Pricey, amenity-filled adventure vans may be all the rage these days, but the #VanLife excitement is trickling down into other areas of the camper industry. Small, lightweight trailers are also seeing a resurgence thanks to their easy towing capabilities and compact luxuries. Love campers and trailers? Come join our new community group.
We’ve highlighted some of the best lightweight trailers and five different teardrop trailers you can buy in the past, but the latest to catch our eye is the tiny Droplet Trailer. Made in Vancouver, Canada, the Droplet first debuted as a prototype in June 2017 as the brainchild of a engineer who wanted a tiny camper he could pull with his Toyota Matrix.
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The result is this Scandinavian-inspired teardrop. Built around a queen-size bed that easily sleeps two, the camper uses an aluminum composite exterior, structural wood fiber for the frame, and wood laminate in the interior to keep things light.
While some teardrops feel a bit like a dark cave inside, the interior of the Droplet is bright and airy thanks to a half dome front window that provides great stargazing. Door and side windows on both sides let in even more light—as does a ceiling yachting hatch—and all windows are tinted for privacy.
Two cabinets and two shelves sit at the foot of the bed for storage, and large felt pockets keep night-time essentials at hand. Both access doors are extra wide to make it easier to get in and out of the small camper, and two LED reading lamps provide light in the cabin.
Like a traditional teardrop, the camper’s cook space is accessed from outside, and includes an acrylic, easy-to-clean countertop and backsplash. Dishes can be hung on the back-splash for easy access, and the kitchen also features two LED lamps, a 12-volt slide-out fridge, a two-burner propane cooking stove, and pull-out drawers for storage. The sink is deep enough for dishes, and a closed-loop water system is hand-pump operated.
In total, the Droplet measures 6.6 feet wide, 13.5 feet long, and 5.5 feet high, making it easy to park in your garage. The best part? The camper weighs 950 pounds dry, meaning that it can be towed by cars with at least 1,500-pound towing capacity. That includes smaller vehicles like the aforementioned Toyota Matrix, the Subaru Impreza, and the Honda CRV (remember to always check your own vehicle tow weights).
You can rent out the Droplet to try before you buy, and the company offers a series of different trim packages that range from $14,450 for the “naked” Droplet, to $16,450 for the off-the-grid package that includes solar. Head over here for more.
