Happy Camping Without the Hassle.

Meet Hyk Outdoors Teardrop Campers.

Before founding Hyk Outdoors—one of the US's premier teardrop trailer designers—Jeff and Laura Baker camped in tents with their family. And hated it. There had to be a more comfortable, more convenient way to camp, and Jeff was determined to find it.

"As a father, I wanted to spend time outdoors with my family and create lasting memories. But after enduring a weekend of tent camping, I thought 'does it really have to be that hard?'" recalls Jeff.

If you're a tent camper yourself, you certainly know the struggles of packing, setting up, repacking, and unpacking again ad nauseum. When reveling in the great outdoors is so much work, it's enough to make you want to stay indoors. And then there's that whole "sleeping on the ground" thing, which often leaves you sore and groggy the next day. "As I've gotten older, the idea of sleeping on the ground in just a sleeping bag is less and less fun. My back just won't allow for it," says Jeff. Anyone who's ever slept in a tent knows that telltale backache he's talking about. Turns out mattresses are good for your spine.

And even if you're an RVer, there's a lot of hassle that comes with the lifestyle. The bigger the rig, the more limited you are in where you can travel. Then there's the (usually expensive) maintenance and, once again, the setup/take down process everywhere you go. The hassle can prove enough of an inconvenience to drive would-be campers indoors.

In 2018, Jeff decided it was time for a new approach to camping.

Enter teardrop camping and Hyk Outdoors.

What is Hyk Outdoors?

Hyk Outdoors is a Missouri-based teardrop manufacturer that rolled onto the camper scene in late 2018. Since then, the startup has grown into a full-fledged designer of custom teardrop trailers, drawing in shoppers from all over the US.

These days, Hyk Outdoors customers can choose between on- and off-road models and can even customize their camper with sinks, hot showers...even a whole extra room.

Hyk also aims to meet people where they are in their teardrop journey, whether that means setting them up with a rental to dip their toes in, building their camper from scratch, or even shipping the handy DIYer a pre-cut kit to build themselves.

Hyk Outdoors Facility with Camper in Front

Pictured: Hyk Outdoors facility in Kingdom City, Missouri

"The point of a teardrop trailer is to live out of it, not in it" - Jeff Baker

The "Less is More" Lifestyle, and Why Teardrop Camping is So Appealing

Hyk Outdoors may have begun as a more comfortable and efficient alternative to tent camping, but former tent campers are not the only ones who turn to Jeff for their camping needs.

Many of Jeff's customers are actually trailer owners looking to downsize. As fuel prices rise, new vehicles become more expensive, and the "back to the basics" lifestyle becomes more popular, many individuals and couples choose to make the transition into teardrop camping after having owned PUPs or other campers.

Why is this? Well, in some ways, larger campers can prove to be as much hassle and inconvenience as tent camping. With PUPs, you have to set them up and take them down. You have to choose a vehicle that can handle towing your camper. And the bigger your camper, the harder time you'll have hitting up those beautiful remote locations. Teardrop camping, however, embraces simplicity. The small SUV in your garage can tow a teardrop just fine—no need to drop $60k on a new truck. And you can go almost anywhere, even off-road. As Jeff says, "if you can drive there, you can camp there."

And there's another big draw: a teardrop supplies everything you need while providing nothing you don't. Jeff's customers all have one thing in common: they love being outdoors. Unlike larger campers, a teardrop encourages you to live out of it, not in it, as Jeff likes to say. Teardrops provide the comforts you need—convenience, a soft bed, a galley kitchen, easy access to food—to enhance your outdoor experience, not detract or distract from it. After all, do you really want to be watching Netflix inside your RV instead of living your own adventure?

"We try to camp with a minimalistic approach," says Jeff about his own family. "Really we want to use a teardrop camper to be out in the world, be out in nature, and so we're looking for just a place to sleep at night, a place to stay dry, hang out, but also prepares us so that we can go out and spend the day doing various activities in whatever area we're staying."

In the end, teardrop camping is all about embracing the concept of "less is more." Less hassle. Less distraction. More freedom. More convenience. More time enjoying the things that matter.

Pictured: Jeff in front his CNC machine, which he uses to make precision-cut camper frames

Customized Camping is Key

FROM BLUEPRINT...

The need for a level of customization that didn't exist is what initially prompted Jeff to design his own camper. In fact, Hyk Outdoors was born in his very own garage.

In the beginning, it wasn't about changing the way people camp; it was simply about building a camper the Bakers themselves wanted to use. "I saw people using these small, two person campers with a mattress and thought it was a perfect solution for camping comfortably while not needing to purchase a new vehicle to pull a huge camper," says Jeff.

There were teardrop manufacturers out there, sure, but they were located too far away, or were too expensive, or had extremely long lead times. Not to mention, none of them could offer Jeff and his family exactly what they wanted. "There are a lot of great ideas out there, a lot of really cool campers out there, but I found there were just a few little tweaks, a few little things that I would want different," he recalls.

So he resolved to build his dream teardrop himself from the ground up. As as he quickly discovered, however, building a trailer without the proper tools is a challenge. Campers require precision cuts, and this just wasn't something Jeff was equipped to do with the tools he had. That's when he purchased his first CNC cutting machine. It would serve its purpose in building the camper, he figured, and then he could sell it. Only that's not what happened.

...TO BUSINESS

Jeff did create his ideal teardrop camper. It was the solution he'd been so determined to find, and it brought back all the joy to camping that he'd been missing. But he didn't stop there. Instead, Jeff made another camper, and another, and before long Hyk Outdoors was born.

"I really did believe we were going to build one camper," says Jeff. "And then once we did all that design work...I see a whole bunch of people asking, 'is there a kit to build a teardrop from?' So I was like, let's ramp up this idea. It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be. But in the process I was like, well, if we can build one, we can build a thousand."

Hyk isn't just another assembly-line manufacturer pumping out cheaply made, cookie-cutter frames, however. Jeff and his crew have personal contact with every buyer and offer a platform that can be adapted to a variety of camping styles and needs.

"One of the things that differentiates a Hyk Outdoors camper from others that are on the market is certainly our ability to work with our customers," says Jeff. "We try to customize where we can and I think give them the things that they're looking for. A lot of folks kind of know how they want to camp, so we want to be able to provide some customizations to them."

Examples of custom options include sinks, hot showers, and refrigerators. Or maybe you'd like a shelf in the corner, or a specific decal on the exterior. (Some examples of past requests include a moon and a cat.) Hyk provides the platform; you provide the dream.

"One of the biggest differences between Hyk and other manufacturers is the minimalist build of our campers. We want and expect people to customize these campers based on their camping style and needs. We can offer some custom components or they can add them as they discover their needs. We have a great platform to build from."

How to Rent, Build, or Buy Your Own Dream Teardrop Camper

Just like there's no one-size-fits-all teardrop camper, there's no one right avenue into teardrop camping. That's why Hyk offers renting, buying, and building options for camping enthusiasts looking for different experiences.

Try It

Not quite ready to commit? Book a Hyk teardrop camper for a long weekend and give it a whirl. Renting is a great way to determine whether teardrop camping is for you, to narrow down your personal must-haves, or even just to get outdoors for a weekend. Do you need a cooking stove? A hot shower? Do you need a 10' camper, or can you get by with 7'? Rent a Hyk trailer. Heck, rent two. That way, if and when you decide to take the plunge for real, you'll know you're getting exactly what you want.

Fun fact: up to 30% of Hyk Outdoors renters end up purchasing a Hyk camper!

Kitchen Setup on Hyk Outdoors Teardrop Trailer

Buy It

Tired of dreaming and ready to make your goals a reality? In the age of the internet, you can order a teardrop trailer online, fully built just how you want it. Just head over to the Hyk Outdoors website to start the process.

"We love to build campers for people, so we're happy to do a complete build," says Jeff. Hyk will even send you photos throughout the build process to keep you in the loop. "We want to make sure that as [customers] see something come together that it's exactly what they want. When somebody comes to pick up a camper, we want them to love it."

You'll just let Jeff and his team know what you want in/on your teardrop, then let the pros bring it to life.

Build It

If you know your way around a hammer and prefer to build your camper with your own two hands, you can order a custom DIY kit from Hyk Outdoors and have it delivered (heat-shrink wrapped) to your doorstep. Yes, you can actually build your dream teardrop without hunting down every individual component, purchasing expensive specialty tools, and making three dozen trips to the hardware store

"We think the benefit to the DIY kit versus trying to build a camper on your own is exactly what we ran into," says Jeff about his first-ever attempt at building a camper by hand, without the proper tools. "I spent months cutting all the pieces and parts. Once we involved the CNC machine, everything we could do, we could do with precision, and that changed the game. Our DIY kit allows you to assemble the cabin in half a day."

Living (and Loving) Teardrop Life

Jeff and Hyk Outdoors have helped many people find their way out from behind the TV and into nature, enjoying fresh air and new experiences. Here's what a few of Hyk's happy customers had to say:

Review by Cindy: “I chose a teardrop because....I was tired of cranking up my pop up. I'm just ready for something I can pull into the campground. I was ready for a change. I researched things, and everything I looked at was too big. When I go camping, I just want to be out camping. I don't need to be in my camper. I'm figuring if I have something that's easier to maneuver and manipulate that I can get out more often. I was discussing it with friends and whatnot, and Hyk was mentioned. And I said okay, I'm going to go check them out. And I liked their product, I liked their price point, and I liked that they're Missouri guys. I'm excited to get out with it and get going."

Review by T & L Yates: “Coping with all of the challenges we've faced as a family in 2020 has been a struggle. With everything we love either closed or canceled, we've found ourselves sitting at home night after night, watching show after show on Netflix. We finally decided we needed some excitement in our life, get outdoors, and purchased a Hyk Outdoors Teardrop Camper Trailer. Now, any time the mood strikes we can hook up and go! It's now simple to stop by the store on the way home from work, pick up a bottle of wine, a little food, maybe some cheese and assorted crudites, and then hook-up and head out to our favorite spot to watch the sunset and enjoy a beautiful night spending time together. We love our Hyk Outdoors Teardrop Camping Trailer!"

Hyk Outdoors Campers + etrailer Accessories = The Perfect Match

Of course, whether you buy or build your dream teardrop camper, the next step is outfitting it with all the necessities.

That's where yours truly can help. Here are some products to help you outfit your dream camper, endorsed by Jeff himself and available at etrailer.

So...are you ready yet? Go find that favorite spot. Take that hike. Snap that perfect sunset photo. Sip that beer around the campfire.

And then curl up with a roof over your head and a soft mattress beneath your body. Listen to the crickets or the rain—without feeling them firsthand. Close your eyes, and dream of your next teardrop adventure. What are you waiting for?

Ready for a (virtual) tour of Hyk? Take a look at what happened when we visited the Hyk Outdoors facility in person!

Lázaro H.

3/31/2022

Requiero parte 56073 Para CDMX Un saludo Gracias

Les D.

3/31/2022

Ok, I have placed a link below to this product. Just add it to your shopping cart and then check out to pay and ship. Otherwise you can contact our friendly staff at 800-298-8924.

Cles O.

3/31/2022

One thing I know way above anyone is "camping" small. My severly disabled wife(powered wheelchair and all medical supplies,she requires 24/7 care so I can't work) and I have been living in a 15 foot camper for 4 years. I made it with wheel chair ramp ,solar powered,5 c.f. fridge/freezer,washing machine,stove , microwave,double sink etc. We do it all on her S.S (less tgan minimum wage)We have had it in some really hard places to get to....even for those with a 4x4. We've camped from michigan to florida. We had to go small because that is all our van can pull.

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