One of the earliest issues I had to address when considering this project was where I was going to do the initial conversion work on my truck. Keep in mind that this was originally planned back in May/June of 2021, when I thought I would have a truck in my possession by the end of July at the latest and have a good six months to work on it, including several warm(ish) months conducive to outdoor work if it came to that. My initial goal was to be out of Michigan by January 1st 2022. Michigan is great,but unless you have the free time to play in it, winter generally sucks. Winter up north is a snowy wonderland, whereas winter in West Michigan is most often composed of grey, dirty snow and cold temperatures. In short, I’ve had enough, so my goal was to head south until the temps hit 50 degrees.
As detailed in other posts, my initial plans were obliterated upon first contact with the reality of dealing with local city government and the general sloth-like pace of progress that has become characteristic of this shit-show.
Back in June I started looking for a workspace with basic utilities that could accommodate a truck. I was looking for 800-1000 square feet that I could rent for 6 months. I was shocked to find this type of space is incredibly hard to find anywhere in the greater Grand Rapids metro area. Over the span of few weeks I drove several hundred miles through every business park and industrial area within 50 miles of Grand Rapids and searched extensively online. There was almost nothing under 2000 square feet and the few I did find either had ridiculously high rents or were 50+ miles away. Many realtors I contacted about specific properties didn’t even bother to respond. I also put feelers out through some of my clients and friends. I heard from one who had 40 years experience with commercial real estate in West Michigan who told me plainly that unless I knew someone who had space they were willing to share or found a farmer with a pole barn, the type of property I was looking for was not going to be easy to find.
One of the clients, who shall rename nameless to protect their privacy and reputation, I contacted early on, expressed enthusiasm for my project. I learned that they had recently bought a second larger building they were planning to move into some time in the new year. They inquired how long I would need a space and because at the time, I was looking at 4-6 months, we agreed that it unfortunately wouldn’t work with their timeline.
By November my plans and the entire scope of the initial conversion had obviously changed drastically. I had gone from a total gut and rebuild project to just adding solar and battery capacity along with makeshift living amenities. In mid December, while I was on my way north in the truck, I decided to update the aforementioned client on my progress and it turned out that their plans had also been delayed by several months. They generously offered to provide me space in their building at an extremely fair rate. This space couldn’t have been more perfect as it had previously housed an auto repair shop and was still equipped with floor drains and exhaust ventilation in addition to heat, water and electricity, bathrooms and more than enough space for my truck a mere 15 minutes from my apartment.
My project now had a home. Below is one of my first attempts at taking video.