Clayton Balabanov and his wife, Theresa Davies, had ambitions to hit the road after retirement, but couldn’t find a mobile home that may provide them with all the things they wanted to realize their goal.
Balabanov and Davies planned to spend the remainder of their days driving along the scenic highways of Canada and the US. But first, they’d to search out a campervan.
“I used to be not satisfied with the production units,” said Balabanov, 75 Initiate within the interview. “They only didn’t appear to hold as much as year-round use, not only holiday use.”
That is when the couple decided to construct their very own home on wheels, buying an old semi-truck and reworking it into a home as comfortable as their real home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Balabanov also bought a used trailer and combined the 2.
“So I purchased the older one after which spent the following 12 months rebuilding it,” Balabanov said, “brakes and engine and all that sort of stuff.”
“It was empty and I just decided to go there,” he added. “I planned all the things on the board and kept making changes. After I was building, things modified as well.”
Overall, it took many hours, every single day, for five years before the mobile home was accomplished and up to straightforward. Balabanov even sewed the curtains himself.
Meanwhile, Davies was chargeable for gathering all of the materials needed to finish the mobile trailer.
But while Balabanov initially tried to lower your expenses by buying an old trailer and truck, it ended up costing him an expensive bill.
In total, they spent about $180,000.
The trailer has several rooms, including an office, a kitchenette with a microwave and fridge, a loft bed above the seating area, a real garage, a lounge, a bedroom, a library and a bathroom.
“It’s a fully equipped kitchen, larger than most apartments, because we wish to spend the remainder of our lives here and we wish to feel comfortable,” said Balabanov.
“At 75, I’m not going to squeeze myself into a tiny, tiny kitchen attempting to make beans on toast,” he added.
And if that wasn’t enough, the space even has its own spiral staircase that results in the second floor and hot tub.
“It looks amazing and takes up less space than a regular staircase,” said Balabanov, referring to the steps.
“As for the tub, it made sense to purchase one with jets. It isn’t that big of a difference [in price]so we would as well put it in,” Balabanov said.
The pair have also built a mini cinema that they’ll stream using Starlink. The comfortable space has a 75-inch 4K TV and a surround sound system.
“Due to this within the evening we are able to calm down and watch a nice movie,” said Balabanov.
Meanwhile, Davies spends most of his time within the library.
Teresa likes books. She decided that this may be her major entertainment,” said Balabanov.
But as with most great things, there will be big problems.
“This is our maiden voyage where all the things goes unsuitable,” said Balabanov. “So we will change the things that did not work, improve the things that worked, and polish things up.
“After which we drive through Canada.”
But after five years of working on the home, Balabonov admits he could have wished he’d spent more time there.
“It was five years in my life where I could just go out and buy something smaller and fewer efficient after which go out and spend those five years on the road,” he said. “But then again, I actually enjoyed doing it.”
But since they’ve sold their family home and taxi business, they plan to remain within the semi-truck home for the long haul.
“You simply live so long,” said Balabanov. “It’s absolutely guaranteed you are going to die, so make the most of life sometimes. That is what we’re doing.”