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GaiaGoddess's avatar
GaiaGoddess
Explorer
May 21, 2014

Why are teardrops so expensive?

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.

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  • wmoses's avatar
    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.
  • beemerphile1's avatar
    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.
  • poncho62's avatar
    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
  • Crabbypatty's avatar
    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.
  • Bucky_Badger's avatar
    Bucky_Badger
    Explorer
    May 21, 2014
    Because people are willing to pay top dollar for something they can tow with a smaller vehicle
  • Huntindog's avatar
    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.

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