If the perfect towable doesn’t exist for you, don’t despair: build it yourself. That’s easier said than done if you don’t have the kind of skilled hands Mike Gustafson has, but it’s not necessarily not doable.
Mike Gustafson is a custom motorcycle builder, woodworker, photographer, and designer. He’s an artist, in short, and he’s been working out of his native Des Moines, Iowa, sometimes in collaboration with his equally talented wife Sandy, an artist herself, and sometimes with his team behind MONNOM Customs, an outlet he started in 2016.
MONNOM Customs has since transitioned to MDesign, as Gustafson shifted focus from building one-off cafe racers and dirtbikes, furniture, and art pieces, to full-time photography. This makes the Ghost Teardrop all the more special, if the quality of the work didn’t do that already.
The Ghost Teardrop is a 2018 MONNOM Customs project that Gustafson built for the benefit of his family. It’s a one-off RV, designed and build from the ground up, with a very specific purpose in mind.
Photo: Mike Gustafson / MONNOM Customs
Like many people out there looking to make the most of the great outdoors with a towable, Gustafson and Sally initially assumed they could buy their perfect trailer and, later on, build it based on an existing frame. The more research they did into the subject, the more they understood that their only option was actually to build it from scratch. That was the only way in which they’d be sure to get all the features they wanted, with no compromise on their part.
In the process, they created the closest thing to functional art – a teardrop trailer-shaped piece of art, with all the comforts of home and, as Gustafson explains himself, “not a thing that you don’t [need].” It was a long process of almost 2 years, but only because it stayed on the back burner for most of this time. The Ghost Teardrop is perfect for their family because it integrates all the features they won’t do without when they’re at camp or boondocking.
The Ghost sits on a custom steel frame, with a body of UV-coated plywood clad in aluminum sheeting, with rigid foam and epoxy insulation. Gustafson describes it as a bedroom wherever you need it, with a fully-functional and generous galley in the tailgate that brings a touch of home even on outings that take them to more remote locations. Off-grid autonomy is of up to 5 days thanks to an onboard Optima Deep Cycle battery, and the electrical system is based on a 45 amp AC/DC power distribution system by Progressive Dynamics.
Photo: Mike Gustafson / MONNOM Customs
The interior is taken up by a queen-size bed, with heaps of storage throughout. A large bed was one of the things the two didn’t want to give up, so the entire trailer is actually built around the size of the bed, down to the galley and the cabinets. No “fancy 3D modeling software” was used, because these two are old-school and, we’d add, skilled enough to get the job done with pen and paper, and MDF templating later in the build.
The kitchen includes a portable stove, electric kettle, pantry, a cooler that sits on the tongue of the trailer, and a surprisingly large variety of plates and cups, and pots and pans. A pass-over window connects this area to the interior and makes breakfast in bed a possibility. USB charging, a controlled exhaust fan with a built-in rain sensor, reading LED lights, a small space heater, and lockable storage complete the limited list of features.
It would be wrong to expect more from a teardrop trailer, even if it’s the fanciest or most expensive out there or, as is the case with the Ghost, very beautiful. The biggest appeal with these towables is in the fact that they’re compact and have a low profile and low weight, which means they can be towed with the daily. Perhaps just as importantly, they can go where bigger rigs won’t fit. The Ghost, for one, tips the scales at just 1,300 lbs (590 kg), with a tongue weight of 80 lbs (36 kg), so it’s very light.
Photo: Mike Gustafson / MONNOM Customs
Gustafson describes it as convenient as a tent, but with the bonus of a 5-star restaurant and a high-quality bedroom, a small but sufficient shelter after a day out in the bushes. We should take his word for it, because he’s been using it since the big unveil, and he says that he’s just happy with it.
For the rest of us, the MONNOM Ghost Teardrop is pure eye-candy, and not just because of how pretty and shiny it is, bringing to mind baby Airstream comparisons. This towable stands out for the obvious attention to detail and the excellent workmanship, and the promise of that ever-elusive perfect towable. If your idea of RV perfection happens to match Gustafson’s.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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