By Cheri Sicard
In the video below from Tiny House Giant Journey, we meet Scott, an avid surfer who takes us on a tour of his box truck conversion tiny home. Scott likes to park at some of California’s most popular surfing spots. His box truck beach house has everything he needs, and he gets the same million-dollar views of neighboring homes… without the price tags.
Scott’s box truck conversion was built to be completely off-grid.
What’s inside
Inside he has a fully functional kitchen, a large bathroom to shower off all that salt water, and a comfortable bedroom. There’s also a spare bed for guests.
Scott had owned boats and RVs his whole life, so he had a lot of experience to draw from when building his box truck conversion. What prompted the project was the fact that parking at Scott’s favorite surf spot had been lowered to a 25-foot limit. As his previous RV was 36 feet, he had to do something!
Like a lot of folks, Scott was bored during the COVID lockdown, so he used the time to build his RV. He built it on a 2008 GMC/Isuzu box truck. He chose this truck because he wanted something that could handle a lot of weight, as he intended to be fully self-contained.
Scott also wanted something where the cab was completely separate from the living quarters. His truck provides 120 square feet of comfortable living space.
All in, including buying the truck and all the modifications he made to it, Scott says his box truck conversion RV came in at about $65,000. Of course, that does not include all the labor that he invested into the project. This man does have skills.
All electric and never been plugged in
Scott’s RV is all electric and has never been plugged into shore power. It has 1,600 watts of rooftop solar that keeps its six lithium batteries charged. It has been running for three years now on solar alone, including a refrigerator, a separate freezer, two air conditioners, a microwave, a washing machine, water heater, television, and more. Scott says he has yet to ever run out of power.
All of this electronics is hidden out of sight under the 7-foot L-shaped sofa. But if Scott needed to get to it, the sofa electronically raises up to reveal the RV’s inner workings underneath.
Interesting kitchen pantry
Pantry storage is also hidden. Scott did not want to have his walls lined with cabinets like an airplane. What he did instead was to lift the floor. Therefore, a trap door in the kitchen floor reveals a huge pantry underneath!
Other underfloor storage areas hold tools and plumbing supplies. In the bedroom, the underfloor storage houses shoes and also serves as a laundry hamper.
For outdoor movie nights, Scott uses the large white side of his truck as a movie screen. Brilliant!
Stealth surfboard storage is hidden under the truck. A hydraulic lift brings his motorcycle on board before moving. Then the back sliding door comes down over all and the RV looks like any other ordinary box truck.
Be sure to watch the video as you’ll be impressed at the smart design and innovative features, to say nothing of the craftsmanship, in Scott’s box truck conversion RV.
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RVDT2847
Excellent workmanship! Innovative ideas for storage, however difficult for older persons to access. Thoughtful layout and easy to trace electrical system(s).
Anyone here remember “Tioga George?” His last build he started was in a box van. Sure wish he had finished it, and was still with us.
Hi Dave: Is this the one, a few years ago, which was being built in ND and he started or tried to start a factory for them? If so, I do remember about that much about it – also, it seemed like he had some great ideas…. ? and a low price goal? Hmmm,?