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For many years I have been interested in Gypsy Wagons or "vardos" and western sheepherder wagons. As it isn't practical for me to have an authentic, horse-drawn lifestyle I decided to make a version towable at highway speeds. After reading just about every book I could find on wagons, caravans, old-school RV construction and trailers, a model began to take shape in my head. For me, it needed to be short and maneuverable, sleep two to three people, and still have the air of old world craftsmanship. This meant not looking like a modern RV. My secondary goal was that it should cost as little as possible without sacrificing sturdiness or basic comfort. Finally, I decided on wood as the primary building material as that is what I am familiar with and is definitely a very cozy and comfortable medium for a living space.
Most of the actual work was performed with a table saw, band saw, drill, and a slew of hand tools as I found time around my day job. Although I don't really consider it "done", it is complete enough to use and is currently on the road.
Most of the actual work was performed with a table saw, band saw, drill, and a slew of hand tools as I found time around my day job. Although I don't really consider it "done", it is complete enough to use and is currently on the road.
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Signing UpStep 1The Mock-up
After about fifty sketches and lots of graph paper renderings, I decided I needed to visualize this in three dimensions. Here is my cardboard mock-up of the final design. An earlier version is visible behind it but this one had a lot of appeal for me. My requirements were 7' width for sleeping cross-ways, 8-10' long, and enough height to stand up in. A collapsible bed and table allow for a shorter overall wagon. The first drawing above probably gives the most accurate dimensions for the final product. You can see some changes in design even as I approached the final product.
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just wondering ;>
To make it look a little more "authentic", maybe paint the wheels with
"wooden" spokes?
The "sporty" looking wheels it currently has just look a tad...
anachronistic?
Very, very, Cool.
I was also pleased that you did a reasonably long trip for the test as well.
Great stuff.
HAPPY TRAILS
Keep up the good work.
In some states, it's also the law to have an emergency exit in a trailer designed to sleep in. Again, I would strongly urge anyone considering a trailer build, involving a wood stove especially, to add at least a transom type window big enough to crawl out of to the front of the trailer to give you an emergency exit. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I would still install at least one alternate escape route, but wood stoves are as safe as gas burning heaters. I would connect an emergency electric heater for when the coals burn out. I live in the mountains, so I built an electric furnace to automatically turn on if the main heater drops below 50 degrees.
My neighbor installed a wood-burning stove in an old camper. It works good for him. I offered to make a sheet metal covering with weather guard. If I can get his permission, plus make a weather guard, I would post it.
I like your build. Nice job.
I don't trust the stove to run unattended. Heat in a small space is a dangerous thing and I think it would be great to have a second egress. I keep fire extinguishers nearby and even in the cold I have avoided sleeping with a roaring fire. Honestly, in such a small space, I actually am at least as concerned with CO buildup or smoke inhalation in a fire. My ideal is using more blankets and no night fire. I have only broken this rule once during an extremely cold night this winter. Generally a morning fire takes only a few minutes to heat up the entire wagon nicely with a handful of wood.
Otherwise, for me, I use the wagon more like regular camping and less like a modern RV which is treated like a house. I have spent enough of my life sleeping in the open on the ground in all weather that I don't really expect or need the air temperature to be in the 70s all night long.
I hope you put up some images of your design/build when you get to that phase. I look forward to seeing your wagon.
Steve
I noted your comment somewhere in Forums about how to "Flag" someones off topic remarks. Please don't be distracted by "off topic" comments they are not worthy of your time. Simply ignore and they will die away. Great job.
Thanks for the kind words. It is still a work in progress but has made a cozy part-time home and travel companion for a while now.
Other than that, nice looking project.
Not to spam your comment box with irrelevancies about photography and post-processing.
Anyway, I find the idea of the Wagon intriguing since you seem to be able to fit so much into so little space. It's refreshing to see, especially in this age of "bigger is better" everything. Why use more than you need? Efficiency is a beautiful thing.
How much smaller? I thought I was at the small end of things.
Im in the SCA http://www.eastkingdom.org/index.html and Im tired of tents lol all the canvas and poles and it always rains lol. Just big enough for a queen sized mattress and a little cabinet to put a porta pottie in and room for some gypsy garb. Can stick the other junk down below when I get to the camp site. I want to s fald the mattress liek a futon to use it as a couch so maybe 4 people can hide out inside if its raining or something.
Can you send a link to the metal roofing material you used? Its makin my brain think up some ideas lol.
thanks
deryk
I am dreaming of making a similar creature that can be jacked up off the trailer for storage so that I can still use the trailer for utility purposes.