INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - There are many reasons to downsize, but you might say a Broad Ripple couple is taking it to the extreme.
Amber Champion and Quinn Beacom are moving out of their townhome and pursuing a new "Suburban" lifestyle.
In fact, Champion is in the midst of a moving sale, announcing on NextDoor that "everything must go," from her beds and furniture to clothing and electronics.
Pointing to her belongings, she said, "I cleaned out the closet and I'm down to five sweaters and five shirts...yeah, we're getting rid of everything."
She and Quinn are going "tiny," as in SUV small. They plan to leave their townhouse for a 2000 Chevy Suburban, the one Amber learned to drive in when she was 15.
"My sister's had it, my dad, my mom and now it's my turn," Amber said, to turn it into a one-room home.
Quinn, a mechanical engineer, has been working on scaled sketches since August.
He plans to build a pop-up roof to add height and a slide-out to expand interior space when the vehicle is parked. He said a king-size bed will lower from the roof. There will be a tiny kitchen area, shower, toilet, desktop and table able to seat six people.
Overall, they expect about 50-60 square feet of usable space.
Oh, and the couple's two dogs, Jax, a whippet, and Doug, a golden Lab, will be along for the ride as well.
Amber points to the front windshield where she envisions a hammock for Jax to sleep at night.
If you're thinking "crazy," Amber agrees wholeheartedly.
"It is absolutely crazy," she laughed. "I agree 100%, but why not if you have the ability to give it shot and try?"
She said part of it is a desire to get out from under student loans and medical debt.
"We wanted to go tiny, not to have to worry about mortgage payments and utilities and be completely off the grid," Amber said.
But she said it's also about traveling and seeing the world.
"It really started with a two-week camping trip, where we were living in the Suburban and saying, 'Hey, we could do this full-time. This is enough for us.'"
She said her ultimate dream is to drive their tiny Suburban home from Alaska to Argentina.
The couple estimates it will take about $10,000 to overhaul the SUV. They plan to move to Illinois in the next few weeks and live with Amber's parents until their new home on wheels is done, which is they hope is by year's end.
The Suburban has more than 400,000 miles on it. The engine's been replaced twice and the transmission once, but Quinn's not worried. It turns out his grandfather was featured in a Chevy commercial a few years ago for having reaching a million miles on his vehicle.
Amber said she and Quinn are definitely taking "a big leap," but if not now, when?