Skip to content

Is a DIY Camping Trailer Right for You?

    Sometimes, when people consider doing-it-yourself, the first thing that comes to mind is; “how cheap can I build it?”  “I’m on a budget, I want to save money or I can’t afford the ready made one I want.”

    What reasons are driving your interest in a DIY project?

    When I think about DIY, here are some of the things that come to mind for me:

    • The pride and  joy of building something with my own two hands.
    • Creating something unique.
    • Customizing / tailoring something to the way I plan on using it.
    • An opportunity to expand my brain and learn new skills.
    • The tinkering process and understanding how things work.
    • No one makes what I’m looking for.
    • Expanding on or improving an existing design.
    • The excitement of converting an idea into something tangible and useful.

    I don’t want to discourage anyone, but my philosophy is – if the financial aspect is someone’s primary motivation for a DIY project, you may not have the most rewarding experience.  Now combine a mechanical aptitude with the some of the motivations above and that’s a recipe for success.

    This is not to say, there isn’t cost saving to be had.  A basic Explorer Box can normally be built for half the price of compact production tent trailers.  What I do find is when I’m tailoring something to my specs, I might spend as much or even more than a comparable off the shelf product and I end up with exactly what I want.

    Happy Building!