The following list of links will show you what’s possible when it comes to making your own homemade RV. You’ll see teardrop campers, larger trailer-based campers, and a few house trucks included in the mix.
Whether you’re looking to build your own DIY RV, or are just curious as to what others have done, we’ve gathered a few of our most popular articles on homemade RVs for you.
Teardrop Camper Builds
Many DIYers choose to build a teardrop camper:
- it’s small – and starting small helps prevent burnout with the build
- few materials are needed besides a basic trailer, plywood, foam board insulating panels, and simple electrical items
- the cost of failure is low, even if your teardrop doesn’t work out, you’ve still got a useful utility trailer
DIY Teardrop Camper Made From Recycled Materials – this teardrop features a lot of recycled materials, including a hand-me-down trailer, repurposed windows, and roof flashing
Homemade Tear Drop Camper With a Solar Panel Storage Unit – Leon made his teardrop camper on a Harbor Freight trailer that’s 4′ by 8′.
Fantastic DIY Tear Drop Build. You’ll Want to Get Building Yourself When You See These Pictures – Lots of great build pictures in this walk-through. Features extensive use of Luan plywood and sheet metal for siding
This Man Made Maggie Her Own Teardrop Trailer. Maggie Is a Dog. – Step-by-step walk-through of a much smaller teardrop trailer build made for one man’s best friend, his dog Maggie.
Slick Tear Drop Camper With Chrome Rims and Moon Hubcaps. Built by a Pro. – More of a kit build, but still shows what’s possible for a small teardrop setup.
You’ll Enjoy Seeing This Man’s Tear Drop Camper Come to Life. – This guy had never built a trailer before, and he selected a teardrop design for his first build. He does a great job and explains things well along the way.
Meet the Unbelievable Mega Scale Teardrop Called Aero Madera Called ‘Flying Wood’. – This build still falls into the category of DIY, but it might be a little more than is necessary for your everyday camper.
Larger Camper Builds (Not Quite Teardrops)
These campers are based on a trailer as well, but are generally larger than the traditional teardrop.
How Kevin Made This in Two Weeks I’ll Never Know, But Wow I Learned a Lot – Video showing how a man named Kevin made a teardrop-like trailer in only two weeks.
DIY Mini Camper Built from Plywood and Fiberglass – This simple camper is made of 3/4″ plywood and mounted on a common utility trailer.
Yes, You Can Make a Utility Trailer Camper to Sleep Your 8 Kids. Wow, It’s Even Got a Bunk Bed. – Larger trailer that can sleep up to 10 people.
Truck Camper Builds
Making a truck camper can be as simple as placing an older camper onto a flatbed truck or trailer. Others prefer a totally custom approach, and build their rig from the ground up on a clean truck chassis.
This Homemade Truck Camper Is a Work of Art. Wait Until You See the Inside. – Built by a man in the UK, this truck camper has a lot of insulation, interior bamboo trim and a tin roof. A high-quality build.
This Cozy Homemade Truck Camper Is Perfect For Winter Camping. – There’s nothing fancy about this simple truck camper, but it’s insulated well and has a wood stove and fuel tank heaters for winter camping in Montana.
This Happy Guy Made a Truck Camper From a Vintage Shasta Trailer. – An usual build with an old Shasta travel trailer mounted on a flatbed truck.
There’s Nothing Mysterious About Building Your Own Truck Bed Camper – Only a couple pictures exist of this unique truck camper built on a heavy-duty Freightliner truck chassis.
Ever Wondered What a $171,000 DIY Motorhome Looks Like? I am Speechless. – Another large and expensive truck camper built on an International 7500 chassis.
Bus Remodels
These motorhomes are based on various types of commercial buses.
Can’t-Miss Open and Airy Converted School Bus. Plus an Awesome Shower Rod Idea. – Lots of work went into this school bus conversion. You’ll love the bright interior and spacious living area.
Mix of Old and New in This 1957 Flxible Starliner. If You like Art Deco You’ll Love This. – Converted vintage bus into motorhome. A bit pricey for the amenities, mostly because of the Flxible brand.
This Custom 1987 Prevost Mirage Runs on Biodiesel. You’ll Love the Bamboo Floors Too. – A 1980s Prevost gets an eco-friendly makeover. Now it runs off bio-diesel and has a bamboo and hemp interior.
Tale of the Cargo Space: Rice University Art Professor and Students Craft a Traveling Artist’s Colony – A group of professional and student artists converted a transit bus into a mobile artist’s colony.