This $17,000 Teardrop Camper Is Built To Go Off-Road
Teardrop campers are growing in popularity as people embrace small living and focus on the experience of camping. A teardrop camper can be everything from a functional RV to nothing more than a fancy-shaped bed on wheels, offering RVers a place to sleep and a small propane stove.
Bean Trailer makes teardrop campers that stay true to their small size, portability, and style while packing in lots of unique options and features for avid adventurers. They were recently awarded Utah’s 2020 Manufacturer of the Year based on several criteria, including performance innovation. Bean Trailer has consistently won awards over the last two years. It is fast becoming one of the hottest teardrop camper manufacturers in the United States.
One of their signature trailers, the Mean Bean, is designed to go to even more places and cover more terrain. You won’t believe the amount of functionality and space packed in the Mean Bean.
The exterior
Many manufacturers are still using wood and tin to construct their trailers, especially smaller, less expensive teardrop campers. The teardrop campers from Bean Trailers are built with a one-piece fiberglass shell. That means there are no seams to leak through, and any repairs are much easier to facilitate. As stated on their website:
“Additionally, fiberglass is easily repairable, unlike metal or traditional wood framing. You can think of Bean as an upside-down boat, and in the case you needed some exterior maintenance, this can be done at any local boating repair shop.”
The rugged features don’t stop with the fiberglass shell when it comes to the Mean Bean. The 14-foot-long and 7-foot 2-inch wide teardrop camper’s chassis has 15 ½ inches of ground clearance. Upgrading to the Meaner Bean model gets you even more with off-road tires and 17 inches of clearance. The Mean Bean has an exterior height of 6 feet 9 inches, making it fit easily into a standard garage.
Along with the made for adventure build, the Mean Bean teardrop camper comes with 2 side entry doors with an integrated port window, circular shade, and screen doors. The rear galley hatch is fitted with an integrated lift and latching system. Below is a video of how well the Mean Bean holds up to off-road conditions.
The electrical system
The Mean Bean comes with a 100-amp deep cycle AGM battery, housed in an aluminum battery box. You can upgrade the battery to a LionEnergy Safari UT Lithium-ion 1300 12.8V / 105Ah / 1344Wh battery.
Along with the 110V system, the teardrop camper comes solar-ready, and the solar panels are an upgrade option. You will find an AC wall plug equipped with USB charging plugs in both the galley and cabin.
The tank capacity
The Mean Bean off-road teardrop camper comes with an 18-gallon freshwater tank an 11 lb propane tank. There is a grey water drain but no grey tank.
The galley
Among the many notable features of the standard Mean Bean galley, it comes with a steel 2-burner stove, stainless steel counter, hatch mounted dome light, built-in paper towel dispenser, D-ring tie-downs, and a powder-coated cooler tray.
It comes standard with a 50-quart Coleman Extreme ice chest that can be upgraded to a Norcold NFR 45 1.59 cubic feet Refrigerator/Freezer in the Premium Plus galley option.
Check out the video below to see the different galley options Bean Trailer has to offer.
The interior
The Mean Bean teardrop camper boasts a cabin that is 20% bigger than their competitors. It turns into a full-size queen bed with an optional children’s bunk that can be snapped in place for children or pets.
It comes with an overhead storage cubby and passthrough cabinetry that can be accessed from the interior and the galley. A pop-up table is available as an add-on as well.
Custom options
A quick browse of Bean Trailer’s 2-D builder will show just how customizable their small campers are. You will find four different galley configurations with three cooler options.
You can spice up the interior with an upholstered backrest with designer fabric, interior cubby accent lighting, and a remote-controlled MaxxFan Deluxe roof vent.
You can add practical upgrades like the Truma Varioheat compact heater with a thermostat and an instant hot water system. Storage lockers can be added to the front carrier for more storage as well.
There are numerous exterior add-ons available, like the 7-gallon Roadshower 4, so you can enjoy a hot sun-powered shower. An optional Thule Pro Bar roof rack system and sidewall with a 23Zero Peregrine 180 Degree Awning are available to shade your campsite.
Learn more about the Mean Bean teardrop camper
The customizable features and rugged design allow outdoor adventurers to take the Bean Trailer’s teardrop camper on and off the road. Teardrop campers like the Mean Bean will continue to help the Utah-based company keep up its pace as the fastest-growing travel trailer manufacturer in the country.
The overall build, large list of options, easily towable base GVWR of 3,500 lbs, and low-cost MSRP of $17,950 for the base model, makes the Mean Bean off-road teardrop camper one of the top teardrop trailers of 2021. Visit their site to learn more and customize your own.
If you want to see more, an actual customer takes you through their Mean Bean teardrop camper in this video:
You may also like: This Affordable Teardrop Trailer Will Take You Off-Road
Levi Henley is a freelance writer and has also been full-time RVing with his wife and pets since 2015.
Looks like a good investment price wise fair at $17,000 to $20,000
Too expensive for me… The 17,000 range would be fine.. but that’s not what their website says…
Yikes!! Their Bean Stock “minimalist” is a heafty $23k!! Add their very basic galley upgrade of $1,500 and you get $24.5K before u even other add on’s. Like a spare tire, ha! Their base price for Bean Stock was below $17K
within the last 2 years. Welcome to the “because we can” world of inflationary greed.
I just looked at their website and the least expensive model has a base price of $22,490. Have their prices gone up that much since this article was written?
I love this lil home on the road. I’m a disabled veteran and wanted a more military style camper for two and so far, Bean mini wins my heart. Plan to shop around October 21 and I’d love to get some literature on this and any incentives or discounts for a veteran if applicable. I’m Mauricca [email protected]
Looking fwd to doing business this fall🙏
I am for the basic prices. Nothing fancy. Just plain.
The basic price is not in the 17,000 range