A converted purple truck has been Conny and Thomas' only home for three years. The truck contains all their belongings. In 2020, the couple sold their house and officially deregistered their residence in Germany. Since then, they have been living, working, living and traveling around the world on 17.5 m². They only have one contact address left in Germany.
Conny and Thomas' home used to be a furniture van. Thomas had been looking for just such a model with a seven-meter-long case. As a trained car mechanic, he knows his way around. They found their truck in Berlin. With 300,000 kilometers on the clock. A truck engine like this can easily manage a million kilometers with good care, says Thomas. The pair paid 6,500 euros for it at the time, a real bargain.
Thomas was primarily responsible for the extension. The plan was made quickly - without complicated computer programs. The two of them simply cut out templates and placed them on the floor plan. They then had the wooden parts cut to size at the DIY store. The conversion took a total of nine months and involved around 1,000 hours of work. The two were able to agree on the unusual exterior color very quickly.
During the conversion, it was particularly important to both of them that they had enough space for their yoga exercises and could stand upright without any problems. They also needed a proper washing machine. Conny also didn't want to do without a normal oven in the kitchen.
Conny and Thomas had to downsize considerably so that all of their possessions would fit into the converted truck. In retrospect, they feel as though they have got rid of ballast. Some of their cupboards in the truck are even unused.
Conny and Thomas have two grown-up sons together. They discussed all the plans with them in advance. Their sons understand and support their parents' way of life.
Conny and Thomas call their lifestyle "mobile living". It's not about moving as quickly or as far as possible. Sometimes they stay in one place for weeks, driving to the next town just to go shopping or fill up with fresh water. Only then do they move on. They travel around 12,000 kilometers a year in their Lila truck. When they still lived in the house, they drove considerably more kilometers per year.
When traveling, Conny and Thomas focus less on tourist destinations. Instead, they have already been to Georgia, Armenia, Albania, Kosovo and the Iranian-Iraqi border in Turkey.
Of course, the two also have to earn money on their travels. Most of their income comes from network marketing. Thomas also edits texts - from instruction manuals to novels. This also works via an internet platform. In the meantime, he already has a regular clientele through which he receives orders again and again. And finally, Conny, a family and learning therapist, advises her clients via conference platforms. This not only allows the two of them to cover their monthly costs, but also to put money aside.
Incidentally, their next trip will take them to Africa. First they're heading for Morocco, then they want to drive further down the west coast and, if everything works out, get as far as Namibia or even South Africa. If the roads are too bad or the journey too dangerous, they might take a ship to take them further south. But there are still a few kilometers to go - and the journey may well take a few years. No problem, after all Conny and Thomas have their home with them wherever they go. Vanlife - just a little bigger.
A film by Markus Bundt (editor), Tobias von Hellborn (camera), Johannes Bock (camera and sound) and Annette Bohr (editor).
00:00 Living in a converted truck
00:59 Kitchen
03:34 Living room and guest room
06:19 Workspace
07:14 The truck from the outside
10:17 Bathroom
11:16 Bedroom