DIY Airbnb Glamping Site

This past summer, while interning at a medical device manufacturer in Vermont, I decided to take a stab at designing and building an off-grid glamping site with the ultimate goal of listing it on Airbnb. The biggest challenge was that I had limited free time as I was working full time and I had less than a month to complete the project. Nonetheless, I decided to pursue the project. Partnering with two friends, we secured a long-term lease on a piece of land, and it was time to get to work on excavation.

The land secured was not flat and was not accessible by car. That meant hiring an excavation company to assist with the creation of a driveway, installing a culvert and leveling the plot of land. This process took about a week, leaving only three weeks left to build a deck, erect a tent, build an outhouse/shower, and take care of lots of other odds and ends.

Excavation:

After finalizing a deck design and opting to use a floating foundation system to best adapt to the yearly Vermont frost and thawing (this system allows the deck to essentially self-level year to year), it was time to order the building supplies. A few days later, after a few delivery mix-ups, the lumber finally arrived, and it was time to head to work.

Lumber Arrives!

One of the friends I partnered with to get this project off the ground was going to help me with the actual construction. Just one problem, he's not overly handy and has never really used power tools. This would all change by the end of the project because in just a few short days, he would be all up to speed and using a circular saw like a pro!

The excavation crew left the tent spot mostly level, but we dialed it in by using a string level to make sure each of our posts and beams were perfectly in line. We then laid down the beams with little hassle, but then ran into a problem. I had purchased a nail gun to make the installation of the joists and strong-ties easier, but unfortunately, as we were off-grid, we had to rely on a generator to provide the air compressor power, but whatever we did, the generator's fuse would blow. Long story short, I went and purchased a lower horsepower compressor, but it couldn't handle the nail gun, so after half a day was already lost, we decided to put the thousands of nails in using just a simple hammer. Many blisters later, the joists were all securely nailed in place, and it was time to install the composite decking.

Deck construction:

I chose to use a hidden screw system, and the extra time it took was worth it for the no-screw look. We then erected the 20x16 foot tent and installed a railing and stairs for the porch area.

The tent goes up!

It was now time to turn our attention to the outhouse and shower. I started by building a structural frame and then cut slats to line the outside with as walls. For the roof, I chose to go with a clear corrugated PVC to add natural light and a more natural vibe.

Outhouse construction:

As this was glamping, I decided to figure out a way to make a flushing toilet and heated shower possible. As we were off-grid getting water is not an easy task. Luckily, the property had a tapped underground spring, and we were able to siphon water from it into a large 350-gallon tank. Then we would use a solar system with a battery backup to power a pressure pump which would supply the toilet and shower with adequate flow. The waste water would be held in an RV-style tank which would need to be emptied periodically and the shower was heated using an instant propane heater. Just like that we had a working bathroom (much easier said than done)!

As I mentioned, I installed a solar array. This also allowed us to add amenities like a mini-fridge, phone charging, and Wi-Fi. After adding and finishing off the tent with 2 queen beds and other furnishings, adding a quaint hammock, a picnic table, and a grill, the glamping site was ready to be listed! This was the largest construction project I have ever taken on, but it was rewarding and fulfilling to get such a large-scale project done with just two people in such a short amount of time! It was also great to be able to give my friend construction experience, enabling him to have more confidence in taking on DIY projects himself in the future. The completed glamping site!