to be sure to watch our step and not get frustrated with the constant in and out, in and out.
If you are not sure of what type of tiny trailer to get, check out
this video by YouTuber Playing With Sticks to see another teardrop trailer and fiberglass trailer comparison.
