A couple who lived in a converted truck for four years to avoid expensive apartments have revealed that they are now working on a new project: a remote, off-the-grid cabin in the wilds of Nova Scotia.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 28, and Jazmyn Canning, 29, bought a 15-acre plot with a cabin in the Canadian Badlands for $37,000 in July 2021, and since then, they’ve been outfitting it so they can be completely self-sufficient.
In videos posted on social media, where they use the handle @employeeThe couple, from Ontario, explained that the experience of living off the grid has been challenging with the “hard” DIY projects that present themselves and the inclement weather to contend with.
This winter the polar vortex hit them with temperatures dropping to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, and in one clip, Jazmin shared how he feels the Arctic cold.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 28, and Jazmyn Canning, 29, bought a 15-acre plot with a cabin in the Canadian Badlands for $37,000 in July 2021
Since then, the couple has been outfitting it so they can be completely self-sufficient
In videos posted to social media, the couple, from Ontario, explain that living off the grid has been challenging
This winter the polar vortex hit them with temperatures dropping to -40 degrees Fahrenheit
“Everything hurts,” she said, standing outside in a winter jacket as the wind blows around her. “You know when your foot falls asleep and you step on it, that’s how I describe what it feels like to be outside for probably 10 minutes…maybe less.”
“It all starts to tingle and sting…and your nose feels weird.”
In another clip, the duo revealed what the cabin looked like when they first moved in, with roof tiles falling apart and the garden completely overgrown.
Some of their biggest jobs included installing a new metal roof and constructing a driveway, which required them to learn how to operate heavy machinery.
But their hard work is paying off, and “after” shots show their new home coming in nicely and looking in a more livable condition.
Some of Crystal and Jazmyn’s additions to the cabin include an outdoor restroom and sauna, and they say one of their potential projects this summer is to install a swimming pool.
In an effort to live off the grid, the couple set out to install a 48-volt electrical system with over 10,000 watts of solar power and 28 kWh of battery storage to harvest the sun’s energy.
As they watched YouTube videos to learn new DIY skills, the couple said friends and family helped along the way, and they also got support from the local community.
“Everything hurts,” Jazmine says, standing outside in a winter jacket as the wind blows around her. “You know when your foot falls asleep and you step on it, that’s how I would describe it.”
Some of their biggest jobs included installing a new metal roof and laying a driveway, which required them to learn how to operate heavy machinery
In a clip, the duo revealed what the cabin looked like when they first moved in, with roof tiles unraveled and the garden completely overgrown.
The ‘after’ shots show their new home coming in nicely done and looking in a more livable condition
Crystal said in a YouTube entry that she’s clearly content with her new setup: “It feels so great to wake up here.
“There’s so much solitude, it’s so quiet… I haven’t experienced anything like this in months and it’s safe to say we are all very happy.”
They are joined in the cabin by the couple’s Australian shepherds, Bella and Izzy.
Looking ahead, they say, “The winter has been long, hard, and hard, but spring is so near and we can’t wait to start planting our garden again.”
Before finding fame on social media through their Van Life adventures, the couple worked as waitresses in a casino.
They said they first started toying with the idea of living out of a converted car because of the high housing costs in Toronto.
“The cost of living definitely kept us from getting an apartment,” Crystal explained.
Some of Crystal and Jazmyn’s additions to the cabin include an outdoor restroom and sauna, and they say one of their potential projects this summer is to install a swimming pool.
Before finding fame on social media through their Van Life adventures, the couple worked as waitresses in a casino
They said they first started toying with the idea of living out of a converted car because of rising housing costs in Toronto
Renting a one-bedroom apartment in the Toronto area starts at $880 (US$1,200) and then you pay the bills on top of that.
“How can you do the things you want to do when all your money is going to a roof over your head? We wanted to make life our job, rather than our job our life.”
It took the couple five months to find the perfect truck and another eight months to turn it into their home.
“We didn’t want the van to be just a commute for travel, we wanted it to be our mobile phone at home,” Jazmyn explained.
Crystal added: “It took us eight months to get the truck ready and it was a lot of trial and error. We had no prior plumbing, electrical or carpentry skills. YouTube was our biggest mentor.”
We were working full time while we were building. The truck cost $10,200 ($14,000 USD) and the construction cost $8,200 ($11,000 USD).
The couple said they were able to save money and not be in debt while living in their van and not paying rent.
They now say their cabin, which they found online, was another bargain, and that being able to live off the land while making money from social media would allow them to accumulate more savings.
