VAN TOUR | DIY Box Truck Converted to Beautiful Tiny Home by Amateur Builders During Pandemic
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Our box truck is a 2009 GMC Savana G3500 cut-away with a 12 ft box.
We built our tiny home on wheels during the pandemic in the hopes of going on a year-long, North American rock climbing tour. We’re so excited to be sharing our home with you today...wilkommen!
-Moritz + Chiko
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▶ How long did it take?
15 months. We build the truck during weekends and evenings.
▶ How much did it cost?
We bought the truck used for CA$13,000 with brand new tires. Materials and furnishings cost another CA$15,000.
▶ What experience do you have?
This is our first van build and we are complete noobs/beginners. Moritz is a modern day MacGyver and avid electronics hobbyist. Sachiko has an eye for design and detail and a planner at heart.
▶ Where will you be going?
Our original route was Toronto - Vancouver - San Diego - Dallas - El Potrero Chico - Slade (Red River Gorge) - NE USA - Toronto and everything in between. Now, we will be spending more time exploring Canada.
▶ What will this video cover?
0:00 Intro
0:41 Bedroom
1:31 Skylight (ICON RV Skylight)
2:02 Drawers
2:30 Bathroom
3:10 Kitchen
5:22 Fridge
5:42 Sink & Faucet
7:14 Dinette with Murphy Standing Desk/Table
8:20 USB & Power Outlets
8:30 Couch, Storage, Wardrobe
10:26 Eberspacher Heater
10:47 More Storage
11:27 Bike Rack Garage
11:56 Entryway Mudroom (Coat Hooks, Shoes)
13:02 Electrical & Battery
14:23 Solar & Hot Water
14:42 Home Automation System
16:02 Lights
16:24 Water Tank & Outdoor Tap
17:21 Shore Power & Travel Expedition Box
17:52 Grey Water Tank
18:22 Driver Cab & Vehicle Specs
19:01 Backup Cameras
19:25 Home Automation Dashboard
19:41 Cargo Pass-Thru Door
20:21 Tires
20:43 Our Thoughts
▶ Where can I get more info?
Watch the entire build series: • BOX TRUCK CONVERSION I...
Or visit us at...
Blog: road-to-pitches.com
Instagram: / roadtopitches
What ideas do you have for our tiny home? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
1) Carbon monoxide detector? You didn't mention having one.
2) Maybe add two wide peripheral cameras outside looking down toward the front left & right doors for peace of mind (e.g., your comments from Different Media tour).
🚛 Great job! Look forward to your adventures 🌄
Hey thanks for your suggestions! It was maybe a but quiet but our smoke alarm is also a CO alarm.
For cameras in the front the hood is actually so short that it's fairly easy to gauge how much space is left. On the front sides maybe useful cause that's somewhat still a blind spot.
I appreciate the way you two explain the various facets of your tiny home in language the average person can understand. I also appreciate the graphics you edited in (Ex. showing where your bed is located from the outside of the camper) as it was very helpful while remaining unobtrusive. Good video and thumbs up!
Hello just watching yall video. Look up
Vancity vanlife. He has the drawers and doors latches yall need to keep the drawers and doors closed. If i was yall i would check around to see if someone could build yall a hightop over the bed to give yall room so yall can situp and do whatever yall want to. And put windows in it. Look up Recpro for all yall camper and trailer needs. Great company.
@@jeboutdoors377 Thanks for the recos! The latches that Chrome has are our fave
Add a flexible hose from the composting toilet and vent it out the side of the truck. Add a 5 volt PC fan pushing air out. That will take care of the smell and help dry out any contents.
Wonderful, suggestion! Horse Bedding Pine Pellets from Tractor Supply, also absorbs all of the odors. Though you have to spray some water over the pellets on BM's for them to break open for full coverage.
Half water and half vineger mixture in a spray bottle should get rid of the smell and act as a bio-friendly cleaner.
Listen if you find a way you vent your toilet 🚽 it really does make it so nice !
hey everyone, take a note about the benefits of using the portable stove like this one. a lot of van builders add a built in cook top, but forget one vital aspect: level. when your home is mobile, you will definately park in places that are not exactly level, and so you end up cooking on a built in stove top that cannot be leveled, which is a pain in the butt. so don't let your stove dictate your parking spot!
We didn't think about this when we considered our stove/cooking options. We mostly wanted to try to keep cooking outdoors as much as possible so we don't get all the cooking smells.
But this is actually a very true fact! Every time we set up the stove we get little twigs and rocks and level the cooktop. If it was affixed to the countertop it would be titled 90% of the time😂
All is beautiful. Personally I could not sleep with the roof so close to my body/head.
@@xXSekushiXx sorry to hear your fell. I understand you about this. I see my bashing my head in the middle of the night trying to get up. What about wanting to stretch your hands in front of you? No thanks.
One thing they can improve on is: over the bed area make the 'roof' extendable , for more space. The bed area is need of space like double of that.
Wonderful, idea! Or even just increasing the height, of just that part of the roof :)
I think the truck is at 11:10 already so if they go 6 inches more they’re going to hit via Doc’s in every major city when they visit
Highway = 18-23 Liters per 100KM of fuel = 15 to 12 MPG
City = 25-30L per 100KM = 11.29 to 9.41 MPG
One of the things I am interested in seeing in any "van life" video is the cost to build, but also the cost to run the vehicle. The fuel economy (or MPG) is important to consider, and I wish every "van life" or "box truck" builder would share that info too. I am glad that Moritz shared that info with us. It is good to know for a vehicle that has been "built out" using wood and tanks, as those add weight. Since I am in the USA, I am not as familiar with KM / L numbers so converted what Moritz said. I am sharing those here just to help any others who are also metric system challenged (as most Americans are). This is not a criticism of the build or vehicle or builder.
Not the numbers I came up with. And it's just weird to me being fuel per distance rather than distance per fuel.
Conversion factors: 1.6 km per mile, 100 km = 62.5 mi and 3.787 L/gal
10.3-13.1 MPG highway (62.5/23*3.787, 62.5/18*3.787)
7.9-9.5 MPG city (62.5/30*3.787, 62.5/25*3.787)
Thank god you guy did a shower and potty in there. Some people opt not to put a shower in and some don't put a potty in. Personally if you'd going to love full time in a tiny home you need a shower and potty. Especially since the lock down. Many places closed and there was no way to use a bathroom for showers and potty. We don't k ow when the next pandemic will come, hell we are still crawling out if this covid one now, at the end of June 2021. People are still getting sick regardless of the vax out there. Any way your place look great and super comfy for you guys. Enjoy and make alot if memories. The one thing vivid taught us is, is we really don't know how much time we have with our loved ones and to experience all that life has to offer. Beautiful ass inspiring places to see etc. Go be nomads help those who are in need have fun stay true to your selves. And above all stay safe and healthy. Good luck.
New sub from Foresty Forest's channel. Looking forward to viewing your content and following your adventures. Have fun, and I'll see you along the journey. Thanks for sharing.
All the electrical next to the plumbing? I hope you will never have a plumbing problem down there.
I loved the rest of the build.
"Here's our mushroom book so we don't die when we harvest wild mushrooms!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! That was hysterical!
Still alive!!! It must be working.
The Bräustüberl Tegernsee carpet had me dying! That's my hometown! I recognize that logo upside down in a split second with one eye open! 😍
Cheers from Bavaria!
Hey! You're the first to notice! I really like that place (my family lives in the area) and I consider their beers to be one of the best (if you're looking for typical Bavarian beer).
Hopefully we can all go back at some time and enjoy the nice lake Tegernsee views again!
Suggestion: Replace the regular magnets holding your drawers shut with *rare earth* magnets. Those suckers HOLD. So many great things about this build (I love the garbage can under the sink, I know that sounds weird but it's good design. So's the murphy-table!)
You guys are geeky enough to figure this idea out. How about adding electro magnets for your drawers that turn on when you put the truck in gear. When the truck is running you have more power. When its off you don't need the drawers locked?????
Haha, that's actually an interesting idea! Gotta check how much a decent electromagnet comes at. It'll need quite some holding force.
At the moment we're using a few metal bars with screws and keyholes to keep them in place. It's not super pretty, but very quick and functional.
Nick B - Admiring your thought process, that is great out of the box thinking. I'm a firm believer in the KISS philosophy though, so wouldn't even consider doing this, but for a decked out build this would be a real convenient solution to this constant challenge. Kudos for the idea, and thanks for sharing.
Great build! I've found that a 4" firm foam mattress is very comfortable, for me. RtP reused their old mattress but it looks as if when they replace it, they can gain 3" of verticle space in the bedroom with a thinner mattress. And yay for the Raspberry Pi! So many projects possible with it...
When you have all that outdoor gears, box truck definitely is the right option to go for!!😉
Yes Katarina! It really helps with all our gear storage.
Looks awesome! Impressed with how much you fit into your tiny home.
Looks spacious,cheerful and well organized.
Very impressive build, I've enjoyed watching you build and design your own home. Now I can't wait to see what you do with it.
Always a thumbs up 👍
Lovely!!!!!!! You guys did such an amazing job!!
Thanks D!!!
Hay. Nice to meet another Canadian couple. Doing the vanlife. Nice build 👍
great Cubert tour! Looks super liveable, you did a fantastic job! Have fun enjoying it now, looking forward to your adventures!
Cute and cozy
Box trucks are the way to go!
Wonderful job building your home. Can't wait to see what adventures you guys take.
Very well thought out build. I saw you on Foresty’s channel. I’m looking forward to seeing more from y’all.
Been waiting for this, looks amazing, well done!
Well done thanks for posting.
Amazing job! Enjoy your new home! So happy for you both and I can't wait to see what adventures you experience!
Thanks Danielle! It really is a home now that we've moved in. Adventures to come!!!
What a well thought out, and beautiful build
I absolutely love your videos!
So fun to watch you guys!!! Good job!
Really cozzy nice
Beautiful couple, Beautiful van
Beautiful
Amazing van! Very well-planned and innovative!
Beautiful home! Be Happy!
awesome!
9.99/10, excellent, awesome, professional van builders!
Beautiful home.
Love the bed, plus get a nice view getting on it lol
Wow.....you guys are so talented....your van is perfect
Awesome build guys! Happy Trails
What a cute and cool couple.
Brilliant...
Beautiful interior's...stay blessed
Lovely box truck conversion
love it you guys... planning on buying a 14' box truck. I am disabled and short so the box truck will be huge for me and plenty of space. Thanks for the video
Only 2 bags of garbage in the end?! WOW!!! Way to go, so impressive :))
Muy bonito limpio y ordenado bien planeado
Love this
Wow what an amazing and detailed tour! Loved watching this and seeing all the design choices and decor 💯
So glad you enjoyed it!!!
Wow what a nice rig one of the best ones I've seen.
Best box van I have ever seen…great job
You did a great job, very impressed.
Y’all definitely maximize the space. Well done. It looks professional; you definitely should be proud.
Thanks Sharon! It definitely feels luxurious in here, especially on rainy days.
Thanks for the tour! I was wanting a shuttle bus or a ambulance. Looking at this video makes me want a box truck now.
Yes! Join the team Gordon. Box trucks unite.
Nice!!!
I really love your build. Your tiny house is so smart, too!
Beautiful home 😍
Such a sweet space
Love the tongue and groove natural. Makes it look bigger.
LOVED UR GR8 VIDEO..CUTE COUPLE...❤❤
You 2 seem so nice. I truly hope you 2 get along well with each other. Good luck with your future endeavors.
Fantastic build. You should be very proud of your accomplishment.
Its very beautiful...
Good job you two
Looks like a great Project Build :) & Thanks for the right kind of music to add to your vid . A+
great work,
Nice job guys
I don’t know. But I like how you did your’s very beautiful
Love 💯💘😻💜your tiny home 🏡❤.
Great video.👍🇨🇦🍁
Super awesome ..... oh and the camper is tooooo :)
I need to get me one of these, that van looks nice too
There’s nothing amateur about this built 👍
Good Job guys
You two have done a great job, kudos to you both!!
Thank you oasis ❤️
Very impressive and lovely home. Happy travels.
Love your truck
You could put a drawer style ladder that can pull out from under the mattress...can be out when needed and then folded back up and pushed under the bed when not needed.
I didn't read about where you are from, all I had to do was see that blanket, I knew it was a Hudson Bay blanket and you were 🇨🇦👍😁.
great truck! Extra kudos for the standing desk design, that is an awesome detail!
Wow! Love it! Doin a e350 conversion right now and I’m definitely going to try to use your sink door idea if I can pull it off
Super cute! I love all the storage / modifications you've done! The ppl inside aren't too shabby either! 😉🤪
Thanks Kelly. 😉 We can say the same about you!!!
You two are so cute!! I’ll gladly follow you! 🥰
I have been married 26 years so far. I remember the early years and I am a short man and my wife is petite, but that bed would be a deal breaker. I loved cave like spaces, when I was single, but add in a spouse and elbow room becomes very important. Also as you get older, rock climbing and yoga to get into and out of bed becomes dangerous. You kids have fun. Have you heard of happijac bed lifts?
Latches for your cabinets. Looks amazing!!!
Yes! But they're so expensive haha. We came up with a clever option...to be shared in the future.
nice work. enjoy your new home
Love it!! Definitely one of the best van builds I've seen. Can't believe you two built those drawers by yourselves! Hope you guys are doing well!! Oh I wanted to say Chiko you're so beautiful!!
Thank you!!! We can't wait to see your van as well and Margey (the plant you gave us) is doing so well! And eee 🤩 don't melt my heart like that.
Nice build, well done!
I'd love to stay very beautiful set up awesome video
First of all the Van concept was ingenuitive, 2nd of all to congratulations gotta ❤ love it, awesome keep up the good work peace and blessings to you guys both 🥳🙏🏽
Nice build, I love my box truck 17 foot uhaul
Your home is gorgeous!!!👠🚌👠
You guys did a great job! To help with the decomposition of the toilet use Lye in there. It will help a lot!
Try using cedar chips along with peet moss. That's what we use in our composting toilet and even with the lid up it doesn't smell. We do have a urine diverter so that also helps. We also built our own toilet. I couldn't justify spending a grand on a composting toilet when you can easily make one for 50 bucks.
We will search for cedar and peat moss when we refill. The only thing we could find in Walmart lol was pine. It's not as absorbent! We too have a diverter and with the lid down, it's not noticeable. 😊 We had a close friend use our loo today and she couldn't smell anything! So maybe just chiko's nose.
Damn I want one!
Moritz + Chiko I enjoyed your video tour. The build out looks great. Admirable. Comfortable in most respects. You packed a lot into a small space. Well done and something that would make most people very proud to build and own. I will subscribe based on this video alone.
Thanks too for sharing the cost (to build/buy) and the fuel mileage (or "fuel economy" ) numbers too. I will share those converted in another comment (as I am in the USA and not familiar with L/KM numbers and had to convert them. Happy Trails!
Good job
There are latches used on ships & aircraft to hold drawers and cabinet doors shut. You may want to check them out.