DIY Feature - Sarah and Bryce

Features

Mar 1

After camping in the Tetons, Sarah and Bryce decided they wanted to find a way to camp in a more comfortable and affordable way so they could continue to explore the National Parks. That’s when they came across Wander Tears and chose to take on a Teardrop Trailer build.

Sarah and Bryce started building their own DIY Vaga in Salt Lake City, UT.

What made you want to build a tiny camper?

We took a trip to the Tetons and waking up on day four we said we decided we wanted to camp more comfortably in the future. We wanted access to affordable and comfortable time in the National Parks.

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

This project has been our first together! Sarah grew up wood working with her dad, but Bryce had not had much opportunity for wood working. Both of our experience with electrical and metal work was very little!

What was the first step in your build?

Always go through the plans over and over! We fell in love with the idea of building a trailer after watching the Wander Tears social media posts!

What was your favorite part of the build?

We have learned so much by doing the work. We both enjoyed spending time with Sarah’s dad, working on a unique project together, and showing the trailer off to everyone who would ask as they walked past the garage while we were working. Our favorite step was the cabinetry, it was so involved as we cut out each individual piece of plywood and fit them together.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

We are not finished yet, but so far the most difficult part has been measuring and hand cutting all the wood pieces with a jigsaw, table saw, and circular saw.

How long did it take you?

So far, we have been working on the trailer for 9 months. Due to our busy work schedules, and the fact that we are building the trailer at Sarah’s parents house in another county, we only work on the trailer 2-3 Saturdays a month. Sarah also had hip surgery during this time and was non weight bearing on her left side for over a month.

Would you do anything differently?

So many things. If we were to build another trailer, we would look through the parts and materials list more thoroughly. We have struggled to source many of the materials. We also would probably look locally to get the wood professionally cut.

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

We are looking forward to being able to travel to the dozens of National Parks that are within a 14 hour drive of where we live!

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

Just start! You will learn as you go, make mistakes and fix them! Utilize the Wander Tears Facebook community too! So many people are also learning as they go!