HomeHot newsA British man spent over 1,000 hours transforming a jet engine into...
A British man spent over 1,000 hours transforming a jet engine into a camper trailer for family road trips. Take a look inside.
(WorldMark.world) Steve Jones, a stay-at-home dad from Lancashire, England, converted an engine from a decommissioned VC10 jet plane into a camper trailer for family road trips.
Jones estimates he spent 1,000 hours over the course of three months transforming the engine shell into a trailer that he, his wife, and two sons can take on road trips. Jones told that he previously worked as a technician for the Royal Air Force. Take a look inside the “VC10 Caravan Pod,” which is 13 feet long, comes with two doors plus a skylight, and is already turning heads on the highway.
Stay-at-home dad Steve Jones has transformed a hollowed-out jet engine into a camper trailer for his family in Lancashire, England.
Jones stands in the doorway of the VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesA former technician for the Royal Air Force, Jones spent 1,000 hours between January and mid-March of 2020 on the build.
Jones takes a selfie. Courtesy Steve JonesJones told Insider that he’s been fixing up camper vans and camper trailers as a hobby for over a decade, but had never embarked on a project quite like this one.
Exterior view of the completed VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesIn 2013, he learned through a friend that the Royal Air Force had decommissioned a VC10 jet plane, and the idea came to him to turn one of its engine shells into a trailer if they ever went up for sale.
View of VC10 jet plane engines. Courtesy Steve JonesIn September 2019, an opportunity to buy one finally came about.
View of the engine housing, known as a “nacelle.” Courtesy Steve JonesWhen Jones drove his purchase from the scrapyard to his barn, he noticed “a lot of finger-pointing” from onlookers taken aback by the sight of a 13-foot-long plane engine shell on the roads.
The engine shell on a trailer being prepared for transport. Courtesy Steve JonesSteve spent a total of $5,025 (£4,000) renovating the trailer, and it was no easy feat.
View of the completed VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesJones first had to gut all of the wires, clips, and pipe work.
View of the engine housing pre-renovation. Courtesy Steve JonesNext, he flattened the bottom of the engine to fit on a chassis.
View of the chassis. Courtesy Steve JonesThen, he prepared the doors and windows.
Jones renovates the engine housing. Courtesy Steve JonesLining the interior of the engine shell with plywood was the most difficult part, Jones told Insider, due to its curved shape.
View of the engine housing mid-renovation. Courtesy Steve JonesAfter covering the plywood with stretch carpet lining, he focused on making the trailer habitable.
View of the engine housing in Jones’ barn. Courtesy Steve JonesHe put in a mini kitchen with a sink, twin burners, and cabinets.
Close-up of the VC10 Caravan Pod kitchen. Courtesy Steve JonesOn the opposite wall, he put up a display shelf.
Interior view of VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesHe also installed a lounge-dining area that converts into sleeping quarters.
Interior view of VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesThe benches move together to form a double bed, and the seatbacks flip up to become two twin beds.
Jones pictured inside the VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesTwo doors plus a skylight open up to the outside.
Exterior view of the VC10 Caravan pod with the doors open. Courtesy Steve JonesThe larger of the two doors allows for al fresco dining.
Jones drinks wine in the VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesJones and his family haven’t taken the trailer out yet due to COVID-19 and the demands of a separate renovation project, but he told Insider that he looks forward to using it in 2021.
Exterior view of the VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesPlus, Jones is still putting the finishing touches on it. He plans to paint the exterior so that it resembles the original jet: white on the top and gray on the bottom, with a blue line through the center.
View of a VC10 jet plane in flight. Courtesy Steve JonesSince appearing in an episode of “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces,” a British home improvement TV show, earlier this year, Jones has received offers from interested buyers as high as $31,477 (£25,000) for his custom trailer, he told Insider.
Exterior view of the VC10 Caravan Pod. Courtesy Steve JonesDespite buyer interest, Jones said that he doesn’t plan to sell the VC10 Caravan Pod for at least a few years.
Jones looks out from the VC10 Caravan Pod’s skylight. Courtesy Steve Jones