A farmer has transformed his old combine harvester into a quirky holiday home sleeping four people for £120 a night at his campsite in Skegness, Lincolnshire.
Will Roughton, 46, spent four months converting the giant machine into a cozy BnB after buying it for £5,000 from a family who once used it to harvest 20 tonnes of wheat an hour on their farm.
The first step was to rip out all the working parts of the combine (a Massey Ferguson 860 he nicknamed Kaleb) so he would have an “empty shell” to work with.
He said: ‘I have absolutely no experience in this sort of thing. I looked at it from the outside and thought a bed could fit in there.
‘So I stripped it from the inside out. Once emptied, I was able to see it as a house and fit it out with insulation and wiring.’
The combine that farmer Will Roughton transformed into a vacation home
The old Massey Ferguson 860 that Roughton nicknamed Kaleb before the makeover
Will Roughton, 46, spent four months converting the combine after buying it for £5,000 from a family who once used it to harvest 20 tonnes of wheat an hour on their farm.
The first step was to tear off all the functional parts of the combine so that we had an “empty shell” to work with.
Roughton added insulation, underfloor heating and wiring to transform it into a living space.
He left the engine running so he could drive it to his campsite, where he would then park it ready to receive guests.
Roughton added insulation, underfloor heating and wiring to transform it into a living space.
He decked it out with furniture that included a king-size bed, a kitchen counter, a ladder and a refrigerator.
The farmer wanted to keep the interior design in keeping with the theme, opting for agricultural-inspired decor with handmade shelves, a dog bed made from potato-mashing trays, and windows made from recycled grain hatch covers.
He said the conversion was hard work at times, especially in bad weather, but after four months of hard work the makeover was a success.
He decked it out with furniture including a king-size bed, a kitchen counter, a ladder and a refrigerator.
The farmer opted for farm-inspired decor with handmade shelves, a dog bed made from potato chopping trays, and windows made from recycled grain hatch covers.
For £120 a night, up to four guests can stay in the combo, but they will have to use the communal facilities block if they want to use the bathroom or shower.
It is now located at Mr Roughton’s Camp, the former RAF Wainfleet base which was taken out of use in 2010.
He said: ‘We have a mix of guests. We have had many couples come and stay, as well as families.
The RAF tower on the campsite has also been converted into accommodation.
The view from the living room converted into the RAF watchtower overlooking the fields
The combine and the total price of the renovation cost him £20,000.
Now the combine holiday home is at Mr Roughton’s Camp, the former RAF Wainfleet base which was taken out of use in 2010.
For £120 a night, up to four guests can stay in the combo, but they will have to use the communal facilities block if they want to use the bathroom or shower.
Mr Roughton’s camp is also home to other bizarre holiday home conversions, including a Second World War tank, an ambulance and an RAF watchtower.
He said: ‘We have a mix of guests. We have had many couples come and stay, as well as families.
‘I made this for the children; They were very excited to see me on a tractor. It is a picturesque place just seven miles from Skegness.
‘We are close to the beach, to lakes where people can paddle. It is a very quiet place.”
He said the combine and the price of the renovations cost him £20,000 in total.