Couple Spends $25,000 To Convert Old Truck Into Mobile Home And It Looks Better Than Most Apartments
For most of us, buying even the smallest house seems like a far-fetched fantasy. But this young couple from Nottingham, UK, have decided to do things their way. As the two love to travel and their jobs include being outdoors – they decided that they needed a mobile home which could travel together with them. So, after “a few beers,” an idea came to Martin’s head – he should buy “a big American truck.” It turns out; it wasn’t just a crazy thought to be quickly washed away by a hangover – Martin and Iona started planning on getting a truck in which they could live in.
Iona and Martin went on eBay and found a truck, which was previously used for delivering bread, for just a £3,600 (approximately $4,670). However, to fully complete the renovation and turn the delivery truck into a liveable, tiny house was no easy task. While Martin did most of the laboring, Iona took care of the interior design. The couple worked on the project full-time, and it took four months to complete. Now, they are enjoying their beautiful house on wheels and mountain views in France. Scroll down below to see the amazing home project that the couple did by transforming an old truck into a stylish home.
More info: Iona Stewart
This is Iona Stewart and Martin Hill – a couple from Nottingham who are both keen snowboarders
Recently, the travelling couple decided to buy an old Hovis delivery truck which they could use both for travelling and living
They bought it on Ebay for a mere £3,600 (approximately $4,670)
The couple spent £20,000 (about $25,900) on the renovation
This is what the renewed truck looks like. Martin and Iona plan on living in it and saving money on accommodation while traveling through Europe
Although from the outside, it doesn’t look anything special…
…the inside of the truck has been transformed into a cozy and comfortable home
The house is fully furnished and has everything you might need
While Martin did most of the labouring, Iona designed the interior of the truck
“About four years ago after a few too many beers I thought about buying a big American RV” – Martin said
“We bought the lorry in May this year. We spent four months working on it full-time”
“We are really lucky to not have to work and we did everything ourselves”
“It’s amazing what you can do. We are not exactly slumming it”
The couple even designed the place on two different levels
The bedroom is furnished with a double bed and stylish furniture
The storage space has been carefully planned so that the two young travelers can fit all their belongings there
This is the shower room of the truck, where the couple are now living
The space inside the truck is separated by doors to make it cozy and practical
The couple’s home is full of little stylish and artistic details
The two are currently in France, enjoying the views of the mountains
They have no plans to return to the United Kingdom just yet, and intend to continue travelling
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Share on FacebookLooks very nice but I wonder what it looks like after emergency braking....
I was wondering about all those glass jars and unsecured items.
Load More Replies...So, the owners are quoted saying they are lucky they don't have to work...umm then how do you afford to build this home and travel?
They maybe do seasonal work, like a lot of people who travel.
Load More Replies...They're not really "living," they're "traveling." It's the same as having an RV and traveling all around. It's not like they're gonna park this some day and live in it in ONE place. As soon as they decide to settle down - kids, jobs, whatever - they'll get an actual home and keep this just for traveling or sell it.
or they may never settle down! Why would anyone trade a life of traveling and fun for having kids? there's plenty of stories about life with kids on line thats turned me off em!
Load More Replies...It's actually OSB (oriented strand board), which is basically a lot of scraps glued together. It's fine structurally, but it isn't meant to be used "naked." It's supposed to be covered with something - wallpaper, veneer or even vinyl or contact paper. If leaving it unfinished was a deliberate choice rather than a necessity due to running short of funds, they'd have been better off using actual plywood or even particle board from an aesthetic standpoint. Unfinished OSB makes the place look like the inside of a tool shed.
Load More Replies...My hats off to them. They are doing what they love and loving what they do. Who cares about their money situation? If they pay their own bills, then who are is anyone to say otherwise?
Nicely done. Only issue is the OSB (oriented strand board) which is wood chips held together in a toxic glue. It's going to off-gas formaldehyde into their little sealed box for a long time.
And if it gets wet( and they state they are snowboarders ) the wood chips will start coming loose
Load More Replies...Just modern hipster stuff on the inside, does not "look better than most apartments." in my opinion. Definitely not worth the 30, 570 dollars they spent on it total.
New RV's cost $40K-at least $100K & with less wood more plastic.
Load More Replies...Electricity from leisure batteries or an electric hook up, water is kept on-board in tanks, same goes for the waste water. Pretty similar to the set up people usually have in caravans or campervans.
Load More Replies...It really is very cool & in the end a lot cheaper & better made than a camper full of plastic. I love the little art & design details. Kudos.
I hope that they're aware that they won't be able to drive that through London and part's of Europe with the new emissions rules...
You guys are awesome! I hope you're having a blast and creating life long memories together. Have a great time!
I like most of it but half the stuff is going to end up on the floor and what is with the unfinished particle board?
As a former caravan owner - you actually take the time to secure the loose items in storage compartments when travelling
Load More Replies...I dont know you answer, but I would be interested how did you do the water, electricity, so your fridge and shower works? I would like to have something like it, but I would only have a bath, Wc, , refri, perhaps a smal washing machine and a big living room witch serves as bedroom at the same time, the bar minimum but still nice and warm
dont wonder about, we have been living on a 63 foot yacht and water is more violent, and well sometimes things fall down, when wind 10 hits the water
Looks great! I wish I have once same :) But I don't understand two things: Why did they buy left handed driving. And is such a huge conversion even allowed? I don't think this meet regulations and needs to be homologate to be driven on the roads :/
Looks great! I wish I have once same :) But I don't understand two things: Why did they buy left handed driving. And is such a huge conversion even allowed? I don't think this meet normal regulations and needs to be homologate to be driven on the roads :/
This truck is beautiful! I want to live here. I am a bit worried about it being damaged while in motion.
Great job. Downside of this is that if they steal your car, they also steal your home.
It's okay. Experience from spending months in an RV over the course of years I can see a few things they will probably regret. First, not enough windows, this wastes energy because they'll be using lights during the day and also they'll end up craving natural light. Second, use of OSB as flooring, even with a good sealant it's going to have issues when (not if) it gets wet. Third, open shelving is useless in an RV, put doors on everything.
Not bad for DIY, I suppose, but it definitely has an inconsistent, makeshift quality about it. Most things are well executed, but some, notably the stairs between the two levels and the unfinished OSB floors, shelves and walls, seem thrown together from whatever was available. It's almost as though they were running short of funds and had to finish the job as cheaply as possible.
Beautiful manifestation of their love for one another and what they are doing with their lives! Namaste!
I like the bath area. The whole thing is the shower like the head on a lot of sailboats.
With the bathroom, where does all the... uhhhHHHHHhhhhhHhHhh... stuff... even go?
They must have had to work or are working at the same time just into afford the fuel on that thing. With all the extra weight, it'll cost a fortune to drive anywhere.
My thoughts were 1) What a cool home... 2) I bet that will cost them a fortune in gas/petrol to move around... 3) Nothing is secured so if they ever have an emergency stop, almost everything they own will go flying.
Plus they put everything away/secure it when the trucks moving- so there no issue with things falling.
Load More Replies...Yes yes yes, it is beautiful! Now, the real question is: can I hire them to design my van?
Mine aren’t! And I’m tall & chubby. Not only do I fit, I have plenty of hot water. And my RV is not very big...can only imagine what one of those huge RV’s offer.
Load More Replies...Now, I would like to hear the benefits and problems of making a "house"like this.
For that price, you wouldn't be able to afford an RV with proper windows. Low end models start at $40K, most are around $70-$100K
Load More Replies...Yeah my thoughts exactly. The particle board being exposed looks terrible, and the design in general doesn't seem very well thought out when compared to any travel vehicle. I get that they did this on their own, but the interior wasn't designed with moving around in mind.
That's so goddamn r******d, what do they do, drive 5km/h and avoid potholes? Every single thing not attached to an anchor is going to move and fall/shatter
I've got to be honest, this does not, imo, reflect a good value for the money spent. Better to have fixed up an actual old camper that had the bones needed already in place because I'm think most of their money here was wasted on basic construction stuff. Plus, the decor is very basic pinterest hipster stuff, and kind of impractical for something meant to be in motion a lot. Also hope that plant is either fake or will get enough light, but I doubt it will in a non-fixed position "house". My other issue is that that raw wood in the sitting area/sink area just looks like unfinished construction materials. Maybe they just aren't familiar enough with building materials or haven't lived a varied enough kind of life needed to view it that way but it hurts my eyes- looks like the floor of a flophouse to me, lol. Overall though, this is just wealthy person nonsense. Bleh.
How do people have stuff like *ceramic cups*(at least that's what it looks like) hanging on hooks in the kitchen in a *truck*? Or is that all just put there for pics?
They put it away when the truck is in motion. They’ve staged it for photos.
Load More Replies...well, they didn't design it for a family. everyone has a different lifestyle, it's not a one size fits all.
Load More Replies...Looks very nice but I wonder what it looks like after emergency braking....
I was wondering about all those glass jars and unsecured items.
Load More Replies...So, the owners are quoted saying they are lucky they don't have to work...umm then how do you afford to build this home and travel?
They maybe do seasonal work, like a lot of people who travel.
Load More Replies...They're not really "living," they're "traveling." It's the same as having an RV and traveling all around. It's not like they're gonna park this some day and live in it in ONE place. As soon as they decide to settle down - kids, jobs, whatever - they'll get an actual home and keep this just for traveling or sell it.
or they may never settle down! Why would anyone trade a life of traveling and fun for having kids? there's plenty of stories about life with kids on line thats turned me off em!
Load More Replies...It's actually OSB (oriented strand board), which is basically a lot of scraps glued together. It's fine structurally, but it isn't meant to be used "naked." It's supposed to be covered with something - wallpaper, veneer or even vinyl or contact paper. If leaving it unfinished was a deliberate choice rather than a necessity due to running short of funds, they'd have been better off using actual plywood or even particle board from an aesthetic standpoint. Unfinished OSB makes the place look like the inside of a tool shed.
Load More Replies...My hats off to them. They are doing what they love and loving what they do. Who cares about their money situation? If they pay their own bills, then who are is anyone to say otherwise?
Nicely done. Only issue is the OSB (oriented strand board) which is wood chips held together in a toxic glue. It's going to off-gas formaldehyde into their little sealed box for a long time.
And if it gets wet( and they state they are snowboarders ) the wood chips will start coming loose
Load More Replies...Just modern hipster stuff on the inside, does not "look better than most apartments." in my opinion. Definitely not worth the 30, 570 dollars they spent on it total.
New RV's cost $40K-at least $100K & with less wood more plastic.
Load More Replies...Electricity from leisure batteries or an electric hook up, water is kept on-board in tanks, same goes for the waste water. Pretty similar to the set up people usually have in caravans or campervans.
Load More Replies...It really is very cool & in the end a lot cheaper & better made than a camper full of plastic. I love the little art & design details. Kudos.
I hope that they're aware that they won't be able to drive that through London and part's of Europe with the new emissions rules...
You guys are awesome! I hope you're having a blast and creating life long memories together. Have a great time!
I like most of it but half the stuff is going to end up on the floor and what is with the unfinished particle board?
As a former caravan owner - you actually take the time to secure the loose items in storage compartments when travelling
Load More Replies...I dont know you answer, but I would be interested how did you do the water, electricity, so your fridge and shower works? I would like to have something like it, but I would only have a bath, Wc, , refri, perhaps a smal washing machine and a big living room witch serves as bedroom at the same time, the bar minimum but still nice and warm
dont wonder about, we have been living on a 63 foot yacht and water is more violent, and well sometimes things fall down, when wind 10 hits the water
Looks great! I wish I have once same :) But I don't understand two things: Why did they buy left handed driving. And is such a huge conversion even allowed? I don't think this meet regulations and needs to be homologate to be driven on the roads :/
Looks great! I wish I have once same :) But I don't understand two things: Why did they buy left handed driving. And is such a huge conversion even allowed? I don't think this meet normal regulations and needs to be homologate to be driven on the roads :/
This truck is beautiful! I want to live here. I am a bit worried about it being damaged while in motion.
Great job. Downside of this is that if they steal your car, they also steal your home.
It's okay. Experience from spending months in an RV over the course of years I can see a few things they will probably regret. First, not enough windows, this wastes energy because they'll be using lights during the day and also they'll end up craving natural light. Second, use of OSB as flooring, even with a good sealant it's going to have issues when (not if) it gets wet. Third, open shelving is useless in an RV, put doors on everything.
Not bad for DIY, I suppose, but it definitely has an inconsistent, makeshift quality about it. Most things are well executed, but some, notably the stairs between the two levels and the unfinished OSB floors, shelves and walls, seem thrown together from whatever was available. It's almost as though they were running short of funds and had to finish the job as cheaply as possible.
Beautiful manifestation of their love for one another and what they are doing with their lives! Namaste!
I like the bath area. The whole thing is the shower like the head on a lot of sailboats.
With the bathroom, where does all the... uhhhHHHHHhhhhhHhHhh... stuff... even go?
They must have had to work or are working at the same time just into afford the fuel on that thing. With all the extra weight, it'll cost a fortune to drive anywhere.
My thoughts were 1) What a cool home... 2) I bet that will cost them a fortune in gas/petrol to move around... 3) Nothing is secured so if they ever have an emergency stop, almost everything they own will go flying.
Plus they put everything away/secure it when the trucks moving- so there no issue with things falling.
Load More Replies...Yes yes yes, it is beautiful! Now, the real question is: can I hire them to design my van?
Mine aren’t! And I’m tall & chubby. Not only do I fit, I have plenty of hot water. And my RV is not very big...can only imagine what one of those huge RV’s offer.
Load More Replies...Now, I would like to hear the benefits and problems of making a "house"like this.
For that price, you wouldn't be able to afford an RV with proper windows. Low end models start at $40K, most are around $70-$100K
Load More Replies...Yeah my thoughts exactly. The particle board being exposed looks terrible, and the design in general doesn't seem very well thought out when compared to any travel vehicle. I get that they did this on their own, but the interior wasn't designed with moving around in mind.
That's so goddamn r******d, what do they do, drive 5km/h and avoid potholes? Every single thing not attached to an anchor is going to move and fall/shatter
I've got to be honest, this does not, imo, reflect a good value for the money spent. Better to have fixed up an actual old camper that had the bones needed already in place because I'm think most of their money here was wasted on basic construction stuff. Plus, the decor is very basic pinterest hipster stuff, and kind of impractical for something meant to be in motion a lot. Also hope that plant is either fake or will get enough light, but I doubt it will in a non-fixed position "house". My other issue is that that raw wood in the sitting area/sink area just looks like unfinished construction materials. Maybe they just aren't familiar enough with building materials or haven't lived a varied enough kind of life needed to view it that way but it hurts my eyes- looks like the floor of a flophouse to me, lol. Overall though, this is just wealthy person nonsense. Bleh.
How do people have stuff like *ceramic cups*(at least that's what it looks like) hanging on hooks in the kitchen in a *truck*? Or is that all just put there for pics?
They put it away when the truck is in motion. They’ve staged it for photos.
Load More Replies...well, they didn't design it for a family. everyone has a different lifestyle, it's not a one size fits all.
Load More Replies...
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