Let’s face it. You have wander lust. You dream of hitting the road, but you still need to work for a living. Bummer, right? If you are too young to retire but still want to travel, why not think outside of the box? Perhaps there is a way to take your career on the road with you? Truth be told, there are thousands upon thousands of full time RVers who are young, fun and working from the comfort of their own rig.
One of the challenges to running a business from an RV is space. It’s not always easy to find the room in a tiny RV. Here is the inspiring story of one couple and how they made it work. They converted an RV bunkhouse into a personal office and RV workshop.
Rene Agredano is a location independent artist. She loves to write and create jewelry while traveling the U.S. Her and her husband Jim write the awesome blog Live Work Dream , where in addition to stories about their travels, they provides a ton of helpful hints for the full-time newbie.
When Rene and her Jim upgraded to from their original 24′ Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel to a bigger 27′, they decided to convert the bunkhouse into a workspace.
They started by developing a clear plan before beginning any renovations. As a seasoned jeweler, Rene knew she needed a sturdy table, lots of lighting, and storage for inventory and supplies. They also made sure to incorporate extra storage for Jim into the 6′ by 9′ area. The first oder of business was to remove the bunks.
Jim used a simple screwdriver to remove and dismantle the kiddie beds. They saved as many materials as possible in case someone in the future would want to re-install the bunks.
With a clear workspace, they had to decide where to put the additional lights and outlets. They decided to keep them close to the existing ones to make installation easier. They were also careful not to overload the circuits.
In order to save money on supplies they visited a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. With an investment of less than $75 they purchased almost everything to begin the project.
They also spent some time at the local home improvement store where they picked up a few extra supplies that weren’t available at the Habitat for Humanity. The total tab? Only $150 dollars!
They built the frame out of 1×2 pieces of lumber (lighter than traditional 2×4) and repurposed the saved wood planks from the original bunks for shelves.
In no time the conversion was complete that the RV workshop was ready for action. Originally they were going to add more storage, but decided they preferred plastic drawers instead. It is always good to keep the load light when you are traveling in an RV.
The end result was perfect, and now Rene can increase her business, pay the bills, and explore her passion. All while traveling around the U.S. How cool is that?
For more details and photos of Rene & Jim’s workshop conversion take a look at this article. And to see Rene’s beautiful jewelry head on over to her Etsy store.
Want more inspiration? Take a look at this video from RVlove of another bunkhouse conversion.
What would you convert a bunk space into? Add your thoughts to the comment box below and tell me what you think. I can’t wait to hear your awesome ideas.
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