When you picture a cargo lorry, you imagine a practical, bare-bones truck that’s a little rough around the edges but adequately moves cargo from A to B. When you see Andreea Ionescu’s cargo lorry named ‘Ruby’, you’ll quickly learn that the average cargo lorry can be so much more. In Ruby’s case, they can also be a unique cottage on wheels and a peaceful, private sanctuary.
Matt Banks from Touchwood Carpentry in Penzance, Cornwall, was tasked with the all-important job of turning a regular old cargo lorry into a beautiful house on wheels, suitable for exploring the Scottish Highlands, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dartmoor, and further afield.
Once Matt was finished with her, she was no longer the standard 22-foot, 7.5-ton truck you’d see rattling along a highway. She was a dainty, awe-inspiring, and luxurious home completely transformed with recycled parts and reclaimed wood.
According to Ruby’s proud owner, Andreea, Ruby was her house on wheels for more than two years and was lovingly converted to serve this very purpose. She has since been featured in the Tiny Living UK magazine.
Now that Ruby no longer needs to be Andreea’s permanent home, she has become a short-term rental through Ruby Retreats and a sanctuary nestled amongst nature and wildlife.
Staying in Ruby
While Ruby looks like a back-to-basics, off-the-grid home from the outside, she provides travelers with luxuries and creature comforts you might never have expected. A projector system lets you while away the nighttime hours watching movies on an approximately 100-inch screen, while the dog bed under the bunk bed means you can bring man’s best friend with you on holiday.
Ruby also offers a gorgeous bistro seating area on the drop-down ramp for sunset barbeques and morning brews, a comfortable living room to relax with a loved one, and a beautiful wood-burning fire to keep the chill out of the air on those cooler days.
Just as a cottage would cater to a homeowner’s needs with kitchen and bathroom facilities, this cottage on wheels ticks all the boxes here too. There’s a stunning kitchen with wooden cabinetry, a sink, oven, fridge, and two-burner cooktop, and the bathroom features a toilet, vanity, and shower.
‘Ruby’ is a converted 22-foot-long, 7.5-ton cargo lorry, lovingly transformed into a cottage on wheels by Matt Banks from Touchwood Carpentry in Penzance, Cornwall. While she started her life as a vehicle for transporting goods, she now forms part of Ruby Retreats, providing travelers with a relaxing and serene home away from home.
Ruby’s owner, Andreea Ionescu, lived in Ruby for two years, traveling to many hot spots across the UK, like the Scottish Highlands, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Dartmoor. Living in a converted lorry was undoubtedly made much easier with the addition of a king-size mezzanine bed and a child-sized single bunk bed underneath. There is also a dog bed for man’s best friend.
While the two-seater sofa in the living space gives Ruby’s occupants a comfortable place to relax and unwind, it can also become a sofa bed to accommodate more guests. In total, there are three beds for guests to choose from.
Slide-Out Dining Table
The innovative slide-out dining table/desk would have to be one of the focal points in Ruby’s living space. It slides out from under the mezzanine bed, providing plenty of space for activities and dining. This cleverly-crafted table utilizes beautiful natural materials, helping it to work in harmony with the rustic theme present throughout the rest of the converted lorry.
The gorgeous rustic wood bed frame is a feature all on its own, but it’s certainly accentuated with the addition of a feature spider web window. Clever wood placement in a spider web pattern around a circle window adds to the charm and uniqueness of Ruby.
Storage can be an issue in any house on wheels or tiny home, but Andreea thought of everything when planning Ruby’s transformation. Rather than purchasing pre-made shelving units, Andreea chose recycled crates and had them attached to the walls. Not only does turning them into storage give them a second lease on life, but they also tie in with the lorry’s rustic theme.
Three cleverly placed windows along one side of the lorry let in plenty of natural light in addition to the spiderweb window on the mezzanine. Andreea chose to make them a feature by framing them in rustic wood to match the flooring, bed frame, and exposed beams.
The UK isn’t normally known for its tropical conditions, which is what makes this gorgeous wood burner such a precious asset in Ruby. Guests are free to use the wood burner as they wish, with logs provided to help them get started. However, a diesel heater is also available for more convenient touch-of-a-button heat.
The log burner works well with Ruby’s overall rustic theme. Its elevated position also means wood to keep it going doesn’t take up any additional space.
Wood Kitchen
Cooking up a storm is made easy in Ruby. The gorgeous wood kitchen with an abundance of cabinetry has been thoroughly kitted out with all kitchen essentials. There’s a full-sized sink, an oven built into the cabinetry, and a hob with two burners. Guests can also enjoy the convenience of a standard-size fridge and freezer.
No cottage is complete without a bathroom, and Ruby has you covered. A composting toilet and a small vanity are tucked away in a private nook within the converted lorry. Natural light comes courtesy of the circle window above the vanity, and the space is surprisingly bright, with stark white walls complementing the natural wood framework.
Ruby is entirely off-grid, meaning water for the kitchen sink, vanity sink, and shower comes from a 200L tank. Guests are encouraged to conserve water but can request a tank refill if necessary. Andreea plans to plumb Ruby into the mains water supply at a later date. For now, the water system is sanitized but not drinkable, so bottled drinking water is provided.
The shower is undoubtedly a standout feature in Ruby. It features gorgeous rustic wood framework, corrugated iron walls, and copper fixtures with a waterfall shower head. This full-size shower will be a pleasant surprise for guests.