Welcome to The Teardrop Research Pages!

I am looking for information about "Teardrop" trailers. These 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. Teardrops were sold as kits or complete units. Many teardrops were homebuilt. Numerous plans were available in magazines such as Popular Mechanics.

I have been researching information about teardrop trailers for the past 18 years. This is a hobby for me [my wife and family might call it an obsession!]. I started out searching the local library, looking through old magazines in junk stores and second hand book stores. As I learned to utilize the data bases at the libraries, my search has spread to libraries around the world. I now utilize "interlibrary loan" services and have articles and books sent to me. Each book and magazine article that I read generally open new avenues to search.

Close on the heels of the library searches are the searches on the Internet. I have searched the Web, read user group postings until I can't see straight, tried a search with every search engine that I can lay my hands on and I still can't find hardly any information about teardrop trailers. When you follow up a listing that has been located by a search engine, you have to wade through endless text documents to find the reference to "teardrop". [The "find" feature on the menu bar works great here!] I have found a few web sites, most of them commercial sites for current manufactures have located articles about teardrop guitars, teardrop wheels for Volkswagens, teardrop jewelry, Teardrop songs and stories that have the word teardrop in them.
[We won't go there again!]

Back in 1995, while I was doing a search on the local library computer I came across a listing for an article called "Trail of the Teardrops", by Lisa Whipp which had been published in the February 1995 issue of Trailer Life. Locating the magazine and reading through the article, I realized that I had hit PAY DIRT! Teardrops, teardrops and MORE TEARDROPS! Man oh man! Pictures, lists of current manufactures, names of original manufacturers and best of all....

A NEWSLETTER about TEARDROPS !

To make a long story short, I contacted Lisa and subscribed to the newsletter that she and her husband Grant publish,

"Tales & Trails ~ The Teardrop Times"

In the past several years the Whipps and I have corresponded regularly, both by phone and by mail. In addition to the newsletter, Lisa and Grant originated a campout that is known as "The Dam Gathering of the Tears". It was originally held at Shasta Dam, thus the "Dam"... The gathering is held annually in Northern California the first weekend of May. I was able to attend for the past two years ['97 & '98] and if teardrops are your thing, you gotta go! In May of '98, there were about 75 trailers that attended. We weathered about 2 inches of rain in two days and the die hards that stayed were rewarded with a wonderful time visiting with fellow teardroppers. Trailers were inspected by one and all, construction/restoration details were shared. Saturday ended with a chili dinner, awards and stories around the campfire. The spirit of fellowship is alive and well with teardroppers.

If you are interested in the Tales & Trails newsletter, contact:

Tales & Trails
Grant and Lisa Whipp
12442 Maria Drive.
Redding, CA 96003

Published quarterly, more or less,
back issues from #1 to current are available

Several issues back, I sent Grant an open letter with the hopes that he would publish it in The Tales & Trails. He did publish it and the response was gratifying to say the least! I am placing a copy of the letter on the Web in hopes that I can reach others that share my interest in teardrop trailers. If you do wish to contact me, I will do my best to return all correspondence. Please bear in mind that I am a father of four, a grandfather of six , I work full time, and I am in the process of starting a new business. Don't forget that I am currently building a teardrop trailer and teaching myself web authoring in my spare time... Did I mention that my wife is a volunteer fire fighter? Never a dull moment...

AN OPEN LETTER

Greetings from Colorado! Seeing as it is time to renew my subscription, I thought that I would drop a line to thank Grant & Lisa for all the hard work in putting out this newsletter. They have done a terrific job! As a wannabe teardrop owner, all of the letters, articles, photos and resource listings are invaluable to me. I have been researching teardrops for quite a few years, digging through libraries, reading microfilm issues of old magazines, etc., and have found more information in Tales & Trails than I have anywhere else. In several issues, Grant has asked teardrop owners to send in tips/photos/plans/stories/old advertisements/related materials. This information can benefit all teardrop enthusiasts, whether they currently own a teardrop, are restoring one, planning to build one, or just appreciate old time craftsmanship. Details in most of the plans are sorely lacking. I would love to get owner input on these models. Photographs showing multiple views/construction details would be fantastic! What modern upgrades have you come across? Do you have a pet peeve and did you find a fix for it? What would you change if you could? Have you attached an awning/tent to your teardrop, if so, how did you attach/support it? What memories/humorous stories do you have about your teardrop adventures? Since the wheel [in this case Teardrop] has already been invented, let's not reinvent it, let's share the information we have. I would love to receive any information/photos/drawings that you are willing to send, and furthermore, I would like to compile this information and make it available to all.

I may be contacted at the following email address:

George C. Thornton III
rfs2growup@prodigy.net

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You never know what I might come up with...

last updated December 21, 2003

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"Lost Studio Productions"
George C. Thornton III