DIY Feature - Renee Smith & Chris Harrison
2020 brought new hobbies for Renee and Chris, one of them being fly-fishing. After multiple 3 hour trips to the river and staying in cheap hotels they realized it was starting to add up. That's when they decided to build their our own camper to support their fly-fishing habits.
Renee and Chris are working on their build in Memphis, TN using our DIY Vaga plans. Here’s some insight on their build!
What made you want to build a tiny camper?
2020 brought new hobbies for us, and we got really into fly-fishing. So we made lots of trips to the river (a 3 hour drive from our home in Memphis, TN) and stayed in cheap hotels. Well, that started adding up and we decided to build our own camper to support our fly-fishing habits. We were actually at the fly fishing store getting ready for another trip and a lady who worked there started talking about a Vistabule camper she had just gotten. We looked up the price and wrote it off as too expensive, but then we saw you can DIY these campers and we became obsessed.
What was your experience level with the skills required to build a camper (wood working, electrical, metal work, etc.) when you started?
We have home renovation, wood working and furniture building experience, but we've never done anything like this before.
What was the first step in your build?
The first step was doing research and then purchasing the trailer.
What was your favorite part of the build?
My favorite part of the build was just having a project to work on and spending time with my boyfriend figuring stuff out on the camper. We love seeing the progression of where we started vs where we are now with the build.
What was the most difficult part of the build?
The most difficult part is finding the money and the time to work on the camper.
How long did it take you?
We started in mid-March and are getting close to the finish line, but we are taking our time and just enjoying the process.
If you're comfortable sharing, what was the total cost of the build?
So far, we are around $4k.
Would you do anything differently?
We would have built it at our house instead of in a family member's garage. It would have been a lot easier if we had it here to work on.
What are you most looking forward to in owning a tiny camper?
We are most looking forward to taking more spontaneous mini-trips and having a comfortable place to stay.
Any tips for someone that wants to build a tiny camper but doesn’t know where to start?
I would say you should do planning and research (buy books, go on forums, watch videos), buy some good plans and have a budget goal in mind (and keep track of your spending on a spreadsheet)..
How did using Wander Tears DIY plans and having the resources provided affect your build process and time?
I liked how the plans broke down each section of the build into steps. That way it does not get overwhelming.
“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask. Nancy Newhall”
Looking to build a DIY Teardrop Trailer of your own? Check out our detailed DIY plans to get started now and adventuring sooner!