The Tumbleweed Vardo brings traditional gypsy wagon aesthetics to a modern micro camper design that fits in a truck bed or on a small trailer. Built primarily from recycled materials for just a few hundred dollars, this tiny shelter offers a practical first building project and weekend camping solution designed by Tumbleweed founder Jay Shafer.
Vardo Specifications
- Designer: Jay Shafer (Tumbleweed Tiny House Company)
- Style: Gypsy wagon / traditional vardo
- Transport: Truck bed or small trailer
- Construction: Primarily recycled materials possible
- Features: Rounded roof, angled side walls
- Use: Camping, travel, weekend shelter
Vardo Design
Image: Tumbleweed Houses
Building Plans Include
- Drawings: Elevation views from all four sides
- Openings: Window and door specifications
- Materials: Finish material recommendations
- Framing: Wall framing instructions for all sides
- Roof: Rounded roof construction details
- Walls: Angled side wall construction
- Floor: Floor framing specifications
- Insulation: Insulation placement guide
- Wood: Stud type recommendations
- Mounting: Truck and trailer securing methods
Video Tour
Lessons from Micro Camper Building
- Recycled Materials Slash Costs: Salvaged windows and lumber reduce build cost to hundreds of dollars
- Small Projects Build Skills: Starting with a micro camper prepares for larger tiny house builds
- Truck Mounting Adds Flexibility: Removable campers convert trucks between work and travel use
- Traditional Designs Still Work: Gypsy wagon proportions remain practical for modern camping
- Detailed Plans Enable DIY: Step-by-step instructions make owner-building achievable
Related Campers and Tiny Houses
You can share this using the e-mail and social media re-share buttons below. Thanks!
If you enjoyed this you’ll LOVE our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter with even more!
Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter!
More Like This: Campers | Tiny Houses
See The Latest: Go Back Home to See Our Latest Tiny Houses
This post may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
The following two tabs change content below.
Alex
Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
- Custom Built 7×14 Cargo Trailer CAMPER Tour - May 20, 2026
- Living Full-Time in a Tesla Model X - May 20, 2026
- Tiny House Communities in Georgia: Where to Live Small in the Peach State - May 20, 2026
This was a no brainer as soon as I was notifed I purchased and down loaded my copy of the plans. Now I just need the time to build it !;)
Can the plans still be purchased??? I would love to buy both sizes
I got the plans down loaded as soon as I was emailed about it looking forward to building the project. I live in 300 sq ft now and this will make a great guest house. 😉
Hey Kevin that’s awesome. I think it’s a great build and a really nice set of plans. Quite the “steal” at that price too. Have fun with your project and looking forward to checking out updates on your blog!
I would like to see a tiny house being built as a castle enertia home for 4 on wheels . To see how this can be done since the enertia home is more energy efficient with 400 plus feet with pull outs .Put solar panels on it to have no electric bill & satellite tv as well as internet.Plus a toilet . Have two levels but keep it low enough to where a bridge don’t take the roof off of it & so you could travel the world if you wanted to. You could have stairs with closet underneath as well as pull out individual stairs as dresser drawers with slots or holes underneath each stair lip to pull out stair for shirts , pants ect….
How can we get these plans for the Gypsy Cards truck camper?
Thank you