Ay carumba! The Caretta 1500 Teardrop Trailer is the business as far as I am concerned. It’s the perfect pack-up-and-go entry level vehicle. It oozes style and practicality, while also being as easy on the eye as it is on the pocket.
The Caretta Teardrop is being imported by RV Direct, and it’s been selling like hotcakes since its first mention in Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations last month.
There is a great deal more to the Teardrop than classic good looks. As a lightweight carapace to tow behind a small vehicle, it would be hard to beat. Make no mistake, few sacrifices will be required, except for the lack of a luxury of space.
But if all you require is the security of a warm dry bed, this cutie will fulfil your expectations of comfort and amenity. For what it lacks in space, it makes up for with thoughtful design.
I love a lot about the Caretta Teardrop, which comes in either polar white or beige. Our test vehicle was polar white and I thought it looked terrific. The total exterior length of the fibreglass body is 3900mm. It is just 1740mm-wide, but it packs a great deal into this small package.
Inside the dual doors is a 1500-by-2000mm mattress. This takes up the floor room, but the interior is not claustrophobic because of the two good-sized doors which each have an opening window with privacy blind and insect screen.
Outside, the boot lifts to reveal a well-thought-out galley with smart storage, a compact fridge and a round basin with shower rose that could also be used to rinse off after the beach. There’s sufficient bench space for basic preparation, and a two-burner stove – which does not come as standard.
RV Direct Teardrops will have 60 litres of fresh water storage and 65 litres of grey water. I get the feeling the average user would mostly use campgrounds, but with a self-containment package, free camping is definitely an option.
In short, I love the Caretta Teardrop 1500.
Teardrop trailer history
The prototype of the enduringly popular Teardrop trailer was designed and built in America in the 1930s by Louis Rogers of Pasadena, California, for his honeymoon. His plans were later published in a 1939 issue of Homecraft magazine, and versions also appeared in the September 1947 issue of Mechanix Illustrated.
The secret of the Teardop Trailer’s early success lay in its lightweight, easy construction. After two wars, and the Great Depression, the American economy was at the time in recovery, with a massive network of highways under construction and abundant WWII surplus materials.
The exterior skins of many early Teardrops were constructed of aluminum salvaged from the wings of bomber aircraft. Wheels frequently came from ex-army jeeps, while the chassis was constructed from U-channel steel or tubing.
After a brief period of public disenchantment, the popularity of Teardrops is at an all-time high with home builders and their clubs now found throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Israel, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Check out the full article in issue #132 of Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations magazine (on sale now!). Subscribe here.
