Taken at Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes in California
Featured Teardrop: Little Guy Silver Shadow
When shopping around for my teardrop trailer, I was torn between the Pleasant Valley Spirit and the Little Guy Silver Shadow. Both of these trailers have a retro style and similar features and options. I ended up getting the Spirit because of the color and I liked the look of the inside of the hatch more, but the Silver Shadow is still one of my favorite manufactured teardrops on the road today. Little Guy sells three versions of the Shadow: the White Shadow, the Silver Shadow and the Highline. They come in four sizes: 4'x8', 5'x8', 5'x10' and 6'x10.
The teardrop features include retro styling with white-wall tires, black fiberglass fenders, baby moon hubcaps and a silver Alufiber® finish for the roof and galley hatch. The interior has birch walls, a mattress, a single speed roof vent, three 110v outlets, LED lights and a wood countertop for the galley. You can stick with the silver walls or pick your choice of colored walls (available on the Highline). I think the current colors are green, red and black.
The upgraded kitchen of the larger Silver Shadows have an 8 gallon water tank, a sink with pump, a 12V refrigerator and a pull-out camp stove. The sink drain empties onto the ground.
The Silver Shadow is only sold through dealers or by private owners. I've seen them as high as $10,000 down to about $6,000. Keep an eye out on eBay, Yakaz and Craigslist for both new and used trailers.
The teardrop features include retro styling with white-wall tires, black fiberglass fenders, baby moon hubcaps and a silver Alufiber® finish for the roof and galley hatch. The interior has birch walls, a mattress, a single speed roof vent, three 110v outlets, LED lights and a wood countertop for the galley. You can stick with the silver walls or pick your choice of colored walls (available on the Highline). I think the current colors are green, red and black.
The upgraded kitchen of the larger Silver Shadows have an 8 gallon water tank, a sink with pump, a 12V refrigerator and a pull-out camp stove. The sink drain empties onto the ground.
The Silver Shadow is only sold through dealers or by private owners. I've seen them as high as $10,000 down to about $6,000. Keep an eye out on eBay, Yakaz and Craigslist for both new and used trailers.
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| Jason and Amanda of the TNTTT forum camp in a 2009 Silver Shadow |
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| Jason and Amanda of the TNTTT forum camp in a 2009 Silver Shadow |
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| Jason and Amanda of the TNTTT forum camp in a 2009 Silver Shadow |
Photos by Little Guy Worldwide and Jason and Amanda of the TNTTT
The Funniest Things I've Heard About My Teardrop
Teardrop trailers get some interesting reactions. The majority of the time, people are really nice and enthusiastic about my tiny trailer and tell me stories about their own small campers or a teardrop that their parents once had. But once in a while, I get the odd comment or question that really makes me laugh:
"Is that for your dog?"
"You don't really sleep in that, do you?"
"It looks like a coffin."
"My wife would kill me if I made her sleep in that."
"My husband would kill me if I made him sleep in that."
"Can you tow it with a bike."
"It's perfect for my Labrador."
"Can I buy it from you now."
Photo from Sport Touring.net
"Is that for your dog?"
"You don't really sleep in that, do you?"
"It looks like a coffin."
"My wife would kill me if I made her sleep in that."
"My husband would kill me if I made him sleep in that."
"Can you tow it with a bike."
"It's perfect for my Labrador."
"Can I buy it from you now."
Photo from Sport Touring.net
Five Tips for Towing a Teardrop Trailer
If you are thinking of purchasing or building a teardrop trailer, but you've never towed anything before, taking your new camper on the road may feel daunting. Because these miniscule trailers are so light, you'll tend to forget that you are towing it, which can get you into trouble on the road. In all, you just need a bit of practice before taking off on that first camping trip. Here are a few tips I've learned over the years from towing a teardrop trailer.
1. Slow down: I'm a pretty slow driver anyway, but even if you are a faster driver, slow down and stick to the right lane. Other drivers will appreciate it, you'll get better gas mileage, you'll be more prepared to react, and you can appreciate the scenery more.
2. Be ready to brake: Even if your teardrop is really light, don't forget that you have an extra 800 to 1,200 lbs behind you. It will take you longer to come to a full stop and since most teardrops don't require their own braking systems, you and your vehicle are in charge of coming to a complete stop.
3. Watch those curbs and bumps: While coming out of a driveway, or around a corner, watch those sidewalk curbs, planters and other bumpy things that can damage your teardrop tires or even cause axle damage. The tire fenders on my teardrop stick out and I have to really watch it if I go through a tight entrance or even a fast food drive-thru (yes, you can take your teardrop through a Taco Bell).
4. Honey, we spilled the salt: No matter how well you pack your teardrop, things are going to go flying as you motor down the highway. We've had the lid pop off our coffee and send grounds spilling over the rest of our food, the items on the inside shelves usually end up in the bed and clothes in the cupboards will tumble out when we open the doors. Each campsite stop usually requires a bit of cleaning up.
5. Check, check and double check: At nearly every rest stop, we check and re-check the tow hitch, the chains, the tires, the locks on the hatch and the windows, the electrical connections and the teardrop lights and signals. You can never be too careful.
The Sunflower Goes to Burning Man
The Sunflower has been going to Burning Man since 2009.
I bought my original teardrop trailer in 2007, a Little Guy Rascal, so my 75-year-old mother would have something to sleep in while accompanying me to the raucous, desert gathering. Yep, I took my mom to Burning Man and she loved it. However, I knew she couldn't sleep in a tent on the ground, so I started looking around for a tiny trailer that my Dodge Neon could tow. That brought me into the world of teardrop trailers.
After two years of camping in the Rascal, I knew I wanted something larger and with a full galley in the back. The Rascal was cute and light, but had no kitchen and only a full-size bed. So, about four months after purchasing the Sunflower, she took her first trip out to the Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada.
My teardrop does really well out at Burning Man. She's been through several major dust storms with only a minimum amount of leakage into the bed area, and we've slept like babies when the desert night drops into the teens. The double doors also allow for some nice air flow during the day, so we can take a much needed nap after being out since 4 a.m.
Even at Burning Man, known for its crazy art, home made shelters and amazing RVs, the little, yellow teardrop still catches a lot of attention. I've had fellow Burners from all over the world come up to the trailer with squeals of delight.
Note: The other teardrop in the photo belongs to our neighbors. Stayed tuned for the story of their little trailer.
Photos by Christina Nellemann and Harry Thomas
I bought my original teardrop trailer in 2007, a Little Guy Rascal, so my 75-year-old mother would have something to sleep in while accompanying me to the raucous, desert gathering. Yep, I took my mom to Burning Man and she loved it. However, I knew she couldn't sleep in a tent on the ground, so I started looking around for a tiny trailer that my Dodge Neon could tow. That brought me into the world of teardrop trailers.
After two years of camping in the Rascal, I knew I wanted something larger and with a full galley in the back. The Rascal was cute and light, but had no kitchen and only a full-size bed. So, about four months after purchasing the Sunflower, she took her first trip out to the Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada.
My teardrop does really well out at Burning Man. She's been through several major dust storms with only a minimum amount of leakage into the bed area, and we've slept like babies when the desert night drops into the teens. The double doors also allow for some nice air flow during the day, so we can take a much needed nap after being out since 4 a.m.
Even at Burning Man, known for its crazy art, home made shelters and amazing RVs, the little, yellow teardrop still catches a lot of attention. I've had fellow Burners from all over the world come up to the trailer with squeals of delight.
Note: The other teardrop in the photo belongs to our neighbors. Stayed tuned for the story of their little trailer.
Photos by Christina Nellemann and Harry Thomas
Ten Best Teardrop Galleys
A few months ago, I was showing my teardrop for the first time to my friend Pedro. He had no idea the trailer had a kitchen in the back, and when I opened up the hatch, he nearly fell over. There is something brilliant and beautiful about a teardrop trailer galley, and they are great examples of smart design and fresh air cooking. This list contains the 10 best teardrop galleys I've run into over the past few years. Many of them are great examples of space-saving ideas, ingenuity, craftsmanship and design.
The Little Guy Silver Shadow is a manufactured, stock teardrop, but their 5x10 model has a really nice galley with a sink and roll-out stove. It's nearly similar in design to my galley with a small drawer and the useful top shelf which keeps cups and other items from flying out while going down the road.
This is a 1947 Kenskill teardrop featured on the Old Trailer.com website. I really love the way the utensils and the paper towels have been integrated into the older cabinets.
This teardrop by Mini Tears is meant to be towed behind a Mini Cooper. The fold-out table, roll-out ice chest holder and rolling cabinet covers give this galley some great details.
Big Woody Campers build some of the most beautiful trailers on the road today and their ultimate teardrop galley contains a double sink, a small fridge and a space for your TV.
This is a simple, but really well organized galley by Camp ADK. This couple's website is one of the first ones I came across while searching for my first teardrop trailer. I really love that they built the galley around the size of a 5 gallon water tank.
This is a great example of a way to add on extra work space to a galley. Sunset magazine featured this teardrop trailer in an article about glamping.
This is one of my favorite teardrops from the Douglas Keister book, "Teardrops & Tiny Trailers".
It was built by Douglas Hoder. 
This galley has always been one of my favorites. The use of tile and color makes it look so different from other teardrops I've seen. It was built by Melody Lucero with a Desert Teardrop plan.
This Moby1 galley has a place for everything. The design is really smart and well done for such a tiny area.
This is one of my favorite galleys on the TNTTT (Teardrops & Tiny Travel Trailers) forum. It's a Camp-Inn trailer that has been customized for a real camp chef. Check out that copper kettle!
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