Zach Both made a house on wheels with his own hands

Surely almost every one of us in my childhood dreamed of making a house on wheels with my own hands. There is a huge amount of stereotypes about people who want to live differently from everyone.

If you want to feed the house with solar panels, you will be considered a hermit, who is destined to live alone in the forest. If you believe in non-waste production, you must be a hippie or a fanatic.

Anyway, any desire of a person to live in non-standard conditions is reduced by society to his frivolity, stupidity, or to the lack of the opportunity to purchase or rent a normal home.

All these stereotypes were destroyed by American filmmaker Zach Both, who has been living in the old Chevy van for the last year. He became for him not only a house, but also a mobile film studio on wheels.

The view outside the window changes every day

The author of the project shared his story:

"I left my post of creative director in a fairly large company and decided to devote all my free time to shooting. Since the creation of films assumes high mobility and a constant change of places, it was natural for me to start living in a van.

Film production is a constant migration. In no other setting would I be able to write the script and shoot the first fragments of the film in the mountains, then continue shooting in the desert away from civilization, and then - to meet with the editor or composer in Los Angeles. And all this in one month. The van gives me the freedom of movement I need "

Small work place

Inside, Zach Both trimmed the van with wood, which he borrowed in an old nineteenth-century church in Cleveland, Ohio. It has a fold-out sofa bed, and a small workstation in which a chair with a removable lid serves as a trash can.

The windows are covered with canopies, which can be used as chalkboards for thought over the storyboard of the film. The whole space is organized as economically as possible.

Compact bedroom in the van

Cretaceous boards act as curtains

The bed turns into a mini sofa

The kitchen and cooker are hidden under a small work desk.

A small cooker allows cooking simple dishes

On the roof, the author of the project installed solar panels, which provide the work of low-energy household appliances, such as a refrigerator, computer, home theater, and a Wi-Fi network. The van is as warm as possible, which allows you to live in it in the cold season. Shower Zach Both often takes in the gym.

The house on wheels is convenient

The cinematographer admits that life in a van can be quite uncomfortable and exhausting, because a person becomes a stranger both in nature and among other people. However, in contrast to this there are a number of positive factors.

"During my constant moving in the house on wheels, I received a lot of unforgettable impressions. When creating films, I collaborated with actors all over the country.

Once in winter, I had to wait a long time for help, because my van was bogged down in the snow. Every day the view outside the window changed, and I spent an unforgettable time in the mountains and forests, even met Christmas in nature, communicating with the family on the Internet. "

Zach Both in his workplace

Zach Both says that he spent about $ 4,000 for the maintenance of the van, and about $ 8,000 for finishing and repair work, replacement of tires, and so on. Another 3 000 the author of the project spent on other minor needs and maintenance of equipment in working order.

Now he released The Vanual - a small collection of tips for creating and maintaining a house on wheels from start to finish. It contains a large number of tips for those who decide to live in a mobile van.

Would you like to live and travel in such a van? Write to us in the comments!