DIY Feature - Chris Paul

Sep 9

Ready for a challenge, Chris decided to start a teardrop build. With the help of his 1 and 3 year old performing daily inspections on his work, he's almost ready for a family camping trip!

Chris is working on his build in Carlisle, PA, using our DIY Renegade plans. Here’s some insight on his build!

What made you want to build a tiny camper?

I chose to build one because I thought it would be fun and challenging. It also allowed me to save quite a bit of money over purchasing one already built the way I wanted it. Going the DIY route allowed me to add a lot of upgraded features that normally would have been very expensive purchasing through a company.

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

I have basic woodworking experience from different projects I have done over the years. As for electrical and metal work, I had little or no experience. I learned how to do basic welding from this project and really enjoyed it!

What was the first step in your build?

My first step was sourcing materials and learning how to weld so I could fabricate the frame.

What was your favorite part of the build?

My favorite part was when it started looking like a real teardrop with the aluminum, doors and trim installed.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

I’ll give a two part answer here for. One for sourcing and one for fabricating. Sourcing wise the hardest part for me was finding the aluminum for the sides, roof and hatch. I spent countless hours emails vendors trying to find what I was looking for. Some places had it, but shipping priced me out of my budget for that item. I ended up finding it locally at a good price and saved by not having to have it shipped. Fabrication wise it was the stargazer window I chose to add. I struggled getting it framed in and at a proper angle to sit flat with the aluminum roof.

How long did it take you?

I am almost complete and I started back in March. I would have a couple days here and there I dedicated to the build, but other than that, it was a couple hours here and there when I could.

Would you do anything differently?

I ended up having to use .63 aluminum for the roof and hatch because that was all I could find in 5ft with. The thickness was challenging to work with on the front curve of the Renegade because I decided to put diamond plate on the front as well. If I could go back and do it again, I would probably have looked a little harder for .040 5ft wide aluminum and not add the diamond plate on the front to avoid the seam.

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

So far its been the excitement from my 1 and 3 year old. They would perform daily inspections of my work and keep me motivated throughout the build. I am most looking forward to getting my kids out camping and being able to go more remote places that a standard camper can't go.

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

Buying the plans and going for it is my best advice. Once you get plans, the recourses you need along the way are available to you. I was blown away that several times I had questions and Danny and Paige made a video to show how it was done. I do not know anybody else that offers that kind of support!