apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Does he drive this around? Is this his primary mode of transportation? That must be as expensive (gas prices and all) as it is environmentally harmful, or at least I would imagine. Well designed though.

I never thought I would be jealous of a garbage truck... great find!

Looks like a Unimog to me. They are an ultra-SUV or survival vehicle that can be built out in custom configurations. Looking at it I don't think it is one of that but there are a few different manufacturers of this type of vehicle.

MIND. BLOWING.

I'm officially gobsmacked. This is amazing!

Is there a WC?

What a great machine - It seems much larger inside than outside.

Garrett--

It's a diesel - probably a Bio-Diesel.
And see the Motorcycle? That's how he gets around locally.

I think he uses it as a RV right? Does he actually live it it or for road trips? Look awesome either way

bathroom anyone? Where oh where is that?

I use to want a tumbleweed home, but now I want garbage truck! That think is awesome!

That is so cool! I want one!

This is impressive-looking. I can't believe how much of a real kitchen feel is in such a small space. However, I'd also like to see the bathroom.

My parents did a similar thing in a much smaller truck (a smallish former Wise potato chip delivery truck) though it wasn't nearly as elegant as this. They had a bed that converted from a table for themselves and bunks that folded up against the walls for us kids. It also had a little water closet and a chemical toilet as well as a camping kitchen. They built it on a shoestring budget with a lot of recycled materials.

This is absolutely incredible.

Ingenious.

If this mobile home were any manlier it'd be leaking testosterone out of the exhaust pipe. Me want!

I stand corrected. Or rather sit, on my couch... corrected.

I think the bathroom is through that door across from the kitchen sink.

Great idea indeed.
I wonder if a truck (new) like this cost as much as a nice condo---plus all the stuff inside. I'm thinking 250K at least.

holy wow! i am BLOWN away! this guy is incredible! i love how everything in the kitchen has its very own spot! wowowow! what a cool thing to have for travelling!!! that truck is SWEET!!

This is awesome. I am guessing that the bathroom is behind that door that is in nearly every picture- the one right across from the kitchen.

We can't figure out where the windows are, so does it expand? From the outside shot the windows, well, disappear. Is there an original article to refer to? My curiosity has gotten the best of me.

i googled this... apparantly the top of the truck raises up when it's not in motion.... can you see the ledge that goes around the inside that is on the same level of the bed area? the roof rises from that point, and reveals the windows when it is up all the way.

wonderful.

Some more info for you guys: The company that makes these trucks is called Unicat...They created a series of RVs that can go offroading (EV = expedition vehicle). They start around $500K.

And yes, there are bathrooms on board...you can see a few more shots of a different truck (including the bathroom/shower) here.

LOVE it! I've saved the photos of the kitchen so I can show them to my cabinet guy when I redo my disaster area.

it doesnt look that small from the inside.

never thought i would say this but i'd live in a garbage truck ...if it looks like that.

shut up! Can't believe this! Fantastic!!!

$500K? You can get a houseboat for less.

oh, hey, great. what you save on a mortgage and bills you spend on gas, while polluting the environment ridiculously.

in theory, such a fun idea. in reality, it's like living in a huge hummer.

Lighten up, indiasoup. This is about the design, on a website that's mostly about design. Take yer cryin' over to Re-Nest. Just sit back and be amazed. If the zombies were chasing you, you'd pass on refuge in this truck because it used wasn't environmentawey wesponsible enough? REALLY?

Better than living in a MacMansion AND driving around in the huge hummer.

Bx, I often make life decisions based on impending zombie outbreaks.

Grace, thanks for the link. I'm even more intrigued by it now. For THAT price, I would expect it to be converted to biodiesel. I feel better knowing it isn't a garbage truck now. ;)

If this runs on diesel, then with a little finagling, it can be converted to run on veggie oil which can be gotten for FREE if you work something out with a local diner.

This is a little more than a "modified garbage truck." It is a 6x6 expedition vehicle that is designed for large scale trips throughout the world and is virtually self sufficient.

For all the folks moaning about it's cargo footprint, I am pretty sure you could rack up about 20,000 miles exploring South America and emit less CO2 than a family of 4 would flying a 747 to Tokyo.

This would be perfect protection from the zombie apocalypse!

Anybody else notice that the interior photos clearly show windows, yet they've MIRACULOUSLY disappeared on the exterior photos?!!

The first thing I thought about was zombie apocalypse!!

The truck comes from the german company unicat:
http://www.unicat.net/

This is AWESOME! I'm totally jealous of that gorgeous kitchen storage. Sooo organized! *swoon*

Whoa. That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. And I thought I had a small apartment. This takes the cake. Genius!

Very Cool. What a great use of space and so well designed. As for the environmental impact, he probably wouldn't drive it around to go pick up groceries and such so he might use less gas than the people who have 2 SUV's in their driveway that get 11 miles to the gallon. And when the Zombies do come (and they are coming!), I'd want to be in one of those. Maybe with a few mounted machine guns and a flamethrower. : -)

I would drive across the Earth with that.

With it, I would go to many places first like Burning Man, the Grand Canyon, up and down the West Coast, back to the Northeast Coast, etc.

Then, I would put it on a barge and cross the Ocean to Europe where I will travel from country to country working stints at various small village restaurants.

At times, my wife and I would cook for small groups of friends we meet along the way--the countryside will be the dining room.

I'm sure we will find some place to park it semi permanently...eventually.

awesome.
I want one.
I, too, am thinking about the zombie apocalypse.
and "I am pretty sure you could rack up about 20,000 miles exploring South America and emit less CO2 than a family of 4 would flying a 747 to Tokyo." -- thank you, I bet you're right. Especially if it's biodiesel.

Lots of pictures of the pantry. None of the bathroom.

Ha! I was wondering what was under the elevated couch section. Turns out it's a four wheeler, perfect for reconnaissance missions to find supplies in the Mad Max future.

As an added bonus, the windows that can be closed off with truck section will help keep those pesky zombies from breaking in as well.

In a more serious note - I hope people who are freaking out about this compost every scrap of organic matter, never throw anything away they can't help, and buy only minimum packaged goods, because most people with one of these babies will probably have a lot smaller carbon footprint than the fleet of real garbage trucks out there servicing all of us.

wow, I want one so badly. I wish I had half a mil lying around...

I really like it. Looks so cozy!

The roof lowers and hides the windows as seen in the exterior photos. It raises to provide room for the loft bedroom.

More photos here:
http://www.unicatamericas.com/photos_ex70.html

Amazing, especially with a dishwasher and a coffee making machine. Wish I could have got them both into my 100 sq foot The Lux Pod. I wonder though, if all of the images are from the one vehicle. For example, the loo and the shower do not occupy the same space - look for the floor drain in the pics. In the first set of images (top of this posting) the home office is where the dishwasher is in G_r_e_e_n's link. Therefore, I conclude that all of these items would not be in the one unit.

That blows me away... Now I want to trade Fiver for a garbage truck RV.
The Artful RV Adventurer
mark

Fun! Though this isn't practical for everyone, it's definitely something new and clever. And, it's given me lots of ideas to incorporate into my rv that my husband and I will be living in for the next while. I love the storage in the kitchen- it keeps everything organized, cuts down on clutter, and will keep the cups and plates from breaking on the road. Clever, clever.

wow!!! i had been wondering aout the windows, too, thank you for the further explanation.
brilliant use of small place without letting it become too crowded.

now this would make one killer thursday giveaway haha!

Uber swell.

These things START at $500,000 but there's no way that the one pictured is that cheap. Lame RV's cost $800,000 - with this interior, this thing must be pushing toward $1,000,000 delivered. Which puts it in "concept" territory.

And I'll be borrowing this concept as soon as I hear the first zombie howl and taking it down under to ride out Armageddon.

I guess this was a brand new garbage truck?

I am officially jealous of a guy who lives in a garbage truck.... i should have no excuse for my place. I could fit two or 3 garbage trucks in here!

How about editing the title of this post so this "garbage truck" nonsense isn't perpetuated? Quality posts will keep readers coming back. Crap like this, plus the endless "Hot Posts," "Most Popular Posts" and contest updates are on the verge of taking AT out of my daily rotation. Editors, where are you?

I want my own fancy garbage truck to go on fancy road trips!

Who would have thought a garbage truck could be turned into something so stylish?

I love it when things like this are posted, because it defies the saying that it's all been done before.

Smart, efficient and looks great. Thumbs up!

Mmm...Fail! Not the same vehicle pictured inside and out. Notice outside, no windows. Also notice outside there is maybe three feet above the side door. Then notice inside above the door, about three feet, but there's also about four feet of bedroom above the kitchen, where'd that come from? Yeah, nice vehicle, probably exists, but not as pictured on the outside.

Mmm...fail, on not reading the whole post! Thought I did read carefully, missed the part about the roof. Stupid comment retracted, like the roof :)

Wow! Totally ingeneous.

The post is kind of misleading... Its not actually a garbage truck.

Its a kind of high-performance off-road RV, the kind they use in the Dakar rallies. The use of space is clever, but its just a luxury modification of an industrial off-road vehicle, not some creative use of a garbage truck.

Since it costs something like $500,000 I'd expect it to have hardwood flooring too...

Oh! This truck is amazing! I'd better have this one than have all that mess and fuss with mortgage and immovable property!

I can see it now. Slab City move over. We've a whole new community of folks who live in garbage trucks. And room for the Harley too! My oh my! Okay hubby, sell everything...we're movin' out!

$500k nothin'! We'll buy a used truck and convert it. There's lots of recycled materials out there. A little creativity and lots of sweat can save thousands. Not to mention cleaning up some old junk laying around the planet. Thinkin' green....

folks..far from being a garbage truck mate, this is a Unicat.. This specific chassis is a EX70-HD / MAN TGA 6x6. Unicats are built from the ground up with start cost figure of $500,000.00 USD and up....

I do really like the roof raise mechanism engineering..Sort of a monster Alaskan Camper-type. Down for travel, up for head room and mezzanine sleeping..

http://www.unicatamericas.com/photos.html

Mike

here's an even grader one, homebuilt in Australia:

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/23/the-wothahellizat-winnegabos-weep-in-its-presence/

Mike

I love it!! And thanks tamangel36 for the additional links. :-)

Awesome apartment.Sounds like very lovely:-)

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