DIY Feature - Brad & Sabrina
In need of something to do during lockdown in Canada, outdoor enthusiasts Brad and Sabrina decided to build a teardrop trailer for themselves and their pup to be able to travel more comfortably. Less than 4 months later with the help from our DIY Vaga Plans, they had a beautiful teardrop trailer!
We asked Brad to share some insight about being a first time teardrop builder, his previous experience, and how he came across the idea to create a tiny camper of his own. Here’s what he had to say:
What made you want to build a tiny camper?
A few factors came into play when deciding to build our teardrop. We had been looking for something small to pull behind our car (towing capacity is under 2000 lbs so it needed to be compact) and Covid had me a bit stir crazy. I started looking into what it took to build a teardrop and found tons of resources and a massive community and decided it would be a great project to keep myself occupied while we were still going through lockdowns here in Canada.
What was your experience level with woodworking, etc when you started?
I would consider myself a beginner in terms of my experience with woodworking, electrical or general handy work before taking on this project. Plenty of research and learning how to use new tools throughout the process. It was extremely rewarding learning all these new skills all at once.
How long did it take you?
It took approximately 3 1/2 months to complete.
Any tips for someone that wants to build a tiny camper but doesn’t know where to start?
The Wander Tears Vaga plans are an amazing place to start! There is also a great community online, whether it is the online teardrop forums, facebooks pages, and YouTube videos. It can be a bit daunting at first but if you break it down into the different sections and take it one step at a time, it really does start to take shape in front of you in no time at all. There is no shortage of information online and people that are passionate about their builds are always ready to share their tips and tricks.
For his exterior, Brad went with a beautiful wood varnish finish. He used fiberglass, epoxy, and spar varnish to get his ending look. What do you think?
To follow along with Brad and Sabrina, follow their account @bradanselmo on Instagram!
“Use the weekend to build the life you want, not trying to escape the life you have.”
Looking to build a DIY Teardrop Trailer of your own? Check out our detailed DIY plans to get started now and adventuring sooner!
