DIY Feature - John & Crystal

Features

Jan 26

John and Crystal are on their second DIY teardrop. A lot of memories made and lessons learned throughout the 15,000 miles clocked on their first build. Ultimately, they decided they wanted to improve their camper and start fresh now that they have some build experience.

John and Crystal built their teardrop in Texas using the DIY Vaga Plans.

What made you want to build a tiny camper?

Experiences as a family are the best life. This is a re-build. Version 1 went through 32 states and about 15,000 miles. We drove through the remains of a hurricane in New Jersey and believe that was the start of some water damage due to me being in a hurry.

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

This is a re-build. Total experience was 1st build (I had almost zero woodworking experience). Barely competent.

What was your favorite part of the build?

Assembly of the cabinets.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

Preparation, got rushed to get on the road (again)

How long did it take you?

So difficult due to start and stop time. Around 3 months, mostly weekends.

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

Around $6,500 - estimate.

Would you do anything differently?

There is a line in the plans that says "seal everything". Really should seal everything, and then do it again. Pay closer attention to what I am purchasing in advance, and more attention to detail on hatch fit.

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

Family bonding, seeing new things, inexpensive travel.

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

Starting is not hard. Get a set of the plans and watch the videos. Put time into the trailer frame research, but no "paralysis of analysis". Just commit to starting.