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This is the story of a little tear drop trailer that loves to ride behind my motorcycle. As you know, tear drop trailers are a thing of the past. They get their name from their shape and were made in the '40s and '50s. Used for camping, they had sleeping quarters and a little kitchen in the back. Possibly a prerequisite to the R.V. trailers of present day, very cute, they almost have a “cartoon” like appearance.  But lacking in modern conveniences they slowly disappeared, replaced by late model campers with refrigerators, heaters, microwaves, and full service bathrooms. Go figure!
   My friend, Jim, and I have been riding motorcycles since the early 1980s. We enjoy everything from day rides to camping trips and have even ridden across the United States! That little junket took over three weeks and covered almost 10,000 miles. As you can tell, we take this seriously!
   Riding like we do, means that we must get along and have common interests.  Which is true, but there is one major difference. Jim is a gadget freak, he must have the latest gismo, battery powered self inflating mattress, laptop, (yes he takes it) and has even considered purchasing a gas powered blender. Of course I would have a margarita or two! His motorcycle has cruise control, stereo, and room to put the heater for his tent.
  I, however, am a simple, old school, minimalist. Give me a Harley and a sleeping bag and I am happy.
  Needless to say, Jim quickly ran out of room. His answer to his problem was to buy a trailer to pull behind the bike. After much research on the laptop he found a company that makes trailers in Los Angles and made to match the Goldwing he rode, it even had tail lights to match the bike. And as big as this thing was, (22 cubic feet) on many occasions I saw him sitting on the lid in order to get it closed. This always made me smile! But I didn’t make too much fun of him because I was eating the food kept in his 12 volt ice chest.
     Jim’s trailer was about a year old when he received a letter from the manufacturer stating there was possibly a problem with the frame. They were more than willing to replace it or send him a new one. He then calls me and says “I know you have been thinking of building yourself a trailer so you help me switch this frame out I will give you the old one.” This will give me a jump on the build. “OK,” I say. I always like free stuff!
   I had the idea of building myself a trailer for some time and I liked the “old school” look of the teardrops. But mine had to be much smaller than the originals and just use for storage.
   Frame and axle in hand I started sketching some ideas, different shapes of fenders, and types of suspensions. Laying this out on a large piece of cardboard keeping correct proportion will be important. I wanted this to look exactly like a scaled down version of the old tear drops. This axle is 12 inches too wide, and in the wrong place, frame is way too wide also. Suspension will not fit under the fenders. This “free” frame is junk and will not work for me. I wound up using about 15 inches of the front shoulder and tongue, about $1.50 worth of scrap metal, so much for the free stuff. It did serve a purpose however; it got me off my rear end and started building. And so began the birth of the little tear drop.
   I will spare you all of the details of the build, all of the mistakes, the redo’s and swear words. Searching for parts, materials, and the hundreds of hours of labor involved. And the many things I would do different in order to streamline the process. The build took a year and a half, working on and off! OK then, consider yourself spared.
   The tear drop pulls flawlessly and has followed me on many trips so far, Big Sur, Shaver Lake, and even Sturgis, South Dakota. There is plenty of room for my tent, sleeping bag, and one burner stove. People seem to love the little trailer, and are always complimenting me.
   Now then, if only I could find that catalog that carries the gas powered blender! Margarita’s anyone?