Teardrop trailers may be small, but they always make a big
impression. This unique style of RV even inspired a monthslong
labor of love for Daryl May (See Tommy the Teardrop Trailer's story here.). If you’re
intrigued by the teardrop but eager to get on the road
NOW, you can buy a pre-made model that’s ready to roll.
Ohio-based Little Guy Worldwide manufactures a line of teardrop travel trailers
that are easy to tow, economical to own and built for fun; their motto is, “I go
where I’m towed to.” We recently spoke with Chris Baum, chief operating officer,
about these pint-sized powerhouses and what’s next for the company.
What’s new at Little Guy Worldwide headquarters? There are so many
new things in the works that our biggest issues are handling the growth and
determining which opportunities to take next. We’re expanding into Arizona
with the Lazydays Tucson location. Overseas markets are flourishing, with new
countries coming on board almost every few weeks. We have a new long term
agreement with “The Price is Right;” they’ll be featuring the T@B on upcoming
episodes. We’ve partnered with Yuengling® on a new in-store campaign and trailer
giveaway that has been so popular that it will be spread to all of their regional markets.
We’re partnering with Solo-
Boat™ to take their product national as
part of a Camp-n-Fish package. We just
kicked out the first custom T@B for the
U.S. National Whitewater Center. We’re
also bringing to the U.S. marketplace
an incredibly popular trailer from our
European market: a one-piece, allfi
berglass model with an aluminum
frame that will change the lightweight
camping demographic. We’re even
doing portable ATM machines for banks
and disaster-relief units, for when you
need to get out of town quick! But most
importantly, I really believe that we
are building the best trailers we ever
have. We’re committed to never losing
sight of what our core product is and
who our core customer base is, while
expanding the Little Guy, Silver Shadow
and T@B product lines.
What one accomplishment is Little
Guy most proud of this year? The
fact that as we continue to grow and
expand, we’ve remained focused on
outsourcing every possible component
within the state of Ohio and providing
more jobs and increased revenue
within our local footprint. We’ve also
been able to expand our dealer base
through partnerships with the likes of
Lazydays and others, which has really
added mainstream credibility and
exposure to what we do.
What type of vehicle is needed to
tow a Little Guy? We make models
compatible for any tow vehicle — from
a motorcycle or trike to a large SUV or
full-size pickup.
Can people come to visit the
plant? We give tours and open our
doors to anyone who would like to
come spend some time in Amish
Country or visit our corporate location
and maybe appear in a video! We encourage this as much as possible, as
[owner] Joe [Kicos] and I love to meet
our customers, since this is where the
most honest feedback and best ideas
come from.
How many tennis balls/clowns/
jellybeans can you fit in a Little
Guy? Clowns still kinda creep me out,
but I think we could probably fi t 10
or 12 in a 6-Wide Little Guy! Roughly
2,000 tennis balls and close to 20,000
jellybeans, dependent upon the brand.
Can you get intimate with your
significant other in the Little Guy?
You’re obviously not familiar with the
phrase “If the teardrop’s rockin’, don’t
bother knockin’!” Hence the fact that
we offer window shades, padded walls
and mirrors on the ceilings now!
It’s usually one or two camping,
right? What’s the largest group
to sleep in one? We offer king-size
mattresses in all of our 6-Wides and
T@Bs; so, however many you can fi t
into that space. We’ve even added
custom bunk beds for babies, small
children and packs of beagles! The
attachable screen-room tent option
for all of our models adds quite a bit
of space, too; so, really, no family is
too large for our trailers. This makes
it perfect for the family that wants
to travel within the confi nes of their
4-cylinder, hybrid or electric vehicle.
What is the craziest thing a
customer has done with a Little
Guy? I know I haven’t seen them
all, but we’ve done portable ATM
machines, skis for cross-country,
ice-fi shing shacks, a lot of custom
tailgating and hunting tree stands,
astronomy stations … if you can
envision it, I’m sure it’s been done. My
daughter and some of her friends will
be packing up a trailer and traveling
to a few of the state parks featured on
the reality show “Finding Bigfoot” and
videoing their adventure for us!
Who is the tallest Little Guy
owner? Who is the smallest? I’m
sure one of the largest owners is Joe
Thomas of the Cleveland Browns, at
almost 6 foot 7 inches tall and 315
pounds. As far as the smallest, we’ve
had many in the 5 foot or so category,
not including kids.
Have any of your Amish craftsmen
hitched a Little Guy to a
horse and cart? Not that I’m aware
of, but I don’t see why not. They camp
too, right?
Has anyone ever put a Little
Guy on top of a building? We’ve
had dealers put them on top of
buildings and up on poles in front
of their dealerships. Yes, it does get
attention … and maybe more than a
few wrecks!
Subscribe to receive updates on this series