FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions

Funtear Structures is a European manufacturer of retro style structures based on the 1950's design styles. Also referred to as 'aircraft style trailers'. We handbuild trailers, caravans, tiny houses, pods, lodges, waterhouses, food trucks, teardrops, campervans and 5th wheels. Funtear is located in The Netherlands. We ship worldwide. Funtear has 3 main shell types: riveted aluminum (classic), red cedar shingle cladding and fiberglass.

Funtear started developing its own teardrop trailer back in 2006. That's also where the brandname Funtear originates. The idea behind our Funtear teardrop was to build a trailer in the same way as the aircraft style riveted versions. In our design we focus on the curved shapes. Our door had to be special as well. We have a fetish for doors :-). Funtear is a brand of BroVest Holding BV and is built under license by Retro Craft BV.

What are the Funtear shell types?

Funtear has aluminium cladded shells, fiberglass shells and cedar wood shells.

Of course we do:

Retro Tourers in riveted aluminium:

• Funtear QT – 4.5 m
• Funtear SA – 5.90 m
• Funtear TA – 5.90 m
• Funtear XLE – 6.80 m
• Funtear XL – 7.30 m
• Funtear XXL – 8.70 m

Retro Commercial & Foodtrucks in riveted aluminium:

• Funtear Fiber Foodtruck serie
• Funtear SA – 5.90 m
• Funtear TA – 5.90 m
• Funtear XLE – 6.80 m
• Funtear XL – 7.30 m
• Funtear XXL – 8.70 m
• Funtear XXXL – 10.10 m

Funtear Fiber Foodtrucks (fiberglass shells)

• Funtear 30 Fiber – 2.95 m
• Funtear 40 Fiber – 4.20 m
• Funtear 50 Fiber – 5.45 m
• Funtear 70 Fiber - 6.70 m

Funtear Cabin Lodge- The Mansion in riveted aluminium (stationary)

• Funtear cabine 80 – 8.70 m * 3.65 m
• Funtear cabine 100 – 10.10 m * 3.65 m
• Funtear Cabin 115 – 11.50 m * 3.65 m

Optional trolley top roof and floating platforms

Funtear Cedar Woody (stationary))

• Funtear Woody 450 – 4.50 m * 2.20 m
• Funtear Woody 625 – 6.25 m * 2.20 m
• Funtear Woody 850 – 8.50 m * 2.20 m

No definitely not. Airstream Inc. is a fellow manufacturer that also builds aircraft style aluminum caravans. Technically, there are more differences than similarities. Airstream is probably the best known builder of the aluminum riveted type of products and is often identified with the type itself. Airstream only produces recreational Trailers/Campervans and is part of the largest RV manufacturer in the world: Thor Industries.
FunTear Structures originated from a restoration company of old American aluminum caravans (tin cans) and has gained extensive knowledge of the building process. FunTear has transformed that knowledge into its own product. Funtears are a European product and are built according to EU requirements.
Other revamped companies that still build airplane style trailers include Bowlus Road Chief, Silver Bullet and Silverstreak. Back in the 1950s, there were plenty of companies operating. Aircraft style trailers are mainly hand built which makes them a totally different League compared to standard production trailers.

Mirror shine, SSL or untreated aluminium?

What is the difference between the different types of aluminum we can choose for our Funtear is a frequently asked question. Here's the explanation.
First of all. Aircraft Style Trailers are not initially intended to have a mirror finish. It is a result of removing tarnished stains on aluminum. Corrosion occurs when untreated aluminum is exposed to oxygen. Originally, the Vintage caravans were protected by a layer of wax or varnish. Once that is decayed or removed, the corrosion begins! Clear coat has a lifespan of 20 years… So that explains why Vintage trailers are often mirror polished.
The first type of aluminum we use is untreated aluminum. This aluminum will age fairly quickly and will have a matt elephant skin finish. Corrosion on aluminum does not eat away at the material as it does with iron. It's just some kind of powder that gets on top. So for a real vintage look and feel…. untreated aluminum. And it's the cheapest kind we can use.
Second, we offer the polished aluminum skin. The panels are mechanically polished to a high mirror shine. Your trailer looks stunning. You can use a wax to keep your polished skin in good condition. In due time you will have to polish your trailer again and again. We advise to keep it up to date every other year. To maintain your polished trailer you need a number of tools and takes about 30 minutes per square meter.
The most sold material, however, is SSL aluminum. This is u Brushed and Anodized Stainless Steel Look. Anodized aluminum is protected against corrosion. This is a maintenance-free material. Only water and soap will do. On top of this SSL we can apply an extra layer of clear coat to prevent surface scratches.

Welke producten maakt Funtear?

Funtear builds retro structures in 3 different shell types and all kinds of product categories. All Funtears are custom built to the wishes of our customer. Funtears are fully self-supporting monocoque constructions. We start with an empty basic vehicle and then furnish it.

Funtear Shell Soorten

1. Aluminium geklonken shell> -Funtear retro
   De klassieke vliegtuig stijl geklonken aluminium body. Gebruikt voor reizen Trailers, Lodges, foodtrucks, commerciële doeleinden, verhuureenheden
2. Red cederhout-> Funtear Woody
   Dezelfde vorm, ander materiaal. Gebruikt als statische eenheden als Guesthouse, sauna of AirBNB locatie
3. Glassfiber-> Funtear Fiber
   Glassfiber reproductie van de klassieke retro. Gebruikt als bartrailer of foodtruck

Funtear modellen

1. Funtear retro-> recreatie caravans en gebruik voor commerciële doeleinden
2. Funtear Cedar Woody-> vakantiehuisjes en saunabooth
3. Funtear Lodge & Cabin-> Tiny House versies van onze klassiekers voor leisureparks
4. Funtear float-> retro constructies op een ponton voor jachthavens
5. Funtear 5e wiel-> grote 5e wielversie van onze retro model
6. Funtear Fiber-> glassfiber reproducties van ons retro model voor gebruik als bartrailer of foodtruck

SSL means: Stainless Steel Look (inox look) It is referred to as the brushed anodized aluminum plates that we use for our classic riveted Funtear Retro models. The SSL aluminum is one of your choices when you order a Funtear Retro. Other choices are plain raw aluminum, mirror-polished aluminum, and painted or colored aluminum (wrap).

Yes. A Funtear is built in the Netherlands with the most important components being European. So we comply with the EUR1. If you need a EUR1 document with your purchase, we must request it in advance. It takes a few weeks for the authorities to issue a EUR1 document.

Tin Can Town is the name of ou leisure park concept. With the rise of the platform economy, it is becoming interesting to rent out Funtears and classic Vintage units as an AirBNB location, guest house or at theme parks. Retro resorts are a great boutique hotel. So that's why we came up with our own platform. Tin Can Town is a combination of Funtear structures. You can create great experiences with Funtear Cabins & Lodges, Funtear Retros and Funtear Cedar Woodys.

Imagine a beautiful Funtear Retro to sleep in, a beautiful Funtear Woody with your luxurious bathroom and sauna and a large patio with a hot tub. A Big Green Egg to cook your favorite meals. That's the WOW factor!

Basemodels:

Funtear Woody 4 = 4,80 m

Funtear Woody 6 = 6,10 m

Funtear Woody 8 = 8,50 m

Buitenbreedte = 2.20 m
Interieur breedte = 2.05 m

Funtear Woody is een Tiny House voor een vaste plaatsing. We kunnen er uiteraard een rijdend onderstel bij plaatsen om aan mogelijke wetgeving te voldoen. Wij kunnen wielen voor compliancy met lokale regels toevoegen.

We can build any custom size for your vacation rental or tiny house. Our base units are 2.45 or 3.65 m wide

Funtear Streamcamper 1 = 5.90m

Funtear Streamcamper 2 = 7.30m

Funtear Streamcamper 3 = 8.70m

Funtear Mansion 1 = 8.70 m

Funtear Mansion 2 = 10.10 m

Funtear Mansion 3 = 11.50 m

Als extra functie u een lantaarn dak bestellen.

Our classic Funtear retro model line features a riveted aluminum shell built on a welded frame construction. The individual plates of aluminum are also finished with Dekasyl Kit to create a watertight trailer. Due to its structural characteristics, the aluminum will expand in warm conditions and contract in colder conditions. In addition, there is great pressure on the trailers during transport. For the kit this is a heavy duty use and therefore you should check them regularly. Over time, small cracks in the sealant can lead to some leakage. You can easily tackle this and it is part of the standard maintenance of your aircraft construction caravan.
If you encounter a spill it can be difficult to determine exactly where it is. The majority of leaks occur around the roof near the vents, air conditioning and windows. Best solution is to seal these areas again. It is a very simple task that is not very time consuming.
On the roofs we use Dekasyl 1512 butyl Sealant. We also use butyl tape around the air conditioner and roof vents. Between the panels on the upper segments we use the Dekasyl 8936 Sealant. The inner panels are sealed with Dekasyl MS-2.
If you don't want to re-seal your trailer yourself, you can visit an independent Caravan Service Center anywhere in the world. Normally it takes no more than 2 hours in total. Funtear customers can always take their trailer to the factory in Boxtel NL for service. For the first 4 years after purchase, we provide a free sealing service to our customers in our factory.

By far the most  asked question. But also the hardest to answer. That's why we saved the answer for last. In general, we believe that every price has a reason. Cheaper products are built cheaper or sold cheaper. So making a price comparison only makes sense if you take everything into consideration. And that's where marketing comes in. What do you really know about the product you are willing to buy?

Funtear produces trailers to customer requirements and to size. We are a small production company where most components are handmade in small series. Any comparison with standard production units is not really meaningful. We are proud of our product. We make it a different product than any other manufacturer. We have our own chassis, our own windows, our own doors, our own floors and our own seamed segments. We make our own designs and we do exactly what you want us to build. We can make endless variations. What is important to you? Heavy Duty vehicles need a heavy duty chassis! We don't cut on a budget when safety is at stake! And so we can talk for hours about the choices we make.

The price of your Funtear depends on a lot of different choices that have to be made first. The most visible choice is the choice of a shell type. The classic aluminum shell or the cedar wood or the fiberglass version? The production time of the aluminum version is the longest as opposed to the fiberglass which takes the least time. So the aluminum version takes the most out of your budget where the fiberglass costs the least with the red cedar in the middle.

To give some guide prices ready-to-use basic version (2022 pricing):

• Funtear Teardrop starts at € 19.500
• Funtear Woody starts at € 21.500
• Funtear Fiber starts at € 19.500
• Funtear Reet Petite starts at € 29.275
• Funtear Retro Alu Travel starts at € 39.625
• Funtear Foodtrucks starts at € 22.950
• Funtear Streamcamper starts at €34.950
• Funtear Mansion starts at € 62.950
• Funtear Pod starts atj € 17.500
• Funtear SnailR starts at € 90.000
• Funtear High Five starts at € 89.000

Pricing EXW ex VAT.