Turning a 3.4-tonne truck into a travelling home
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews, Trinh Quang Huy, born in 1978 in Hanoi, said he had dreamed of owning a “home on wheels” since his youth.
He recalled being inspired by the American film 18 Wheels of Justice, in which the main character travelled and lived inside a fully equipped truck.
Later, as his work regularly took him across northern Vietnam for trips lasting up to two weeks at a time, Huy began seriously considering creating a mobile living space.
“I travelled so much that constantly renting accommodation became inconvenient. I wanted a familiar space I could bring everywhere,” he said.
His wife, Dao Thi Yen, born in 1987, fully supported the idea. In 2022, Huy spent around VND 1.1 billion (approximately USD 42,300) purchasing and converting a 3.4-tonne truck into a mobile home.
Huy and his wife began living in their "mobile home" in 2022 (Photo: Provided by the family).
The vehicle’s interior was carefully designed to support long-term living for the couple, with electricity, water systems, sleeping quarters and a kitchen all built into the compact space.
Huy said the features he valued most were the solar power system and water filtration setup, which allow the couple to collect and filter water from rivers and streams during their journeys.
“The truck has almost everything needed for daily life. After living here for so long, it does not feel much different from an apartment,” he said.
Inside the couple's 3.4-tonne lorry converted into a "mobile home" (Photo: Provided by the family).
According to Huy, all modifications were limited to the interior in order to comply with safety regulations and avoid altering the vehicle’s structure.
The couple have two sons. Their eldest has already started working, while their younger son, aged 10, lives with grandparents in Hanoi during the school term. During long holidays, he often joins his parents on their travels.
Huy said he wanted his son to experience nature and real-life adventures rather than spending too much time with phones or computers.
“Children remember things much more clearly when they see them with their own eyes instead of through a screen,” he said.
After some long journeys, the family has even parked outside their house in Hanoi and chosen to sleep in the truck rather than indoors.
“It somehow feels more comfortable sleeping in the truck now. It has become a habit,” Huy said.
Huy and his wife have been attached to life in their "mobile home" for nearly five years (Photo: Provided by the family).
Nearly five years of nomadic living
Today, the couple spend most of the year living in the mobile home, only occasionally returning to Hanoi for short visits before setting off again.
Their daily routine is simple. Huy wakes early to make coffee before working on his laptop, while Yen prepares meals in the truck’s small kitchen. In the afternoons, they film and edit videos documenting their lifestyle for social media.
To sustain the lifestyle long term, Huy shifted much of his work online, allowing him to manage business remotely while travelling.
What he enjoys most, he said, is the freedom.
“Unlike staying in hotels, I can choose where to sleep and where to wake up each morning. One day we sleep beside the sea, the next in a forest or near a stream,” he said.
Huy and his wife enjoy waking up each day in a different place (Photo: Provided by the family).
The travelling home has not been without problems. During long journeys, the truck has suffered tyre blowouts and engine failures in remote areas, though Huy usually repairs the vehicle himself using tools stored onboard.
One of his most memorable experiences came during the family’s first cross-country journey in 2022. While parked near a bay area in Danang, they were caught in a major storm.
Heavy rain lasted for days, preventing the solar power system from functioning and effectively trapping the family inside the truck for three days and nights amid strong winds and flooding.
“At the time it was worrying, but now it feels like an unforgettable memory,” he said.
Because their work requires frequent travel, life in the "mobile home" has also made things more convenient for the couple (Photo: Provided by the family).
After years of travelling across Vietnam, Huy said he felt secure living on the road as long as travellers respected local regulations and chose appropriate parking places.
“I think security in Vietnam is very good. As long as you follow the rules, everything is fine,” he said.
