The Amish would have a hard time competing with the quality found in this gypsy wagon creation.
Built by a group of friends, the Spruce Caboose gypsy wagon looks totally custom, but that’s because it’s Harbor Freight trailer chassis can’t be seen!
A 4 foot by 8 foot box represents the base of the new gypsy wagon.
With flanks added to the basic box structure, the gypsy wagon could have an interior space larger than the trailer’s footprint.
Laying out the raw material and tracing the side pieces.
Once the drawings were cut out, time to install them on the frame!
The side frames are 2x2s, 16 inches on center.
Don’t forget the insulation. We’re not going to rough it here.
Roof stringers are ten feet long, and fit into the notches on the end walls.
Here’s the cutouts for the front door and windows.
They used a pneumatic stapler to add the 1/4″ plywood walls.
Insulation also went in between the roof stringers, held in place with foil tape.
1 inch screws hold down the ceiling panels.
Lath strips at the front and back hold down the white polypropylene tarp that covers the roof.
With the tarp roof on, it was time to stain the outside red. You could also varnish it to keep the real wood look.
These handmade windows (built with a Kreg Jig and some 2x2s) would make for nice accents.
The stain really makes them pop!
With the windows now in place, some more trim could be added for visual interest.
Don’t forget the patio.
There she is!
What about the interior? The secret here: lots of trim and varnish.
There’s not much to the inside, just a bed and some benches.
But that trim!
All in all, a most remarkable custom gypsy wagon!
For more photos and to see the entire build, visit this build page on instructables.
