Tougher Teardrop: The Pull-Behind Camper Built To Last

Colorado Teardrops makes burly campers that can handle gnarly roads and will outlast other trailers thanks to aluminum frames, ceilings, and side walls. That’s the claim from the brand.

Teardrop sleeper-campers are popular among outdoor enthusiasts. The small minimalist design is more affordable and easier to take off the beaten path than bigger pull-behind campers.

The little campers give travelers a place to sleep and a small shelter. Most activities like cooking occur in the great outdoors, and users can pull the small campers behind mid-sized vehicles.

“Today there are many regional teardrop builders that have breathed life back into this minimalist type of trailer camping,” said Colorado Teardrop founder Dean Wiltshire. ”

But he points out that most of them use plywood for side walls and wood for the roof. Wood is good, until it gets wet. Then it can rot.

So the Boulder-based brand launched a new line of trailers constructed with an aluminum shell that forms the ceiling and sidewalls. It even uses aluminum for the frame.

“We want it to be like the old airstream behind the barn — strong bones, resistant to weather, yet a light, flexible Teardrop platform that most vehicles can tow,” Wiltshire said.

Other manufactures make aluminum teardrops and pull-behinds. But Colorado Teardrops claims to be the first to mold the sidewalls and ceiling entirely out of aluminum, instead of wood. Airstream also makes aluminum pull-behinds, but most are larger, heavier, and significantly more expensive.

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Aluminum Teardrop: Frame And Form

Colorado Teardrops’ 2017 models are designed to last for decades.

The all-aluminum concept is in-line with lightweight, rust-resistant aluminum used in Ford and Audi cars and trucks.

All the campers receive a steel or aluminum skid plate and are affixed to a steel trailer bed.

There are four models in the new line of teardrops. The $11,300 Basedrop sleeps two on a queen bed, while the $21,500 Summit accommodates a family of four with bunked beds.

The base Basedrop comes equipped with reading lights, Memory Foam mattress, pop-up vent, and galley with countertop and shelves. There are numerous upgrades available, including tent attachments, solar panels, toolboxes, generators, and more.

While these are not the cheapest option for a pull-behind, the added durability of aluminum should make them an investment that will last for decades.

— Learn more about Colorado Teardrops line of trailers.