You’ve probably seen videos of tiny homes and unique trailer homes, but have you seen a tiny luxury home in an 18-wheeler semi truck? Most likely not, but you’ll see one in this video.
Clayton and Teresa from Canada built an 18-wheeler nomad monster tiny home where they are enjoying a slower-paced yet incredibly fulfilling lifestyle.
This trailer home they built was something they’d been looking forward to ever since they’d been together, which is more than 32 years. Teresa shared that she enjoyed driving, moving forward, and looking at the countryside.
On the other hand, Clayton wanted to build something big.
“I have a jet ski, I have a motorcycle, I have another electric bike. I figure if you’re going to go big, you might as well go big. This is as big as you can go,” he shared.
This project has been years in the making. Clayton and Teresa spent the first year rebuilding the truck.
When Clayton found the perfect trailer, he built it at his own pace for the next four to five years. He shared that sometimes he worked hard on it, and sometimes he didn’t. Today, five years later, it’s almost entirely done.
He bought the truck at an auction in Texas and brought it to Canada. Clayton said that they’ve spent approximately 200,000 to 250,000 dollars on everything.
How are they able to afford this nomadic lifestyle? Clayton and Teresa are over 65 years old, qualifying them for an old-age pension from Canada. They also receive additional top-ups for being low-income.
Clayton shared, “My plan for the future, live as long as I can.”
The truck is 74 feet long and 14.5 feet tall. It weighs 80,000 pounds and can carry 20,000 pounds. They built it as a motorhome, meaning it required a sink, a separate water supply, and a bed.
This makes it easier for them to register the truck and get it insured.
In the rest of the video, Clayton and Teresa showcase the unique features of their 18-wheeler home.
The driver’s seat has a massage feature and a camera view of the truck’s front and back. He and Teresa use a radio system to hear each other when he’s driving and she’s navigating.
The truck is large enough to store his favorite toys in the back.
His favorite toy is his 2022 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle. When they park their truck, they ride their motorcycle and go exploring the new area they’re in.
Clayton has always been into sustainability so they put solar panels on the roof which provides them with 5000 watts of power.
The trailer has a full garage in the rear which has 50 kilowatts worth of battery power and all the tools he needs to repair his toys, which includes a Sea-Doo jet-ski. This space is also where he stores his motorcycle.
Inside the trailer, they have a full kitchen with lots of counter space because Clayton enjoys cooking.
The kitchen has a residential fridge, a freezer, a microwave, and an air fryer. It also has two induction stove tops. There’s also a separate water system for the kitchen sink and a small pantry behind the door that leads to the garage.
Beside the kitchen is the dining area which uses theater seats as dining seats that Clayton got in an auction.
The couple sandblasted the seats themselves in Victoria, which they both found to be an entertaining experience.
“He says that with [this] red and fuzzy, he is stepping out of the box he’s been in for 70 years,” Teresa shared.
For heat, they use a pellet stove which is a sustainable heating source.
They also have an amazing media room which serves as their home theater. This room is where they work on programming and editing videos for their YouTube channel Nomad Monster.
The room has a 75-inch screen which takes up the whole wall and also has large speakers to go with the large screen TV. They use Starlink for their internet, so downloading Netflix is never a problem.
They watch movies in this room all the time, and they can even crank up the volume without bothering anyone.
They also show the upstairs area of their trailer, which houses their closet and storage area.
This space includes a vintage Singer sewing machine that belonged to Clayton’s mom.
Teresa shared that she wanted a full-length closet because she wanted to bring all her clothes with her.
Now, she says, “Huge mistake because I have too many. I admit it publicly. This is truly a lesson that I don’t need as much.”
They also showed their separate toilet room which she calls an “indoor outhouse”, but it has a flushing toilet.
The toilet is in a separate room from the shower room so both spaces can be used at the same time. Across this area is their full-size washing machine and dryer.
Next to this area is the library Teresa requested for. “[He] recovered this chair and ottoman for me that belonged to our mom and dad,” she shared.
Next, they give a bedroom tour.
Teresa didn’t want any built-in furniture because she wanted it to feel more than a motor home.
“If we’re going to live here for the rest of our lives, I wanted it to be a home, not a travel trailer,” she said.
The bed is on slides that allows it to move from left to right and also has additional storage underneath.
The bedroom also has dressers for more clothing storage, such as Clayton’s sweaters, and Teresa’s accessories.
At the back of the trailer is a cozy living room where Teresa enjoys reading with the pellet stove on.
The living room also has an air conditioner, a fridge, and a freezer.
The back wall opens and turns into a deck with a foldable table and safety railing where Clayton and Teresa can enjoy the outdoors.
When asked about their new lifestyle, “Everything is slower-moving. I’ve read 35 books since we left home. More getting used to him,” Teresa said with a laugh.
Clayton also shared that being together 24/7 had an adjustment period, but he loves her dearly and he’s happy they enjoy each other’s company enough to spend all this time together as a couple.
We’re amazed at how they built their 18-wheeler home, as well as the love and energy they have for each other and their new nomadic lifestyle.
