When I picked out my camper for use as my tiny home on wheels, I was towing with a Ford Expedition. I had to work within a weight limit and that subsequently limited my choices among the trailers I had to choose from at my local RV dealer. I was determined to buy local to support our economy. Ultimately, I purchased a 2015 Starcraft Launch Ultra Lite 24RLS (rear living space). I knew from the get go that storage space was minimal but I was also determined to downsize in order to fit.
The best laid plans. For those of you who have been following along, you saw what I went through whittling away at my possessions. It was pretty grim. I finally pared a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home down to 25 boxes and called it good. I shipped those boxes cross country to my grandparents’ farm with the full intention of living there and caring for an elderly aunt to keep her out of a nursing home. That scenario just didn’t pan out and now I’m left with the decision of what to do with those 25 boxes of stuff that I was convinced I couldn’t live without just 5 months ago. They cannot stay at the farm, I cannot carry them in my camper, and I don’t have a place to ship them even if I wanted to.
These are the special things. The boxes of photos have been scanned into an external hard drive with back up on a second external hard drive and the originals distributed to the families of the subjects. There is a boatload of clothes that can certainly be weeded through easily enough and donated. There are three sets of dishes that Mr. Virgo gave me. I want to keep them in the family so they need to go back to CO with me. There are some tools and jewelry making supplies that I need for the studio I’m going to build on board. But, as I said…storage space is at a premium.
I have to get creative and think outside of the box. Or, in this case, inside of it. When I envisioned the perfect storage space, I pictured a place where I can safely hang some clothes and store some boxes. It needs to be clean, dust free, and dry. It needs to be accessible at a moment’s notice. When you’re mobile, how does that work? The light bulb came on…I needed a topper for my truck. I stopped at a local auto shop and picked out a Leer topper. I had a Thule rack put on top in case I decide to take that canoe my ex has offered me. It can also carry a rack for extra cargo hauling if I need it. I had the truck bed lined with carpet to keep things clean and tidy. I had a 12v outlet put in for powering accessories while camping. I had two clothing rods installed in the roof down the driver’s side to carry coats and extra clothes. It all locks up tight, the windows are tinted to keep window browsing at a minimum, and they open for ventilation. If I want to, I can throw a mattress in the bed of the truck and go camping off grid.
This wasn’t the cheapest solution I could find but in the long run, it is the most practical. A rolling walk-in closet big enough to carry those items that I truly find useful, beautiful, and loved.
❤
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors…”
1 Peter 1:18 NIV