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What would you do with this Renovated Gypsy Vardo Wagon?


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I thought you’d like to see this gypsy vardo wagon that’s available for sale right now.

If you’re interested in learning about the history of these historic travel trailers I recommend reading through this page.

This project began around 4 years ago.

It was discovered on eBay but was in need of some TLC because it had been left outside in the sun for about two years.

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Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

Image: GypsyVardo.com

I encourage you to enjoy the rest of the virtual tour of this historically influenced travel trailer below:

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

Interestingly enough, it used to be a prop in a Pee-Wee Herman film from 20 or so years ago.

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

This presented another challenge. Most of the features of the wagon weren’t real since it was just a prop.

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

But this didn’t stop them.

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

They bought it, loaded it up on their trailer, and took it home to begin working on it during weekends. Below is what it looked like when they first got it:

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

Photo Credit: GypsyVardo.com

Learn and see more about how they renovated it here.

They cleared everything out from inside, cleaned it up, gutted it, and began doing the renovations.

Video of this Gypsy Vardo Wagon Renovation

Pee Wee Movie Prop Gypsy Wagon Conversion Renovation

Images: GypsyVardo.com

Today it’s a unique and beautiful rolling guest house! And it’s for sale, too. If you’re interested in purchasing it you can contact the owners right here. Serious inquiries only, please. It’s located in Fallbrook, California.

What would you do with a little structure like this?

I’d consider either mounting it on a utility trailer so it can be used for modern road traveling or if I had land I’d put it in my backyard to use as a micro guest house or as my writing studio/office. How about you?

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Sources:

  1. http://gypsyvardo.com/
  2. http://gypsyvardo.com/VardoHistory.html
  3. http://gypsyvardo.com/VardoImages.html
  4. http://gypsyvardo.com/VardoConstruction.html
  5. http://gypsyvardo.com/VardoContact.html

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 10 comments… add one }
  • David Ridge
    January 7, 2014, 8:07 pm

    Crystal Ball? where was the crystal ball?

  • Lisa
    January 7, 2014, 11:28 pm

    Can’t read the colored text on top of the multicolored backgrounds. You need to put the text on individual black frames like you did at the end. Also, there are too many different text sizes and there’s not adequate time to read the copy; some of us are not speed readers (these are common errors of the movie industry, too.)

  • alice h
    January 8, 2014, 9:34 am

    Way out of my price range, though I can see where all the craftsmanship and detailed work would not come cheap. Aesthetically pleasing as it is, probably not practical for the way I live anyway. The roof construction is interesting. I was hoping to raise the roof and add a mollycroft on a travel trailer I was given but I’m still working out how to maintain structural integrity.

    • ricardo
      July 9, 2015, 2:36 am

      I’d advise against a mollycroft as they are prone to leaking. Even the San Francisco cable cars (which are built with heavy oak) tend to have calked up windows in their mollycrofts. Anyway, if you want, I’ll send you a pic of my vardo. I would be happy to provide any advice you wish
      on building your own. My experience is mainly in boats and set design.
      Cheers, ricardo

      • Alex
        July 9, 2015, 12:42 pm

        Hey Ricardo, we’d all love to see your Vardo if you want to share it with all of us just send us a quick story about it along with photos to [email protected] 🙂

  • jerryd
    January 8, 2014, 4:53 pm

    I wouldn’t do anything with it because way, way to pricey when it could be done for 20 percent of the price..

    If it’s real and old one it could be worth something but by ripping everything out kind of ruined that value.

    And to take it anywhere you’d have to put in on a decent trailer thus the wheel are only good for looks.

  • Animasola
    June 1, 2015, 5:52 pm

    Beautiful. I also was touched when I heard Nick Drake’s Second Grace playing in the video. He is one of my very favorites. Somehow the Vardo video fit perfectly with it.

  • Amy
    June 29, 2015, 8:58 am

    I loved the outside of it when I first saw it, wow isn’t that a beauty. I perhaps would have animals painted on the outside, then got inside and it was such an original, interesting vibrancy and I liked a lot of the colours, I might not have put so many clashing colours in myself but I’m into the pastel colours, but funnily enough when I got to the end of the post and you showed how it was before, I did think it was a shame to make the tiny house so different from how it originally was because you basically turned snow white into madonna but yes the overall finish is brilliant and has a pretty finish, it’d mainly be the inside I’d change if it were mine, put my own stamp on it 🙂

  • Laura
    July 13, 2015, 12:30 pm

    I would buy a couple of draft horses and travel the USA!!!

  • Arthur
    June 27, 2016, 8:31 pm

    It would be nice without so much color, kinda back to original, and inside to a bare minimum, original as possible,. Then I would put it on a trailer, take it too fairs and festivals, I would also dress like a Gypsy, and charge fair goers $,to enter and see the life and times of the Gypsy’s.

    If you do this send me my share for the information,

    Thank you, Arthur H.

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