Take A Peek Inside A Couple's DIY Fire Truck-Turned-Tiny House Sanctuary

Lovingly known as Tiny Firehouse Station No. 9, this is not your average DIY house; there’s no doubt about that. So why build a miniature firetruck home? Why not just a regular tiny house? Well, John has always felt a personal connection towards firefighters. Ever he since he was a small child, he has been captivated by the idea of firefighting and the people who risk their lives to do it. He told TODAY, “I still get excited when I see fire trucks!”

It was this passion that led John to build a tiny firehouse — but it wasn’t just about fulfilling a childhood fantasy; he wanted this project to be a real tribute to the brave men and women he’s admired for so many years. His vision was to build something that was more than a novelty home on wheels, and so he was determined to make it functional, inspirational, and something that could have a positive impact on the community.

John is no stranger to the tiny home life. He and his partner, Fin, built another tiny house that they lived in for years. Charmingly called “Beloved Cabin,” this eco-conscious, off-grid homestead is just over 300 square feet and is now rented out as an AirBnB. The enterprising couple have also played a large role in shining a spotlight on the tiny house movement. One way they do this is through their organization, the United Tiny House Association (UTHA).

“What I am most proud of is the direct impact we make in people’s lives,” John told Voyage ATL magazine in 2018. “We have helped put roofs over the heads of families, food on tables, life-saving equipment into fire departments, help further a student’s education… When I see all the happy faces, listen to the laughter, and witness so many people enjoying themselves at our events, I smile inside knowing that each of our attendees [is] supporting someone in need.”

“In a world where people are out to make a profit for themselves — which is very admirable when anyone can make an honest dollar — we are different from other events, as we focus on serving others and financially supporting a cornucopia of charities, non-profits, and great causes,” John explained. “Additionally, we give the attendees of our events what they pay for: a festival!” In fact, Jon and Fin are the hosts of the biggest annual tiny house festival in the United States.

And it’s quite the event. John explained, “We not only have many dozens of tiny homes for attendees to view and tour, but we also have live music, multiple bands and stages, fire performers, lots of entertainment, and so much more! We are also big on supporting the local communities where we have our events. In fact, we donate… [$10 per volunteer hour] to the local charity they designate.”

“Two years ago, there were no tiny-house events, and today there are one to four a month,” stated John. “Both people in the tiny-house community and entities in no way related… such as large expo and convention corporations, are all putting on tiny-house events today. Some are successful, some are not, and some are canceled right before their event dates.” With John’s organization, though, event cancelation and failure to succeed are things that simply don’t happen.

John said, “Our events keep getting larger and more successful. I do not believe it is because we are special, but I do believe it is because we are unique. And what makes us unique is that we organize each event with everyone else in mind... We are constantly thinking and planning on how our vendors and participants can make dollars during our events, how we can raise funds for all the non-profits and charities, what causes we can support… and how we can make sure the attendees of our events have an incredible experience.”

It is this thoughtfulness, according to John, that is the single most important element in the UTHA’s success — and in what makes his DIY firehouse special. He said, “Thinking of what others need first, instead of thinking of what I want, has definitely been the key ingredient for our huge success in such a short time.” He added, “I firmly believe that… stepping out of oneself and trying to walk in the shoes of others will allow a business the… opportunity to succeed in any market.” This ethos of John’s was going to be front and center in creating his tiny firehouse.

John and his partner, Fin, constructed the 148-square-foot space with the help of builders from Free Range Tiny Homes in just over a month. They wanted the place to look like a tiny firehouse, but they also wanted it to serve some important functions. To make this vision a reality, they wanted to get some experts on board. So, John and Fin enlisted the help of Georgia’s Putnam Country Fire Department in the build. Their idea was to design the tiny house that not only looks the part — but had real functioning design features that could actually help to educate people about proper fire-safety methods.

The Fire Department Chief’s first piece of advice? The home needed multiple entry and exit points. In a real firehouse, this is crucial. “In the event there’s an emergency, there are great opportunities to exit and great opportunities for some hero in red to get in,” explained John. So in total, John and Fin had three installed: a gate on the bathroom on one side of the house, a set of French doors on the other, and another set of French doors leading up and out of the bedroom loft to a balcony. From there, it’s then a simple matter of climbing down a small ladder to the ground! But for tiny home living, these entry points serve another key function: “It’s also a quick way to get [to] the bathroom at night!” Fin explained.

Naturally for a miniature firehouse, John and Fin made sure to include a working fire extinguisher. There is also a smoke and carbon monoxide detector placed near the kitchen for further safety. These are precautions that every house should have, but they are sometimes overlooked when building a tiny home. John explained, “It’s really important, because a tiny house sits behind a vehicle and there’s the chance of carbon monoxide gas coming in.”

John and Fin conduct a tour of their firehouse on the Tiny House Giant Journey YouTube channel. Looking at the outside, Tiny Firehouse Station No. 9 really does look like a miniature firehouse — from the fire rescue badge and red trimming to the original gauge panels. John explains, “So, the exterior, you can see it’s really a firehouse, but the inside is a total transition, total opposite end of the spectrum from what the outside looks like. My wife Fin, she designed all this. I take no credit on the design!”

No tiny firehouse home would be complete without a fireman's pole, so you bet that Tiny Firehouse Station No. 9 has one. “We had the opportunity to be able to strip down an old fire truck in a scrap yard,” explains John. He then shows off a golden brass fire pole in the middle of the home, and grinned as he says, “Every firehouse needs to have a slide pole. And besides, when we get crazy at night, I have to perform for my wife. She goes, ‘Get up there and dance, monkey boy!’”

Interestingly, though, the firefighter's pole isn’t entirely what it seems. John explains, “Actually, a brass pole for a firehouse runs [to] thousands of dollars. We couldn’t afford that. So, this is an actual schedule-galvanized-40 fence post.” It was then powder-coated to resemble brass. Truth be told, John and his team did a great job, as no layman would possibly be able to tell the difference!

Of course, there are a few other features you’d expect of a firetruck or firehouse. What about the siren? “Obviously, we have our siren system,” John explains. “I’m not going to turn it on because it’s early in the morning, probably people are still sleeping. But we have a big PA system. We took the loudspeakers and everything, they’re outside: we took that off the fire truck.”

“Funny story,” John continues conspiratorially. “We didn’t realize how loud this thing really is until I was giving a keynote [speech] at a college this past April down in Tampa. We had this in the parking lot and the students were like, ‘Turn it on! Turn it on!’ I turned it on. I let the sirens run for, like, 40 seconds.”

John continues, “A little while later we had two of Hillsborough’s finest firefighters saying, ‘Dude, don’t ever do that again. We were on the other side of the campus when we heard this, and we thought there was a problem.’” John, who has clearly learned his lesson, couldn’t help chuckling, “We’re kind of selective now!” and Finn added, “Understandably!”

Moving on, John points out a grid of square cubby holes on the wall and says, “The storage unit here, we were doing a tour of a firehouse in Putnam County, Georgia. Just getting some inspiration and ideas. They had these: it was raw pine. It wasn’t painted, but they had these storage cabinets pretty much just like this.”

“The guys who weren’t on call, in the top part was their helmet and their gloves,” reveals John. “And in the bottom part was their boots and their coveralls and their jackets and stuff. And when Fin saw that, she decided that’s what she wanted for storage in the house. Things get in the way in a small space, so our attitude is just [to] have it all open.”

“We use the firehouse for fire education, and we let fire departments use it at schools,” reveals John. “We use it for fundraising for fire departments: we help them with their boot drives. I’m really good at shaming people into donating money to fire departments! So, if you see me with the black boot outside… you’re not walking away without putting some green inside that thing, believe me!”

On the outside of the firehouse is one of the original fire truck’s gauge panels. As John jokes, though, “It’s just for eye-candy. It does nothing else!” Beside it is the gas cap from the original truck, which now houses the cables for the tiny home’s solar panels. Then, on the back of the house, is an old-time fire hose which John spotted in an antique store and simply had to have!

Building their dream firehouse tiny home wasn’t without complications for John and Fin, though. When they added the balcony and an outdoor shower, they lost a huge amount of weight on the front of their trailer. Luckily, they had a red fire hydrant they wanted as part of the design but weren’t entirely sure how to incorporate. Then their savior stepped in!

“Jason Green of Free Range, he came up with the bright idea of, ‘Let’s mount it on the tongue,’” reveals John. “That’ll give us all the weight you need. That put hundreds of pounds on the tongue: it’s welded and bolted. They engineered it out so that it’s the crankshaft for the trailer.” Not only that, but water actually runs through the hydrant, so it’s a water source and helps with towing the house!

Regarding that outdoor shower, John explains, “People always ask us, ‘What if it’s cold?’ The reality is it’s an on-demand shower. You turn the water on, you have scalding-hot water.” John reveals they prefer not to let their water drain, explaining, “We have a big basin here, and we’re really big on recycling our gray water.” It is then used in the house and garden area.

“We have a nature’s head, composting toilet,” continues John. “Fin and I are kind of trying really hard to be green. We live off-grid. We live on solar; we have our own well; we have a spring on our property. We’re kind of like the old green-acres couple, you know, from the big city now living in the woods! We’re figuring it out as we go along.”

Overall, living the tiny lifestyle has worked out amazingly for the Kernohans. They’re a hugely important part of the tiny community in the U.S., and they give a lot back. But, crucially, as John told TODAY, “We love the fact that we owe nobody anything. We like that financial freedom and it’s conducive to our lifestyle in regards to having a smaller carbon footprint.”

Brilliantly, John and Fin now use Airbnb to hire the firehouse out to couples who want to experience tiny-house living. People come from far and wide to the Kernohan’s property in Eatonton, Georgia, mere minutes away from Lake Oconee, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Seriously: its Airbnb page is littered with five-star reviews and glowing messages!

One such example came from a tourist named Pratik, who wrote, “One of the best Airbnb experiences we have had!” He added, “John and Fin were very proactive and helpful in every way. John made us coffee and pancakes and we chatted about our lives for many hours. He gave us local recommendations, which we did on our way back home. Definitely a revisit soon. I think this is what Airbnb means when they say, ‘Superhost!’”