Meet the young couple who quit their jobs to live on the road in a jam-packed Toyota Hilux

A young couple who quit their day jobs to travel around Australia now call a converted 2012 Toyota Hilux their ‘home on wheels’.

Brooke Hoskin and Jack Stuart, both 24, started their trek on December 22, 2021 from the Central Coast, New South Wales and are currently on the Fraser Coast in Queensland.

Before quitting their full-time jobs, Jack converted the 2012 Hilux N70 4×4 by gutting out the back seats to make room for storage.

Knowing they won’t be making money while on the road, the couple started saving for their journey in April 2021 and currently have a weekly budget in place.

Both Brooke and Jack grew up in camping-orientated families and had aligned goals to visit lesser-known parts of the country. 

‘We’re not not set up to do a lap of Australia exactly, we plan to cover as much of every state as we can, and just take the adventure as it comes,’ Brooke told FEMAIL. 

 

Brooke Hoskin and Jack Stuart, both 24, quit their full-time jobs to travel across Australia 

The young couple have been saving their money since April 2021 and finally hit the road on December 22. Jack, a former electrician, gutted his 2012 Toyota Hilux to become their 'home on wheels'

The young couple have been saving their money since April 2021 and finally hit the road on December 22. Jack, a former electrician, gutted his 2012 Toyota Hilux to become their ‘home on wheels’ 

‘We have both wanted to travel Australia for the last few years and were inspired by the other young couples and families on social media that are living the same lifestyle,’ Brooke said. 

While working and saving money, Brooke worked as a digital designer while Jack worked as an electrician.

So far the pair have explored a ‘huge chunk’ of the NSW east and north coast, as well as between the Goldcoast and Bundaberg. 

They’ve seen pristine-white beaches with crystal clear waters, remote jungle-like parks and beautiful orange sunsets.  

‘We’re just taking each step of the way super slowly, to ensure we don’t miss out on anything along the way,’ Brooke said.  

'We're not not set out to do a lap of Australia exactly, we plan to cover as much of every state as we can, and just take the adventure as it comes,' Brooke told FEMAIL

‘We’re not not set out to do a lap of Australia exactly, we plan to cover as much of every state as we can, and just take the adventure as it comes,’ Brooke told FEMAIL

While working and saving money, Brooke worked as a digital designer while Jack worked as an electrician

While working and saving money, Brooke worked as a digital designer while Jack worked as an electrician

In a video shared on TikTok, Jack gave viewers a guided tour as to what’s inside the vehicle.  

The back seats of the car were removed to fit in a custom shelf which houses the couple’s clothes, an extra fridge, small Weber BBQ and extra storage space.

On the left side of the car is a canopy with a custom kitchen, which features a 80L upright fridge, slide-out pantry, two drawers, a 12v oven and additional overhead storage.

On the opposite side of the car is where the couple store their ‘bulkier items’, such as a second fridge, camera gear, Weber BBQ, winter clothes and all the 12v electrical components. 

In a video shared on TikTok, Jack gave viewers a guided tour as to what's inside the vehicle

The back seats of the vehicle were removed to make way for storage (pictured)

In a video shared on TikTok, Jack gave viewers a guided tour as to what’s inside the vehicle. The back seats of the vehicle were removed to make way for storage (pictured, right)

There is also a portable shower on one side of the car, and the bedroom is a Alu-cab Rooftop Tent on top of the canopy. 

‘For the electrical, Jack fitted out the canopy with a lithium battery, that powers our fridge, lights, water pump, oven and an inverter which we use to run all of our 240v appliances,’ Brooke said. 

‘We have a few cooking options, including our Travel Buddy oven, our Zempire gas stove and our Weber Baby Q.’  

So far, the couple have been living off their savings but plan to pick-up work as they travel if needed, such as fruit picking or working at a local bar.

‘We have allowed ourself a budget of $700 a week, which covers our accommodation, food, fuel and any insured car costs,’ Brooke said.

‘Sticking to the budget has proven more difficult than we thought, due to the ever-changing car set up. We’ve found we need to pick carefully where we spend our money.’  

On the left side of the car is a canopy with a custom kitchen, which features a 80L upright fridge, slide-out pantry, two drawers, a 12v oven and additional overhead storage

The bedroom is a Alu-cab Rooftop Tent on top of the canopy (pictured)

On the left side of the car is a canopy with a custom kitchen, which features a 80L upright fridge, slide-out pantry (left), two drawers, a 12v oven and additional overhead storage. The bedroom is a Alu-cab Rooftop Tent on top of the canopy (right)

Brooke and Jack agreed the best aspect about living on the road is waking up to a different view every day.

‘We can go wherever we like, whenever we like and just play each day by ear. The people we have met along the way is definitely an added bonus!’ Brooke said.

To compare, the worst aspect for this couple is the weather.

‘We’ve had a few occasions where there’s been unpredicted storms, and we haven’t been prepared for enough shelter. But that just adds to the fun of it,’ she added.

As it’s just the two of them on the road, the couple can sometimes get on each other’s nerves but find it difficult staying mad at one another while in such close quarters.

‘You’ve just got to pick your battles and if we need space from each other, Jack will go for a fish or we’ll take a walk and talk it out,’ Brooke said.

Brooke and Jack agreed the best aspect about living on the road is waking up to a different view every day

Brooke and Jack agreed the best aspect about living on the road is waking up to a different view every day

They've seen pristine-white beaches with crystal clear waters, remote jungle-like parks and beautiful orange sunsets.

For this young couple, they don't have an end date or timeline in sight and hope to spend the next couple of years travelling in the Hilux

They’ve seen pristine-white beaches with crystal clear waters, remote jungle-like parks and beautiful orange sunsets.

For this young couple, they don’t have an end date or timeline in sight and hope to spend the next couple of years travelling in the Hilux.

During the cooler months they will make use of a 240v heated blanket or a fan on the roof of the tent in the summer.

‘It’s still pretty surreal that this is our life now, I don’t think it’s fully sunk in. We’re so grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to be able to save up and do this while we’re young, it’ll certainly be a journey of lifetime,’ Brooke said.

The couple encourage other adventurers to take a leap and try off-grid living.

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