An Australian couple turned an old Coca-Cola van into a beautiful home on wheels and left their lives to travel across the country.
Pauli (32) and Clara (27) bought the truck, which they aptly named Coke, in 2021 and spent the next 11 months and thousands of dollars making it their “dream home.”
The Wollongong couple headed to Cola last month for the holiday of a lifetime, aiming to make a full round trip across Australia to escape the rising cost of living and free living rent.
“It feels great to be rent-free and not have to deal with the difficult task of finding and applying for overpriced rental properties,” Pauli told 7Life.
“We were really attracted to the idea of being on the open road, going nowhere and not being accountable to anyone – rent-free and job-free. It’s a wonderful feeling of freedom.”
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Wollongong couple Clara (left) and Pauli (right) left their lives behind to tour Australia and live rent-free in their converted coke truck
Before and after: The pair bought the truck, which they dubbed Cola, for $17,500 and spent 11 months turning it into a livable home outside of their regular nine-to-five jobs
Planning an endless road trip, the duo purchased a $17,500 2005 Isuzu truck in early 2021 after a long search for the perfect vehicle.
Because of Pauli’s height, many buses and vans were not long enough and more expensive for higher mileage, but when they finally found Coke, they said it “will do.”
Pauli, a trained carpenter, worked weekends and evenings with trained nurse Clara to transform the truck into a livable home.
The couple kicked off Coke last month for the holiday of a lifetime with the aim of doing a full round trip across Australia to escape the rising cost of living and free rent.
The couple spent $8,189 on building materials, another $8,220 on appliances, and $6,285 on electricity, $2,550 on windows and doors and $1,100 on plumbing to hide the truck.
At the time, they shared a flat with friends and had their regular nine-to-five jobs.
The couple invested thousands in remodeling the truck, spending $8,189 on building materials, another $8,220 on appliances and $6,285 on electrical, $2,550 on windows and doors and $1,100 on plumbing.
To save money on construction, Pauli and Clara did as much as possible themselves, everything except electricity, and learned DIY from YouTube.
They also found uses for leftover materials and bought second-hand items, getting their floorboards for free from Facebook Marketplace and the kitchen cabinets from one of Pauli’s building sites.
Clara wanted rattan cupboards but instead used a Bunnings jute roll for just $30 for 10 metres.
Cola now has “everything you need in your normal daily life” complete with a queen-size bed, a well-equipped kitchen with a gas stove and oven, a bathroom, air conditioning and plenty of storage space.
They added wood paneling to the exterior and kept the old Coke logo, which acts as a curtain on either side of the structure.
“We wanted to get rid of the Coke curtains completely, but when we started building, we fell in love with the idea of keeping them,” said Clara.
“We wanted to get rid of the Coke curtains completely, but when we started building, we fell in love with the idea of keeping them,” said Clara
Cola has ‘everything you need in ordinary everyday life’ with a queen size bed, kitchen with gas stove and oven, bathroom, air conditioning and lots of storage space
She added that it protects exterior walls and windows from dust, bugs, theft, sun, rain and parking attendants.
Cola was completed in November 2021 and Pauli and Clara lived in the truck and saved for a year before embarking on their Bucket List adventure last month.
They start at the Victorian border and work north, they are now 2000km north of New South Wales.
Cola runs on solar power and deep cycle batteries, so it doesn’t need to be plugged in while rainwater is collected in the gutters.
Pauli and Clara do not have a set plan and are going “day by day” but have a rough goal of completing their journey in Tasmania by the end of the year
They usually try to camp on free sites to cut costs and get by on about $500 a week.
They cook for themselves most evenings and do free activities during the day such as surfing, horse riding, swimming, hiking and rowing.
Diesel for the truck is one of the couple’s more expensive expenses because it is “not very good with petrol” and “very slow”.
They have some savings, but Pauli said he will work where he can and Clara will continue to sell her artwork online to earn an income on the side.
Pauli and Clara do not have a fixed plan and are “taking it day by day”, but aim to complete their journey in Tasmania by the end of the year.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
