teardrop trailers

Often the campers that leave the biggest impressions are the smallest vehicles of the pack. This year's CMT show had an intriguing collection of mini-campervans, tiny trailers, and conversion kits for smaller vehicles.

Teardrop trailers typically feature a wood body, but manufacturers have been moving away from the wood. The latest to roll into our view is the High Altitude XT50, a foam-core composite shell with cozy sleeper interior and tailgate galley.

Australians don't compromise when it comes to tough camper trailers. So if you're named "Australian Off Road," your "most basic model yet" includes a galvanized steel foundation, airy queen bedroom, lithium-based electrical system and large kitchen.

Off-road teardrop trailers are all the rage right now, but a factor limiting appeal is that they generally sleep only two – and no bathroom. Into the Wild solves both problems, lifting the roof for a roomy trailer that sleeps four and has a wet bath.

One of the more intriguing campers in the modern surge of adventurous teardrop trailers, the Escapod Topo combines rugged construction, compact design and killer graphics. A few months after discovering it last year, we took one out for a long weekend to see what the teardrop craze is all about.

We've seen a number of angular teardrop styles, from the fairly common squaredrop to the much rarer faceted polygon. French startup Carapate Adventure tries something different with its eponymous mini-caravan — a rolling wooden trapezoid with rounded corners, vibrant color and plenty of style.

Earth Traveler is developing a different teardrop trailer, a skeletal archway made of lightweight composite. The range-topper will be carbon fiber, but the more interesting version will use a composite made of chicken feathers, for a trailer that's featherlight.

Teardrop trailers are natural head-turners, but an Australian camper startup takes things to a new level. Making the already curvy teardrop even curvier before splashing it with bright paint, Cool Beans builds a teardrop that simply refuses to be ignored.

The Volkswagen badge is inextricably linked to #vanlife and open road adventure. In a slight departure, VW is parking the van and hitting the road with a different style of adventure rig. The all-new Atlas Basecamp Concept pulls the road trip off-road, unearthing tracks and trailheads less traveled.

No matter how many teardrop trailers we cover, there's always another startup with its own variation. Evolve is the latest to mosey across our radar, offering teardrops with a bit of extra curvature, doors with full-size windows, and off-grid power with roof-mounted solar.

Large US RV makers have been slowly releasing small trailers, but startups lead the way when it comes to smart, stylish teardrops. Polydrops Inc. is the latest, revealing a polygonal take on the teardrop. Built from wood and skinned in aluminum, the Polydrop moves seamlessly from city to mountains.

If you squeezed between the block-long motorhomes and fifth-wheels at last week's RVX show, there were also some small, affordable trailers. And though they were smaller in size and number, the light, compact towables punched above their weight in innovation, styling and cool features.