I have found that literally every teardrop trailer i've seen seems to be way overpriced. I'm talking about the Little Guys or the T@B's and other similar ones. Compared to travel trailers, you get a lot less for your money. You don't even get a bathroom, or anywhere to sit, yet even USED I can't find one for less than $8000! But I can find TONS of travel trailers for half that price. Is there a reason they are so expensive? I kind of want one to tow behind my Escape so I could go camping on the fly and just use campground showers, but I just can't see spending that much money on something that barely has anything to it.

GaiaGoddess wrote:I have found that literally every teardrop trailer i've seen seems to be way overpriced. I'm talking about the Little Guys or the T@B's and other similar ones. Compared to travel trailers, you get a lot less for your money. You don't even get a bathroom, or anywhere to sit, yet even USED I can't find one for less than $8000! But I can find TONS of travel trailers for half that price. Is there a reason they are so expensive? I kind of want one to tow behind my Escape so I could go camping on the fly and just use campground showers, but I just can't see spending that much money on something that barely has anything to it.I see the same thing with pop ups and hybrids.I think it is because of their popularity and the overall price of admission to the RV life style.MY TT was an absolute bargain for all the luxury an features that it has, but at 11,500 LBS it requires an expensive TV. I am fortunante in that I don't need my TV as a daily driver, but most peoples TVs need to pull double duty, making it even more expensive.

Because people are willing to pay top dollar for something they can tow with a smaller vehicle

Simple. Yuppy Trendy. Just wait a year or two for the fad to end, then pick one up second hand for half off.

Teardrop trailers were popular in the 40s...This makes them popular with the hot rod crowd to tow behind their coupes, roadsters and such. You can get plans for them to build your own from a box trailer. I have a CD around here somewhere with plans...got it on eBayhttp://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xteardrop+trailer+plans&_nkw=teardrop+trailer+plans&_sacat=0&_from=R40

I have no idea why but discovered the same thing myself.I started shopping for a regular canvas pop up, then switched to teardrops, and ultimately bought the Aliner in my signature. The Aliner gave us a whole lot more for the money than a teardrop.

Why are teardrops so expensive? | Good Sam Community

Huntindog
Explorer
May 21, 2014
GaiaGoddess wrote:
I have found that literally every teardrop trailer i've seen seems to be way overpriced. I'm talking about the Little Guys or the T@B's and other similar ones. Compared to travel trailers, you get a lot less for your money. You don't even get a bathroom, or anywhere to sit, yet even USED I can't find one for less than $8000! But I can find TONS of travel trailers for half that price. Is there a reason they are so expensive? I kind of want one to tow behind my Escape so I could go camping on the fly and just use campground showers, but I just can't see spending that much money on something that barely has anything to it.
I see the same thing with pop ups and hybrids.
I think it is because of their popularity and the overall price of admission to the RV life style.

MY TT was an absolute bargain for all the luxury an features that it has, but at 11,500 LBS it requires an expensive TV. I am fortunante in that I don't need my TV as a daily driver, but most peoples TVs need to pull double duty, making it even more expensive.
Bucky_Badger
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Because people are willing to pay top dollar for something they can tow with a smaller vehicle
Crabbypatty
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Simple. Yuppy Trendy. Just wait a year or two for the fad to end, then pick one up second hand for half off.
poncho62
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Teardrop trailers were popular in the 40s...This makes them popular with the hot rod crowd to tow behind their coupes, roadsters and such. You can get plans for them to build your own from a box trailer. I have a CD around here somewhere with plans...got it on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xteardrop+trailer+plans&_nkw=teardrop+trailer+plans&_sacat=0&_from=R40
beemerphile1
Explorer
May 21, 2014
I have no idea why but discovered the same thing myself.

I started shopping for a regular canvas pop up, then switched to teardrops, and ultimately bought the Aliner in my signature. The Aliner gave us a whole lot more for the money than a teardrop.
wmoses
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Bucky Badger wrote:
Because people are willing to pay top dollar for something they can tow with a smaller vehicle

Agreed ... with the emphasis on GREED. These things don't cost any more to manufacture, they are certainly easier to make and to store and so the only reason for relatively higher prices is to fatten the margin line. Same thing with fashion.

Manufacturers will jack up the profits when they smell that something will become / is popular. Let the perceived popularity fall off then so will the prices.
noteven
Explorer III
May 21, 2014
Hold the rotten fruit everyone! rv.net experts have already pummelled the OP for asking about towing with a Ford Escape in a previous thread - do a search :)

Anyway back to the original question - yes compact anything that is hand made is expensive these days compared to depreciated assembly line stuff...

The challenge with towing with a smaller vehicle is mostly front area or aero loading - the trailer of the "fiberglas egg" genre might be worth looking at?
Clicky
kgarrett9999
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Build it yourself. You can do a basic teardrop build for under $2000. Possibly even under $1000 if you are thrifty.
GaiaGoddess
Explorer
May 21, 2014
Yeah that makes sense I guess. I understand it's really the only thing you can tow with a car or motorcycle.

lol Yes I am the one with the Escape, and after all that deliberation I decided to buy any one I want and just have someone else tow it to the campground for me since it'll just stay there anyway. I don't want something puny to live in. I do, however, kind of want a teardrop just for camping in, for days when I feel like going somewhere else for a week or something.

As for building my own, I briefly thought of that but I am NOT handy in any way shape or form, I have never done anything remotely related to building anything, lol I don't like the process either, I want to buy things all ready for me to use, that goes for anything. I want to buy my trailer, and literally live in it that night.
beemerphile1
Explorer
May 21, 2014
GaiaGoddess wrote:
Yeah that makes sense I guess. I understand it's really the only thing you can tow with a car or motorcycle.

This is what I towed with my motorcycle;

I currently tow the Aliner with my car which has a 1.8L four cylinder engine. I have towed with the car for about 17,000 miles now.