Carbontear trailer: A game-changer for camping enthusiasts

I wasn't a fan of trailers for several reasons. First, I couldn't maneuver them properly. On the road, you need to remember to follow speed limits like for trucks and that you're towing a trailer. This is very important for some bumps, turns, or intersections.

Additionally, camping trailers scared me with their size and lightness—literally. I always imagined that in the wind on an uneven road, such a trailer would just fly away. I even feel that I have a slight phobia.

"You’ll see how it drives, but I won’t tell you anything more," said the friend who encouraged me to borrow his CarbonTear trailer, which he had tested himself. I looked at it and thought, "It's so nice that I’ll try it." So, I arranged for a test drive.

I've already written an extensive article about CarbonTear trailers, including an interview with Piotr Goral, their creator. Despite the name, the trailer's construction is made of steel and wood. The chassis is steel with independent suspension, while the body is largely made of ash wood.

The whole thing resembles early teardrop designs from the 1930s when Americans began to travel without relying on motels. The trailer is finished with aluminum details made at a factory in Lublin. Everything harks back to the pre-war period.

The idea of the classic teardrop is to travel with a small trailer equipped with two or three sleeping places and a kitchenette in the rear, like in the trunk of a vehicle. Inside, there are several shelves and cabinets – that's it. You drive, pull a small, lightweight trailer with your car, stop anywhere, and rest anytime. You don't take a teardrop to campgrounds, though you can, but you don't stay in one place for several days. Rather, you wake up every day and continue driving.

A lot of attention is paid to the driving characteristics of CarbonTear trailers when building them. In such a trailer, how it drives is more important than how you live.

After hooking the trailer to a Volkswagen Tiguan, I anxiously set off on my first trip. Around town, the only inconvenience was the creaking coming from the tow ball and a slight play felt during braking and acceleration. Other than that, it was no big deal.

Over time, the CarbonTear won me over more and more as a vehicle. It drives wonderfully —however that may sound—and the suspension with independent wishbones, double shock absorbers per wheel, and coil spring is fantastic.

How the CarbonTear handles road bumps or faster tight turns amazed me and relieved my fears.

Concerns related to driving the vehicle and trailer combo diminished with each passing hour, but the ones related to maneuvering remained. The CarbonTear is small enough to fit in many places yet large enough to be easily seen in the mirrors. Volkswagen's TrailerAssist system proved to be a great help.

The CarbonTear GR Gravel, the specific model you see in the pictures, measures 15 feet 8 inches in length, 6 feet 8 inches in width, and the same height. It weighs 1870 pounds, with a permissible mass of 2425 pounds. Usually, it's higher, but in this version, it has been lowered so it can be towed by many cars without additional licenses.

An important aspect is the large ground clearance of 16 inches, which gives a sense of security when driving off paved roads. The last thing that will happen is the trailer's chassis hitting an obstacle on the road. There's also no worry about braking because every CarbonTear has an overrun brake, regardless of GVWR.

CarbonTear offers a unique atmosphere for two reasons. Firstly, its simplicity charms me. It's not a substitute for a traditional camping trailer but for today's trendy rooftop tents. The only difference is that we have several cabinets and a kitchen, and entering the interior is much easier.

The mattress is 6.4 feet long and 4.6 feet wide. It’s just right for a couple or maybe a small child. Inside are more cabinets than needed, as well as good lighting and a sound system. The latter is remarkably good for a trailer, but the creator places it in the premium class, so that’s understandable.

To maintain the 1930s atmosphere, a retro-style radio player has been installed, though it still has a USB port and Bluetooth module. There are also plenty of USB ports in other parts of the trailer - both inside and out.

Inside the trailer, it's neither cramped nor too low. It's comfortable, even more so than an average rooftop tent, and thanks to the doors that open on both sides, you can easily get out. Thanks to thick walls and small windows that can be covered, I felt much more isolated from the surroundings than in a tent, which gives a sense of security while traveling.

Locking yourself inside, the trailer becomes impregnable by traditional methods, as certain travelers found out when sleeping at a French parking lot, who could have had uninvited guests at night. The problem is that when sleeping in the trailer during higher temperatures in summer, the ventilation turns out to be insufficient, and you need to leave the door ajar – the roof window is not enough. In this scenario, another problem appears: the side awnings are too narrow.

Mechanical ventilation (along with heating) is available for $1,625 net, which solves the problem. The trailer's insulation is incredible. On a cool night, I slept in just my underwear without a sleeping bag, and it wasn’t cold.

However, what gives the most positive impression is the external workmanship of the trailer. You see the wood and smell its scent, so those who like that can fall in love. The sound system plays phenomenally after closing the doors because the acoustics of a room without corners are incredible. The lighting is pleasant and non-straining, although the buttons to turn it on could be darker as they are somewhat bothersome at night.

Despite not being very thick, the mattress turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, and it is covered with a pleasant, non-staining fabric. It has such a texture that entering the trailer straight from the beach won’t result in sand being everywhere. There’s a large storage compartment under the mattress from which you can pull out a table and sit at it on a rainy day. Outside, there’s an awning with dimensions of 8.5 x 8.5 feet, although this option costs $815, which I would skip.

The atmosphere outside the trailer is created by its shape, which draws attention. The model I tested had an elegant but unnoticeable color. On the other hand, a red, white, yellow, or bright blue one would be a real hit wherever it appears. However, even the test model drew enough glances from people whose looks asked, "What is that?"

However, thoughts and whispers quiet down once the rear hatch opens. This way, we show off the kitchen with a large countertop for meal preparation, a two-burner stove, and a sink. The trailer has clean water (about 16 gallons) and a gray water tank (8 gallons), and it also features a boiler that heats the water for the sink and the shower, which you connect to the external socket. The battery has 120Ah and provides 12V power or can be connected to a 230V power supply.

The kitchenette has its own lighting and a sound system, although, unfortunately, it lacks volume control and a radio. However, today, we mostly listen to music via Bluetooth, so such things are at hand on our phones.

The sink and stove are, of course, compact. You can wash one small dish in the first and put two small pots on the stove. However, the idea of a teardrop is not to prepare meals on the spot – it’s more of an emergency solution or to prepare a quick breakfast before continuing the journey.

The rear section also has cabinets (below) and shelves (above). The lower sliding drawers hold a lot of items. At the front of the trailer is a roomy, aluminum, ventilated container – intended for a refrigerator and a few trinkets-like tools. Thanks to the unpainted walls and cover, the contents are insulated well from sunlight. Unfortunately, the lid of this box leaning against the trailer's front wall causes paint damage, but this problem has already been solved in the latest trailers.

On the outside, there is also a roof rack made of polished aluminum tubes, on which a tent can be mounted, adding extra sleeping space for 2-5 people. Of course, it's worth noting the weight of such a tent and, thus, the regulations, as trailer-related rules can be complicated. The roof rack expands CarbonTear's possibilities for family travel.

CarbonTear seems to Be an expensive trailer. The GR Gravel version, like the one tested, currently costs $22,800 net or $27,900 gross.

However, there is a reasonable answer to criticisms about the high price: "You can always buy a wall clock cheaper than a Swiss wristwatch." But I see this comparison to a classic camping trailer differently because watches are not my world.

You can buy various cars, including the three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 with two seats, no roof, and a proper windshield, with a 118 HP engine, like the one in the picture below. Do you know how much it costs? Converting from pounds, just over $55,400. Do you think people who buy it shout that it’s too expensive?