DIY Feature - Scott & Brittany

Features

Sep 13

Scott and Brittany were looking up camping equipment and discovered what a teardrop camper was. Soon after, they found us, Wander Tears, on YouTube and realized that DIY was something they could do!

Scott and Brittany started building their own DIY Vaga in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

What made you want to build a tiny camper?

My wife and I were looking up camping equipment when we discovered what a tear drop camper was. We soon found Wander Tears on YouTube and realized that their DYI was something we could do!

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

Besides woodworking classes in high school, I am 100% self taught. I do have some basic and general electrical knowledge, but I learn everything from YouTube and doing research.

What was the first step in your build?

The floor was the first step of our build. This was my wife's least favourite part. She did not enjoy the flipping of the floor and moving wood around in our small garage. Gave us a lot of good laughs and memories though.

What was your favorite part of the build?

The day I closed the roof was the best! I kept going out to the garage to look at the trailer and admire the progress. It was a big milestone putting an end to the electrical part.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

The electrical system was my most difficult part of the build. I spent 2 months researching camper electrical systems to ensure I would build it exactly to my needs. It was a big struggle designing and eventually putting it together. However, I did learn a lot and was able to customize the electrical system exactly the way I wanted it. Now it's the part I'm most proud of with the finished camper.

How long did it take you?

6 months

How much did it cost?

Probably around 15K CAD

Would you do anything differently?

I would have installed formica on the countertops during the cabinet building phase.

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

It is so easy to pack up and go camping now. It'll get us out enjoying the outdoors a lot more. My wife says she will never go back to tenting.

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

Buy the Wander Tears plans and join the Facebook Wander Tears Group as there is so much info and help on there.

How did using Wander Tears DIY plans and having the resources provided affect your build process and time?

I can't even fathom not having the plans. It would've been too overwhelming. If I spent 2 months on just the electrical system it probably would've been years of me trying to design a whole build.