Elderly Couple Transforms Semi-Trailer Into Tiny Home With A Spiral Staircase

Jun 13, 2023 by apost team

It’s not uncommon to hear stories about people converting old buses into beautiful homes. A lot of adventurous people have been doing it over the past couple of years. But no one can blame them since it can be fun having a home that they could take anywhere they want. Simply put, it’s like having a home and a vehicle at the same time. Plus, they get to have a different view outside their homes anytime they want. While younger couples do it, there are also older ones who do it as a form of retirement, spending their savings to build a home that’s on the go.

Take it from a couple who spent thousands of dollars converting a dilapidated bus and used trailer into a specious RV. But just when you think it’s a simple RV, it offers more than that as it has all the luxuries one could ask for in a home. Yes, it’s like a hotel, only it can be taken anywhere.

Even before Clayton Balabanov and his wife Therese decided to retire, it was always part of their plans to hit the road and explore what the beauty of the US and Canada has to offer. So they decided to sell their house and business. But then, they had a hard time finding the perfect vehicle that crossed all the things they were looking for in a mobile home.

"I was not happy with the manufacturers' units," Clayton told Insider in an interview in March 2023. "They just didn't seem like they would stand up to the year-round use, rather than just vacation use."

Having lived at a comfortable home in Vancouver, British Columbia, they also wanted their mobile home to look and feel the same. But most importantly, they wanted it to be sustainable.

"We needed solar, recycling water, and things like that, which would leave a smaller carbon footprint, making up for the amount of fuel that the truck uses," he said.

But since he couldn’t afford to buy a new truck, he bought one on eBay and started building everything from scratch. Based on the receipts he accumulated over the last five years, he spent around $181,000 to build it.

You might ask why it cost that much. Well, it has several rooms as well as an office, kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, library and garage. The kitchenette alone has a microwave oven and a fridge. And yes, it’s solar-powered! It also has a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.

They also have a private space with a 75-inch 4K TV and a surround-sound system perfect for movie nights. They also won’t have to worry about getting an internet connection as they purchased a satellite-internet service.

"It's so we can relax in the evening and have a nice movie for entertainment," Clayton said of his internet connection. While he spends most of his time reading in the library, the best part would probably be the jetted tubs.

While he regretted that he spent a lot of time building it, Clayton said he and his wife definitely enjoy their mobile home. 

"That was five years out of my life that I could have just gone out and bought something smaller and less able and then gone out and spent that five years on the road. But on the other hand, I really enjoyed doing it,” he said.

“It's absolutely guaranteed you're going to die, so make the most of living between now and then. That's what we're doing,” he remarked. 

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What can you say about the couple’s decision to leave everything behind and build their dream mobile home? Let us know your thoughts, and pass this on to anyone who might find this story interesting!