True! I've seen so many 'projects' that wouldn't last just built and never seen again on other channels. But we've had the ongoing story of this cute camper as it appeared regularly in other videos over time.
Agreed. I was going to post that most of the makers that use 😲pocket holes😲 are actually making something that will do some work, serve a function, rather than sit and look pretty.
I'm a big fan of iterative development, this is a great example of it. You didn't build more kitchen than you needed the first time, and once the requirements were more clear you were able to do a second iteration that was much better than it could have been if you'd attempted to make it perfect from the start. Also that cutting board is gorgeous.
Agrred. Such a good way of doing it. I've done the same with my Mini camper conversion. I use a roof top tent so have no need for sleeping space which rules out all the usual modular conversion companies so I knocked up a simple pull out kitchen design which was then modified after the first trip to make it better. And now I'm on Version 3 which is the culmination of the first 2 experiments and works way better than before.
Iterative developement is ok when prototyping. But for a complex finished article I prefer to thoroughly think it through (scuse alliteration) as it saves the big/costly reworks, and reduces weight and structural compromises. I'm a fan of 'best part is no part' and multifunction. Nice camper though. I'm also a fan of form follows function, I made a trailer/camper that compacts to less than an eighth of its deployed size, and it can still double as a regular trailer when I need it to.
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 That's cause it's just a general term that refers to working on a project continuously taking what didn't work and making it work and it can apply to just about anything.
@@heaven-is-real No, the whole "on the road" sequence starting at 19:40. The reason it's such a relief, is that Xyla recently had a medical issue that could well have killed her. So it's the greatest thing to see her enjoying being alive. Search for "My IUD tried to kill me" on her channel.
@@heaven-is-reallol, it’s always fun to see people’s reactions to stuff like that. I’ve been climbing for nearly half my life so I’m very used to heights but a lot of people aren’t
I'm so glad you make young positive female stem and build videos I can watch with my teenage daughter and see she's excited by possibilities. You are truly an inspiration.
Her projects are bigger and more thought out than most male youtube builders! And her stuff is engineered to hold up to abuse unlike most of the other makers projects made to just perform once and be discarded. She's amazing!
Seeing a TH-camr make something that they get more real-world use of than what any amount of views is worth is SOOO refreshing! I hope you get many happy years of adventures out of that trailer :)
I had a short moment of confusion when I saw you mounting the right gas strut upside down but you corrected that at some point. To all those who might not know: gas struts should be mounted with the piston down, because there is a little bit of oil in the cylinder that not only lubricates the piston rod but also helps sealing it. Mounting them the other way around makes the oil pool up at the other end leading to premature wear. Great project as always.
@@TheLukaszpgyep, I’ve seen many OEM gas struts mounted with the cylinder top side. Even some automotive shock absorbers are “inverted” with the shock body on top and piston on the bottom.
for a random niche company, Total Boat really hit the jackpot with her. She likes the product and ends up unintentionally repping it in virtually every video. I'd be calling her up offering like a lifetime supply of it it to her if I were them.
@@TheJttv Yes, in a niche market. The vast majority of people will go their entire lives having never once heard the name. There is a company in my domain RTI, which provides a DDS middleware mainly for government applications. It's worth probably low billions -- and it is a niche company. Probably 2/3rds of their customers are government contractors. A professional contractor, especially in the boat repair business might know who TotalBoat is, but someone looking for their once every 5 years purchase of epoxy, or buying it for some DIY project like this does not, not necessarily. Some random guy looking to epoxy a table for instance is likely to be completely unaware of or even consider an epoxy from a company named "TotalBoat". As a point of proof to myself I searched Google, Amazon, and Home Depot for 'epoxy resin' 3-5 pages in the rabbit hole for each and could not find a single one of their products. I'm your average joe here. Sure on some specific boat-centric diy forum people might be well familiar with the brand, but that's not a given anywhere else. So yes they are very much a niche company. Niche had nothing to do with the size of a company.
@@TheJttv it is a niche company though. The average person has no need for their products, but she perfectly fits in the company's niche. It has little to do with the size of the company, just that they want to advertise to a very specific segment of the market.
English really needs a word for jealousy without the negative connotation. Proud of you and glad you revisited this build to let everyone know of the strengths and weaknesses.
I would say "in awe of" is the equivalent of positive jealousy. And it certainly applies to this creation. Incredibly space efficient, and a beautiful design.
For that double pull out drawer, you should add a foldable leg to the bottom of the furthest pulled out drawer to add stability. Maybe telescoping to compensate for uneven ground and easy put away.
Hey Xyla! Love your more than slightly hazardous-to-your-health camper!😂 Back in the Eighties, I won an Otis Elevator Technical Award even though I wasn't earning a tech certification. My drafting skills were so good that in my drafting teacher's 50+ yr career, I was the only student to get100+%. The award came with a $50 check. Booyah!!😅 I love that you are never satisfied with what you have. I never stop figuring out new things in my life, because, when there's nothing left to figure out, we are truly in hell. This build is very beautiful!💕 Well done!
I've just had a frustrating couple hours where I put a robot leg together in the wrong order, requiring me to tediously remove two very difficult-to-access screws, take it apart, put it back together and get the dang screws back *in* - and then discover I'd made the wiring harness for the battery the wrong length and I need to splice in another three inches or so on four wires. So I decided time to take a break and make food and your video popped up in my feed and I'm like "ah! Xyla will remind me that making stupid mistakes is normal and not the end of the universe!" And in under five minutes, you proved me right. I feel much better now. Thank you for showing the goofs as well as the good.
Amazing to see such know how demonstrated. Imagine, design, CAD work, integration of robotic C&C tools, fabrication, fiberglass layup, finishing, waterproofing, woodwork, metalwork, gas strut install, videography, editing, script writing, voice over, adventure montage, and you being you! It’s the stuff we don’t see behind the scenes that I appreciate what it takes to pull off such a great build AND a great video. Well Done!!
I'm always fascinated by the imaginative use of small spaces in a camper, and I love everything that you engineer, so this ticks boxes on several levels.
Hey Xyla. Love the content & I had one recommendation for the tail hatch bar holes. A stainless hole plate to save wear & tear on those holes in the sides. As long as it doesn't interfere with the drawers on the left side of course. 😍
Wow, what a cool video. The last 5 min were the best part of the whole video. Felt like the end of a movie. High quality editing and a great choice of song. I felt like I was on the adventure too. 🙂
Great videos follow up on the trailer. I'm always so impressed by your abilities that you accomplish more than most people that I know at twice or three times your age. You make it look so easy, but it shows it takes a lot of thought and imagination. It's great to see the finished production and all the incredible details and improvements from the original. Every project is truly a piece of art as well as functionality. Xyla is truly an accomplished person should be highlighted on the multiple skills, talents and versatility of what a person can do if they put their mind to it. Hana Hou Xyla. Mahalo for all your efforts and contributions.
Please, never stop being you and letting us share what you will. You are living the life I could not, because I was born in an earlier era when the option simply did not exist. For me, for now, it is enough to know that *someone*, somewhere, is doing it, and that I can occasionally come along for the ride. If I can ever get what's left of my life in order, perhaps I'll attempt a fraction of what you've already accomplished. You are an inspiration, and a great joy.
Always great to see projects evolve after initial use. You could use some 3/16 cord between the barrel bolts to dis-engage them at the same time by pulling the cord.
The words "botal toat" have been living rent-free in my head for weeks. (and on repeat!) So seeing this video pop up in today's feed is a welcome bo-nrainer. Keep up the awesomeness!
14:44 this is what I love about Fusion360, its parametic feature allows you to update your model with the design changes in IRL seamlessly. That was so good to see!
You are a STEM legend and such an inspiration for so many things. As an engineer I love watching your projects and seeing how happy it makes you. Stay awesome and thank you.
I can't fathom having the time with just my normal life of doing practically nothing let alone the $$$ for all the stuff in the ending montage as it is, not to mention for all the equipment and mats to build it all (which major props to the skill and work involved there which doing all that AND then still having time for the rest is just unfathomable to me)
Now that Laura Kampf is moving to LA, it's surely only a matter of time before she builds a camper for American travels. Then the two of you can do a road trip collab! Or just any collab with Laura would be great!
My gosh! You are pretty much the most talented person I have seen on TH-cam. Your camper is amazing! So much better built that anything you can buy, should last a lifetime. Glad you won't damage that beautiful head of yours anymore. You just amaze me with your creativity, also, you're super cute.😉 Keep the excellent videos coming, and wishing you nothing but happiness!
Absolutly love your programs. Canoe,s boats . Campers. Bass guitars. Rockets. Please have a look at resoring a vintage machine putting a modern twist to it. A litle motorcycle to sit on a rack on the back of the camper. Make all the plastics in carbon fibre. Hope you are in better health.
As anyone who has built a camper knows, through actual use changes will be wished. One thing I would recommend would be to dowel the hinge side of the doors. While Exposed hardware has a design flair it also would allow a less than honest person access with only 30 seconds and a drill. A dowel under the hinge keeps the door from being removed unless it is already open.
Your trailer is an impressive project with great results. I'm sure many people have suggested improvements or other ways of completing it. The only things that some to mind are: A) The door hinges. There are better options for hidden fasteners, internal hinges, etc. that would seem better suited for the doors. As is, you could lock the doors and anyone with a screwdriver could readily remove the hinge screws and the doors. B) May I suggest you add some fenders to the trailer? It would help to clean up the look, keep a lot of road grime off the trailer and protect it from road debris. Best of luck to you and yours throughout all your travels!
I have an idea for an upgrade to the trailer as well as a nice rainy Sunday project: little teardrop shaped fenders to prevent mud from being slung all over the sides... love the video, love the adventures. Keep it up! :)
Excellent craftsmanship...at least as far as I can see. That's great use of the drawer hardware for the extended pullout. Couple of thoughts: at 19:45, Rain-X in your washer water and silicon wiper blades really improve your comfort while driving in the rain. At 21:47 you're chopping something green by lifting the knife completely off the cutting board. Try holding the pointy end on the board and rocking the (hopefully) curved blade through the celery. I believe rocking helps save the edge of the blade. And if you have something to stand on or move the cutting board to a lower elevation, you'll find it easier to control the knife. Work surface should be almost elbows height. I didn't notice whether your side windows removed, but if you want to replace them with a screen for sleeping without insects bothering you, you can use magnetic strips to completely seal a plastic screen to the window frame (or you might have to install a steel surround on the windows). A friend of mine, also an engineer, traveled with a collapsible tarp cover for his van. The tarp was held up by PVC pipes with strategically placed holes/grommets in the tarp for the 4 corners of the tarp. The 4 corners were held up by marine quality bungees front/back and sideways/out. He tested the tarp in a 60mph wind. It folded flat to the ground, but the bungees hoisted it back to vertical after the wind. He used bolts sticking up from the top of the PVC pipes to go through the tarp grommets and hook the bungees around pulling everything tight. He liked the apparatus for keeping noisy rain from pelting his van while sleeping and as a sun shade. The 3/4-inch PVC pipes were split in the middle with a connector piece of 1/2-inch glued to the top of the bottom piece. The top piece slipped over the 1/2-inch to get the height. Bungee tension and gravity held it all together.
I love your videos myself, but the best part is getting to watch them with my young daughter. Whether it’s intended or not, you’re an amazing role model.
7:54 Something to watch out for - In about a year those struts will lose a little bit of their power. You have those perfectly matched to the weight. Come winter (12+ months) from now, you'll find that they are too weak to open up in the cold by themselves. You may experience the door fall on your head sometime in the future, say 1-2 years in the cold. Just something to watch out for.
A new vid drop by you means i have that many minutes of enjoyment to look forward to. Since i've found your videos after hearing you on Lateral i've been struck by the joy you exhibit when things proceed as expected and the equanimity you show when things go sideways. I admire your ability to know what you don't know and the knowledge to find someone who can help. It doesn't hurt that you're friends with Simone Giertz.
It looks sooo good, if you accept suggestions, maybe a foldable leg for the burner and cutting board drawers, so you can put more weight to them when they’re open.
My dad built one of these in our cabinet shop to sit perfectly in the back of a pickup truck. Covered in Aluminum. Cabinets to each side of the wheel whells. Windows and all that, sleeps two.
"Wow, cool..... Where'd ya get the trailer?" ...oh, just built it in my garage with some leftover scraps I'd saved. 😂 You must get some great reactions from people who don't know you. Beeeeautiful! ...the camper too. 😁 It's a real work of art. 👍 I built a cab high camper contoured to the cab of my '73 Chevy stepside. It was small inside, but it had a small built in catalytic heater, ice box/fridge, tiny black&white TV and to date my build..... a cassette player. 😁 The heater allowed winter voyages. Best years of my life, traveling the Oregon coast logging and back roads with my camera. ......and my Kodachrome, until they.... . ..you know. 😭😭😭
I'm so stoked I found your page. My first video was the teardrop trailer build. I love how you format and edit your videos. Makes it very easy to follow along and understand as a person who unfortunately is not an engineer. I would've loved to be but my brain just doesn't process math correctly.
Nice! I got the quick-and-dirty-version. Just got a bunch of magnets and thin blankets as "curtains", some cardboard and a wooden board to support a camping mattress and crammed it into my Volkswagen up!. A small cooker, some minimal toilet solution - and it feels like freedom. Especially when my health is a bit wonky it takes the load off my shoulders to get back home the same night. Even in Switzerland where camping is pretty regulated you are allowed - even encouraged - to sleep in the car if you are too tired to drive. And with a minimum of equipment it's just far healthier.
ONCE AGAIN, YOU’VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. ITS AMAZING TO ME AS WE GET “DONE WITH A PROJECT, USE IT WE ALMOST ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE BETTER OR UPGRADE. AND YOUR STILL GOING STRONG. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE. WE LOVE YOU AND THEM.
Xyla, Thanks for pointing out the "Arrange" function in Fusion 360. It's going to save me soo much time. Your videos are fun, and, as previously stated, informative. I look forward to the next one.🙂
Great upgrades on the trailer! Sometimes you dont know what something needs until you use it for a while. And it looks like you're having a lot of fun using it. Thanks for sharing!
20:45 that shot with the cactus, the mountains, the clouds, and you dancing, is gorgeous. Wish it lasted more than 2 seconds. 😉 edit : my bad. It was 4 whole seconds. What am I even complaining about?? 🤣🤣
God dang Xyla, this little self made tear drop trailer has come a long way and it is gorgeous! Coming from a carpenter by trade this is truly impressive and you are an amazing woman to be able to do all this. Your significant other (if you have one) is a lucky one. I have been thinking of building myself a camper trailer myself but have been planning it out until the opportunity for a fitting trailer comes about. This inspires me and also gives me ideas. I don’t have access to all those fancy CAD and CNC machine stuff so it will all be hand made by myself. Also hats off to you for such great editing and taking the time to get such great footage of everything while in the process and having fun. I get so side tracked and caught in the moment whenever I try to video stuff and can never film anything I do for the life of me 😂. And that ending montage/Outro of you enjoying the camper and having fun was amazing 😊. Keep up the great work and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your future videos. Aloha from hawaii 🤙🏻.
If you haven't been to colorado I recommend it. I was in breckenridge and I loved every single day. It's hard to get a stable housing situation in ski towns, but campers make it EZPZ
I just completed my first tiny bicycle camper...havent even used it that yet. I was able to keep it under 150lbs and used a steel tube bed frame and one of those bike trailers to pull kids in as the base, a wooden skeleton, clad in foam board and poor man's canvas. I did all the design planning old school...tech pens and paper. Took longer than building the dang thing. The only power tools I used were a hand drill, angle grinder, and rotary tool. Everything else was done with hand tools for minimal expense. The whole thing without plumbing and electrical was less than $500. It is 40" wide, 84" long, and 48" tall. It was a lot of fun to build. I also built it all outdoors and just covered it in a tarp when the weather was bad. I may eventually fiberglass it. I also recently put together an ebike to pull it. Another first for me. Got a 48V battery and front hub motor but am gonna order a rear motor soon as well.
Look into a 52V mid drive motor like a Bafang BBS unit. I have 10,000+ miles on the 750W motor on my ebike build. Total bike weight is about 65 lbs and I’ve pulled many 100 lb loads of groceries since I built it 6 years ago.
I enjoy your shows having found your site during the COVID shut down. It is always nice to see creative young people sharing their engineering skills on TH-cam, whether amateur or professional. I'm a septuagenarian and remember folks telling me about how they used to build onto their cars and trucks campers or hook up trailers for the long trips. My Uncle would bring a camper when he brought the family to see us, from his home in New Mexico. We young cousins would have a blast with the campers. I'm happy you seem you so happy doing what you like the most; you are living your dream, so keep on building!
What a lovely video, and an amazing rework/finishing of the project you'd started before. Of all the choices you made here, only one thing I think I'd have done differently, and that'd have been to flip those L-brackets to mount to the back wall BEHIND the cabinet, router out a small relief pocket either in the back wall or the back of the cabinet, and then have them come up and loop OVER the top of the cabinet to make them... well, if not invisible, then at least half as visible. But that's just me. Awesome work! :D
You are truly inspirational. I volunteer in Armenia. I came here with the Peace Corps. Upon completion of service I continue to empower young female students and I encourage them to follow STEM careers. I just sent a link to your videos to a student in ( the country of) Georgia.
Love the "US 395" sticker at 14:12. I used to (before kids) spend 60+ days/year on activities along that road, basically from the 14 Junction to Coleville (though admittedly most of it around Mammoth).
Such a beautiful build! It's a great idea to actually go live out of trailers / overlanding setups before you start to really customise. I've made the mistake of doing it at the start, and then having to go back and redo everything because it didn't actually suit my needs.
hey ! i saw a canoe or a kayak of u like a million years ago and now i just find out ur iud video and this one. im so glad u r getting better, u look like a person humanity need more of, and im glad i meet a bit of u on the internet. hope u still improve even more and build more cool stuff, u are great ! ! (if we lived on the same continent i would totally ask u out lol )
I enjoyed watching the road tripping and camping, but also the revisit after lessons learned. thanks for showing the detail work that goes into a project like this.
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When you mounted the gas strut, you mentioned an calculator for it?, but can't find the link in the descriptions, do you have it still?
Its so nice to see a YT project actually get used and kept around
Ditto. I love a revisit with attention paid to the damage it took. So much more learned honestly!
#learning
True! I've seen so many 'projects' that wouldn't last just built and never seen again on other channels. But we've had the ongoing story of this cute camper as it appeared regularly in other videos over time.
yeah, im still pissed ToT never made anything with the mini lathe.
but how does she find time to use it?
Agreed. I was going to post that most of the makers that use 😲pocket holes😲 are actually making something that will do some work, serve a function, rather than sit and look pretty.
Agreed. There's certainly a place for gimmicky, fun projects, but the best ones are the ones that are made to be used and loved.
I'm a big fan of iterative development, this is a great example of it. You didn't build more kitchen than you needed the first time, and once the requirements were more clear you were able to do a second iteration that was much better than it could have been if you'd attempted to make it perfect from the start.
Also that cutting board is gorgeous.
Agrred. Such a good way of doing it. I've done the same with my Mini camper conversion. I use a roof top tent so have no need for sleeping space which rules out all the usual modular conversion companies so I knocked up a simple pull out kitchen design which was then modified after the first trip to make it better. And now I'm on Version 3 which is the culmination of the first 2 experiments and works way better than before.
Iterative developement is ok when prototyping. But for a complex finished article I prefer to thoroughly think it through (scuse alliteration) as it saves the big/costly reworks, and reduces weight and structural compromises. I'm a fan of 'best part is no part' and multifunction. Nice camper though.
I'm also a fan of form follows function, I made a trailer/camper that compacts to less than an eighth of its deployed size, and it can still double as a regular trailer when I need it to.
I've never heard the term "iterative development" refer to maker projects, but I like it.
Heck, we used to call those revisions.@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 That's cause it's just a general term that refers to working on a project continuously taking what didn't work and making it work and it can apply to just about anything.
That ending montage... god, Xyla. I am so happy you're still with us. I FELT that.
Exactly my thoughts.
You mean the 20:54 rock climbing part??? YIKES
@@heaven-is-real No, the whole "on the road" sequence starting at 19:40.
The reason it's such a relief, is that Xyla recently had a medical issue that could well have killed her. So it's the greatest thing to see her enjoying being alive. Search for "My IUD tried to kill me" on her channel.
@@heaven-is-reallol, it’s always fun to see people’s reactions to stuff like that. I’ve been climbing for nearly half my life so I’m very used to heights but a lot of people aren’t
@@heaven-is-real No, I meant the "my iud tried to kill me" video
I'm so glad you make young positive female stem and build videos I can watch with my teenage daughter and see she's excited by possibilities. You are truly an inspiration.
Her projects are bigger and more thought out than most male youtube builders! And her stuff is engineered to hold up to abuse unlike most of the other makers projects made to just perform once and be discarded. She's amazing!
@@TheOriginalEviltech and yet she only has a fraction of their subscribers.
Seeing a TH-camr make something that they get more real-world use of than what any amount of views is worth is SOOO refreshing! I hope you get many happy years of adventures out of that trailer :)
Got a little teary during the ending montage, and I kept thinking, “You deserve all that, Xyla-you soooo deserve all that!”
I had a short moment of confusion when I saw you mounting the right gas strut upside down but you corrected that at some point. To all those who might not know: gas struts should be mounted with the piston down, because there is a little bit of oil in the cylinder that not only lubricates the piston rod but also helps sealing it. Mounting them the other way around makes the oil pool up at the other end leading to premature wear. Great project as always.
You are completely wrong here
@@TheLukaszpgyep, I’ve seen many OEM gas struts mounted with the cylinder top side. Even some automotive shock absorbers are “inverted” with the shock body on top and piston on the bottom.
I agree with the piston down in the way I use them...less likely for water to pool on the piston shaft seal and cause rust
for a random niche company, Total Boat really hit the jackpot with her. She likes the product and ends up unintentionally repping it in virtually every video. I'd be calling her up offering like a lifetime supply of it it to her if I were them.
Its not a niche company. Its a sizable epoxy resin company.
@@TheJttv Yes, in a niche market. The vast majority of people will go their entire lives having never once heard the name. There is a company in my domain RTI, which provides a DDS middleware mainly for government applications. It's worth probably low billions -- and it is a niche company. Probably 2/3rds of their customers are government contractors. A professional contractor, especially in the boat repair business might know who TotalBoat is, but someone looking for their once every 5 years purchase of epoxy, or buying it for some DIY project like this does not, not necessarily. Some random guy looking to epoxy a table for instance is likely to be completely unaware of or even consider an epoxy from a company named "TotalBoat". As a point of proof to myself I searched Google, Amazon, and Home Depot for 'epoxy resin' 3-5 pages in the rabbit hole for each and could not find a single one of their products. I'm your average joe here. Sure on some specific boat-centric diy forum people might be well familiar with the brand, but that's not a given anywhere else. So yes they are very much a niche company. Niche had nothing to do with the size of a company.
It’s a frickin’ huge company but yeah she’s repping them well.
@@TheJttv it is a niche company though. The average person has no need for their products, but she perfectly fits in the company's niche. It has little to do with the size of the company, just that they want to advertise to a very specific segment of the market.
"Botal toat"
19:05 I would replace the Phillips bolts you used or fill in the Phillips holes so that no one can back them out and break in.
The camper is the best diy build I have ever seen.
Lol, you should see what she does with an bass guitar. This isn't even her best work -- she's just ridiculously talented.
English really needs a word for jealousy without the negative connotation. Proud of you and glad you revisited this build to let everyone know of the strengths and weaknesses.
I would say "in awe of" is the equivalent of positive jealousy. And it certainly applies to this creation. Incredibly space efficient, and a beautiful design.
@@rthomp03 always have to be that smarty pants ???
Compersion?
@@TheLukaszpg - A good education *always* pays off!
Not to be that guy but it’s envy. Jealousy is when you are afraid of others taking something that is yours.
You’re an engineering artist. Love your projects.
For that double pull out drawer, you should add a foldable leg to the bottom of the furthest pulled out drawer to add stability. Maybe telescoping to compensate for uneven ground and easy put away.
I was thinking the same!
Hey Xyla! Love your more than slightly hazardous-to-your-health camper!😂 Back in the Eighties, I won an Otis Elevator Technical Award even though I wasn't earning a tech certification. My drafting skills were so good that in my drafting teacher's 50+ yr career, I was the only student to get100+%. The award came with a $50 check. Booyah!!😅 I love that you are never satisfied with what you have. I never stop figuring out new things in my life, because, when there's nothing left to figure out, we are truly in hell. This build is very beautiful!💕 Well done!
I've just had a frustrating couple hours where I put a robot leg together in the wrong order, requiring me to tediously remove two very difficult-to-access screws, take it apart, put it back together and get the dang screws back *in* - and then discover I'd made the wiring harness for the battery the wrong length and I need to splice in another three inches or so on four wires.
So I decided time to take a break and make food and your video popped up in my feed and I'm like "ah! Xyla will remind me that making stupid mistakes is normal and not the end of the universe!" And in under five minutes, you proved me right.
I feel much better now. Thank you for showing the goofs as well as the good.
Amazing to see such know how demonstrated. Imagine, design, CAD work, integration of robotic C&C tools, fabrication, fiberglass layup, finishing, waterproofing, woodwork, metalwork, gas strut install, videography, editing, script writing, voice over, adventure montage, and you being you! It’s the stuff we don’t see behind the scenes that I appreciate what it takes to pull off such a great build AND a great video. Well Done!!
The outro was unexpectedly fantastic. Camera work like that just makes the perfect vibe.
I'm always fascinated by the imaginative use of small spaces in a camper, and I love everything that you engineer, so this ticks boxes on several levels.
Hey Xyla. Love the content & I had one recommendation for the tail hatch bar holes. A stainless hole plate to save wear & tear on those holes in the sides. As long as it doesn't interfere with the drawers on the left side of course. 😍
I put epoxy in them! It was an afterthought so i forgot to film it though haha
Wow, what a cool video. The last 5 min were the best part of the whole video. Felt like the end of a movie. High quality editing and a great choice of song. I felt like I was on the adventure too. 🙂
Came here to write same exact thing!! The song, the place, editing everything worked so well!!
Xyla Foxlin, what you do is inspiration. Art. Wonder. Science. Freedom.
Great videos follow up on the trailer. I'm always so impressed by your abilities that you accomplish more than most people that I know at twice or three times your age. You make it look so easy, but it shows it takes a lot of thought and imagination. It's great to see the finished production and all the incredible details and improvements from the original. Every project is truly a piece of art as well as functionality. Xyla is truly an accomplished person should be highlighted on the multiple skills, talents and versatility of what a person can do if they put their mind to it. Hana Hou Xyla. Mahalo for all your efforts and contributions.
Please, never stop being you and letting us share what you will. You are living the life I could not, because I was born in an earlier era when the option simply did not exist. For me, for now, it is enough to know that *someone*, somewhere, is doing it, and that I can occasionally come along for the ride. If I can ever get what's left of my life in order, perhaps I'll attempt a fraction of what you've already accomplished. You are an inspiration, and a great joy.
I like the original teardrop trailer build and going back to it to improve/upgrade/modify makes for awesome content! good work
Always great to see projects evolve after initial use. You could use some 3/16 cord between the barrel bolts to dis-engage them at the same time by pulling the cord.
I did something similar on a recent project, worked great.
The words "botal toat" have been living rent-free in my head for weeks. (and on repeat!) So seeing this video pop up in today's feed is a welcome bo-nrainer. Keep up the awesomeness!
I love the new door design! No more head injury risk!
7:53 she will find a way.
Unfortunately there still is for Chadams 😂
14:44 this is what I love about Fusion360, its parametic feature allows you to update your model with the design changes in IRL seamlessly. That was so good to see!
0:58 That smile is holding back so much rage.
You are a STEM legend and such an inspiration for so many things. As an engineer I love watching your projects and seeing how happy it makes you. Stay awesome and thank you.
Have a lot of amazing journeys and adventures with your camper. It really looks awesome.
You seem to be ready to build a wooden plane from scratch !
That pull out double kitchen slider is perfect... Such an smooth and easy way to be able to cook in camp.
I can't fathom having the time with just my normal life of doing practically nothing let alone the $$$ for all the stuff in the ending montage as it is, not to mention for all the equipment and mats to build it all (which major props to the skill and work involved there which doing all that AND then still having time for the rest is just unfathomable to me)
Now that Laura Kampf is moving to LA, it's surely only a matter of time before she builds a camper for American travels. Then the two of you can do a road trip collab! Or just any collab with Laura would be great!
13:56 "If I ran with this, would that make me a door dasher?" 😆
I love this! You’re such a free spirit! Don’t let anything hold you back!
Xyla, you are inspirational! Such fantastic skills and attention to detail…thanks for taking us along…
That rework is pretty slick with a nice use of the "wasted" space. Well done.
I will forever be jealous with the amount of clamps you have. Holy crap thats a lot of clamps!
I like how u also plan and build and work and in the end its basically just a means and a way and a reason to get more stickers, adulting proper
Watching all your videos with both my two 8YO daughters. We think you’re a cracking role model.
My gosh! You are pretty much the most talented person I have seen on TH-cam. Your camper is amazing! So much better built that anything you can buy, should last a lifetime. Glad you won't damage that beautiful head of yours anymore. You just amaze me with your creativity, also, you're super cute.😉 Keep the excellent videos coming, and wishing you nothing but happiness!
Absolutly love your programs. Canoe,s boats . Campers. Bass guitars. Rockets. Please have a look at resoring a vintage machine putting a modern twist to it. A litle motorcycle to sit on a rack on the back of the camper. Make all the plastics in carbon fibre. Hope you are in better health.
As anyone who has built a camper knows, through actual use changes will be wished. One thing I would recommend would be to dowel the hinge side of the doors. While Exposed hardware has a design flair it also would allow a less than honest person access with only 30 seconds and a drill. A dowel under the hinge keeps the door from being removed unless it is already open.
By far one of the most beautiful DIY builds Ive ever seen !!! simply brilliant
Your trailer is an impressive project with great results. I'm sure many people have suggested improvements or other ways of completing it. The only things that some to mind are:
A) The door hinges. There are better options for hidden fasteners, internal hinges, etc. that would seem better suited for the doors. As is, you could lock the doors and anyone with a screwdriver could readily remove the hinge screws and the doors.
B) May I suggest you add some fenders to the trailer? It would help to clean up the look, keep a lot of road grime off the trailer and protect it from road debris. Best of luck to you and yours throughout all your travels!
I happened upon your channel when you built the wind powered model. Everything you've done that I've seen is amazing.
This is how other people live...
I have an idea for an upgrade to the trailer as well as a nice rainy Sunday project: little teardrop shaped fenders to prevent mud from being slung all over the sides... love the video, love the adventures. Keep it up! :)
Excellent craftsmanship...at least as far as I can see. That's great use of the drawer hardware for the extended pullout.
Couple of thoughts: at 19:45, Rain-X in your washer water and silicon wiper blades really improve your comfort while driving in the rain.
At 21:47 you're chopping something green by lifting the knife completely off the cutting board. Try holding the pointy end on the board and rocking the (hopefully) curved blade through the celery. I believe rocking helps save the edge of the blade. And if you have something to stand on or move the cutting board to a lower elevation, you'll find it easier to control the knife. Work surface should be almost elbows height.
I didn't notice whether your side windows removed, but if you want to replace them with a screen for sleeping without insects bothering you, you can use magnetic strips to completely seal a plastic screen to the window frame (or you might have to install a steel surround on the windows).
A friend of mine, also an engineer, traveled with a collapsible tarp cover for his van. The tarp was held up by PVC pipes with strategically placed holes/grommets in the tarp for the 4 corners of the tarp. The 4 corners were held up by marine quality bungees front/back and sideways/out. He tested the tarp in a 60mph wind. It folded flat to the ground, but the bungees hoisted it back to vertical after the wind. He used bolts sticking up from the top of the PVC pipes to go through the tarp grommets and hook the bungees around pulling everything tight. He liked the apparatus for keeping noisy rain from pelting his van while sleeping and as a sun shade. The 3/4-inch PVC pipes were split in the middle with a connector piece of 1/2-inch glued to the top of the bottom piece. The top piece slipped over the 1/2-inch to get the height. Bungee tension and gravity held it all together.
I love your videos myself, but the best part is getting to watch them with my young daughter. Whether it’s intended or not, you’re an amazing role model.
I am IN LOVE with that cutting board omg
7:54 Something to watch out for - In about a year those struts will lose a little bit of their power. You have those perfectly matched to the weight. Come winter (12+ months) from now, you'll find that they are too weak to open up in the cold by themselves. You may experience the door fall on your head sometime in the future, say 1-2 years in the cold. Just something to watch out for.
17:29 SO MUCH HAPPINESS IN THAT FACE! Can somebody make a shirt or a cool photo or something with this screen capture?
Looks like you’ve had tons of fun with the build and the travels. Really makes me want to build my own and do some road trips with friends.
A new vid drop by you means i have that many minutes of enjoyment to look forward to. Since i've found your videos after hearing you on Lateral i've been struck by the joy you exhibit when things proceed as expected and the equanimity you show when things go sideways. I admire your ability to know what you don't know and the knowledge to find someone who can help. It doesn't hurt that you're friends with Simone Giertz.
It looks sooo good, if you accept suggestions, maybe a foldable leg for the burner and cutting board drawers, so you can put more weight to them when they’re open.
My dad built one of these in our cabinet shop to sit perfectly in the back of a pickup truck. Covered in Aluminum. Cabinets to each side of the wheel whells. Windows and all that, sleeps two.
"Wow, cool..... Where'd ya get the trailer?"
...oh, just built it in my garage with some leftover scraps I'd saved.
😂
You must get some great reactions from people who don't know you.
Beeeeautiful!
...the camper too. 😁
It's a real work of art. 👍
I built a cab high camper contoured to the cab of my '73 Chevy stepside. It was small inside, but it had a small built in catalytic heater, ice box/fridge, tiny black&white TV and to date my build..... a cassette player. 😁
The heater allowed winter voyages.
Best years of my life, traveling the Oregon coast logging and back roads with my camera.
......and my Kodachrome, until they....
. ..you know. 😭😭😭
I'm so stoked I found your page. My first video was the teardrop trailer build.
I love how you format and edit your videos. Makes it very easy to follow along and understand as a person who unfortunately is not an engineer. I would've loved to be but my brain just doesn't process math correctly.
The good old botal toad 😂 3:00
Wow, Xyla! You definitely deserve to be called a Maker.
Nice! I got the quick-and-dirty-version. Just got a bunch of magnets and thin blankets as "curtains", some cardboard and a wooden board to support a camping mattress and crammed it into my Volkswagen up!. A small cooker, some minimal toilet solution - and it feels like freedom. Especially when my health is a bit wonky it takes the load off my shoulders to get back home the same night. Even in Switzerland where camping is pretty regulated you are allowed - even encouraged - to sleep in the car if you are too tired to drive. And with a minimum of equipment it's just far healthier.
ONCE AGAIN, YOU’VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. ITS AMAZING TO ME AS WE GET “DONE WITH A PROJECT, USE IT WE ALMOST ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE BETTER OR UPGRADE. AND YOUR STILL GOING STRONG. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE. WE LOVE YOU AND THEM.
That last table tickled my brain just so… what a cool project and awesome design.
Xyla, Thanks for pointing out the "Arrange" function in Fusion 360. It's going to save me soo much time. Your videos are fun, and, as previously stated, informative. I look forward to the next one.🙂
FYI, it's impressive how you can do these projects and make them all look so easy, because they are not actually simple. You do such a good job!
Thank you so much!!
I will never get tired of videos about this camper. It is still my favorite video of yours.
Wow! I love your drive for continuous mods! Also a shout out to the first BotalTote @3:01!
Make sure you check the torqued bolts of your trailer hitch 😂❤ sweet kitchen upgrade, most awesome job ever🎉❤
Great upgrades on the trailer! Sometimes you dont know what something needs until you use it for a while. And it looks like you're having a lot of fun using it. Thanks for sharing!
The end of that video is just like a Hallmark movie, in a really really good way. :)
20:45 that shot with the cactus, the mountains, the clouds, and you dancing, is gorgeous. Wish it lasted more than 2 seconds. 😉
edit : my bad. It was 4 whole seconds. What am I even complaining about?? 🤣🤣
It is great to see makers iterate their projects toward perfection.
That perfect cutting board fit was just all the satisfying 😊
You are a bad ass. Just seeing that you make all your own stuff, and use it, AND improve it, all yourself. Seriously, major major respect.
God dang Xyla, this little self made tear drop trailer has come a long way and it is gorgeous! Coming from a carpenter by trade this is truly impressive and you are an amazing woman to be able to do all this. Your significant other (if you have one) is a lucky one. I have been thinking of building myself a camper trailer myself but have been planning it out until the opportunity for a fitting trailer comes about. This inspires me and also gives me ideas. I don’t have access to all those fancy CAD and CNC machine stuff so it will all be hand made by myself. Also hats off to you for such great editing and taking the time to get such great footage of everything while in the process and having fun. I get so side tracked and caught in the moment whenever I try to video stuff and can never film anything I do for the life of me 😂. And that ending montage/Outro of you enjoying the camper and having fun was amazing 😊. Keep up the great work and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your future videos. Aloha from hawaii 🤙🏻.
If you haven't been to colorado I recommend it. I was in breckenridge and I loved every single day. It's hard to get a stable housing situation in ski towns, but campers make it EZPZ
19:55 Beautiful Rainbow, Great job on the Kitchenette as well. 20:48 wonderful Skyscape 😉
I just completed my first tiny bicycle camper...havent even used it that yet. I was able to keep it under 150lbs and used a steel tube bed frame and one of those bike trailers to pull kids in as the base, a wooden skeleton, clad in foam board and poor man's canvas. I did all the design planning old school...tech pens and paper. Took longer than building the dang thing. The only power tools I used were a hand drill, angle grinder, and rotary tool. Everything else was done with hand tools for minimal expense. The whole thing without plumbing and electrical was less than $500. It is 40" wide, 84" long, and 48" tall. It was a lot of fun to build. I also built it all outdoors and just covered it in a tarp when the weather was bad. I may eventually fiberglass it. I also recently put together an ebike to pull it. Another first for me. Got a 48V battery and front hub motor but am gonna order a rear motor soon as well.
Look into a 52V mid drive motor like a Bafang BBS unit. I have 10,000+ miles on the 750W motor on my ebike build. Total bike weight is about 65 lbs and I’ve pulled many 100 lb loads of groceries since I built it 6 years ago.
I enjoy your shows having found your site during the COVID shut down. It is always nice to see creative young people sharing their engineering skills on TH-cam, whether amateur or professional. I'm a septuagenarian and remember folks telling me about how they used to build onto their cars and trucks campers or hook up trailers for the long trips. My Uncle would bring a camper when he brought the family to see us, from his home in New Mexico. We young cousins would have a blast with the campers. I'm happy you seem you so happy doing what you like the most; you are living your dream, so keep on building!
What a lovely video, and an amazing rework/finishing of the project you'd started before. Of all the choices you made here, only one thing I think I'd have done differently, and that'd have been to flip those L-brackets to mount to the back wall BEHIND the cabinet, router out a small relief pocket either in the back wall or the back of the cabinet, and then have them come up and loop OVER the top of the cabinet to make them... well, if not invisible, then at least half as visible. But that's just me.
Awesome work! :D
You are truly inspirational. I volunteer in Armenia. I came here with the Peace Corps. Upon completion of service I continue to empower young female students and I encourage them to follow STEM careers. I just sent a link to your videos to a student in ( the country of) Georgia.
I really like outdoor stuff and building stuff so this is a win
Beautiful update to the trailer
Also
Ahhh
Cutting onions like that
Ahhhhh
The editing of the video is also very good. Excellent content.
This lady Is just incredible
Yes, here in Texas around March/April is termite swarm season.
Love the "US 395" sticker at 14:12. I used to (before kids) spend 60+ days/year on activities along that road, basically from the 14 Junction to Coleville (though admittedly most of it around Mammoth).
The trailer was the coolest project you've ever done. This makes it even more awesome, which shouldn't be possible
Such a beautiful build!
It's a great idea to actually go live out of trailers / overlanding setups before you start to really customise. I've made the mistake of doing it at the start, and then having to go back and redo everything because it didn't actually suit my needs.
Amazing build! You have some skills. I would suggest adding fenders to help keep road debris from flying up on your trailer.
Oh, the elegance of space-saving notions! So cool to see all the things that have been going through your head as you've been on the road.
My favourite TH-cam of yours to date....the end sequence using and enjoying your creation just fabulous .
Keep going...love it
hey ! i saw a canoe or a kayak of u like a million years ago and now i just find out ur iud video and this one. im so glad u r getting better, u look like a person humanity need more of, and im glad i meet a bit of u on the internet. hope u still improve even more and build more cool stuff, u are great ! !
(if we lived on the same continent i would totally ask u out lol )
I enjoyed watching the road tripping and camping, but also the revisit after lessons learned. thanks for showing the detail work that goes into a project like this.
I forgot about this camper. Good to see it back and especially the improvements. 👍
Just amazingly beautiful creation you have done. Thanks for taking us along.
My current CAD program, is Cardboard Assisted Drawing. But I very much appreciate yours. And your builds.