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Meet Matilda, a Rugged Military Truck Turned Apocalypse-Ready Tiny Home

It’s not every day you see an army truck tiny house conversion. Meet Matilda, a fully-equipped overlander that looks tough on the outside, but it’s surprisingly comfortable on the inside. It’s basically an apocalypse-ready tiny home on wheels.
This military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheels 10 photos
Photo: matthew_payne_adventurer on Instagram
This military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheelsThis military truck was turned into an off-grid tiny home on wheels
Former office worker Matthew Payne always wanted to get off the beaten path and explore the wildest regions in Outer Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. So a few years ago, he made the switch and chose the nomadic lifestyle. In 2016, he sold his house and bought a retired 1991 Leyland Daf T244 that was originally built for the British army.

His goal was to turn the military truck into the ultimate off-road RV. It wasn’t an easy process, but he made it happen, and now he’s doing exactly what he loves the most – he watches the most beautiful sceneries right from the comfort of his home.

Matt named the RV Matilda, which means “brave warrior” in old German. It’s a fitting name since the vehicle is ready to tackle just about anything nature has to throw at it. The overlander was featured in the latest episode of Ridiculous Rides from Barcroft Cars.

It has a 5.9-liter Cummins capable of delivering 145 hp (147 PS). The power gets transferred to all four wheels through a permanent 4WD system, giving it excellent handling characteristics wherever it goes. The vehicle has massive storage space at the rear. It's basically a garage where Matt keeps all the bigger items and extra supplies.

Matilda also comes with 1,000 watts of solar power, and it carries 335 liters (88 gallons) of water, allowing Matt to live off the grid for extended periods of time. Speaking to Ridiculous Rides, he explained that he “built Matilda for off-grid travel anywhere in the world, crossing deserts, carrying enough food, fuel, water, to survive.”

But despite its rugged exterior, the truck hides a cozy interior. An interesting feature that you’re going to notice is that the tiny home can not only be accessed from the outside but also from the cab area.

The build includes a beautiful kitchen equipped with a two-burner propane cooktop, a round sink, and a mini-fridge. There’s also a wood-burning stove that keeps the interior warm during cold days and a washing machine hidden under the countertop.

Next to the kitchen is the dining area, which is incredibly spacious. It has a big table with comfortable seats that have plenty of storage space underneath. Speaking of that, you’ll see that Matilda has several cabinets, drawers, and closets, so it goes big on storage areas.

At the rear is the bedroom, which has enough space for two double beds, a large TV, and even more closets. The vehicle does include a bathroom as well, which is compact compared to the rest of the mobile home. Although small, it has a shower, a toilet, a shelf, and a MaxxAir fan.

Check out the video down below if you want to find out more about Matt and his army truck tiny house conversion.

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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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