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  • 10 hours ago
A COUPLE have converted a retired military truck into a purpose-built, one of a kind off-road mobile home. Kourtney and Trevor Smithson of Virginia, USA built their very own home on wheels using an original Stewart and Stevenson M1078 LMTV troop carrier which they picked up at a military auction. The conversion took just six weeks to complete and cost the couple around $37,000, including the purchase of the truck. Its owners named the ex-combat vehicle turned cosy mobile home, ‘Wazimu’, which translates as ‘crazy’.

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Motor
Transcript
00:00Everybody's like, oh, how many miles per gallon? How slow is it? Blah, blah, blah.
00:03I'm like, you know what? How fast is your house?
00:21Check, check, check.
00:25All right, here we go.
00:25This might look like a military vehicle, but it's actually so much more.
00:36Together we built our own M1078 we've named Wazamu.
00:43Owners Trevor and Courtney have customized this purpose-built army truck into their very own mobile home.
01:11And what's more, the couple did it on a tight budget.
01:14We did our entire build for $37,000 that did include the purchase of the truck.
01:19We got it at auction out of Daytona.
01:21So $37,000 later, this is what we have.
01:25Instead of taking our time to make the absolute perfect vehicle from the very beginning, we just did it.
01:31Got on the road.
01:33So this used to be where our generator's at, which is now back here.
01:37Updated our entire solar system with lithium batteries.
01:41Went from good air conditioning and good heat for about six hours, depending on the heat outside,
01:46to we have it for days.
01:49Having a truck built for extreme purposes has some unusual advantages.
01:53Now this truck is designed to be able to handle up to four feet of water.
01:58We've done about three feet, had no problems.
02:03So that actually is our cross-through.
02:05So while I'm driving, Courtney and the boys can jump on through, no big deal.
02:11And on the other side of that hole, the truck's original army features are unrecognizable.
02:18We have a U-shaped couch, which is also used for our clothing storage at the moment.
02:27And then on top, as you've probably guessed, is our bed, which is on a crank system that
02:32usually people use, like, in their garages.
02:35We just crank it down at night.
02:41We're going to live like hippies.
02:43I didn't want to smell like hippies.
02:44So I really wanted a nice bathroom situation.
02:47The shower is actually super spacious.
02:49It's actually big enough for me to even, like, sit down and, like, read a book.
02:52We can take a bath.
02:58Originally, we had an actual, like, refrigerator.
03:01And one trip off-roading, it detached and laid itself on our couch.
03:07And all the groceries were everywhere.
03:08So that didn't last long.
03:13We've always talked about living full-time on the road or just traveling a lot.
03:18We purchased a vehicle about a year and a half before we actually started working on it.
03:22Yep.
03:23The build of this truck served an additional purpose for the couple than simply providing
03:28a home for them.
03:29I wasn't a very good husband at that time.
03:31Oh, my gosh.
03:32Turns out I was quite a bit of an alcoholic.
03:35While Trevor was going through his sobriety is when he was building the truck.
03:40It was probably as chaotic as it was.
03:42It was the best possible way to get sober.
03:44Because I wasn't focusing on anything other than burning my hands, busting my knuckles,
03:49and getting the thing done.
03:56It's a very privileged lifestyle.
03:58I tell people that all the time.
04:00Like, we are super, super lucky.
04:01It is not for the faint of heart.
04:03It's not for everybody.
04:04And it's really not that easy.
04:06It's worth it if it's something that you want.
04:08We love it.
04:10So, how does it feel to drive?
04:13It drives like a Cadillac.
04:15Like a big old boat.
04:17We're a slow truck and a fast house.
04:19I like that.
04:20But it's not for everyone.
04:21We did save up for three years.
04:23And then we sold everything we had.
04:25We quit our jobs.
04:27You know, all that kind of stuff.
04:28It's a gamble.
04:29I mean, and I definitely always encourage people.
04:32Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:34If you've got a dream, especially with your spouse.
04:36Definitely do it.
04:41Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:41Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:45Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:46Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:46Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:46Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
04:47Like, yes, don't wait until tomorrow.
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