RTT or Teardrop

I genuinely appreciate all y'alls input! Still at a crossroads but I'm definitely leaning towards a teardrop/small trailer. I'm also kind of thinking about building one (which means I'll starts looking at logistics and then decide against it). I grew up camping in a nice pop-up and once I started camping again with my wife, we could only afford to tent. Now that we live in MN, it gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter to really camp in a tent which only leaves a couple months to camp comfortably. And now that there's some more jingle in the pocket, hence the upgrade to (albeit the cheapest option) a trailer...

 

A lot of good info. I run a ground tent or this trailer w/rtt. Depends on the trip. I initially wanted a hard side, but after crawling into a few I always felt a little claustro phobic, not to mention the cost and added weight. I am also on the side of leaving the rtt off the truck for many reasons. This rtt is an xl and has quite a bit of room inside. Also on this set up the climb into it is typically a shorter one than on some vehicle setups. Any of the listed choices will ensure a good time outside though. Have fun and enjoy.

 

With a queen sized bed, heater, shower, on demand hot water, (35 gal) 270 awning, fridge, dual LifePo4 batteries w/full solar, dual stove & sink + the ability to go anywhere, I can safely say after a decade of tent camping, the wife and I bought a square drop and it changed the game.

Nothing like being a decent ways off the ground but not have to use a ladder, knowing you have solid walls around you, especially in places with bears/cougars/coyotes ect, ect.
We will never go overlanding/camping without it again.
With an all aluminum construction, (except for the boxed steel PCed frame) no axle/independent suspension (Timbren) and about 1800 lbs dry, the Taco pulls it with ease/very comfortably.

Let's face it, it's not a cheap "toy", but if it's something you can afford a tear/square drop is the way to go.

 

There are many small options available. We tent camped for years but find the practicality of a tiny camper much more appealing. Most of our gear stays in the camper ready to go, prep time is greatly reduced, a nice dry refuge, and much more comfortable sleeping. It handles some pretty rough roads and gives us a great home base and place we can secure stuff when not there and we don’t have to tear camp down to go anywhere. We camp mostly State parks but it’s completely self sufficient.

 

I'm a huge fan of the little trailer. Goes anywhere, parks anywhere, tows easily, all the comforts of home in a little package.

The real question is, how big is your garage? When I bought mine I went shopping with a tape measure to make absolutely sure it would clear. And it does... barely.



It's all good, 2 inches to spare is one more than I need.





However, when it's on the road, it's magical.







It's worth it. Team trailer all the way.

 

There's a TD thread if you're interested in different owner feedback: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lets-talk-teardrop-trailers.565936/

For me, the big deciding factor against a RTT is that we frequently camp in the rain. My garage isn't tall enough to open most RTTs to let it dry while on the truck. The TD does have awnings that I frequently have to dry out after a trip but it's not a big deal for me to unfurl the awnings and let them hang down the side of the trailer to dry in the garage.

Camping, I prefer the TD over a tent. Setup can be as minimal (turn the truck off, unlock the trailer door, climb into bed) or as involved (level trailer, awnings out, etc) as you want or need it to be. Camping in high winds with the TD has been a non-event for us. I did have a couple of leaks early on that I addressed without too much hubbub. Campground camping is much quieter inside the TD than a tent and you don't have nearly as far to fall when you stumble out of bed in the dark to hit the head. We also tend to keep the trailer ready to roll, so we can be on the road for camping within an hour of saying "go", much less if the neighborhood is burning down. We have a furnace in the TD which has allowed us to camp outside of the regular seasons more comfortably.

Mileage with the TD isn't as big of a hit as the canoe on the truck is when going freeway speeds on the flat and level. I do notice the trailer more in the mountains and my mileage does drop there. I do really like that I've shifted most of the camping weight off of the truck and onto a separate set of axles. My tongue weight is in the 200lb neighborhood, trailer is around 1700 fully loaded for a family of 4 with extra fuel, 10 gallons of water, our bikes and 10 days worth of stuff (fridge and food are in the truck though). My trailer is braked, which I recommend, and I haven't felt like I've been pushed around by it.

There are some downsides. You do have to plan things out a little better when trying to park. This hasn't been a huge deal for me overall, but there have been some frustrating moments that wouldn't have happened without the trailer. Squeezing into a campsite can be a bit more of a challenge though we've been able to make it work every time so far. The trailer does weigh more than just the camping stuff does. It does take up a full spot in the garage whereas a RTT could be shoved off to the side when you're out of camping season. It can be frustrating making pit stops with the trailer as invariably someone is going to want to talk with you about it.

Building a TD is going to cost you more and take you longer than planned but I had fun building mine and the kids love it. I wouldn't recommend building solely to save money though as at some point your time needs to have value. If you enjoy projects, want to learn new skills or have fun building things then I say have at it

 

I go with rtt, I got a cat tent and love it

 

or both? you ever get into an argument you could sleep out in the tent.

 

We went with a custom built CampInn made here in Wisconsin.
High quality build,holds its value well.
Tows well and the back opens up into a kitchen, not shown is a Two burner propane stove that pulls out from behind the sink.
When it rains we put a collapsible awning over the kitchen area like vendors use at farmers markets.Works great for us .the link is below
https://www.tinycamper.com/

 

Okay so I know I already chimed in but…I just got back from a 3 day outing when a spot at our favorite campground close to home opened up. Wife had to work so this was a solo trip. Trailer was already loaded. Grabbed 3 days worth of food and clothes. Boom…done. Just saying there are some conveniences that come with a small trailer. Good luck on whatever you choose and enjoy every minute of it.

 

Cousin Eddie ready to move in what a rig!

 

I think there's a lot of people (myself included) who would completely disagree with you in saying a Tacoma can't handle an RTT. Now, how you load it definitely matters. But in my case, my cab and bed are usually full, with an RTT mounted on top, and two bikes on a bike rack (see profile photo). About the only difference I noticed is it is a little more sluggish off the line. Braking, normal acceleration, and handling feel the same.

 

I have had a few different iterations.

Started with a camper shell



Then went to a trailer



At this point right now




The trailer just became too much to deal with for me. I'm now wanting to build a slide-in camper that way I can still have my truck bed when not being used.

 

I still love the trailer..

 

There is a local guy that has a Chevy pickup with a matching cap and a 8’ bed Chevy trailer with matching cap, all the same color. Kinda cool, large parts pool with a GM pickup.

 

Teardrop all day

 

I love the matching trailers too....it just became too much to deal with. Just a personal deal, nothing against the trailer.

 

All great info. I'm team trailer all the way.

One thing I don't see being considered. I haven't driven with an RTT, but with a trailer, even light ones you're definitely not going as fast up hills and winding roads through mountains and hills. That said, whether you're towing 1500 pounds or 2500 pounds on the road isn't much of a difference. Even midsize teardrops/square drops is where you start to get things like heat, a small AC unit or hot water which really improve the comfort factor. Depending on which part of the country you're in, it can extend the season.