$500 Bedford Truck Conversion Is a Very Cool, Self-Sufficient Tiny Home

Put it simply, making the transition from a regular house to a tiny is too costly most of the time, acting as a deterrent to those who might be tempted to give it a try. The only way in which this initial obstacle can be overcome is by going the DIY (do-it-yourself) route, but that too implies at least a minimal skillset to see the project to the end.

James has it, and he also has a keen eye for the inherent value of a discarded object or, better yet, the ability to see potential where others see junk. His story can serve as motivation for tiny house wannabe dwellers by showing that you can have a perfectly nice, self-sufficient tiny for as little as $10,000. James did it by using an old Bedford house truck as base.

James lives in New Zealand, and he found the 1960s house truck at a scrapyard, where it was offered for sale for NZ$500 (roughly U$337). That was almost three years ago, and, as James explained in an interview with Living Big in a Tiny House last year, the truck was in very, very bad shape. Despite the overall condition, though, it did not smell like mold, and that told him that it had a solid base on which he could start building.

James says he has a passion for building, but this was his first project like this. As he was still living in a van at the time, the space inside the Bedford truck seemed almost palatial by comparison, so he took his time with the restoration. He wanted to keep as many original parts as possible, but at the same time, he didn’t want to end up with a ballooning budget. This meant recycling and upcycling as much as he could and foraging for raw material on the second-hand market. For instance, he says, the wood pallets he got for free because they had knots in them, and they were deemed faulty.

Because James isn’t too interested in mobility, his tiny is designed as a fixed structure, more or less. The truck can move under its own power after James fixed it up. But he would rather he stayed put. The exterior shower, which is a separate construction next to the house, lies on a concrete foundation. Opting for an outside shower helps maximize interior space, but it also allows James some degree of flexibility: if he wants to move, he will simply have to take the shower room apart and move it disassembled.

Inside the house, right by the entryway, James has the truck’s original wardrobe and, on the opposite side, the restroom slash tool room with the compost toilet and, obviously, his impressive tool collection. The living room can double as an extra bed for guests but is mostly used as a lounge and dining area, James explains. It’s cozy and functional, with a fold-away table and a fur-covered couch in front of a large fireplace and everything you need within reach.

The kitchen is comparatively bigger, taking up both sides of the truck. That’s because James is also a passionate cook, and he needs space to move around and, just as importantly, to store his spices and sauces. Details like a stained-glass window and an original cabinet or a hand-built storage unit add personality to the place, while the gas cooker and the generously-sized fridge make the place practical as well.

The bedroom area is in the loft over the cab, and James chose to extend it so he could fit a queen-size mattress in there. He added a TV and a games console to make sure it was very much like a proper bedroom.

James’ styling might not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s his approach to downsizing that is particularly notable. In building this home, he focused on practicality and functionality. He’d already been living in it for a year and a half when he did the interview last year, so he had time to check for both. For instance, the water tank is outside the house, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the plumbing inside. The shower room is insulated because he wants to be able to wash even on colder days.

Blackwater from inside the house goes through several layers of filtration and ends up in his worm farm, while gray water feeds his garden. The water heater and the cooker run on gas, but everything else is on electricity from the nearby solar panel array. If he runs out of juice, he will just use candles, James says.

Asked about the final cost of the project, James says he didn’t keep count, but he estimates it was no higher than NZ$15,000 (US$10,113). That includes the price for the Bedford truck.