For Rachel and Joel Binkerd, the key to financial freedom (and the ability to travel all year round) is a 264-square-foot 1998 Bluebird International bus they call Binks Tube. “We were exhausted by work and trying to pay rent each month,” Rachel says. “We were barely making it and grew tired of seeing others live adventurous lives. So, we downsized and bought a skoolie that we converted into our tiny home. Almost four years later, we’re about to hit the road full time and start marking things off our bucket list.”

The Binkerds found their skoolie—which had been converted from a bus to a tiny home on an HGTV network show—via Facebook Marketplace for $29K. Although the bus had been retrofitted, the interior required additional improvements in order to be livable full time.

“In the kitchen, there was contact paper on the counters and a wall that blocked a small refrigerator,” Rachel says. “And in the living room, a wall blocked storage space, and there was unused storage beneath the Pepto Bismol–pink sofa.” They made a mental list of the things they wanted to augment almost immediately, but the leaky roof hatch and the walls that cracked during the initial drive home to Florida made the top of their list.

With the help of YouTube DIY videos and advice from other tiny home dwellers, they completed most of the remodel themselves. “We had an RV repair shop help us install new shocks and a window in the bedroom,” Joel says. “And our friend Jonathan installed our solar, but we’ve done almost everything ourselves.”

The Binkerds spent almost a year and a half (and about $40K) remodeling their compact home on wheels. They covered the cracked walls with shiplap, and in the living room they added a flip-up table/desk, removed a roof hatch and an artificial plant wall, and replaced the existing pink sofa with a built-in gray one that converts to a queen-size bed with storage space underneath.

They outfitted the bathroom with shelving, cabinetry, a door, and lighter paint colors that lend a fresh aesthetic and a feeling of spaciousness. In the bedroom, they relocated the bed to provide better access to storage beneath it—and to make room for a claw-foot tub in the bathroom.

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“The kitchen was the most difficult,” Rachel says. “We wanted a bigger refrigerator, since we eat a lot of fresh foods. We had no clue that taking out the old refrigerator would mean taking down a wall and two ceiling sections, one of which went into the bathroom.” The couple added new counters and switched out the open shelving, which isn’t conducive to travel, for upper cabinetry that features soft-close hinges. They also rebuilt an existing coffee bar and replaced the lower cabinetry, adding drawers, a spice rack, and new doors and hardware.

Reworking the skoolie’s interior took lots of time and effort, but the Binkerds’ biggest challenge was to create mobile income. Before deciding to try tiny living, Rachel worked at a bank and Joel worked at a restaurant. “We wanted the freedom to go where our hearts desire, so the first thing we did to prepare for life on the road was start a digital marketing company,” Joel says. “It took about two years to get our business off the ground.” The couple also now work as independent contractors for different companies because they prefer to have multiple streams of income.

In reimagining the skoolie, the Binkerds’ main goal was to create a tiny home on wheels—with all the offerings of a traditional home—that would set them free. “This is our dream home, but we created it for a lower price than if we’d purchased a traditional home,” Joel says. “Before, we were working just to pay the bills and didn’t have time to do the things we enjoy. Now we’ve financial freedom, more time, less stress, and the ability to travel. Going tiny is the best decision we could’ve made.”

A Bright Tiny Home Is a Young Couple’s Ticket to Financial Freedom

Project Credits:

Construction: Binks Tube / @binks_tube

Photography: Humble & Grace Photography / @humbleandgracephotography