Last fall I started looking for some kind of small camper that I could handle on my own. I love to camp, but this old bod just doesn't do so well in a tent- especially on cold soggy mornings!
In my search I found a forum for Teardrops and Tiny Trailers - here is the address if you are looking an amazing amount of info about teardrops and small trailers - this is a builders forum http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/
I was looking for something small and easy to pull that could keep me safe and comfortable. Many people are building smaller more efficient or cost effective ways to camp rather than the obnoxiously large and gas guzzling RV's. In the "For Sale" section I found a post for an "American Vardo for Sale $2,000" with a small picture of this unusual trailer that caught my eye.
Just what I was looking for! Something a little different - big enough to stand in and a soft bed above the ground! The man who built it posted tons of pictures and explanations of how it was built. You can see the build notes at Teardrops and Tiny Trailers forum - look under non-traditional design and a post from Supertroll on a Bow topped American Vardo - or you can see most of his pictures and explanations of the structure and special features he added here:http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/563851245sWnsUl?start=0
It's basically a wooden frame built on a 4x8 utility trailer, covered with a truckers tarp. Inside is a raised twin sized bed, two bench seats and a pull out table. It is wired for electricity with dimming halogenlights and even an airconditioner, now we're talking my kind of camping. And maybe what appealed to me most was that there was oodles of character and possibilities with this "gypsy wagon", cause she's definitely one of a kind! I'm sure she'll attract plenty of attention - and who doesn't love attention??
Well after many emails and phone calls to the builder known as "Super Troll" a rendevous was arranged. We would meet at Tim's Ford near Lynchburg Tennessee for the sale and transfer of ownership on March 14, 2009.
I want to buy a vardo like this one! I am having a ridiculously hard time finding one. Does the man you bought this from make them to sell or was this a one time thing?
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