Home brew fifth-wheel: Wayzalot

Hardy and Terry Evans had a vision: After seeing plenty of renaissance shows, they wanted a rolling home that was more or less of the period. Hardy got to work in the late 1990's building his own wood-frame and shingle fifth wheel that they christened, appropriately, "Wayzalot."

For almost 11 years the Evans and their dogs traveled about with Wayzalot, traveling over 50,000 miles and hitting no less than 22 states and on into Canada. Viewed by many on television's Travel Channel, you may have seen this labor of love yourself.

Alas, in 2010, Hardy and Terry were making their way through Indiana, heading across the Jeffersonville bridge into Kentucky when disaster struck – and end the storied career of Wayzalot. Following a semi-truck tanker which suddenly hit the brakes, Wayzalot found itself between a tanker truck and hard place, as behind them was yet another semi who couldn't hit the brakes fast enough. Wayzalot's tow vehicle was blasted into a concrete median. Happily the Evans and their canine crew weren't injurred seriously – Hardy took a broken ankle.

It wasn't but a few days later that Hardy was shopping for a new trailer frame, hobbling on his patched up ankle. He already had the genesis of a new rig in mind. But late in life, the couple decided the successor would have to be a mite smaller so as to be built quicker. And being a mite smaller, it was a mite lighter, and so you know the rest of the story. The birth of Wayzless.

Be sure to visit the Evans' website, wayzalot.com.

all photos courtesy wayzalot.com