This Family Lives in a Fully-Equipped, Off-Grid 6x6 Military Vehicle With Two Slide-Outs

Ray and Catherine travel and live together with their three kids inside a 6x6 1998 Military Stewart and Stevenson 1088. Even though this is an enormous vehicle, it's still not enough to store all the things they need, so they also tow a spacious trailer behind, where they have an extra bedroom and a lot of storage space.

Initially, the family wanted the rig to be used occasionally on vacations. But after a few adventures, they realized they could do this full-time, so all the changes made from then on were designed to make this rig a genuine home on wheels.

This beast sports a turbocharged and aftercooled 6.6-liter diesel engine outputting 290 hp. What's more, the 6x6 drive is full-time, and the vehicle tips the scales (in its current condition) at 26,000 lb. (11,793 kg).

There's no need to worry about changing gears in this truck, as it's equipped with an Allison transmission. What's more, it rides on Goodyear MV/T tires, which provide adequate performance both on and off the beaten path.

One of the most helpful stock features on this rig is a CTIS (Central Tire Inflation System), which allows you to inflate or deflate the tires and find the right balance for the path you're driving on – this is especially useful when off-roading.

Let's start things off from the inside. The truck's cab is pretty much the same as before the conversion. One interesting thing is that the light switches come with safeties and require two hands to turn them on. That's because this is a military vehicle, and you never want to turn the lights on and reveal your position accidentally.

Another peculiar feature (compared to standard campers) is that you don't have any key to start the vehicle. Just press a button, and you're good to go. Moreover, the truck's speedometer has a top speed of 80 mph (129 kph). Needless to say, you can't actually reach that speed. Ray explained that they can't go faster than 50 mph (80 kph).

You don't need to exit the vehicle to enter the living space because there's a small door. Step through, and you'll be in the kitchen. There are five mouths to feed in this family, so they needed a proper kitchen - it features a 24 V refrigerator, an oven with a four-burner stove, a counter with an integrated sink, and various other small add-ons, such as a fruit basket, knife holder, and more.

Before we go any further in the tour, I'd like to tell you about the best parts of this rig: the slide-outs. The family built two 12-foot (3.7 meters) slide-outs on a roller system that Ray developed, meaning they're manually extended and retracted. They offer an immense amount of space inside, completely changing the interior and the way it feels.

Next, we have the seating area located on the passenger side of the interior. You'll discover two benches with a custom-made dinette table in between, surrounded by windows on all three sides. There's also a lot of storage space underneath in the form of two big pull-out drawers. Furthermore, the area can be turned into an extra bedroom by rearranging the table and cushions. It provides enough room for two people to sleep.

Opposite the seating area, you'll find the bedroom. It consists of a couch, baskets on a shelf up above, two book storage spots, and two large drawers. Of course, the couch can be turned into a double bed.

Moving further, you'll notice a hanging closet with, yet again, drawers underneath. Right next to it, you'll find the bathroom door, complete with a full-length mirror. The space is very simple, featuring a composting toilet and a window. There are also two shower hookups nearby, but the family prefers showering outside.

The last remaining space inside this 6x6 camper is the kid's two bunk beds. Again, it's a simple setup – each kid has their own reading light and windows, as well as steps to get in bed. Underneath the beds, there are six massive drawers.

This interior really feels like that of a conventional home. Not only is it extremely spacious when the slide-outs are extended, but there's a lot of natural light shining inside through the many windows and the two skylights.

Let's see what we can find on the truck's exterior before we move on to the trailer. One drawback with this vehicle is that it features a tiny 55-gallon (209-liter) diesel tank. With a 5 MPG (47 L/100km) consumption, they have to often stop to fill it up. Moreover, the same diesel tank also feeds a diesel heater mounted right behind the driver's cab.

You'll discover the battery box on the driver's side of the rig, which houses six 100 Ah batteries. Moreover, Ray initially wanted to fit solar panels on the roof, but he worried that he might scrape them on trees or overpasses. So, he built a fold-down platform that's mounted right at the truck's rear.

While we're on the topic of solar panels, I'd like to mention that they have so much power on this rig. There are four solar panels on the platform I just mentioned, as well as four other ones on the trailer's roof – together, they have a staggering capacity of 2,600 W.

Regarding water, the truck is equipped with a 65-gallon (246-liter) freshwater tank, which the family explained is enough to last them eight days if they use it conservatively. However, they have an additional 40-gallon (151-liter) tank in the trailer. On the tongue, they fitted a spare tire and a small box that holds wood blocks used to balance the truck if they park on uneven surfaces.

As I mentioned earlier, the trailer is mainly used for storage. That's where they hold tools, hoses, paper towels, and many more things. Moreover, the family also has an additional refrigerator. The only livable space inside is a small bed where the older son sleeps.

The trailer also comes with a roll-up door with a pull-up bar above it and a bike carrier at the rear. Another notable feature is a diesel tank.

By this point, you're probably curious to know how much all this costs. The final price for everything you see here, including the base vehicle, conversion, and trailer, was just $80,000 (€73,294), although that was three years ago. So, you'll have to pay more for the same thing nowadays due to inflation. I was expecting a higher price, but this family has managed to keep costs to a minimum by using recycled and free materials.

All in all, this is a stunning affordable conversion. Not only is it comfortable, but it also enables the family to go off-grid for more than a week, which is quite a lot considering there are five people living inside. Another major advantage of this rif is the sheer amount of storage they have.

Of course, living with your family in a tiny home on wheels isn't that easy. Just like Catherine explained, most people see their experience as a vacation, but it's, in fact, a lifestyle that still involves all the daily ups and downs we all live through. However, it can be a beautiful lifestyle that allows you to stay connected to your kids and create memories together.