1989 Teardrop American "outbacker"

[Bob Miller]

These were made by a company in Wenatchee, WA in the late 80's. Last year I came across a huge stash of parts for them at a tow yard in Chelan, WA I tried to buy the entire lot but the owner thought that he was mining gold with them. If you need any body panels, doors etc try contacting him by calling the Chelan, WA Visitors Bureau and ask about the tow yard that is located on the north side of the Chelan River, they should be able to help out.

[alan H]

I also had one of these....great little trailer.....always ready to go, i towed mine with a restored cj7 jeep , did some off roading etc...and as someone else mentioned the gull-wing doors were a great eye catcher

[DaleCushing]

the doors are great but sure dont seal, style over function for sure.

[lauramoncur]

I've removed all the weather stripping and will be replacing it. The door latches were missing and the previous owner was using bungee cords to keep them from flopping open. I think the doors warped a tad in the hot UT sun, so that's why the seal is worse on one side and not the other. I'm going to redo all the weather stripping, add locking door latches and then spray the thing down with a garden hose to test water proofing. If it leaks, I'll try again.

[lauramoncur]

Mike and I found the right storage bins to level out the bed platform.



I talked about it WAY too much on my blog:

Teardrop American Outbacker Restoration: Leveling The Bed Platform

I've included the info on the EXACT bins we used that fit nicely into the recessed area. I'd love to be able to build a nice platform like Gregg M. did, but that's a little out of my skill range right now. These will do until I'm better at woodworking.

[jack maloney]

Since the teardrop is plastic, would some judicious application of heat be useful to counteract any solar warping and improve the mating of doors and doorways? Just wondering...

[lauramoncur]

Someone more talented than me could probably do that, but I'm not at that level. It's not warped THAT bad. The previous owner was able to keep out water by using bungee cords. With new weather stripping and a proper door latch, I think we'll be able to do the same.

[lauramoncur]

We'd like to replace the Teardrop American logo on the side of our trailer. Do any of you have a picture of the logo?

[Michelle S.]

Hard to believe this thread is still going. I took my across county from Seattle to Washington DC and back in 08. It has been stored in the garage since then. The main problem I had was the latches. The back one I ended up bungee cord it back home and never did replace the back seal. When I got near St. Lewis I ended up taking motels all the way home as it was too hot to sleep in. Even running two fans in it. Every time I stopped I would check the door latches as the door ones would come lose. Other than that it pulled great with the van. Great little traveler for sleeping in.

Just before I left my son discovered why the egg part was bouncing around. There is a couple of nuts and bolts that attach to the frame. Put a metal strip across and reattached hardware problem fixed.

These travelers were sold in the USA and China but the company went belly up due to financially not making it.



lauramoncur: I don't know where you could get a logo from. I drove over to Wenatchee, WA and meet up with the production manager to get some spare parts. He didn't have any logo's.

[Donna D.]

Welcome back Michelle... we thought you'd disappeared!

Maybe you can get a one-off logo made from this picture: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post299059

[Bob Miller]

Those teardrops were built in Wenatchee, WA back in the 90's.
As I mentioned in a much earlier post, a salvage yard in Chelan, WA bought up all of the left over parts and pieces and has had them sitting out exposed to the elements for years. If anyone needs body parts, or wants to try to build a new one, I will get the name of the yard at which they are located.
When I was there exactly a year ago this week, the owner wanted about $500 for enough pieces to built a complete rig (Minus the trailer part).
He also wanted to hit on my ex-wife, but that's another story.
BTW: The downfall of them seemed to be that the poly material they are made of isn't all that dimension stable and leaky door seals were endemic.

[Michelle S.]

Bob, My wing doors are warped so that is one of the issues to keeping the doors close. There are a few other things but not enough to not own it. I've been thinking about selling my since I haven't used it. I now slept in my van or get a motel on my trips. Advantage is just back from ND and I could drive 75 instead of 63 or so and I can't lock myself in it. One more thing is my is from there original production line. How you can tell is the hinges on the doors are made different. My isn't the Hydraulic ones. One nice thing is you can paint it. Best to you use car paint but house paint will work too per the guy I talked to. Donna, thanks for the link.

[pndwind]

I am looking for one of these to purchase. If anyone has a lead I would appreciate it.

[alan H]

I realize this is an old thread.... I owned one of these about 10 yrs ago and stupidly sold it
If anyone has one for sale or a lead on one please let me know
I no longer live in so calif and now live in Denver Colorado
But willing to travel
My cell
805 338/8422
Or
Cahartz@hotmail. Com

[haddyyd]

Hi All. We have this trailer! We got it 6 years ago and have made some adjustments/improvements. It has suited our family well, but we have since outgrown it and are looking to sell it.

The work we've done...
- Painted it red and white
- Added new leaf springs
- New tires (3)
- New hardware latches/locks and door seals
- Weather proofing 'brow' to avoid leaking and pooling over door frame
- Added Fulton Jack Wheel for easy maneuvering
- Added chains and steel carabiners for secondary tow attachment/safety
- Sealy Futon Mattress (like new)

Side arms on gull doors have been replaced with removable steel poles which is much safer for us and our kids.

We have fondly referred to this trailer as the 'Egg' from Mork & Mindy.

We are located in the bay area/Northern California.

Heather

[alan H]

Originally Posted by haddyyd

Hi All. We have this trailer! We got it 6 years ago and have made some adjustments/improvements. It has suited our family well, but we have since outgrown it and are looking to sell it.



The work we've done...

- Painted it red and white

- Added new leaf springs

- New tires (3)

- New hardware latches/locks and door seals

- Weather proofing 'brow' to avoid leaking and pooling over door frame

- Added Fulton Jack Wheel for easy maneuvering

- Added chains and steel carabiners for secondary tow attachment/safety

- Sealy Futon Mattress (like new)



Side arms on gull doors have been replaced with removable steel poles which is much safer for us and our kids.



We have fondly referred to this trailer as the 'Egg' from Mork & Mindy.



We are located in the bay area/Northern California.



Heather

You might want to post this in the “ classified for sale section”
And include a price
Good luck on your sale

[daleroller]

I bought mine about 1 month ago.

[daleroller]

Hi, I now own your American Outbacker Teardrop Trailer. I bought it about 1 month ago from a guy named Randy in Philomath, Oregon. I recognized the photo of those storage bins. Looking at your blog I also saw your curtains, the fabric pattern confirmed it was the same trailer.

I had new curtains made and replaced the storage boxes with camping chairs, table and canopy.
Did you ever have any issues with the trailer? I have not taken it on a trip yet.