A man has transformed a scissor-lift aeroplane truck into his dream home, and says the unusual home saves him around £3,200 a month in bills.
When retired pilot Mark Pankey first purchased his box truck in 2020, he intended it to be a temporary stopgap while building his dream home in the mountains.
Mark’s truck has a scissor lift function which makes for a good viewing galleryJam Press/Snakpak
Living the van life means Mark can park up pretty much anywhere he choosesJam Press/Snakpak
But after spending three years in the van, the 51-year-old has fallen in love with the converted one-man home and has abandoned his other property plans.
Mark has travelled 13,000 miles in the rig, often raising the trailer 20ft in the air using the attached scissor lift.
“This has been the most fun I’ve ever had – freedom, one day at a time, no stress, no bills,” Mark, from Louisiana, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“You don’t need much money to enjoy life.
In 2017, Mark bought 1.5 acres of land in Colorado for £150,000 intending to build his perfect home in the Colorado mountains, with a landing strip, allowing him to fly to work in Denver.
While working on his plan Mark stayed in hotels, however, these soon added up and he decided to buy a van, using this as his base of operations during the build.
Having seen an airline catering truck, Mark set his sights, spending £2,639 on the vehicle.
Deciding the truck was his future, Mark began converting the truck, spending seven months transforming the provisions truck into a modern luxury home.
The truck, nicknamed the SnakPak, was stripped clean before receiving a new, sloped roof with solar panels and water harvesting equipment.
Mark then insulated, welded and wired the vehicle before fitting a wood stove, fridge, kitchen counter, shower, water heater and many more luxury amenities.
“There were multiple days where I started at 5 am and would work through midnight,” Mark added.
Mark estimates he now saves almost £40,000 a year living in his truck.
“Now, living off the grid, I feel like I’m on vacation every day and have almost no bills besides things like a phone bill, Starlink internet, kids allowance, Garmin in-reach subscription (satellite messenger/locator for backcountry emergencies), diesel for a tiny house, gas for pickup, insurance for both rigs (Toyota & box truck).
“A simple life equals a happy life.
After living in the fully converted truck for two and a half years, Mark has travelled 13,000 miles across America, towing a Toyota Tacoma along with him for easy days out.
The father-of-three even gets his kids involved, with them sometimes joining him on his journey.
“Some think I’m nuts, some think I’m doing life right, and some are highly inspired to do their own builds and life changes.
“My kids have met me on the road to live with me for a weekend and we go out hiking, rafting and fishing.”
The quirky van still comes with quite a few useful mod consJam Press/Snakpak
Getting out and seeing the sights is much easier since Mark retired as a pilotJam Press/Snakpak Read More