This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy.

How to Make Your Own Yurt For Cheap and Simple RV Living

Yurts are portable structures usually made by nomadic people in eastern Asia (Mongolia).

They’ve been around for over 3,000 years!

But what about making an RV out of a yurt? Can it be done? Is it a good idea?

Sign up for the newsletter today!

Please enter a valid email address.

An error occurred. Please try again later.

× logo

Thank you for subscribing to the Do It Yourself RV newsletter, keep your eye on your inbox for updates.

Tim Anderson’s Yurt RV.

Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson

Benefits of a Yurt

Yurts have been around since the stone age for good reason.

They’re easy to construct and require only simple tools and materials.

A well-constructed yurt can withstand winds of 50 to 70 MPH, which is why they’re the shelter of choice on the sweeping plains of Mongolia.

And unlike a tent, you can insulate the inside for extreme weather camping.

Yurt + Truck = RV

It turns out that a yurt on a truck makes an exceptional RV.

Tim Anderson shared his plans for a small yurt that he constructed for the annual Burning Man festival.

Burning Man is a week-long festival held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Strong winds make for a dusty experience unless you come prepared. And a Yurt RV could be the perfect Burning Man vehicle.

Tim’s friend Billy relaxing next to his yurt on the plains of the Black Rock Desert at Burning Man.

Tim Anderson

How to Make Your Own DIY Yurt

Tim shared his ten step plan for constructing a yurt on the Instructables website.

These plans are ideal if you’re looking to build on the cheap as Tim used free supplies to make the structure:

  • most of the wood was taken from an old futon couch
  • hockey sticks were used for the door frame
  • a bicycle ring served as the smoke ring on the top of the yurt

Tim’s design is ten feet in diameter and has no metal fasteners. And he’s already proven it’s compatible with a compact pickup truck. Looking to save money while RVing? This could be your ticket to living on the cheap.

Although the yurt can hold several people when assembled, it’s only made from a few simple materials.

Tim Anderson

Tim’s friend Billy assembling the top of the yurt.

Tim Anderson

Working on the yurt while waiting in traffic at Burning Man.

Tim Anderson

Yurt is almost completed.

Tim Anderson

Putting the final touches on the yurt at the Burning Man festival.

Tim Anderson

For more information visit Tim’s build plan here.



Support Do It Yourself RV

Do It Yourself RV is run by RVers who share the most up-to-date and valuable content on camping and RVing every week. We couldn’t do it without the support of our readers just like you.

You can help support the efforts of Do It Yourself RV by becoming an RV LIFE Pro subscriber, which gives you access to:

  • RV LIFE App, an RV Safe GPSâ„¢ with voice- and lane guidance, even offline.
  • RV LIFE Trip Wizard, a visual RV trip planner with custom RV-safe routes and a comprehensive directory of RV parks, resorts, and campgrounds.
  • RV LIFE Maintenance, a cloud-based service that tracks your RV maintenance and provides reminders, reports, and related documentation.
  • RV LIFE Masterclass, an online educational platform where RV experts share tips and advice on everything you need to know about RVing.

If you value our site and want to see us continue to grow, please consider supporting us by becoming an RV LIFE Pro subscriber today.