Some homes have five bedrooms, a jacuzzi, and walk-in closets. Others have hanging gardens, spiral staircases and kitchens with kilometres of granite counter tops.
And others are smaller.
Much, much smaller.
Like living-in-an-ambulance-small.
Bill Smyth and Logan Miller have converted a 1994 Ford E350 ambulance into their new home. After New Years, they plan to drive it to numerous ski hills across B.C. In March, theysa国际传媒檒l continue to Mexico and when they drive back to Canada next spring, they aim to visit all the national parks along the way.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e always known I want to do a long trip, it was just where and how,sa国际传媒� says Miller.
sa国际传媒淪pending money on hostels, rentals, or whatever else felt like a waste of our income that we worked so hard to get so it made more sense to put that into our own home.sa国际传媒�
They say they chose an ambulance because of the cost and potential for personalized space.
The couple bought the ambulance off Kijiji in Cranbrook for just over $6,000. After some research on the vehicle, they discovered it was originally from Beartooth, Montana and before that, New Jersey. It was also in New York during 9/11.
Thus, theysa国际传媒檝e called their new home Beartooth.
Turning Beartooth into a home hasnsa国际传媒檛 been easy. The couple have redone the ceiling with wood, put in laminate floors, wooden countertops, tiles, a wood burning stove, a sink, solar panels, and wallpaper.
Looking at it now, itsa国际传媒檚 hard to imagine that Beartooth may have once been engulfed by the dust and remains of the World Trade Center 17 years ago.
The ambulance is now bright, cozy, and stylish. Theresa国际传媒檚 even hanging plants.
Miller owns an interior design company in Revelstoke.
sa国际传媒淚t hasnsa国际传媒檛 been easy working with a space thatsa国际传媒檚 so small. There are so many things to consider,sa国际传媒� says Miller.
sa国际传媒淵ou donsa国际传媒檛 want tiles too big that break when you go over a bump, you have to use a special grout with the flooring, you cansa国际传媒檛 use anything thatsa国际传媒檚 too thick because then your head space is wrong.sa国际传媒�
They even sliced a hole in the roof for the wood stove and chimney.
sa国际传媒淚t was very nerve-wracking,sa国际传媒� says Smyth with a laugh.
Impressively, the roof has yet to leak.
There are some laws when it comes to buying and using an emergency vehicle. For example, the words sa国际传媒渁mbulancesa国际传媒� cannot be displayed and the driver cannot run the lights or sirens.
sa国际传媒淎s far as insurance goes, itsa国际传媒檚 basically insured as a cube van,sa国际传媒� says Smyth.
The couple says that people have a multitude of reactions to Beartooth, such as confusion, excitement, and intrigue.
sa国际传媒淎 lot of people when wesa国际传媒檙e driving will pull aside and kind of question if wesa国际传媒檙e an ambulance or not. We get a lot of people noticing from behind that wesa国际传媒檙e not an official ambulance anymore. Then they try to pass us to see whatsa国际传媒檚 going on and who is driving,sa国际传媒� says Smyth with a laugh.
The couple says their upcoming travels will be an opportunity to experience different cultures and appreciate what theysa国际传媒檝e left behind.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e going to have to be really conservative with our water usage as we only have jugs,sa国际传媒� says Miller.
sa国际传媒淎 lot of other countries have to do that on a daily basis. Wesa国际传媒檙e so lucky in Canada that you donsa国际传媒檛 think about it. It will be a good lesson on how to live with less.sa国际传媒�
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If Beartooth survives this adventure, the couple says they have others planned. Next fall they hope to drive back to Mexico and on to Central America.
sa国际传媒淭hat trip is a lot more open-ended,sa国际传媒� says Smyth.
sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 have an end date. It all depends on our money and time.sa国际传媒�
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