10 Practical Ways to Use Your Teardrop Trailer
Ever get the feeling that you are just not using your teardrop trailer to its full capacity? We certainly have!
Because the trailer is small and minimalistic, people think short trips are the only thing they are good for.
But think again!
Their size, layout, and ease of towing make them a versatile option for far more than quick weekend getaways.
We have put together a list of the top 10 ways to use your teardrop trailer that will help you take full advantage of your investment.
Practical Ways to Use Your Teardrop Trailer
Here are some of the awesome ways we’ve found ourselves using ours.
1. Use It for One-Night Reset Trips
One of the biggest advantages of a teardrop trailer is how realistic one-night trips become.
You don’t need a full vacation block or extensive planning to justify taking your teardrop out.
In fact, John and I are pretty much “weekend warriors” during the spring and fall.
We have a few favourite campgrounds that are under 2 hours away, and are perfect for when we just need a change of scenery.
You can leave after work or school, set up quickly, enjoy a quiet evening, and be back the next day without feeling rushed.
There’s no need to pack as if you’re leaving for a week, and no pressure to fill the time with activities.
For owners like us, these short camping trips end up being the most frequent way we use our trailer.
They take very little effort, not much prep, and are a ton of fun.
2. Replace Hotels on Multi-Day Road Trips
Teardrop trailers work especially well on road trips where you’re covering a long distance over several days.
Instead of booking a different hotel each night, you can alternate between staying in your teardrop and staying in a hotel.
John and I did this during our trip to Atlantic Canada. We did a mix of hotels and camping in National Parks.
This was perfect because we didn’t have to worry about accommodations. Whatever fit best into the itinerary was where we stayed.
And while it was nice to be able to do laundry at a hotel rather than at a campground, nothing beats sleeping in my own bed!
Mornings in your teardrop are also a little easier. Hotel checkout times are usually much earlier than most campgrounds, so you have a bit of extra buffer.
And there’s no hauling of suitcases either!
You wake up, make breakfast if you want, and get back on the road when you’re ready.
3. Camp in Places That Don’t Work for Large RVs
Because teardrop trailers are small and easy to maneuver, they fit into places that larger RVs simply can’t.
This opens up a wider range of camping options.
Many older parks, smaller campgrounds, and sites designed primarily for tents allow small trailers but restrict larger rigs.
We were camping in the Pog Lake Campground in Algonquin Park one year, when we noticed a very large 5th wheel trying to get around a bend on the very narrow campground roads.
It wasn’t pretty!
Between hitting a few trees, having his roof scraped by lower-hanging branches, and finally needing the park wardens to help him get unstuck, I’m sure that his nerves were frazzled.
I know mine were, and I was just watching!
The one time we got stuck trying to get into a narrower campsite at Bruce Peninsula National Park, we just unhooked our Teardrop, spun her into the appropriate angle, re-hitched, and we were good to go!
Sometimes, the smaller the campsite, the cozier and more intimate the experience.
I would much rather stay in a spot that only has electricity, but is fully surrounded by trees, than a parking lot-style campground with full service.
4. Travel Comfortably With Pets Without Extra Logistics
We have found that travelling with pets is often easier in our teardrop trailer than dealing with hotel stays.
You avoid pet fees, size restrictions, and limited availability that come with hotels.
My son and our “Granddog” Guinness often camp with us, and they absolutely love it!
Guinness enjoys the consistency. Sleeping in the same space each night helps him to settle faster, especially on longer trips.
There’s no unfamiliar hotel room layout or constant change in environment.
Besides, campgrounds tend to be more pet-friendly overall.
Guinness loves tearing around the exercise areas or splashing around at the pet beaches..
5. Extend Your Camping Season
Teardrop trailers make camping outside peak summer months far more comfortable than tent camping.
While they are not technically four-season trailers, most teardrops have a heating system that will be more than sufficient for spring and fall camping trips.
John and I actually love fall camping, and usually push our season well into November.
I would NEVER do this while tent camping!
And while I’m sure there are diehard campers who will tent camp in the snow, I’m more than happy to head back into my cozy trailer and watch a movie while tucked into my bed!
6. Use It as a Base Camp for Outdoor Activities
One of the ways we also like to use our teardrop is as a base camp.
Instead of moving campsites every day, we pick one spot and stay there for several nights.
From that one campground, we head out for hikes, bike rides, or day trips to nearby towns.
We’re not packing up each morning or setting up again in the evening. The beds stay made. The kitchen stays organized. Everything stays where it belongs.
It changes the pace of the trip. Less towing. Less setup. More time actually doing what we came to do.
7. Extend Your Living Space at Home
Your teardrop trailer doesn’t have to sit unused between trips. It can act as extra space right in your driveway.
We have used ours during the day as a quiet place to read, work, or step away from a busy house.
It also works well as an extra sleeping space when you have overnight guests.
Instead of thinking of it as something you only use at a campground, it can function as an extension of your home when you need a little more room.
Our kids love to use our trailer to “Driveway Camp,” when we cannot get a campsite, or don’t have the time to head out on a real trip.
8. Camp Where Accommodations Are Limited
I still remember one of our road trips up north with the kids.
It was before we had a trailer, so we had to stay wherever we could find a motel. And honestly, some of them were rough.
Now, when we travel through rural areas, small towns, or more remote regions, we don’t stress about finding a decent place to stay.
We bring our accommodations with us, which makes visiting less tourist-focused areas much easier.
9. Turn Long Drives Into Easier Travel Days
We used to try to power through long drives just to reach our final destination.
Now, if the drive feels long, we stop. This is especially the case when the kids are with us.
Having the teardrop means we don’t have to search for a last-minute hotel or keep going when everyone is tired.
We pull into a Wal-Mart parking lot, a truck stop, or look up a nearby Harvest Host.
We can then set up quickly, make a simple meal, and call it a night.
Or, we have even broken up a long drive by stopping for a meal or a bathroom break in our teardrop.
We pull into a parking lot, prepare or buy a meal from a grocery store, and enjoy it in our own space!
This has become a tradition on our way home from Algonquin Park, which is a long drive for us.
10. Turn the Trailer into a Mobile Home Base When Visiting Friends or Family
One of the most surprising ways that we have used our teardrop is when we “Moochdock” at a family member’s home.
One member of our family owns a cottage up north. However, since it really isn’t too big, we usually can’t all sleep over.
Rather than make the two-hour trip there and back in the same day, we now bring along our own accommodations!
We park on their driveway, plug into their electrical, and fill our tank with water. At the end of the day, we have our own bed and bathroom to retreat to, kids and all!
And we don’t have to rely on a guest room or book a hotel!
Final Thoughts
For us, a teardrop trailer isn’t limited to one type of trip.
We use it in ways we didn’t expect when we first bought it, and it’s become part of how we travel year-round.
Sometimes it just takes looking at it a little differently.
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