I converted a £24,000 army truck into an incredible tiny home – and a clever hack helps it DOUBLE in size
A WOMAN who converted an army truck into a dream tiny home showed off the incredible transformation.
Krystal and her partner Zack got the vehicle for £24,000 in Texas, and with a clever hack they managed to double the space inside.
When folded up, the military vehicle is 8ft wide, but thanks to a retractile container, it can slide out and become a 210 square feet home on wheels.
The couple got the truck, named Bantha, in 2018 but haven’t stopped renovating it.
Two doors in the back work as the main entrance, revealing an integrated and spacious area.
The entire space is mainly white with steel amenities, and a pop of green from a couple of plants.
“Inside of this house is very simple and uncluttered and that is by choice,” Krystal explained.
“A lot of people say it’s too industrial but both of us actually like that feel and look anyway.
“It is a reflection of who we are, we’re very comfortable, and we purposely keep it really bright and open.”
The couple didn’t want to compromise the size of their bed, so they have a king size mattress that goes up to the ceiling, opening up plenty of space during the day.
“It’s super easy to raise and lower the bed because all you need is to press these buttons,” Krystal said.
“We keep all our blankets and everything up there and LED lighting add a nice touch underneath it.”
A TV fills the space in front of what they call the “garage area”, where all motors, batteries and electrical boards are located. It also stores the air conditioning unit and heater.
The kitchen counter is a repurposed workbench from Costco, where Zack added an induction cook top.
A folded table top makes the ideal spot to have breakfast or as an office space.
The kitchen also features a “military teapot”, a metal box similar to what you see on a plane, where you fill it with water and flip a switch to heat it up.
“What is great about tiny living is that everything is so close that we can actually turn the teapot on and have hot water for coffee or tea before we even get out of bed in the morning,” Krystal said.
A stainless steel shower is located in the middle of the home, as it can work as a hallway when its two sliding doors are open.
The shower handle is made to where you can stretch it outside if you want to have an outdoor shower.
The bathroom is located in the back corner, with a couple of cupboards above it to store toiletries.
Zach also uses a 3D printer to create extra touches to the home, such as little railings inside cabinets to prevent things from falling over when they hit bumpy roads.
The savvy homeowners said they make most of every crevice to make sure they always have everything they need when venturing across the US.
Krystal said: “We keep everything in here, including cooking tools, seasonings, and pots and pans.
“When you live tiny, you have to get really creative with storage and take advantage of every little space.”
When asked why they picked a military truck as their dream home vehicle, Krystal joked: “Because Zack’s 12.”
“But really, we ended up buying a military truck because it was love at first sight when Zack found this online,” she added.
The couple explained: “A lot of people asked us why didn’t we just get an RV.
“Well, we wanted to go places RVs can’t go so we built this.
“And because we live in here and not just use Bantha on the weekends for trips, we needed to make everything as comfortable and easy to use as we could.
The couple has travelled all across America, and even made it to Canada for a concert, but their best memory was taking Bantha out to the north rim of the grand canyon and parking it right on the edge for a week.
Despite the excitement, Krystal revealed one of their biggest challenges.
She said: “When it came time to move in we were really excited, but it was quite a challenge because we’re used to having lots of storage space, big closets.
“For me, clothing was the biggest challenge, which sounds so trivial but for Zack, the downsizing was a lot easier.”
Krystal and Zack are not the only ones to transform a unique vehicle into a dream home on wheels.
Army veteran Steven Stolp got an old ambulance off Craigslist and made it into a practical and elegant tiny home.
He made sure to optimise the space to the maximum, using every single compartment and space possible.
There are jump seats on the doors and a retractable dining table for sitting outside and enjoy an outdoor meal.