Pick a Theme

• Before your reach for the welder, grab a pen and sit down and think about how you plan to use your camper. Think log cabin if you're headed to the mountains, or cedar shack if it's off to New England's beaches. Even if you have to scale down your plans when you start to build, sketch out the camper of your dreams.
  
  

Choose Your Amenities

• Now that you have your theme, make a list of all of must-have amenities. Sleeping for two and table space for four is common, but you might need more sleeping space if you're carting around kids or friends. Think about what you'll need to cook outside and enjoy the campfire, and see if you can create seating and tables that are able to do double duty. Self-contained bathroom facilities are a major luxury but they do add weight, maintenance and cost, so ask yourself if a portable unit is the better alternative. Heating and cooling, food storage and prep areas, ventilation, lighting and entertainment, and even windows will all have to be given careful consideration.
  
  

Plan your Layout

• A great camper needs to have a great layout. Manufacturers' websites offer limitless variations to inspire you, but take the time to make your own sketches to get a one-of-a-kind look that fits your theme. Make cutouts of your larger amenities like your bed, couches and dinette and move them about in your sketches like you would rearrange your living room.
  
  

Think About Weight

• Campers get heavy quickly as you add in options and gear. Your tow vehicle will have a maximum rating that you cannot exceed---and you will need to leave yourself a window of several hundred pounds if you will be hauling people and additional gear in the vehicle. RV manufacturers go to great lengths to keep cabinets and fixtures lightweight. Plywood, for instance, is still incredibly strong in thin widths.
  
  

Recycled Running Gear

• You can purchase new running gear and assemble your frame from scratch but you can also start with a used utility trailer or old camper. Recycling used equipment may net you a great deal and tons of extra parts. Door assemblies, windows with screens and countless other small parts and fixtures come with every old worn-out camper. Make sure you have a professional inspect and recondition your used equipment. Trailers need regular wheel-bearing and seal maintenance and the only way to be certain of your service interval is to start fresh as the new owner.