House Trucks (19)

The other day on my way down to Bolinas beach I met Jean Hervé, Sylvie, and Luka in the midst of a trip around the world.  From their native France they shipped their rig to Nova Scotia, drove down to Florida and across the southern U.S. to California. They are now on their way to Mexico and Central America where they plan on staying a year or two. After that it’s down through South America for a few more years where they will end in Chile. From Chile they are back on a ship and heading to Asia for a few years, then they will make their way thru Russia and back to France eventually. Jean Hervé built this custom diesel-powered, all-wheel-drive, torsion-free subframe beast that will take you almost anywhere on the planet. The interior has beds, a kitchen, and a full bathroom and is built immaculately with space saving in mind. Read More …

My ex-husband and I built our home in the ’70s on a 1956 White truck, which cost $250. We used many recycled materials. Shipping crates became siding, discarded oak pallets and tiles became the table, etc.

It had a circulating toilet, double-paned Plexiglas windows and skylights, and a 30-inch porch at the rear. It had a 125-gallon water tank and a 60-gallon propane tank — self-contained. It’s solidly built and runs great!

There were two full-size bunks for the four kids. The upper bunk had been removed when these photos were taken. The spinet piano can barely be seen.

Studs were linked at the bottom with ¼-inch steel angle. It prevented disaster when one time someone drove into the side of the house truck. The driver totaled his car; we only have to replace a bit of siding.

The window design was determined by the size of the discarded Plexiglas scraps, and inspired by bathroom windows in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

We bolted three metal baffles between the stove and walls, staggering the bolts so as not to transfer the heat. The stove could be fully fired up and the wall behind it would still be quite cool.

I learned all my carpentry and building skills working on this truck. One day while driving myself, the porch railing got caught in something, ripping it half off, and it was sitting on the ground. What to do? I pulled out some tools and reattached it on the spot before driving away.

–Alice