~Teardrop Trailer~Classic 1940's Styling
A Little Teardrop History...
Teardrop trailers were popular in the '30s, '40s and '50s.
You can identify a teardrop by its streamlined shape, rounded in front and sloping off to the rear. Crawl in doors on the sides give access to a double bed within. Beneath the hinged roof panel in the rear is a "kitchen". The typical teardrop is about
8 feet long, 4 foot wide, 4 foot tall,
with an aluminum skin covering a plywood frame.
They were sold as kits, complete units and plans were
available in magazines such as Popular Mechanics.
Description
This is a "tender teardrop" in need of restoration. It is a homebuilt trailer, appearing to have been built in the late 40's early 50's. An aluminum skin covering a simple wooden frame work attached to a floor of 1"X6" tongue and groove boards. The floor is attached to a 2"X4" wooden sub-frame, which in turn is attached to a "V" shaped angle iron frame which terminates in an 1 7/8" coupler at the front. The axle appears to be a 1930's vintage front passenger car axle. The tie rods have been welded to the axle beam, thus setting the wheel angle. The drums were retained to give clearance between the tire and body, but there are no brake shoes, backing plates or brake hardware. The tires are 205/75/15. The fenders each have a yellow clearance lamp on the front edge and a red clearance lamp on the trailing edge. There is also a yellow clearance lamp at the top center of the body on both sides. I have replaced both rear tail lamps and all of the lighting is functional. The wiring plug is a round 6 conductor job with 5 wires connected. Ground, left & right turn, running lights, 12volt from tow vehicle. There are two original lights with switches in the trailer that operate off of the tow vehicle's 12volt battery. The body is 4 foot wide, four foot tall and 8 foot long. The aluminum skin is dull and scratched and appears to have been in a hail storm as there are dimples covering the entire surface. The aluminum skin has formed itself over the years, outlining the wooden framework underneath. Yes, there are several dings, dents and crumples on the body, several punctures and even a "tin can lid" repair patch. In other words, the trailer has aged gracefully and has "character"!
I have done minimal work to the trailer, wanting to keep it original as possible. I have made all of the lights functional, adding a new plug to the front of the harness and replacing taillamps at the rear. The original taillamps are in the trailer. I have reinforced the mounting points for the front of the springs and secured the floor boards where needed. I replaced one piece of the door moulding and added weatherstripping around the door to effect a seal. I built a simple two level counter across the back to add storage space and to provide additional strength to the body. Grease caps are missing from the axle hubs but I recently repacked the bearings. The right hub has one stud with damaged threads. The right rim appears to have a "wobble" when turned, but does not affect the towing. I have towed this trailer over 600 miles in the past two weeks without problems. My daughter and I camped with the trailer at The Great Sand Dunes last weekend. I am selling this trailer so that I can complete the construction of my woody teardrop before the snow flies.
As desribed above, this trailer can be a "user" with the proper TLC and delicate handling, but I want to restate that
THIS TRAILER NEEDS A TOTAL RESTORATION
The wood in the trailer is old and has started to deteriorate. For a 50 year old trailer, it is in fair shape. It would need a LOT of work to restore and would probably never be a "show" trailer. But if you are looking for ideas to build a new trailer utilizing original methods, want to use this trailer for patterns or wish to preserve a piece of American automotive history, this may be the trailer for you!
I have attempted to describe this trailer as completely as possible. Click on any of the photos below for a closer look. I have a clear Colorado title to the trailer, however the previous owner discovered that it was cheaper to purchase a new title each year, so the trailer is registered as a "1971 homebuilt".
~Price $350~
The trailer is sold AS IS without warranty, either written or implied.Any/all camping gear, food, supplies shown in photos are not included in the the sale of the trailer. The jackstand shown in the photos is not included in the sale of the trailer. The buyer is responsible for transporation of the trailer
from southern Colorado to your location.
Delivery within 200 miles from my home
can be arranged at the rate of .25 cents per mile, round trip.
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