Mr. Thang (Hanoi) bought a truck, designed and built the truck bed into an "apartment" with a full bedroom, living room, and kitchen so that his family can comfortably travel around Vietnam.
Many young families tend to buy or turn their personal cars into "mobile homes" to travel and explore freely. They see this as a travel option that ensures privacy, has many interesting experiences and especially has many opportunities for family bonding.
VietNamNet Newspaper introduces to readers the series of articles ' Traveling everywhere with a mobile home '.
Taking advantage of the weekend, Mr. Thang and his wife Ms. Huyen spent time cleaning their family's special "house". This "house" was designed and built by Mr. Thang, installed on a truck bed with an area of over 12 square meters and a height of over 2 meters. It has a bed, sofa, coffee table, kitchen, bathroom and full equipment such as air conditioner, washing machine, dryer, water filter, 300-liter refrigerator, etc.
"The truck bed is designed like a studio apartment, with enough space and amenities for my family to use during our trips. In the past 3 years, the whole family has gone on 2 cross-country trips and dozens of long-term trips to different locations across the North - Central - South. Since having our 'mobile home', my wife and I have not had to rent a motel or hotel," said Mr. Thang.
Spend 1.3 billion to "put apartments" on trucks
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thang (39 years old) and his wife Ta Thi Thu Huyen (38 years old, both living in Hanoi) are passionate about traveling. However, with three children (currently 15, 5, 2 years old), the family has fewer and fewer opportunities to travel together.
"Every trip becomes stressful when my wife has to rush to book tickets, book rooms, and pack large and small suitcases for the children. Especially when the children are still young, we have to bring milk bottles, diapers, medicine, and many other small things," said Mr. Thang.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, with more time at home, Mr. Thang began to learn about the "mobile home" model. In 2022, he started to "transform" a 16-seat car into a "mobile home", practicing taking his wife and children on long trips.
More than a year later, to have more living space and ensure safety, Mr. Thang decided to "upgrade" and buy a cargo truck.
"The roof of the truck is equipped with 6 solar panels to provide electricity for the devices in the car. The water tank holds up to 600 liters, so my family can comfortably use it for 3-5 days before needing to refill. Refilling water is as simple as pumping gas, wherever we stop the car, people are happy to give us water," said Mr. Thang.
"The cost of 1.3 billion VND is not small, enough for my family to go on dozens of 'luxury' trips across the country. However, trips on 'mobile homes' are an opportunity for the family to bond.
My wife, I and our children, especially the oldest one who is 15 years old, have a lot of time to talk, chat, eat together, and play together. Each trip helps my children and I get closer and understand each other better," said Mr. Thang.
Another reason why the Hanoi father "spent a lot of money" to build a "mobile home" is because the air is increasingly polluted, causing his two young children to often suffer from respiratory diseases. Whenever the weather is too cold, humid, and the pollution index is high, he and his wife drive "to take their children away".
Most recently, they left Hanoi on the 9th day of Tet to go to Da Nang to "escape the wet season" for 10 days. Da Nang is not too far away but the weather is sunny and cool, allowing the two children, aged 2 and 5, to play comfortably. The family can find a safe place to park along the beach to watch the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the afternoon.
Journeys of "healing"
For the past two years, every June, when his eldest son starts his summer vacation, Mr. Thang and his son travel across Vietnam. The whole family will choose a new destination, hoping to explore for a long time, so Ms. Huyen can take the little one to fly to.
In the summer of 2024, this family chose Quy Nhon as their "gathering point". For nearly the first week, Thang and his son went to the places their son wanted to go, talking as they went. The two of them went to the local market, enjoyed the specialties or bought food to cook in the car.
"I have a motorbike and an electric bicycle on my bike. I usually park at a fixed, safe spot and then my son and I ride into the village to explore the lives of the local people," said Thang.
The whole family reunited in Binh Dinh and then drove along the coastal road to Ho Chi Minh City, experienced the West and returned to the Central Highlands.
On this trip, the family spent the most time in coastal fishing villages, staying 2-3 nights at each place. In addition to swimming, Mr. Thang took his children to see how people raised and caught seafood, and to the islands to experience "wild life". He often contacted local friends in advance to ask them to recommend attractive places to visit.
The fishing village that Hanoi families love and stay in the longest is An Hai fishing village, Tuy An district, Phu Yen, a place with beautiful, pristine and peaceful scenery, likened to the scene in the famous Korean TV series "Hometown Cha - Cha - Cha", about 25km north of Tuy Hoa city center.
"An Hai fishing village has clear blue water, long stretches of white sand, and the people are very simple and hospitable. The landscape here is unique thanks to the strange, rugged rocks," said Mr. Thang. Every morning, the family can go to the market to buy seafood caught that day, which is very fresh and affordable.
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On the journey to explore the Central Highlands, the family's favorite place and the place where they stopped the longest was Mang Den because of its fresh, cool climate and majestic and poetic landscape. "This is an ideal place to 'live slowly' and travel by 'mobile home'. Because Mang Den doesn't have many places to stay yet. With the car, we can stay anywhere with beautiful scenery," said Mr. Thang.
Each trip across Vietnam usually lasts 2 months. When the family returns to Hanoi, it is also the time for the eldest son to return to school. The boy does not attend summer classes but spends all his time exploring the country, learning about geography, culture, and history. The luggage for the new school year is countless memorable memories with his parents and siblings. "My son's health and life skills have also improved significantly," said Mr. Thang.
At other times of the year, Mr. Thang and his wife often take their two children on short trips. "Once we choose a suitable destination, the whole family gets in the car, starts the engine and moves. I no longer have to worry about how to arrange milk, diapers, or cook porridge for the children," Ms. Huyen confided.
Mr. Thang owns a business. He still works remotely every day. When he needs to sign important documents and contracts, he signs, stamps them, and sends them to his employees by express mail. He prefers to stop for a long time in big cities with airports and hospitals. "If there is an urgent matter, I will fly back to resolve it and return the same day," he said.
According to Mr. Thang, many people say that these trips mainly serve the parents' needs, and the children don't know anything.
"In fact, my husband and I divide our time so that each family member can go to their favorite places. In places without beaches or amusement parks, I take time to take my children to amusement parks or shopping malls for 1 hour every day. The rest of the time, the children go camping with their parents, meet friends... We go on long trips and take the initiative in choosing where to eat and stay, so we never have to rush," he said.
The more they travel, the closer Mr. Thang and his children become.
Photo/Video: NVCC
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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ong-bo-ha-noi-chi-1-3-ty-dong-be-can-chung-cu-vao-xe-tai-dua-ca-nha-di-han-gan-2379041.html
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