A few years back, we decided to build a "little house". Previously, we had been spending a significant amount of time tent camping and decided it was time for an upgrade in comfort. After looking at all of the options, we decided that a "vardo" style accommodation(gypsy caravan) would be the best option for our intended endeavors.
We bought a new trailer that is capable of holding 3000 pounds and made quick work of putting an abundance of holes in the frame that would soon serve as anchor points to attach the wood structure to. Several trips to the salvage yard yielded treasures such as the antique windows and the door that would add character to our would be home away from home.
We finally acquired all the materials to build by the last week of June and had a month before we were scheduled to take her on her maiden voyage. Needless to say, I worked like a dog to get it done. For 30 days, I worked through the summer heat and often found myself struggling to see what I was doing as I worked into the night.
Though I'd never do it again, I can't tell you how much joy our vardo has brought us. It is decked out with a queen size bed, two kid bunks, and camp toilet, sun shower, outdoor cooking station, and all the storage we could ever need. It is also equipped with solar and an inverter which we found to be indispensable for cold food storage, fans, and even air conditioning. When not traveling, we keep it parked in the backyard as a cabana, playhouse, or as private accommodations for guests. I can't wait for the weather to get warmer so we can adventure again this season.
I am more than happy to answer any questions about the build and my travel experiences in the comment section. Thank you for viewing!
Looks fantastic especially with the glossy exterior finish! Would love to see more of the interiors and the more specific details that went into the build.
Have been pondering a van build out, RV redesign, or ground up trailer build like yours for awhile now. Have plans to travel the entire West Coast US up through Alaska and return through Canada-Montana-Wyoming-Colorado-Utah within the next couple years full of mountain biking, surfing, and snowboarding!
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Thank you maven360! Until the snow melts, it is being used as a gear room lol. Got my surf/paddle boards and bikes in there. As warm weather approaches, I'll get it cleaned up, and take some interior photos.
I have a friend that bought a stripped down Sprinter and has spent the last two summers doing exactly what you described. I'll see if I can find a link to his build for you. A west coast trip like that would be epic. My brother lived in Montana for years(Missoula) and I got the chance to adventure there at least a half dozen times...That's the problem with my build-range and cost. My trucks fuel economy drops by half when towing the vardo so about the farthest we've been from home in it is about 600 miles in all directions. Happy adventuring! I'll be sure to follow up.
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That would be fantastic. I'd love to tour America in a van. We've done out a few vehicles - I'll be posting about our transporter fit out soon. We're in Australia - to go to America it'll cost us a fortune to hire a van but we were thinking one day of a longer trip and just buying one and fitting it out, we've done it so many times...
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Why wouldn't you do it again? I love vardos and would love to build one. We always do up vehicles (will post about this soon if you're interested) but never build from scratch so this is impressive. Well done. There's nothing better than living in a tiny space. Have you ever seen Lloyd Kahn's books on tiny homes and tiny vehicles? Endless source of inspiration.
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oh and resteemed.. it's supercool!
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ah no i can't as it's over 7 days old - i'll get the hang of this steem malarkey eventually!
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