Khylen Baldwin bought an old horse trailer on a whim and turned it into a tiny home on Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
Khylen Baldwin bought an old horse box for £500, or roughly $600, and turned it into an Airbnb.
He estimated he spent about $6,000 turning the trailer into a tiny home.
Baldwin said he didn't have much experience in construction, so he relied on YouTube.
Khylen Baldwin bought an old horse box during the UK's COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. He described it as a "complete impulse purchase."
The mustard-colored horse trailer before Baldwin's conversion.
Khylen Baldwin
Baldwin, 37, now operates the Airbnb full time and cares for his two young children.
Khylen Baldwin stands in front of his tiny home.
Khylen Baldwin
He paid £500, or roughly $600, for the 1980s vehicle on Facebook Marketplace.
The horsebox before conversion.
Khylen Baldwin
A friend helped haul the trailer to Baldwin's home with a tractor. Baldwin said that though it was very run-down, he "could see in my head that it would look great."
The tractor hauling the horsebox.
Khylen Baldwin
He said that for the first few months it "just sat around" in his backyard in Devon, England, while he tried to figure out what to do with it.
The original unconverted horsebox.
Khylen Baldwin
Baldwin's first step was to install floor-to-ceiling windows, offering what he said was some "much needed" light.
The conversion process of the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
He did all the wiring and plumbing himself. There aren't any plug sockets because the vehicle is off the grid, but it has solar-powered lights and running water.
The kitchen installation in the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
Baldwin said he hadn't done much construction work before, so he used YouTube to figure out how to convert the trailer into a functional tiny home.
Construction in the horsebox Airbnb (with the owner's dog).
Khylen Baldwin
He did most of the work at night, after spending days caring for his children while his wife, a schoolteacher, was at work.
Construction work in the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
Baldwin ripped out the seating at the front of the trailer and turned the driver's cabin into a double bed.
Sleeping area in the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
He built a second double bed in the narrow space above the driver's cabin. He said the trailer can accommodate a family of four, though it's often rented by young couples.
The double bed on top of the cab.
Khylen Baldwin
He said he wanted to make the most of the trailer's original structure, so he turned the tailgate into a sheltered deck.
The outdoor deck at the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
He bought a second, smaller horse box and turned it into a separate bathroom, complete with a composting toilet.
The exterior horsebox bathroom.
Khylen Baldwin
The shower is gas-powered to provide hot water for Airbnb guests.
The bathroom in horsebox Airbnb conversion.
Khylen Baldwin
After months of intensive construction, Baldwin started renting the property on Airbnb in June 2021. He charges $93 a night, plus cleaning fees.
The green horsebox Airbnb surrounded by fields.
Khylen Baldwin
The trailer, which is 7 feet wide and 21 feet long, contains two double beds, a kitchen, a wood-burning stove, and an indoor seating area.
Interior of horse trailer Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
Baldwin bought a lot of the furnishings, including the kitchen cabinets, on Facebook Marketplace. He said he wanted things that were "random" and "vintage."
The kitchen of the horse trailer Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
He said he covered the trailer in wood paneling because he wanted it to have a "rustic" feel that would suit its rural surroundings.
The dining area in the horsebox Airbnb.
Khylen Baldwin
"I decorated it just like my house," Baldwin said.
There's also a woodburning stove. Baldwin gives all guests a bag of chopped wood.
Khylen Baldwin
After renovating the trailer, Baldwin took it to its final destination, in sprawling hills and fields on his family's farm.
A view of cows from the horse trailer.
Khylen Baldwin
Having finished his tiny-home conversion, Baldwin is on the hunt for a new project. "If I found something else the same size, like an army truck, I'd be keen to do it," he said.
