Proving that downsizing isn’t just for kids and millennials inspired by the #vanlife trend or motivated by a desire to make some social media money living on the road, here’s Rob and Karen, and what they call their RREV – their rat race escape vehicle – Big Ruth. Big Ruth is a floor rig that serves as a permanent home on the road, and it’s as cool as it is practical.
Reduction is still the word of the day in 2023, as the housing crisis and financial crisis continue to force people from all walks of life and all ages to seek solutions for more affordable living. Tiny houses and other types of mobile homes represent one such solution, offering freedom of movement with a small footprint, which in turn means reduced expenses and living costs. It’s a plus for most downsizers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t compromises to be made.
Even Big Ruth comes up with a few, but he does it with a healthy sense of humor.
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
Big Ruth is a large floor rig that’s also a DIY (do-it-yourself) conversion and serves to showcase the kind of creativity that this kind of lifestyle encourages, but also the compromises that come with it. Rob and Karen are the owners and are showing it for a video tour at Tiny House Giant Journey channel Unusually for donwsizers, these two don’t seem to have a social media presence.
Big Ruth is a 1998 International 4800 DT466E with AWD, bought with few kilometers on the odometer but with a lot of time with an engine idling. Rob is a mechanic and Ruth is a machinist, so they used their expertise to overhaul the engine and, while they were at it, convert the rest of the rig into what would be its next road home.
Most downsizers will tell you that their DIY homes were possible with zero experience and nothing but YouTube tutorials, but that’s clearly not the case here. And it shows: not only were Rob and Karen able to turn a very compact space of just 10.4 square meters into a home, but they also made it feel cozy.
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
The interior is basically a single room, divided into different spaces, depending on the purpose. There’s a kitchen with a sink that doubles as a bathroom sink, some counter space, and a residential solar-powered fridge and freezer. There is storage, but not much in terms of kitchen appliances, which is something Karen would do differently if given the chance.
The bathroom is attached to the side, with a recirculating shower and hooks for hanging instead of a hanger, and a soaking toilet at the other end. The top storage is available in labeled boxes, with Rob in charge of what happened to them, so you get things like “Lotions and Potions” i “Bum Holeo”.
On the next wall is a wardrobe with cupboards, shelves and a small hanging section, and then the bedroom, which is also the living room. To make the most of the space they had, the couple opted for a raised bed, which they made themselves, using a ATV winch to lower and raise the metal frame on which a queen size mattress sits.
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
Under the bed is a metal table that serves as extra storage and a desk, or as a game table thanks to a built-in extension. Rob cheats at cards, so Karen insisted on that last part so she could keep her eyes on him during the game. But the most interesting part here is the bed itself, with the couple adding a swiveling TV at the feet and collapsible metal frames with attached pillows that double as a headboard for when they’re watching a movie.
While the Big Ruth is all metal and toughness at first glance, it’s clearly designed for maximum comfort. The platform’s utilitarian side is deceiving, for this is a proper house, tailor-made for its two residents.
Of course, it’s not just the design that makes this overlander so bad. Also includes a 1,200 W solar on the roof, two 50 gallon (189 liter) fuel tanks, 3 propane tanks, a 78 gallon (295 liter) fresh water tank, a 35 gallon (132.5 liters). for black water, 35 gallons (132.5 liters) for gray water and 50 gallons (189 liters) for the recirculation shower. Big Ruth has an on-demand propane water heater and a propane cabin heater, and tows the couple’s truck, which in turn tows their Biktrix e-bikes and a boat.
Photo: YouTube / Tiny House Giant Journey
Big Ruth can spend two full weeks off the grid with careful management and, more importantly, can i does go wherever Rob and Karen want, sometimes without even a few minutes of planning. They’ve been on the road since August 2022 and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
If that’s not freedom, tell us what is.
