I bought an army truck & turned it into a home for LESS than cost of a mortgage – it’s saved me £1,000s on rent
A DIY whizz bought an army truck and converted it into an incredible tiny home for less than the cost of an average mortgage in the UK.
Mike modified the military vehicle and turned it into a surprisingly spacious off-road home, jam-packed with modern features.
Speaking to Tiny House Giant Home on YouTube, Mike revealed he has spent years travelling the world in custom overlander RVs which has enabled him to perfect the art of converting vehicles into tiny homes.
The fire-red retired military truck is his third project and features the words "Drive The Globe" printed across the side.
Mike explained he bought the truck in 2020 and began converting it into a home the following year.
He picked up the army vehicle for around £14,300 at a military auction - despite having no background in building trucks.
The DIY whizz watched YouTube videos of others carrying out similar projects and decided to give it a spin himself.
Mike moved into the truck in 2022 after the total length of the build spanned around four months.
" I wanted the inside to feel like home since I'm going to be on the road living in it full-time," he said.
The DIY builder revealed that the total cost of the incredible transformation came to around £72,000 - less than the average mortgage value in the UK which is around £184,000.
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When Mike picked up the vehicle, he was instantly impressed at its quality.
"some of the advantages of going with a military vehicle is that they are well maintained, they're built extremely rugged and when I picked it up two years ago it had only 5,000 miles on it," he said.
The Stewart & Stevenson truck retained most of its original exterior features and utilities including the central tire inflation system which is located in the cab.
The feature is used when Mike travels off-road in sand or mud.
Mike also kept the massive 400lbs spare tire which is hydraulically controlled.
He has also installed a custom-built frame for his bikes, alongside another storage unit for his motorcycle and kayaking gear.
The DIY whizz replaced the entrance to the vehicle with a regular RV door from eBay which leads into the incredible interior of the home on wheels.
"So inside my home here my four main goals for this build were to have a kitchen, a place to work, a bed that I didn't need to fold out, and a full-size shower like you have in your home," he explained.
Mike uses a burner-top stove to cook all his meals and installed plenty of modern, white cabinets above for storage.
There is a double ceramic sink, a UV light water filtration system, a fridge freezer, and an espresso machine in the spacious kitchen area.
The main living space features a faux tin vinyl ceiling and lots of plastic features as wood tends to shrink and expand in different environments.
Mike's dining table folds up, allowing him to have more room as and when he requires it.
"And then all my little drawers in here pull out and you got all sorts of stuff that I can store in there, so kind of using every little space," he said.
As well as the essentials, Mike also installed a mounted iMac computer so he can work from home while on the go.
The bathroom is located in a separate area and includes a cassette toilet, vanity, sink, and huge mirror.
As he often shaves his head, he also fixed mirrors on either side of the wall so he could see his head from all angles.
His bedroom is located next door, where he has a wardrobe on one side and a full-size house shower with a glass door on the other.
Mike treated himself to a rainfall showerhead and said a nice shower was one of his main priorities for the build.
The wardrobe is almost the full height of the truck and features shoe storage beneath.
But the best thing about the home is that it can be driven from location to location.
Mike retained the front cab and driver's seat, with the cab offering stunning panoramic views for the adventurer.
"To me, being out on the road the best thing about it is that every morning I get up in my own bed with my own stuff - I'm always at home," he said.
"It just happens to be I look out the window and I get a different view every morning.
"If I could say one thing to anybody, just do it, get out and do it," he added.
But Mike isn't the only person who has completely renovated a vehicle into a stunning motorhome.
A DIY-loving couple converted an old school bus into an incredible off-grid home and said it was the best thing they ever did.
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Francesca and Nicholas' incredible bus features a chimney and wood-burning stove, so when the temperatures drop while they're off-grid, they can easily warm up the home on wheels.
Another mum-and-daughter duo revealed how they turned a school bus into an incredible tiny home after a family tragedy.
