Skyhorse

I can’t be still in a society that is continually in motion.  Life has always fascinated me.  People make so many decisions continually using different value systems.  What is true for me may have no meaning for the person sitting in front of me in traffic.  I want to see people for who they truly are.  I want to know.

People are products of their environment.  Food, smells, nature, or whatever shape how we operate.  I am also a student of the environment.  When I leave the city, I return to a place where my soul begins to calm.  In this stillness I commune with the earth.  I want to be part of it.

These explorations can not occur in a sedentary state.  My curiosity has made me a wanderer.  The urge to leave has been growing.  I moved to Key West and bought a sailboat with a plan to sail away when ready.  The tide changed and I met Sarah.

Sarah has an awesome sense for adventure.  She is always ready to take the next step.   She is the best little scrapper I know.  I couldn’t ask for a better wife or friend.  Our spirits are ready to journey.

The sailboat no longer was an option with Sarah’s motion sickness.  I wanted to get a school bus and convert it to a camper.  I like recycling found objects and putting them to use.  I dislike waste and I love creativity.   In late November 2009 a friend told me about a sheriffs’ auction that included a 1991 ambulance that was used as their bomb squad vehicle.  I placed a $300 bid in a silent auction and won.  On December 4, 2009 I picked it up.

The bomb squad vehicle had multiple issues with the engine.  My mechanic recommended getting a more efficient V6 diesel and placing the box on the new truck.  On June 21, 2010 I purchased a 1994 Ford F700 4×4 crew cab.  This monster was a Florida Power and Electric vehicle that was being taken out of service.

By August I had transferred the bomb squad box onto the new truck.  I took out of the cabinetry in the box until I was left with just the aluminum structure.  Basically I started out with a bare structure.

There are a few notable structures that have been added.  I cut a hole in the box and added a hard top.  This gave us 16” of added head room.  The plane is Cessna 310.  I bought it from an airplane junkyard in Groveland, Fl.  I bought the fuselage down in a rental truck.

I had it cut it down in height and length so that the truck height would be at 12’.

The paint job was done by Rick Worth, a talented local artist who paints vehicles among other things.

Inside the belly, we have a kitchen with a refrigerator, double sink, stove, and an oven. We have a shower (indoor and outdoor) and a composting toilet.  The airplane is our bedroom.  We access it with stairs inside the cabin. We have a L shaped built in bench with a swinging table as our seating area.

 

All our energy needs are sustained by four 145watt solar panels and the truck’s alternator while driving.  We are self sufficient.

Here’s the complete detailed build on Expedition Portal: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/47231-Ford-F700-Build?referrerid=16179