Refrigerated Box Converted into Tiny Cabin

Tim Creek and his family already had a fairly sizable fifth wheel before they started the project of converting a Refrigerated Truck box into a micro minimalist cabin. They had done their fair of travelling and road trips as a family and while enjoying the experience, decided that they wanted a bit more stationary of an escape. With the kids grown up, they decided to buy a refrigerated truck box and began to turn it into a tiny dwelling.

Moving the box proved to be a bigger challenge than you might think. Weighing in excess of 12,000 pounds, it took a full day to get it up onto a trailer using hydraulic jacks and another full day to move it to the destination and get it stabilized.

The cabin is made with a lot of reclaimed and recycled materials, minus a few elements like door handles that had to be purchased from Home Depot. The lumber they used for the build was fifty year old cedar, which they used as siding for the cabin and a custom made door that they fabricated from two by fours. Tim was also able to build a set of bunk beds from this lumber. Cabinetry and furniture that they weren’t able to build themselves were bought  second hand from the Habitat for Humanity Restore.

Tim has the cabin powered with two hundred amp AC electricity that he has been able to run from his shed. This powers several appliances such as a microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, and even a television. He opted to leave the wiring exposed as putting it behind the wall would’ve involved drilling through the metal container itself. It worked fine for what he needed, as he was able to easily attach the plywood walls he set up in the interior.

Since it’s a refrigerated truck box, they are able to take advantage of the thermal properties and insulation by using an air conditioning unit that they have installed. This allows them to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the cabin with minimal energy consumption. 

While it looks small, Tim says that there’s room inside for six people to sleep. There isn’t a bathroom inside the small space, but since they treat the cabin as an auxiliary unit to their fifth wheel, that isn’t a problem for them. 

Tim really enjoys the simplicity that this cabin offers him and his family. It allows them to escape the stresses of day to day life, and the small footprint means that maintaining it isn’t difficult. To others pursuing a similar project, he recommends taking the time to plan out your layout and really think about what it is you’re trying to achieve with the space. If you take the time to really consider the design and learn a few of the basic elements of construction, you’ll go a long way.

He also recommends fighting the instinct to immediately go to the hardware store. Taking the time to visit places like the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, thrift stores and even friends and family pays off not only in the cost of the build, but also the environmental impact. While it can be difficult to build a project entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials, even just using individual reclaimed elements makes a difference. 

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