Meet the Makers: Teardrop Caravan Builder
In this Meet the Makers blog series, we will feature an artist that, quite simply, makes something. Drawing inspiration from custom works handcrafted in various media, we travel beyond the pieces by diving into the minds of the creative makers themselves.
Today, we feature our interview with Dave Moult, a builder who designed a retro-futuristic trailer and crafted the entire interior by hand. Moult combines old woods and copper pipes to create this steam-punk caravan. This extraordinary teardrop was built near his home town in the UK.
GPI Design: What (3) words best describe your work?
Dave Moult: Functional – Attractive – Cost-Effective
Functional –It’s really important to me that most of what I make has a function, or can be used for the purpose it was made for. The Campenarti is our 6th Teardrop trailer and is probably the most practical of all of them. We are fairly self sufficient when we use it and have running water, a gas oven, hob, refrigerator, and gas fire to make our trips more appealing. We have 12 volt power for lighting, phone charging, and to run the water pump. The cabin holds a 5ft wide bed and plenty of storage for clothes above the foot of the bed. The locker at the head of the bed is where we store the side tent.
Attractive –I like to make stuff that looks pleasing to the eye. Something that can bring a smile is always a bonus. When we built The Campenarti each piece that was added needed to be eye-catching. As well as the overall shape, which is equally important, we’ve used different materials that will work together to create what it is.
Cost-Effective –I’m a bit of a cheapskate and I enjoy recycling stuff that gets discarded by others. Probably 90% of the trailer has been made from re-purposed materials. The chassis was from an old damp caravan that had passed it’s best. The sides were old floorboards that were put out for firewood. The copper cladding came from old hot water cylinders. The windows were made from a mix of copper trays, a silver tray, brass ash trays, and stainless steel rice dishes. The front storage container was a water tank. The side tent was made from sweeps rods and the material came from pop-up shelters that had seen better days. In the galley we’ve re-used the gas oven from the original caravan, and reused the fridge workings in a way that would fit our needs. The drawer and cupboard front we made from some radiator cover screens. The tiled splash-back uses tiles that came out of a customer’s bathroom during a refit. The list goes on and on and each piece has a story behind it.
GPI: What compels you to create with this particular medium?
Moult: I love using items I come across in a way other than what it was originally designed for and It’s a lot of fun making use of someone else’s cast-offs.
GPI: What is your biggest constraint in the creative process?
Moult: Finding parts that work at the right price can take a while, so I tend to be constantly collecting parts for future builds. Very often I have no idea what I’m going to do with them, but if I like them I think the use will follow.
GPI: What would your 5 year old former self say about your work now? And what do you hope your future 90 year old self will say about your current work?
Moult: I think my 5 year old former self would love the stuff I’m doing now and the 90 year old self may well smile and think of it as a happy part of life’s journey. I like to think I’ll be making more intricate stuff in the future. There’s so much more that I’d love to do but who knows which way any one thing can lead us.
GPI: What other maker would you most like to collaborate with?
Moult: I enjoy being around creative people and sharing ideas. I see it as feeding each other’s creative needs. We all see things slightly differently and I think it’s great to put your own slant on an idea.
GPI: What do you think the future of creation/creativity holds (for you, and the artistic world as a whole)?
Moult: I hope to keep trying out new ideas and bring a few smiles to faces.
GPI: What does your work space look like right now? Send us a selfie of you in your creative arena!
Moult: I’ve recently built a new workshop at home. It’s for making smaller stuff really, as my big workshop is a couple of miles away on a local farm.
______
Many thanks to Dave Moult for the insight into his craft. Stay tuned to our next Meet the Makers interview coming up in two weeks! The interviews will publish every other Tuesday throughout the remainder of the year, focusing on a wide variety of makers, which has us truly redefining what it means to create.
View this maker’s work: Dave Moult