BUILDING OUR DIY CARAVAN
TINY HOUSE ON WHEELS BUILD
(Week 1)
A few weeks ago I started to ask people for free building materials locally and on Facebook groups to build my own tiny house on wheels.
So far people have given us a heap of free materials for our build! The support and generosity of many Aussies has been great! So far for free we have insulation, paint, heaps of wood, metal, and if we travel around a heap more. We will document each part of the build and trip including bargains for the build.
The ad to ask for free material went better than we thought!
Truck used: Isuzu NKR 250 crew cab, 3.6 liter diesel, 6 seater with over 400k on the clock, GVM 4490, Max load 2 tonnes
tiny-house-on-wheels-tips-tricks
Materials: Mild steel, Recycled and repurposed wood, furniture, paint and just about anything where possible
Metal: Mild steel 50mm square and 50mm x 20mm, Overkill but strong. Weight is not an issue as I have 2 tonnes carry weight. Metal weight so far is around 400kgs
Tools used: Little Cigweld 130 inverter arc stick welder, worth around $250, hand grinder $80, metal cutoff saw $150, clamps, hammers etc.
Frame Size on tipper tray =2.7m x 2m by 2.4 meters high. Frame over cab = 2.6m x 2m by 1.3 meters high
The fame being made at the moment will slide on and off the truck tray, this is done as if we modify the truck at all then we need to have an engineer sign off on the work and that cost loads of money and time. So the idea is to have the tiny house truck able to be taken off ion a few minutes laving the truck how it was. This gets us around any laws as the camper part is then a load not a modification to the truck.
Day 1
Main sides up and floor down.
The main question I wasn’t sure about was should i use wood or metal? Went with metal or strength and speed of the build. I am not a welder by any means, I used to work with wood and love woodworking over metal any-day. The main thing I wanted was a frame that will stand any test and wood has issues over metal for the amount of beating this frame will receive on the trips around Australia.
Day 2
Over cab loft built + part floor. Most welds so far are just tack welded, not final yet so I can make sure its all square and sitting just right.
My welding skills are not the best so I grind over each one to make sure it’s 100%.
The build is going to have rustic gypsy style as I just don’t like the modern day motor-homes, they look like plastic and cheap for that matter, even though the cost for a motor-home can get over $100k and still not be that good looking. The footprint of a motor-home would also be massive, so hence the recycled materials are not only eco and also cheap if not free.
Day 3
Loft welded up, loft floor in. Now it’s time to weld the whole frame up.
The hardest part is making sure that the frame is square as welding bends the metal a bit from the heat.
Cost of frame: $700 for the metal and $35 for welding rods. The total cost of the build will be around $10k in total including the truck. The cheaper the better.
truck-house
I have to take my time as I have rheumatoid arthritis in my hands and a bad back from years in construction. We also have a few kids at home that I part look after as Mindy is doing full time study. So a day isn’t a full working day, more like 4-6 hours of real work. This week Mindy just started back at study and the kids were being good for a change so that let me do a fair bit of work over the last 3 days.
Clamps are my friends, can’t have enough clamps. Not sure what to buy hubby for x-mas? Clamps!
End of day 3
Bare welds painted to stop rust, 80% of roof, floor and sides up. All sitting square and true. Overall, happy so far.
The main tips I can give is metal gets really hot! So wear gloves as sometimes I think I can smell dinner cooking but its just my hand on some freshly welded part of the frame.
Day 4:
Air con bracket made and welded into frame NOW IT’S RAINING! NOOOOO!
Here is a short video on the building of my tiny house on wheels or truck house.
Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyFDIIAVxCk
More updates coming soon for our Tiny House on Wheels build
Subscribe and follow us on our Tiny House build and as our large family travels Australia. Best way to follow us would be with the email letters we send out each week —-> over there on the right. Or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/travellingnaturopath
Matthew Bridgeman
About Matt
Matt is the husband of Mindy, the Travelling Naturopath. Matt is a Jack of all trades, who loves working with his hands to make life easier. As a natural problem solver, he has the ability to see a solution where one is needed. Matt has a background in construction, computers and machinery. One of his passions is to share his innovative solutions with others, especially regarding living on the road.
Image Source: http://www.travellingnaturopath.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Facebook-post-for-materials.jpg
Joseph H. Bryan-Royster is creating an Electric-Powered Mobile Arts & Crafts Studio...
COMMON UNITY OVERLAND TOUR
Flagship Vehicle “Gypsy Vardo” Housetruck Build Workshop (to be scheduled at build site)
Materials Needed to start:
1) Electrical Supply Truck (parked at Earthlands for conversion to solar/electric power)
2) electric motor (automotive) to install in chassis to replace the gasoline engine
3) deep-cycle battery casings - 8 for crystal battery conversions
4) salts for making crystal batteries
5) wiring (motor to battery banks & for attaching solar panels later)
6) Discarded wood pallets - a free source for these
7) Sawmill slabs (locally sourced)
8) Hardware (nails, screws, hasps, latches, hinges, etc.)
9) Pitch or tar paper for truck roof
Materials needed to finish housetruck:
1) Junkyard wood, windows, door, etc. for camper back of truck
2) Pot-bellied stove and stovepipe for interior heating with wood.
3) Water-based paint, brushes, & rollers for decorating vehicle
4) Small wind turbine & metal for collapsable tower set up for parked locations
Campaign for attracting Patrons to project via Patreon.com
Initial Fundraising Goal: $5,000 USD
Build site yet to be determined (vehicle to be moved from Earthlands for conversion)
Become a Patron! Support the Common Unity Overland Tour Gypsy Vardo Housetruck Build Project. ~ "Lamplighter Artworks on the Road"
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