Dump Truck Turned Tiny Home is a Mobile Masterpiece

A dump truck, or tip truck in Australia, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a tiny home. It’s a workhorse, designed to move dirt and tools, not to live in. Steve and Jade, a creative couple from Australia, have turned this industrial beast into a tiny, useful and just beautiful tiny house. Their design is a work of genius, measuring only 8 square meters (86 square feet).

Steve, a carpenter by trade, and Jade, an artist and tattooist, wanted to live life without a fixed address. They wanted to experience Australia’s vast landscapes, from its sun-kissed beaches to its rough outback, without sacrificing their ability to earn a living. Steve’s job as a traveling builder required him to have a truck to carry his tools and materials but he also needed a place to live. What’s the solution? A tiny home that slides onto the back of his Isuzu NPR 400 tip truck and is fastened with a custom winch system. It’s a radical concept, probably the world’s first “winch-on” house, as Steve calls it.

It’s half the width of a normal tiny house, 6 meters long, 1.35 meters wide and about 4 meters tall. The truck’s size meant this small footprint, as Steve’s toolbox takes up one side of the bed leaving little room for the dwelling. The structure is made of 50×50 steel, which provides a strong skeleton and the walls are lined with cool room panels, commonly used in refrigeration units. These panels provide great insulation, keeping the interior cool in Australia’s hot summers and warm in the cold winters. The exterior and much of the interior is clad in reclaimed cedar, which Steve milled to reduce weight while providing a warm, natural look.


Inside, the high ceiling is a surprise. Steve designed the interior so he could stand up easily, even with work boots on, and to fit a double bed, which the couple insisted on having. The bed is above the truck’s cab and accessible via a tiny ladder and has a skylight and windows on either side for ventilation and views. The cedar inside, combined with copper trim and brass latches gives the room a handcrafted, nautical feel. Jade’s artistic touch is seen in the pops of color and personal details, like window handles from her great-grandfather’s chair and fabric from her grandmother’s collection.


There’s plenty of bench space which is a bonus given the size of the kitchen. A big sink is a catch all for things during transit, and an induction stove uses solar power when the sun is shining while a gas cooktop can be found outside as a backup. A fridge with a freezer keeps food fresh, especially dog treats. Storage is cleverly integrated throughout with cabinets and nooks making the most of every space. A compost toilet hidden beneath a seat is ventilated by fans to reduce odors and provides the convenience of an indoor loo without taking up space. Two showers – one in an overhead cabinet and one beneath the rear eaves – provide flexibility though Steve admits the indoor shower is more of a backup and they prefer the outdoor rinse.


The power and water systems are self sufficient with two 100-amp lithium batteries charged by solar panels on the roof and a DC-DC charger that takes power from the truck when moving. Water is stored in two 90-liter tanks beneath and a simple hose system for waste which can be sent to a garden or collected in an external tank for sensitive areas like national parks. When connected to mains power a small electric heater keeps the interior warm but the cool room panels do most of the work to keep the temperature comfortable.


Steve estimates the cost to be between $20,000 and $30,000 which includes the steel frame, winch, heavy duty wheels and stabilizer legs. Most of the timber was free and salvaged from previous projects which reduced the cost but increased the labour. The project took six months of solid work spread over three years which Steve balanced with his day job.