DIY Feature - John Harback
John wanted the ability to get to remote places while traveling and thought a teardrop would allow him to do just that. Buying one was out of his budget so he decided DIYing one was the way to go.
He started building his own DIY Vaga in Lancaster, California earlier this year and took it on it’s Maiden voyage in July!
What made you want to build a tiny camper?
I wanted to get to remote places and the prices to buy on were to high
What was your experience level with the skills required to build a camper (wood working, electrical, metal work, etc.) when you started?
I have been around metal fabrication and woodworking most of my life and welder in aerospace for over 40 years, so I figured it shouldn’t be to hard to build one.
What was the first step in your build?
I looked online a lot at different trailers but I kept going back to Wander Tears. Danny and Paige seemed the most helpful for what I needed so I bought their plans and started to fabricate the trailer.
What was your favorite part of the build?
After the basic shell was enclosed and I sat in it. I smiled and thought this is going to be pretty cool 👍
What was the most difficult part of the build?
Probably the hatch installing interior wood and outer metal. The hatch twisted slightly not sure why but was able to straighten it it in the end.
How long did it take you?
It took about seven months working on it a few hours a day when possible.
If you're comfortable sharing, what was the total cost of the build?
I didn’t keep track to much but probably upwards to $7000 spread out through time gathering materials and parts.
Would you do anything differently?
Not really the plans were great with lots of information and easy to follow.
What has been the best part of owning a tiny camper?
With the small size being able to go places others can’t get to and being able to just hook up and go.
Any tips for someone that wants to build a tiny camper but doesn’t know where to start?
Take your time don’t be intimidated I really enjoyed building this trailer.
How did using Wander Tears DIY plans and having the resources provided affect your build process and time?
Danny and Paige are very helpful the plans are great very detailed and a lot of research went into them and the links.
“Daring to plunge into the unknown may very well land you in paradise.” ”
Looking to build a DIY Teardrop Trailer of your own? Check out our detailed DIY plans to get started now and adventuring sooner!