Teardrop Camper Trailer

The Little Guy

For many people, the word "camper" brings to mind a large unit that is hauled behind a vehicle, or something that is a vehicle in itself.

The Little Guy Teardrop Camper/Trailer, manufactured in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Amish craftsmen, is an entirely different concept - one that is much more economically and environmentally friendly.

Hometown Honda on Pike Street in Marietta just started selling the Little Guy about two months ago.

"We just now got their franchise over here and they've been very popular so far," said Dan Rolfsen, general sales manager at the store.

According to golittleguy.com, there are nine different models of the camper available, ranging in price from $3,295 to $8,995. The campers range in width from four to six feet and have linoleum floors, where a mattress is placed for sleeping. Most of the units also have interior cabinets.

"It's basically a very economical camper and comes with a queen sized bed with options for a power plug, DVD player and some you can equip with a sink and grill," Rolfsen said. "The beauty of these things is they can be pulled by a four cylinder car - they're under 1,000 pounds."

"It's a bed on wheels with a few amenities, so it's a much greener way to travel than pulling a big camper," Rolfsen added.

There is also a model of the Little Guy on which an ATV or dirt bike can be hauled.

"The toy hauler that you can haul your ATV or dirt bike on works really well for racers and just people who don't want to buy a big truck but want to go camping and is affordable for their economy car to be able to pull," he said.

Rolfsen said soon, the store will be selling a model of the Little Guy that can be towed behind a trike (three-wheeled motorcycle). He said all models of the Little Guy can be hooked up to campground power and propane.

Betty and Wilbur Kemp, both 75, who live in Mantua, Ohio, have a camper that is about 37 feet long and they said they're not willing to downgrade to the tiny Little Guy.

"I've seen them - they're too small for me," said Wilbur Kemp. "It's for two people traveling with a small vehicle."

Tim Treadway, 22, of Marietta, said the campers may be nice but he still prefers to camp another way with his family.

"We're old fashioned - we like to use tents," he said. "It's all about being involved with nature."

About the Little Guy Teardrop Camper/Trailer

Manufactured in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Amish craftsmen.

Oregon Retailer Focuses on Teardrop Trailers | RV Business

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Teardrop camping, Coberly said, is a hybrid between using a tent and an RV and is especially convenient for people who are looking to either simplify or reduce costs of using the larger trailers.

Retired veteran Dan Archer, 51, owned an 18-foot-long fully loaded camping trailer for several years. But recently, he said, he realized he had not been making the most of that trailer. “I noticed I never really needed that much space,” he said.

He began doing research online to see what options were available, and one day while driving in Salem, he saw one of the teardrop trailers and followed the signs to Coberly’s business. “It caught my eye,” he said.

Coberly said one of things he enjoys about owning and selling the trailers is how much attention they draw from people who are curious about the pint-size campers.

“People are always looking at them,” he said. “There’s a fascination with that cubby-hole space and what could be going on in there.”

Archer, although still a relatively new owner, said he was impressed with the way the trailer pulled behind his Jeep and that it was easy to move around. He was able to physically move it around himself, unlike having to maneuver the 18-foot-long trailer.

Some minor kinks he said he was getting accustomed to were not having a bathroom and some initial struggling with his air mattress as well as getting adjusted to how to make the best use of his storage space. But for all intents and purposes, Archer said the teardrop worked out well.

Another advantage Archer has discovered is the lower cost of fuel from pulling the lighter trailer. “It hardly took any fuel,” he said.

Pulling the 4,000-pound trailer was much less efficient than the 800-pound teardrop, he said.

Archer said he is planning several more camping excursions, including trips to Deschutes County and Eastern Oregon.

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