Have you seen what they want for rent in Seattle? If you can even get a place? I, like many people, do contract type work, so purchasing a home is not only tricky with consistent income, but also risky as contract type people often have to move where the jobs are. This makes buying a home unwise and signing a rental lease stressful, to say the least. However, that was a small reason I chose this route of housing. Speaking of housing, it really is more that than ‘living’. I don’t ‘live’ in a box truck, I spend time and sleep in one. I spend most of my time at work or outside enjoying more because I don’t have the weight of home maintenance hanging over my head nor the monthly payment.

The biggest reason I chose this route, honestly, is I was tired of getting kicked out, evicted, displaced, etc. from places I’ve recently lived. I thought about hiring myself out as a ‘service’ because I appeared to be a unintended match maker for my roommates. On three separate occasions, shortly after I rented a room in a man’s home, they got girl-friends and I had to go. Most people are very well aware that it is rare when two women can live in the same house, let alone with a man. So, to simplify my life and not stress about being displaced or having to move for a job, I decided to buy a box truck and fix it up like a Tiny House.

Now, if someone asks me to move, it’s a matter of taping a few things down, getting behind the wheel, turning the key, and rolling on down the road a ways. Easy peezy! No more packing and unpacking. No more searching Craigslist for rentals, going to place after place and making pleasantries when you know you hate the place or can’t stand them the first few seconds. No more being pissed off about all the home improvements I did to the place thinking I would be there a while and then just getting the boot because I don’t provide the ‘services’ the new girlfriend does and she wants to put her ‘own’ touch on the place.

If I had a dollar for every person that asked me ‘Why fix up a box truck? Why don’t you just get a motorhome/RV; it has everything you need already?” I’d be rich. Well, maybe not rich, but I could treat myself to a surf and turf dinner for sure, maybe even dessert too. There are several reasons why this is a much better choice, at least for me and how I want to ‘live’.

1. To be stealth. If you have an RV, you can’t really park it anywhere but a RV/Campground type place. Box trucks are everywhere and no one ever notices them. In fact, many sit forever in parking lots and are used as signage space for businesses. Would you even think what (or who) could be inside the sign? Nope. Also, if you live in an RV, people KNOW you are living in it. They know you might have a TV, laptop, etc. A box truck is an unknown.
2. Free Rent. Campground type place costs money; sometimes a LOT of money. This defeats the purpose of downsizing to save money. I pay $35/mo for a bathroom (including toilet paper), shower (including soap), a dry sauna, hot tub, and even a hair dryer. The best part, is I don’t have to clean or maintain any of it. Oh, and there are a few workout machine type things, basketball and racket ball courts, and group classes I can also enjoy.
3. Short Commute. RV lots or camping places are usually out-of-the-way from the cities so then you have a commute which in the Seattle area could be hell. Again, box trucks can be just about anywhere.
4. RVs are cookie cutter mini-homes. I have no real need for a couch, bucket seats, or even a kitchen or bathroom, so for me, that is all wasted space in an RV. I own books—lots of them. I am also an author/writer so having a pleasant and functional workspace is paramount to me. Yes, more so than a toilet, shower, or kitchen sink. I wanted to create a space that I would really enjoy to be in. I also didn’t want to get rid of a lot of crap I probably should so I needed more storage space than the average Joe.
5. For the love of Projects. I do love projects. I love working hard, then sitting back with a cold beer and saying ‘I did that’. It just doesn’t feel the same as haggling with someone on Craigslist or a dealership over the price of an RV, only to have to put more money into in some fashion or other. Sure it might be instant gratification, but how can that even compare to blood, sweat, and tears? Trust me, I had them all on this project and so did my main helper.
6. Investment. Yes, investment. I now have a one-of-a-kind form of living quarters—plus its very cool. I can sell it, park it next to a home if I ever buy one and rent it out or let guests use it, or I could give it to a person who is down-and-out and help them get back on their feet; or wheels, so they can feel secure and stable. I really hope I can do that. I think it would be the best investment a person could make; to help another human in need.