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1949 Dodge Firetruck Is Reborn as Artsy, Awesome DIY Housetruck

There is a mobile house for everyone, and that’s perhaps one of the most appealing things about the nomadic lifestyle, if only to flirt with the idea. This one will appeal to the rebel, the non-conformist, the recycler… the artist, in short.
1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck 24 photos
Photo: Instagram @xvonjon / YouTube Tiny House Giant Journey (Composite)
1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck
Most mobile houses, whether they’re tinies or towables, skoolies or vans, or anything in between, have names. This one doesn’t, as neither does it have a very strong presence online, which could make you think it’s not exactly worthy of discussion. After all, if you’re not on social media, do you even exist?! Don’t answer that, it’s sarcasm.

This is John’s mobile home, an unnamed housetruck that’s been around since at least 2015 and which often makes appearances at fairs or housetrucker events in the United States, and at campsites. It always attracts attention, and it does so almost immediately.

The reason for that is obvious, and it has nothing to do with the mobile home’s fancy features, impressive size, or luxury finishes: it’s awesome. In a world in which we’re conditioned to believe only the best of material stuff will do, John’s home is a brilliant example of art combined with functionality. Call it artsy functionality, and we’re good to go.

1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
John is an artist of the traveling kind. He started out as a tattooist and photographer, and branched out into jewelry, painting, pottery, sculpture, and everything else in between. He is present online, but he doesn’t monetize on his impressive, DIY (do it yourself) housetruck because he only uses his platform to present his art. The housetruck in question does make an appearance here and there, as John praises the nomadic lifestyle and occasionally engages with his followers on the topic.

You could call this housetruck conversion a sort of local icon, and you wouldn’t be completely wrong. John’s build is worthy of the fame and your attention, whether you’re a passionate advocate for upcycling, you love DIY builds, or are simply here to see how art can influence an ultimately utilitarian structure like a mobile home.

The video below is a 2015 tour of the housetruck, which is also one of the rare instances in which John allowed a camera inside. The chassis of the home is a 1949 Dodge firetruck, which may or may not have served the East Lawn Volunteer Fire Co. in Nazareth, PA, for close to three decades before John bought it. With help from a couple of friends and his family, he turned it into this rustic housetruck that he now calls home.

1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck
Photo: Instagram / @xvonjon
After removing the utility box on the original firetruck, John extended the frame by 5 feet (1.5 meters) and added a platform of square tubings from which he built the frame. The result is a housetruck that’s 8 feet wide, 23 feet long and 12.5 feet tall (2.4 x 7 x 3.8 meters), and weighs 6 tons. It has two access doors, one on the side and the other in the back, a back porch that doubles as garage for John’s BMW F800 GS Enduro bike, and an interior that’s exactly how you’d expect the home of a single artist to look.

There’s a bed in the cabover area, with a small kitchen block opposite the entrance, with just the basics: a cooktop, a sink, and a small RV propane-electric fridge that John loads with ice blocks to keep it cool when traveling. There’s a 30-gallon (113.5-liter) fresh water tank and a gray water tank, a small utility room that also doubles as shower room and toilet, with the rest of the interior space taken up by the artist’s studio, meaning custom storage for art supplies.

John says he doesn’t use too many electronics, but he still has a small solar panel on the roof, with a battery and inverter, to charge the few that he does bring along. He also has a generator for backup.

The most spectacular thing about this housetruck is not the interior (duh), but rather the build itself, which brings to mind comparisons to the promotional vehicles of yore. John’s mobile home is a display of his skill and ability to change and evolve, from the design to its ever-changing aesthetics. John says he does pinstriping on the exterior when he’s “bored,” while also changing things up as they break down or when their functionality no longer serves him.

1949 Dodge firetruck converted into a very artsy and functional housetruck
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
The exterior is wood reclaimed from a 100-year-old barn in Colorado, while the windows are all reclaimed, down to a very beautiful stained glass one that brings a touch of vardo to the build. The solid oak doors are also handmade, and beautifully so. On one beam by the door, John keeps a written record of his stops across the country, and as you’d expect from such a build, it’s a work of art in itself that doubles as tracker for John’s evolution as an artist.

The inspiration for the build came from Lloyd Khan’s novel Shelter and Roger Beck’s Turtles Have Nice Shells, and John acknowledges the help he got with it. It took one year and a half to complete the housetruck, with work carried out in Arizona and then Colorado. John says he does maintenance on the road, which is perhaps the only downside he can think of about using reclaimed wood. The one thing that hasn’t disappointed him is the 1990 Dodge Cummins 5.9 diesel engine under the re-worked hood: it’s powerful and has good mileage, so it’s very reliable.

In a world where every YouTuber with influencer dreams can be a vanlifer, and will talk your ear off about it, John’s build comes as a breath of fresh air. A very practical, beautiful and artsy breath of air.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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