Heavy vehicle mechanic
There are car mechanics and then there are those that tackle the big iron. Brian worked for most of his life as a heavy vehicle mechanic, tackling mainly agricultural apparatus. Fixing Cummings diesel engines and repairing a seemingly endless number of leaking hydraulic cylinders and valves was his job. Sourcing and installing the right O-ring or seal is his domain. The air-hammer his favorite tool.
Accidents happen
In the USA, the fatal injury rate of heavy vehicle mechanics is around 14 per 100,000 workers. The last few years around 30 lost their lives on the job each year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That puts the occupation as the 20th riskiest job. The number of career ending injuries is a lot higher.
Depending on the insurance situation, such an injury can put you out on the street. When the combine Brian was repairing fell off the jack and crushed him, it was the end of his career. At the end of the incident investigation he was deemed responsible and thus financial compensation after initial rehabilitation was miniscule.
A souped up truck
Brian ends up selling his house to pay for medical bills. Once sufficiently recovered he realizes that living in his truck is the future for him.
Being the mechanic he is, he sets out to remove the back window of the truck to replace it with the combination of a TV and a window type air conditioner. Side by side, they just fit. Two large AGM batteries and a converter, located in the truck bed, should provide enough power to drive the TV and air-conditioner.
His truck bed is essentially his storage unit. It contains some tools, clothes and a small Honda generator to charge batteries.
The 2nd row seats are removed to make room for a bed, the truck being just wide enough for sleeping, provided you don’t stretch the body out entirely.
Due to his injuries, it took a lot longer to fit it out than he would have liked, but he managed.
Today you can see him parked on the side of a remote road, enjoying a chilled beer in reasonable temperatures, watching a YouTube video.
It’s not the way he envisaged growing old, and perhaps not the choice others enjoy, but he makes it work.