The Inspiring Reason Why He Turned a Military Truck Into a Camper

Simplify
by Simplify

Richard knew that he wanted to make a difference. A domestic abuse survivor, he wanted to use his photography skills to create free portraits for people in shelters.


In the three years that Richard has lived in his 1954 Dodge M152, he has been able to use his photography to put a smile on people’s faces. Living in this military truck turned into a camper gives him the financial freedom to pursue work that he is passionate about.

Vintage military truck

Richard ordered this military truck camper sight unseen; it was used by the Canadian military in the 1950s and 60s and needed a lot of work to get back into good working condition.


Richard credits his good mechanic skills for his ability to create this DIY truck camper, which requires greasing and caring for 27 circuits that need to be checked on a monthly basis.


The living space is not very roomy, at about 50 inches high and 6 by 8 feet, but Richard loves the 360-degree views that let in plenty of light. He has a partition wall decorated with memorabilia, and a converted vintage railroad desk acts as a workstation. He also has a single-flame butane burner for cooking.

The core of Richard’s living space is his double bed, which is always ready and waiting for him to lay down at the end of a long day. He opted for a large, comfortable bed rather than creating room for a couch. He makes extensive use of the under-bed storage space and of magnets to hold things up and create storage using the steel walls.


Military truck turned into a camper

At the moment, Richard is traveling across the Western USA while living on a combination of his own savings and Patreon support to help him carry out his mission.


He loves the sense of freedom that he has living in his military truck turned into a camper and plans to continue his travels as a philanthropic photographer.




For more truck camper stories, learn about how this Paralympian is truck camping with a wheelchair or this unique ambulance camper conversion.


To see more videos, check out the Exploring Alternatives YouTube channel.

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 6 comments
  • Maria Maria on Aug 09, 2022

    Wish I could do the same .... 👍️

  • Karen Barger Uhlich Karen Barger Uhlich on Sep 05, 2022

    what about toilet and shower facilities? are there any?

    • Dee Dee on Sep 24, 2023

      U sign up to the truck stop shower rooms to bathe as needed. U sign up to a country wide gym wit shower rooms, u inquire of a YMCA wit a pool/shower rooms. U buy a gallon of water to do a sponge wash. This man is clever & survivor he knows what to do

Next