Military vehicles being converted into campers anywhere is not a unique idea. However, the one sample we have here is probably one of the most ready-made DIY motorhomes we’ve ever seen.
Featured by Tiny House Tour, The story of Parker and Isabelle’s “van life” has started like most of this lifestyle: love to travel. The couple decided to convert a retired military truck into a small house on wheels to do it in no time cheaper method.
The DIY motor home conversion started when they bought an old truck on December 25, 2021. Dubbed Expeditionary Nuggetsthe process took months, and the social media post embedded below shows what the military truck looked like before the conversion.
The decommissioned military trucks are the Stewart and Stevenson M1078, which were designed to transport cargo and troops. Meanwhile, the box is the Stewart and Stevenson M1079 – made of aluminum and built for logistics support and mobile workspaces. According to the Nugget Expeditions Facebook page, conversion is at 99 percent as of June 2022, roughly half a year since the ex-military truck was acquired.
According to Parker, the cabin conversion was the most challenging because the original was empty. For starters, it doesn’t have any form of isolation. The final design was a bit far from the original, laid out to resemble an airplane cockpit in a truck.
Painted white but still looking very sturdy, the Expedition Nugget comes packed with features that make it ready for anything. It’s even equipped with three cranes designed to lift heavy objects – including a spare tire weighing over 400 pounds. Of note, the wheels are equipped with a central (including spare) tire inflation system, which should be quite useful for off-road trips.
The video at the top of this page will give you a quick tour of what the Nugget Expedition has to offer inside its living space. But most importantly, Parker and Isabelle also share some pros and cons if you’re considering shifting to the “van life” lifestyle.
