Reuse advocate turns box truck into an upcycled tiny home using 99% recycled materials

Derek “Deek” Diedrickson and reuse advocate Alex Eaves turned a box truck into an upcycled tiny home using 99% salvaged materials.

The project gives Alex a permanent place to live while serving as a traveling educational space for events.

The genesis of an idea

The concept for this box truck transformation began with a shared vision.

Derek “Deek” Diedrickson, a seasoned builder and designer, teamed up with Alex Eaves, a dedicated reuse advocate, to create something more than just a place to live.

Their goal was to build a mobile education center highlighting reuse’s power.

“The goal of this project wasn’t just to build, you know, a tiny house for myself, it was to build a reuse education center,” Alex explained.

“I wanted people to come into the truck and see how I live, how I work, how I sleep, how I create, all with reuse and minimizing waste in mind.”

Both men have long histories of working with salvaged materials.

Deek, who describes himself as having been “building, cobbling, salvaging, messing with tree houses, tiny houses, for shelters for longer than I care to admit,” spent his childhood scavenging construction sites and building forts from discarded materials.

Alex, too, has been a lifelong reuse advocate, constructing his first skateboard ramp from an old door and a railroad tie.

Their collaboration began after Alex released his 2015 documentary, Reuse Because You Can’t Recycle the Planet.

Following a screening tour, he wanted a more engaging way to showcase his reuse lifestyle.

A casual coffee meeting with Deek sparked the idea of converting a box truck into a home. “We met over coffee, talked about a tiny house idea, and the box truck idea was born,” Deek recalled.

Building the upcycled tiny home from discarded materials

The foundation of this upcycled tiny home is its commitment to repurposing materials that others might consider trash.

“This is, like, the roughest way to phrase it, the house is built out of garbage,” Deek admitted.

“To many people, everything we used would be garbage, but, you know, it takes people like us and the people we worked with to see beyond that,” Alex added.

Nearly 99.78% of the materials used in construction were salvaged. The remaining 0.22% consisted of essential new items, including rubberized paint for the shower, specialty screws, caulking, and spray foam.

“Yeah, so there’s only literally four things: the rubberized paint for the shower, certain specialty screws, the caulking which you can’t get used, and Great Stuff spray foam,” Deek said.

Despite its ambitious nature, the project was completed over nine months of intermittent work.

The box truck cost $7,900, while only $792 was spent on new materials and furnishings.

Creative repurposing kept costs low, with flooring salvaged from a doughnut shop and insulation sourced in unconventional ways.

Detailed specifications and design of the upcycled tiny home

Measuring approximately 98 square feet, the upcycled tiny home is a testament to resourceful design.

Though the exterior may not fit traditional beauty standards, it tells a story.

A salvaged sliding door panel is a window cushioned with a unique foam system to withstand road vibrations.

The main door, found abandoned on the roadside, highlights the potential of discarded items.

Bevel siding scraps from another tiny house project add a polished touch.

A key feature is the rear ramp, originally a garage door, now transformed into an outdoor workspace and display area.

The truck’s blank side wall is a 13-foot projection screen for movie nights and events.

Inside, every inch is utilized efficiently. A 1900s canning cupboard is a wardrobe, while hidden storage spaces maximize organization.

The living area doubles as a sleeping space, with a couch that opens to reveal compartments for Deek’s clothing brand merchandise.

A lofted bed creates a private sleeping area, enhanced by a shelving design that gives an illusion of extra depth.

The kitchen, though compact, is fully functional. A lobster pot, once owned by Alex’s grandmother, has been repurposed as a sink.

A vintage hutch, previously his great aunt’s, holds canned goods and cereal. Drawer pulls made from a drumstick and lug nuts add personal flair.

A ladder from a closed movie theater provides access to bulk food storage.

The bathroom is entirely waterproof, featuring a compostable toilet and a solar bag shower system.

A hidden closet, painted to blend in with the walls, stores clothing and luggage.

Deek’s favorite space, the office, includes a salvaged storm door window and a pallet desk, offering a workspace with an ever-changing view.

Educational impact and public reception of the upcycled tiny home

The upcycled tiny home has attracted thousands of visitors, sparking conversations about sustainability.

“It’s very rewarding that, with the exception of a few people, of the 15 to 20,000 people that have been in my house, everybody is into it,” Alex said.

The project aims to inspire people to incorporate reuse into their lives.

“We’re not expecting everybody to come into the house and be like, ‘Oh my God, I need a tiny house, I need to do this,'” Alex explained.

“It’s about showing people how they can incorporate reuse into their own lives in a way that makes sense for them.”

The most meaningful reactions often come from younger visitors.

“I think the reactions from people are my favorite. Seeing younger people who have never been exposed to this kind of thing walk in and realize, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have to live in a giant house; that doesn’t have to be the American dream,'” Deek noted.

A message of sustainable living

Ultimately, the upcycled tiny home is a powerful example of sustainable living.

“If and when you need to buy anything, consider a used option, because almost anything—as we have proven with this truck—is available used in some fashion,” Alex emphasized.

The project challenges people to rethink waste and adopt a more mindful approach to consumption.

“Take one or two ideas from this and incorporate them into your own home. That’s all we hope people leave with—something on that level,” Deek concluded.

Tour Deek and Alex’s upcycled tiny home by watching the video below:

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You can also follow Deek on Instagram to learn more about his projects.