Lately, creativeness and expertise can flip absolutely anything into a snug tiny dwelling. This couple, nonetheless, simply made probably the most whimsical dwelling transformation but.
Paul Battenally and Clara Tindal renovated an iconic Coca-cola truck right into a tiny dwelling on wheels so they may journey and discover Australia.
Battenally and Trindall, who dwell in Wollongong, Australia, had been introduced collectively by a love of journey, having met whereas touring and dealing in Japan.
The 2 have all the time wished to discover Australia. Battenally mentioned, “We began wanting into getting a motorhome and noticed a number of vans, however quite a lot of them had been fairly small, and I’m very tall, so the ceiling top wasn’t nice. Then we got here throughout the Coca-Cola truck, bought it in 2021 and began changing it.”
The couple purchased the Coca-cola truck for $17,500 and the 32-year-old Battenally spent 11 months renovating the 2005 Isuzu truck.
He shared, “After I purchased the truck, I used to be dwelling in a shared home with a bunch of mates in a coastal metropolis in New South Wales, and so I used to be engaged on it in my free time after work. I’m a carpenter, so I had all the abilities crucial to construct it, and it wasn’t too difficult for me.”
The couple did quite a lot of the work on the truck themselves and bought some tutorials from YouTube. They used leftover provides, sourced secondhand gadgets, and generally bought materials from Battenally’s job websites.
In November 2021, the couple moved into their renovated Coca-cola truck and lived in it for a yr to avoid wasting up for his or her dream journey.
Throughout that point, in addition they spent extra to make sure that their tiny dwelling can be travel-ready. Battenally and Trindall spent about A$8,220 on home equipment, A$6,285 on electrical upkeep, $1,100 on plumbing, $2,550 on home windows, and A$8,189 on constructing supplies to outfit the truck.
The Coca-cola truck now has a queen-sized mattress, kitchen, compost rest room, and bathe. The dwelling space has a desk and brown cushioned seating, and their kitchen has a sink, oven, and gasoline range high.
Exterior, pine cladding was added to the facet of the truck alongside customized constructed home windows. There’s a storage space for surfboards, filth bikes, and sports activities gear.
Regardless of all of the renovations, the tiny dwelling was clearly a Coca-cola truck since Battenally and Trindall stored the truck’s tautliner with the Coca-Cola emblem, which serves as a curtain to maintain bugs out.
Trindall mentioned, “We had been going to eliminate the Coke curtains altogether however as soon as we began constructing, we fell in love with the concept of holding them.”
In January 2023, the couple started their journey with A$40,000 to fund their journey. The completely satisfied couple is now dwelling rent-free of their stunning Coca-cola truck and spending about A$500 every week on gas and meals.
Trindall, 27, is a registered nurse and sells artwork to usher in some money. Then again, Battenally does some carpentry work when it’s out there.
The couple is into a number of months of their dream life and the Coca-cola truck attracts quite a lot of consideration. At campsites, lots of people typically come over to take a look.
It runs on photo voltaic and deep cycle batteries so there isn’t a must plug into any energy. Gutters acquire rainwater.
Battenally and Trindall prepare dinner for themselves most nights and spend their free time browsing, using, swimming, climbing, and paddle boarding in the course of the day.
They intend to dwell of their tiny dwelling and journey round Australia for a yr and are roughly aiming to complete their journey in Tasmania by the tip of the 2023. After that they intend to proceed to dwell within the Coca-cola truck whereas they renovate a home in 2024.
The pair have been documenting their travels to locations equivalent to Double Island, the Nice Barrier Reef, and Tully Falls within the far north of Queensland on Instagram at @colas_truckingadventures.
Their house is fittingly named Cola and the couple will get to have an journey, dwell rent-free, and escape the excessive value of dwelling of their Coca-cola truck.
Battenally mentioned, “It feels superb being rent-free and never having to take care of the tough activity of looking for and apply for overpriced leases. We had been actually drawn to the concept of being on the open highway with nowhere to be and nobody to reply to – lease free and work free. It’s an amazing sense of freedom.”
And for anybody considering of occurring an identical journey, he added, “Take the leap and simply do it. We love with the ability to transfer round each few days and waking as much as nature and the liberty the approach to life provides us!”
