About Me - Current Photos of the Truck

 Building this little house has been a long, arduous process, but I'm so thankful I saw it through till the end and had the opportunity to do so. All in all it's taken me almost 8 years, starting at the age of 21 and now I'm turning 30 next year. I'm glad I went with the larger scale build like a box truck instead of a van, but I think any space you make your own is going to be something you love and you'd be surprised how little space you really need to be comfortable - assuming you design it well.

When I started the build I had no knowledge of power tools, no experience driving a larger vehicle, and I had spent most of my money saved the past two years buying the truck outright. I had no knowledge in electrical, framing, plumbing, hardware, and the like. I did have the opportunity to work at a local ACE hardware store for a while, which certainly helped teach me about a lot of the topics I needed to learn. I'm thankful I had that opportunity and the people I got to meet with that job is something I'll always remember fondly. Since that time I have learned more than enough to get this build done, and I hope the knowledge I've learned and experience/techniques I've acquired can help you build your own conversion too. 

   Original Photos:

As of July 15th, 2024: Current photos of the truck.

September 6th, 2024: How it looks moved in and living in it

chilling at the computer while it's raining

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October 7th, 2024:

So I'm currently living in the truck, and it's been about two months so far. I've bought a new mattress, doubled the battery bank, added 12V lights everywhere, got rid of my microwave as it pulls too much power, removed the water heater and some of the water lines that leaked, removed and re-cured my wood stove and put it back in, and I have a handful of electrical adapters I'm planning to wire in to run my laptop and stuff off 12V instead of 120V. I need to focus on getting the engine running this week so I'll be working on that before the temp drops here soon!

Two more batteries

 

Had to put in a switch for my 12V fans and lights - plus fixing some leaks on the hot water line

I'm getting a good amount of wood stove experience now that the temp is dropping!

 

To be honest, now that I've moved into the truck, I don't really spend much time on the computer. In fact I haven't used my TV once - I spend a lot of time getting and maintaining resources like chopping wood, getting clean water, dumping the grey water, cooking, washing my dishes and cooktop everyday (it gets trashed), laundry and towels, cleaning, and all that. I really enjoy it, but I didn't understand how much time is spent on these necessities and how much modern appliances are designed to simplify the job for you. I could see how it could be overwhelming in the amount of things you have to do, when juggling a job and kids at the same time. A perfect example is how I make coffee in the morning, as I used to use a coffee pot but the heating element draws too much power, so now I boil water on the stove with a kettle and use a pour-over coffee pot instead. It takes involvement now, mindful involvement, to make my coffee instead of just standing around after pressing a button. I feel like all of the systems in the truck are like this; everything takes a little more involvement and time. It's easier to practice and enjoy mindfulness when you're in an environment that encourages it, to be more involved, and I really enjoy that aspect. It is a lifestyle, and it's only going to get busier. At some point I'll be doing all that and driving around from my parking spot to work, getting groceries, going to a gym to shower (when I want a real shower), and going to laundromats etc. What's really helped me is getting into certain routines, like I empty my urine container every morning and my grey water at least once a day, and I don't think about it - It only takes me a couple mins now because it's easier to just follow a structure. I set up my morning fire before I go to bed so I can start it when I make my coffee, and I'm starting to meal prep now so I only really spend one of my off-days from work cooking all day, and the other days I eat one of those meals or make a quick one. The microwave got removed in the first week as it draws way too much power, so I only re-heat food on the stovetop. This has changed what type of food I cook, or buy as well - pretty much anything ultra-processed needs a microwave or oven, neither of which I have, so I've been eating surprisingly well.

I keep track of all my expenses in an excel sheet so I can see where I spend money - maybe once I get moving I'll share with you how I allocate and spend it. The idea is low income, low expenses, and no debt. So far so good!

I used to post regular updates on my Instagram account @TinyBoxHome, and if you're interested in this type of conversion I would highly recommend making an account because there's many other people converting box trucks as well, all over the world!

Anyway, if you have any specific questions you'd like to ask me or specific topics you'd want me to address then feel free to send me an email, or you can contact me on the form on the right, or leave a comment here. Thank you for checking out my site and I wish you luck!

Sincerely,

Kelli