Camping Trailers Reviewed

A Home While Traveling: Compact Camping Trailers

The history of travel trailers in the US is a fascinating one. Some trace the humble trailer back to the 1920's, with major developments in the industry occurring in the pre-WW II years. Today, we see a whole host of vehicles on the road, including both full-size and compact camping trailers, RV's, motor homes, pop-up trailers, truck caps for camping, fifth-wheel trailers, and mobile homes.

Compact camping trailers are most often used when camping or general travel when it would be impractical to use a larger trailer, or when a small vehicle is used, one that could not tow a larger sized trailer. Compact camping trailers are probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 ft or less in length.

Compact camping trailers have several advantages over their larger cousins: they cost much less to purchase, they can be towed by smaller vehicles, they do not take very long to set up once you have reached your destination. They can be cleaned and maintained more easily, and are ideal if you do not have a large truck for towing.

When you are traveling, compact camping trailers can save you a great deal of expense, as you will not have to pay for expensive motel or hotel rooms. Persons seeking a cheaper type of seasonal cottage for hunting or fishing will also find advantage in compact camping trailers.

One of the most venerable of all compact camping trailers is called a teardrop trailer. So named because they do, in fact, resemble the shape of a teardrop, these models were popularized in the 1930's and 1940's. In fact, if you see an old newsreel or even a cartoon depicting camping trailers from that time, chances are that a teardrop trailer will be portrayed. They are quite small, yet provide room for two people to sleep, and have an external area for storage and an external kitchen area that folds out. An average teardrop trailer is about 8 to 10 feet long, and often have a silver colored body finish. They are still in use, and are one of the most popular types of compact camping trailers today.

Another popular design in compact camping trailers is sometimes called a pop-up trailer. One type of pop-up trailer has a tent that collapses into the body when traveling. Another type has a hard-shell body that collapses down upon itself, and then can be pulled up once the travel destination has been reached. These types of compact camping trailers have the advantage of providing a larger living area while still remaining lightweight and compact while on the road. Some pop-ups are so lightweight that they can be towed by smaller economy-sized vehicles, which makes them ideal for the smaller family as well as couples who like to travel.

Modern compact camping trailers often are equipped with various amenities, such as refrigerators, stoves, oven, water heaters (these are usually gas or electric powered), beds, extra batter power, even showers and toilets! These amenities make compact camping trailers ideal for wilderness camping, where normal conveniences may be unavailable.

Yes, compact camping trailers have come a long way since their introduction 100 years ago, and they are a great way for anyone to discover (or rediscover) the joy of outdoor living!