Moldy Old Travel Trailer Transforms Into 2-Bedroom Mobile Home and Pop-Up Restaurant

And fall into the right hands it did. Not only is Fred, the owner and DIYer in charge of the project skilled with his hands, as per his own admission, but he was also inspired enough to get George Clarke to be involved in it. The transformation was shot and featured on an episode of the very popular TV show George Clarke's Amazing Spaces on Channel 4.

George Clarke is probably not a name that rings familiar with audiences outside of the UK but in his home country, he's very well liked and highly popular. He's an architect and designer, which landed him the job as presenter on the Amazing Spaces show, which, in turn, helps him share his experience with other builders and, at the same time, with viewers at home.

In the larger context of the seemingly never-ending frenzy for mobile homes, this travel trailer conversion serves to prove once more the power of upcycling. It's not so much a viable mobile home or even a suitable alternative for a permanent residence, as advertised on the show, but it still tells an uplifting story. It's a story of trash turned into gold, and of using a DIY (do it yourself) project as a means to give back to the community.

Put on your least cynical glasses, and read on.

The project is a 40-year-old caravan that looks like a single-axle Adria with a very bad case of mold. Fred's mother bought it for him as a birthday present, with plans to re-do it together. Fred is a puppeteer, so he spends a lot of time on the road – and presumably even more money on accommodation when he's traveling. A caravan would make things much simpler – and cheaper – for him.

But there's more to the original plan. Fred also describes himself as a wannabe chef, so he wants to use his skills to cook inside the trailer, which would then become a pop-up restaurant. Forget about permits and licenses and health inspections, because none of that would be necessary. Fred wants to use his pop-up restaurant to raise money for charity, for cancer research specifically.

The trailer itself cost just £250, which is approximately $310 at the current exchange rate. The initial budget for the build with everything included was of just £1,000 ($1,241). Fred and his mother were able to complete it with only a small deviation from that estimate: £1,500 ($1,863), plus the trailer.

There were challenges to the project, as shown in the episode, starting with having to strip the trailer down to the very bones, to make sure they get rid of all the mold, to making everything fit inside and within the budget. No timeline is offered for this rebuild, but as these things on TV go, a project like this can last anything from a couple of months to a couple of years. They always appear as having the same length through editing and whatever angle chosen for the storytelling.

The result was beautiful, in a way in which only a DIY build can be. The mother-son duo was able to fit in two sleeping berths inside, a full but wet bathroom, and a kitchen with a four-burner range and even some cooking space. Fred's mother made everything from the coffee cups to the plates, taking a special class for throwing clay just so she'd be able to. She also handled the interior design, with the colorful pillows, the faux tiling, and all the near-artsy touches that add little functionality but much personality to the space.

The bath is a wet one but still has a shower tray and a separate sink with vanity. For a space this small, it's a wonder a bath even exists.

The transformation culminated with the first official charity cooking evening, with Clarke helping out. It was the most TV-perfect ending to a TV-perfect project.

It's ok if the cynic in you woke up from time to time when reading this (or watching the video) to notice the small stuff, like how there's not enough storage to secure all the items on display when the trailer hits the road. Or that the kitchen is too small to cook for two, let alone for entire parties, which is probably why Fred served his first guests cucumber with tzatziki.

Another detail you couldn't have noticed is that Fred isn't just any actor: he's an Olivier Award winning puppeteer known on the London scene for his work in successful plays like Life of Pi and Peter Pan.

Not a single one of these details and no amount of scripting takes anything from the adorableness of this project. The fact that it would be used, in whatever capacity, to raise funds for cancer research makes it all the more impressive. So there, silence your inner cynic and allow yourself to feel the good vibes.