Art & Inspiration 1938 teardrop trailer

Anyone tow a vintage trailer behind their hot rod? If so let's see them. This is a 38 teardrop trailer that my dad saved from being tossed on a fire. I was about 15 (now 48) when he got it and fixed it up. It has been to the East coast and back. We used it for a cross country family vacation.

Well it has not been used for a long time (last licensed in 92) until now. I got it out of the old storage area it was in put some air in the low tire (at least 30 years old) and towed it 40 miles to where I am staying. It is my new home for the time being and I am enjoying it. Vintage workmanship never go's out of style. Here are a couple pics, lets see yours. Jim

 

That is so cool. Love the tear drops. I got the OK from the wife, hoping to find one.

 

I like it, and the full size one behind it. What's the story on it? I'd like to have one of each!

 

Your new home for the time being?,,kind of a different spin on the term living large! HRP

 

That's a "Doozy" you got there! Hope you can fight the urge to over-restore it. Keep the wires, but when you replace the 30 year old tires treat her to some whitewalls!

 

I am going to copy the design and start building them. Jim

 

The one behind it is a 1948 Spartan built by the Spartan Aircraft Co. 27' long, aluminum structured, blind aircraft rivets. Most are polished aluminum but someone had painted this one before we got it. The teardrop is about 1938 as far as we can tell but us licensed as a 1947 homemade boat trailer as that is what we used for a frame because it had a wood frame and tongue when we saved it from a firey death. I am looking in to reproducing it because it is the only one that I have seen of that shape and I think it looks just right.

 

Camping out in fastrnu car port while I sort out the drama at home. Kinda where I was 10 years ago living in a 1940 White bus converted to a motor home. It is comfortable size inside 4' wide 4' high and 7' long in the sleeping area. It is 10' overall and has a 3' deep galley area in the back. Perfect size for the dog an I.

 

here is the one i am building. it will have 15 inch chrome wheels and wide whites

 

Rich,why do you need 15 wheels,want two do the job? HRP

 

There are many plans and kits available to make teardrops very similar to the OP.

 

Looks good ratster, what are the measurements? Jim

 

I'll be building one in the near future.

 

I have looked at many and very few capture the flowing shape that I like. I think it has to do with it being 10' long and not too flat in the mid roof area. You lose a bit of space with this shape but if it was all about space it would be a box trailer. Jim

 

There are many shapes and sizes, yours has the "look" of a traditional teardrop. Plus the right materials.

 

Thanks. That was my opinion as well. Jim

 

Not to get too far off track, but just one quick question. Why does almost every teardrop I see have the wheels so far to the back? One would think it would make for too much tongue weight. Of course, you don't want a negative tongue weight either (ask me how I know some time!) Just curious, as I would like to build one too, and really like the proportions of 55willys one, some others I've seen look too short and stubby!

 

I'm no expert on these trailers, but I think the reason the wheels are so far back is that the heavy "kitchen" is in the back. The reletively empty sleeping area is in the front.

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Some of you guys might think about joining the Vintage Trailer social group,there are some teardrop owners on board. HRP

 

Just found this yesterday. I need one.
http://53truck.ez15loan.com/howto/trailer.htm

 

I have this dumb goal in my head that in a couple of years I want to finish my 46 Tudor and build a tear drop to tow behind it. I plan on retiring then (for the 3rd time) and taking off and seeing the lower 48 States. My bucket list includes things like Bonneville, Rt 66, the New England States, etc. and a tear drop would be a perfect way to do it. Me and Lucky the cat would be hitting the road for about a year, I figure.

My original idea was to buy a Harbor Freight trailer frame (lots of guys build them on that frame) but I now think it would be better to weld up a custom frame with the axle and spring set up I want to have. I figure a window ac unit and a snap on enclosure for a shower and portable toilet would make it much more enjoyable.

I may never actually build it, but right now that is something rolling around in my head.

Don

I really like the way this one is built. I realize it is wider and longer than the usual tear drops, but if I am going to be living in it for a year.............



I figure you could have snap in canvas to enclose it when the back door is up and it would almost be like a pop up trailer.

 

Right you are, dad; and even then, the tongue weight is still quite light..

 

Here's my Modernistic/Cub that I also saved and just put on the road early this summer. A tree had fallen on it years ago and had been sitting in a local guy's grove since. I have about 80% new material into it and wanted to retain some of the original camper.

Yours looks like a nice project. Enjoy it!

Before:

First time out in the sun:

Behind my Chevy:

 

It's got some junk laying on it but this is my teardrop frame that was made out of Model T frame rails sometime before I was born I'd imagine and used wide 5 Ford hubs and rims. I bought it at an auction with what was left of the floor on it and haven't done anything with it except haul some stuff on it once or twice.

I think the wheels towards the rear are there because of the weight of the kitchen area and the need for the door to be in front of the wheel. Tongue weight shouldn't be all that much though.

 

I have been building a teardrop to tow behind my International P.U. You can find lots of build sites, free plans and plans and profiles you can buy. In doing my research I decided on building my frame from scratch with 2x2 tubing instead of the harbor freight route. I'm starting on the sides soon and bought a profile pattern from Lil' Bear. After I'm done with the first teardrop I plan on building a skinny light weight tear to pull behind my motorcycle.

 

Don, If you use a Harbor Freight trailer, you will have to reinforce it to the point that you could just make the frame yourself. I am using a small boat trailer for mine, but it will not look like a traditional teardrop as it will have rounded sides. Yes, axle to the rear approx. 20% - 80%, You have the kitchen, generator, air conditioner, microwave and stove, along with food and supplies in the rear. You cannot balance that with two propane tanks on the front tongue. Plus it gives more room for the door opening. Some of the earlier models had the kitchen area in the front, thus had the axle in the middle, except it had a very small door.

 

That '38 teardrop is cool. Here's my '98 teardrop, which is modeled after a late 1940's Kit Camper.

 

My grandpa owned one in the 50s and used it a lot . I still remember the odor of the paneling (Masonite ?) and it also had the trunk/kitchen , good memories !

 

Exactly. In addition to the weight of the kitchen itself being aft (I have pots, pans, plates, cups, silverware, canned goods, etc. stored in the kitchen of my '47 Kit Kamper), there is also a water storage tank, cabinets, and an ice box located back there too, along with a small but relatively heavy propane tank for the cast two-burner stove. The wheels are located back there simply to balance the whole thing out.

 

In adition to the weight distribution requiring the wheels to be quite a ways behind center, there are a couple other advantages. They're much easier to back it up, and a lot more resistant to swaying in a crosswind.