living off grid in a box truck | Squat the Planet

living off grid in a box truck

anne

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Hi Everybody!

I just joined so this is my first post on here. I'm currently working on converting a box truck into my new home. I post my plans, pictures, and progress on my blog at: http://mobilecondo.blogspot.com/

I'm going to read through the forum and hopefully learn some tips from everybody here about living without a permanent residence.
 
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wildboy860

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good luck man... that sounds like an awesome idea. it'll be real inconspicious cuase people will just think your helping someone move, so hopefully you wont get busted for stying where your not supposed to
 

LovelyAcorns

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In less than six months, this house will no longer be mine to occupy. After we are gone, it will likely sit vacant for months or even years just like all the others around here. It's a shame, really, but I'll be glad to be gone. I feel bad for everyone who is going through this by force rather than choice.

May I ask whereabouts Michigan you are? 6 months is about my countdown-to-homelessness; I might try and take over your home once you're out.


Good luck with your box truck house!
 

anne

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good luck man... that sounds like an awesome idea. it'll be real inconspicious cuase people will just think your helping someone move, so hopefully you wont get busted for stying where your not supposed to

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. We'll have ladder racks too so people might even think we're roofers or a construction crew on a long term job.
 

finn

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Hey anne, I hope you have a kill switch hidden somewhere in the living quarters! You know, just in case someone tries to run off with your home or something while you're sleeping. Also do you only have one exit for your home? I'm just thinking that you might need an emergency hatch on the top or something, just in case the main one becomes inaccessible for whatever reason (I suppose having a portable edgegrinder fitted with a cutting disc would suffice). I wouldn't want to be in a metal box with only one way out unless I was damned certain it would always allow me to escape.
 

anne

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Hey anne, I hope you have a kill switch hidden somewhere in the living quarters! You know, just in case someone tries to run off with your home or something while you're sleeping. Also do you only have one exit for your home? I'm just thinking that you might need an emergency hatch on the top or something, just in case the main one becomes inaccessible for whatever reason (I suppose having a portable edgegrinder fitted with a cutting disc would suffice). I wouldn't want to be in a metal box with only one way out unless I was damned certain it would always allow me to escape.

Yeah, it's just one exit. We talked about this a lot and were considering putting a window in the back that a person could squeeze out for an emergency. Instead we decided to accept our fate of being burned alive if something goes wrong. Plus, none of our wiring will be inside the walls, we don't smoke, and we use an induction cooktop (no flames or heating coils) so it's pretty unlikely for anything to happen.
 

finn

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Yeah, it's just one exit. We talked about this a lot and were considering putting a window in the back that a person could squeeze out for an emergency. Instead we decided to accept our fate of being burned alive if something goes wrong. Plus, none of our wiring will be inside the walls, we don't smoke, and we use an induction cooktop (no flames or heating coils) so it's pretty unlikely for anything to happen.

That's a bit grim of an outlook. I hope you will stock some wool blankets and a fire extinguisher at least. So the ventilation, heating and cooling will be pretty much entirely dependent on electricity? This means that should your electrical system fail, you'll have to rely on hobo methods to cope, which I suppose is why you're here. Heh.
 

anne

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Awesome plan. How far are you along in the conversion?

Thanks, Apples. We should be finishing up the insulation and plywood today then it's time to start building the loft.

4219626144_d0b1d9ec62_b.jpg
 

anne

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That's a bit grim of an outlook. I hope you will stock some wool blankets and a fire extinguisher at least. So the ventilation, heating and cooling will be pretty much entirely dependent on electricity? This means that should your electrical system fail, you'll have to rely on hobo methods to cope, which I suppose is why you're here. Heh.

Yeah, I'm okay with hobo methods and don't expect the solar panels to have full output all the time. Sometimes the weather just plain sucks for things like that.

Don't worry, we'll have a fire extinguisher at each end and one in the cab. :)
 

boucaneer

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i was thinking about converting an old truck. was gonna paint a company advertising sign on the outside for a cover/undercover type thing.

perhaps you could paint or have made a moving company sign like. though if you do, keep it a secret otherwise you would blow your cover. lol, you would probally even get a few jobs outta it.

an escape hatch in the roof would definatly be a good idea with an interior ladder fixed to the front bulkhead. in the nice weather you could sit on the roof and have a picnic and a good lookout post.

i used to have a friend with a double decker bus, that was fantastic.
 

anne

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We might be able to have a deck on top of our 7x14 trailer but the truck will have too many solar panels to get up there.

Double-decker buses are awesome! I wish we could have found something like that in our price range.

Here's another update:
4302683463_50df000ce1_m.jpg

Just installed cork flooring, "crown molding" and a shower.
 
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