These Overlanding Trailers Are Light Enough to Tow With a Motorcycle
Earth Traveler lightweight overlanding trailers (Earth Traveler T250LX and Earth Traveler T300) are perfect examples of the higher level of overlanding accommodations ready to make your dreams of overland adventure come true.
These trailers offer exceptional build quality, and smaller vehicles can easily tow them. They’re expandable with pop-up tops and tents to provide room for up to four people and are manufactured using high-tech materials, including a sustainable bioplastic.
Earth Traveler is relatively new to the overland teardrop trailer market. It was born in 2014 on a family summer camping trip from the imagination of company founder and designer Angel R. Irlanda.
Irlanda was using a Fiat 500 for transportation and a ground tent as the family’s only shelter. It didn’t go well: The tent was too hot during the day, and high winds flattened the tent at night.
That’s when Irlanda began looking for a camping trailer big enough to accommodate the entire family and light enough to safely tow with his compact car.
Earth Traveler Lightweight Overlanding Trailer Genesis
The search for that “perfect” overlanding trailer immediately became frustrating. Almost everything Irlanda looked at was either too heavy or would not sleep four. So, he decided to design his own trailer.
The criteria were simple. The new teardrop trailer must have a curb weight of fewer than 450 pounds, accommodate four people, and have as low a center of gravity as possible for stability during towing.
In addition, Irlanda decided to incorporate storage space into the trailer floor to maximize interior space. The prototype hit all these objectives and garnered requests from friends for more. At that point in 2017, Irlanda decided to turn his concept into a business.
Earth Traveler T250LX Teardrop Trailer
By the end of 2019, Earth Traveler was in production with its first lightweight overlanding trailer. The T250LX is a one-piece teardrop trailer made from 100% Kevlar carbon fiber, a weave of Kevlar fabric and carbon fiber. The company refers to it as “an absurdly strong and lightweight unit.”
A layer of Core-Cell (a structural sandwich core material) keeps weight low while increasing the strength and insulation of composite components. The combination is corrosion-resistant, low-maintenance, and fire-resistant/nonflammable.
Underneath the Earth Traveler T250LX lies a Timbren axle-less suspension assisted by SuperSprings’ SumoSprings Trailer Helpers. The combination provides the Earth Traveler T250LX with a 1,200-pound weight rating and an exceptionally smooth and well-controlled ride quality.
One of the most important aspects of the Earth Traveler overlanding trailers is their combination of hard-sided teardrop and pop-up tent trailer design. It allows them to offer an expansive interior space once parked, set up, and made ready for camping.
The Earth Traveler T250LX measures 5 x 5 x 11 feet closed. When fully opened, it grows to 11 x 7 x 11 feet in size.
Major features worth noting on the Earth Traveler T250LX are pop-up roofs (front and rear) and front and rear tents. It comes standard with two 28 x 28-inch deployable side doors with tents and two 28 x 21-inch vented side windows. Also included are two 3 x 6-foot custom cots as well as two 72 x 24 x 4-inch outdoor lounge cushions.
The Earth Traveler T250LX overlanding teardrop trailer also comes with DOT-approved running lights as well as five interior battery-operated LED lights. Tires and wheels are Taskmaster 4.80R12 radials mounted up to 12-inch wheels with a 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern. A spare tire is included.
Earth Traveler T300 Teardrop Trailer
The Earth Traveler T300 teardrop overlanding trailer is the company’s second offering. Its next-level design includes some traditional trailer construction materials, as well as a nontraditional construction concept.
Its shell is made of wood and fiberglass, materials many teardrop trailers commonly use. The Earth Traveler also uses Kevlar carbon fiber like the T250LX. Then Irlanda went one step further.
He worked with the Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop a unique substitute material for the nonstructural elements of the Earth Traveler T300 teardrop trailer. Using resin-reinforced bird feathers as part of the shell structure provides the Earth Traveler T300 teardrop trailer with a lightweight and cost-effective construction material with a high-insulation value. It’s also a sustainable bioplastic alternative to Core-Cell.
Like the T250LX, the T300 teardrop trailer rides on a Timbren axle-less suspension beefed up with SumoSprings Trailer Helpers. The Earth Traveler T300 shares the same smooth and stable ride quality as its lighter and more expensive younger brother. (The T300 starts at 300 pounds, and the T250LX weighs 250 pounds.)
The Earth Traveler T300 overlanding teardrop trailer’s suspension setup also offers a 1,200-pound weight rating.
Much of the Earth Traveler T300 specifications are the same as those of the T250LX. They share exterior dimensions. Add-ons for the T300 teardrop trailer also include front and rear pop-up roofs. But the T300 features a front mosquito mesh.
The Earth Traveler T300 comes standard with two 72 x 21 x 4-inch outdoor lounge cushions, DOT-approved running lights, and five battery-operated interior LED lights.
Conclusion
The semi-modular design of the Earth Traveler teardrop trailers enables owners to easily convert them to cargo-hauling utility trailers.
Owners can outfit the trailers with extras to best suit the size and towing capacities of their vehicles. You can even tow the Earth Traveler teardrops behind a motorcycle (although that sounds terrifying).
Extremely lightweight and clever design tweaks make the Earth Traveler T250LX and T300 teardrop overlanding trailers extremely versatile options for travelers. If you’re looking to take your home on the road but don’t have a large vehicle, these teardrops are worth a look.
Check T250LX Price at Earth TravelerCheck T300 Price at Earth Traveler
