I’m not a big fan of camping out in the wilderness or sleeping on the ground, but I do love to see new places.
One of the best ways to do that in the U.S. is by car. But if you don’t want to spend a ton on overnight stays at hotels, camping is the next best bet.
That is unless you’re as handy as Redditor YouLoseTheGameTony. Bound and determined, he started out with nothing but a metal trailer kit and his own imagination and turned it into his very own teardrop camper.
First, he sketched out the design on his computer. It doesn’t look like much, but just you wait.
He bought a simple trailer hitch online — when it came in the mail, he got started!
He began putting it together in his garage.
Here’s the hitch almost finished…
But, because of the designed length and size of the trailer, he added a tongue extender so he could turn smoothly with it.
Then he got to work on the meat of the thing — the floor went down!
Insulation was added.
Then it was time to work on the walls — this involved careful measurements and cutting.
A second one was routed out.
He added some insulation and then glued on laminate for the inside walls.
Epoxy was added to the edges in an effort to prevent any water from getting in.
The moment of truth…he attached the walls to the trailer. Everything fit!
The inside of the trailer had storage but the back of it opened up to a galley kitchen with little cabinets.
The ceiling was made with baltic birch.
Here’s the back.
And the inside storage cabinets!
YouLoseTheGameTony has optimistically hoped to keep organized…but that didn’t work out.
Here’s where the wiring went in.
More insulation meant this trailer would be ready for just about any kind of weather.
After making sure all the wiring was in place, YouLoseTheGameTony added the outer skin to the camper.
Prefab windows and a door were added along with some checked vinyl for the floor.
It really adds a nice design touch.
A vent and sunlight were installed on top of the trailer.
Thin sheets of aluminum were added — they’re only kept in place by the trim. This method allows the metal to expand and contract with temperature changes.
Diamond plating prevents a lot of damage from road debris and rocks.
And when all was said and done…
Here’s the sunlight…
A huge bed fit inside…
Plenty of storage.
A working sink was in the back…
And this puppy was ready to hit the open road!
Wow.
Now this is how you road-trip, my friends.
If you’d like to check out the entire build, you can do so here.