DIY Feature - Dries van der Westhuizen
Like most of us, Dries van der Westhuizen loves camping but hates packing up a wet tent after a weekend away. With the help of our DIY plans and Vaga kit, Dries has now completed his teardrop trailer!
Dries built his teardrop in Alberta, Canada using our DIY Vaga Kit and Plans. Here’s some insight on his build!
What made you want to build a tiny camper?
We love camping but hate packing up a wet tent after a weekend and then having to re set it up and clean it again just to have to pack it all up again.
What was your experience level with the skills required to build a camper (wood working, electrical, metal work, etc.) when you started?
I would say intermediate, def not a novice but also not an expert.
What was the first step in your build?
Bought the plans and then I build the floor and trailer from the plans. I then decided to buy the kit as it looked a lot easier and less time consuming.
What was your favorite part of the build?
Seeing it all come together and showing the build to my friends and family, everyone was amazed and now wants one.
What was the most difficult part of the build?
I would say the roof and hatch was tricky, I also tried to do it alone at first which was not smart to do so I got some help and it went way easier.
How long has it taken you?
Its hard to say, i worked on it mostly full time as i work from home and was between projects. We build the trailer in May, and started with the kit in July and I was done beginning of September.
If you're comfortable sharing, what was the total cost of the build?
+/- $16 000 CAD
Would you do anything differently?
Ask for more help, its not a 1 person job, I learned that the hard way.
What has been the best part of owning a tiny camper?
To never sleep in a tent again!
Any tips for someone that wants to build a tiny camper but doesn’t know where to start?
Just start somewhere, get the plans, they are invaluable and also the kit made things go much smoother and much faster. Also just be prepared that it wont be perfect but thats fine!
How did using Wander Tears DIY plans and having the resources provided affect your build process and time?
Could not have done it without it, you cannot build this without the plans and i think it would take months to a year without the kit.
“Travel is an investment in yourself.”
Looking to build a DIY Teardrop Trailer of your own? Check out our detailed DIY plans to get started now and adventuring sooner!