With their compact size and lightweight designs, it is easy to understand why teardrop trailers have become so popular. They offer a comfortable alternative to sleeping in a tent and are often small enough to be towed behind a family sedan or midsized SUV. When you add in a budget-friendly price, these diminutive towables suddenly become very attractive to first-time buyers and veteran RVers alike.
Unfortunately, the popularity of teardrop trailers has left some manufacturers struggling to meet demand, with waiting lists stretching out for months. But a company best known for building wooden boats has devised a unique solution to this problem—a DIY kit that allows owners to make their own camping trailer.
Photo Credit: Chesapeake Light Craft
Chesapeake Light Craft designs and sells do-it-yourself kits for building small boats, kayaks, and canoes. The kits come with everything a buyer needs to construct their own watercraft, even if they have a minimal amount of experience. This approach has proven so popular that CLC has sold more than 40,000 boats over the past 25+ years in business.
When the company’s managing director John C. Harris discovered teardrop trailers a few years back, he was instantly captivated. According to the CLC website, Harris is “a fan of small boats, small cars, and small houses.” He thought a teardrop would go well with his Mini Cooper and went to work designing his own.
Using his years of experience in boat building, it wasn’t long before Harris had assembled a prototype. Eventually, that design evolved into the CLC Teardrop Camper, which the company now sells as a build-it-yourself kit. The trailer is 5’ x 8’ in size, has space for a 60” x 80” mattress, and can sleep two adults with room to spare. The towable has access doors on both sides and a 15” square hatch on the roof for improved ventilation. It even has space onboard to accommodate a 12-volt electrical system for powering lights and a fan while recharging mobile devices.
Photo Credit: Chesapeake Light Craft
The video above provides a great look at a fully assembled CLC Teardrop Camper. Anyone interested in owning one can purchase the complete kit directly from the company and put it together themselves. Alternatively, CLC sells just the plans for the compact towable, allowing those who are extra handy to build one from scratch. As you would expect, this approach is much more cost-effective than buying a traditional teardrop, although it will require plenty of time and space to complete.
For more information—including pricing options—visit the Chesapeake Light Craft website.
