DIY Feature - Ben Rittenhouse

Features

Nov 10

Ben is an avid outdoorsman and lover of travel, he's backpacked and/or tent camped in all but two of the United States and even thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail back in 2011. Ben's fallen out of touch with adventuring the last few years but is eager to get back to it with his new DIY Vaga!

Ben built his teardrop in Holland, Michigan using our DIY Vaga Plans. Here’s some insight on his build!

What made you want to build a tiny camper?

I've always been avid outdoorsman and love to travel. I've backpacked and/or tent camped in all but two of the United States and even thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail back in 2011. I'd love to say I kept that trend going, but I have fallen out of touch the last few years. It's gotten harder to make the time, and though I'm only 35, my body is wrecked from 20+ years of construction work. I wanted to find a way to re-experience some of the wild places of my youth, but without putting so much strain on my body. I could still hike and backpack, but this would give me a nice comfortable 'base camp' to come back to. Also, quite simply, I love a good project. It was very appealing to me that I could make something completely my own and then utilize it for years to come. Anyone can go out and buy a camper. How many people can say they built the entire thing from the ground up?!

What was your experience level with the skills required to build a camper (wood working, electrical, metal work, etc.) when you started?

I've worked in some facet of the construction industry my entire life and am currently the lead carpenter for my brother's renovation company. That said, I still had a bit of a learning curve when it came to the electrical, as it's all DC.

What was the first step in your build?

My first step was to buy the DIY Vaga plans from Wander Tears and order the trailer frame kit.

What was your favorite part of the build?

I really enjoyed the whole process but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say any of the woodworking and finer details. I was able to let my OCD run wild and I think it really showed through in the end.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

The most difficult part was putting the hatch onto the hurricane hinge. Probably would have gone smoother had I not painted it first, but I thought I was saving myself from a lot of taping/masking off by doing it beforehand lol.

How long has it taken you?

I'd say I have about 250+ hrs actual build time into it..

If you're comfortable sharing, what was the total cost of the build?

Total cost ended up being right around $8,500.00

Would you do anything differently?

I would probably have used a steel frame rather than aluminum. Better yet, I would have bought one all ready to go from Wander Tears, however, they hadn't started selling them when I first started my build. I like the weight reduction and corrosion resistance of aluminum, however, I worry about the strength and everything holding up over time..

What has been the best part of owning a tiny camper?

I love being able to get out of work on a Friday and not have to worry about anything except pulling the cover off, hitching up, and hitting the road. It has allowed me to get back out to the woods on the weekends and is also going to allow me to have a much nicer shelter for longer, more extensive trips in the future.

Any tips for someone that wants to build a tiny camper but doesn’t know where to start?

Start with buying the plans from Wander Tears! It will give you an idea of what's involved and what materials you will need to acquire. Then just dive in! The hardest part is getting started, but once you are over that hurdle, you'll be surprised at how well things come together. Follow the steps and when in doubt, ask questions! Daniel and Paige are always eager to help in any way they can and there are numerous other websites/tutorials out there dedicated to Teardrop Trailers and the build process.

How did using Wander Tears DIY plans and having the resources provided affect your build process and time?

Having the materials and measurements all listed out in a simple to follow format saved me countless hours on my build. It would have saved even more had I not spent so much time trying to "reinvent the wheel" so to speak. I can't tell you how much time I wasted trying to figure out a different way to do a certain step or process, only to arrive right back where I started in the end. Daniel and Paige have already spent numerous hours doing a lot of the hard work for you and have probably been down the same rabbit holes you have.