About Building The Beast: A funny true story of van life, DIY disasters, and one very big truck by Jacqueline Lambert
The Comic Memoir of a Crazy Idea
WINNER: The Wishing Shelf Book Awards BRONZE – Adult Non-Fiction
WINNER: Readers’ Favorite 5* Seal 2024
FINALIST: Page Turner Awards 2024
When Jackie and Mark buy a HUGE 30-year-old army truck blind off the internet, they dive headfirst into the world of DIY camper builds, overlanding, and tiny-house living.
With four dogs, zero experience, and a rapidly shrinking budget, they race to turn The Beast into a rugged off-grid expedition truck, ready for their dream trip to Mongolia.
But their first-ever self-build turns into a whirlwind of disruption, red tape, disasters, and “what were we thinking?” moments. With their house sold to fund the dream, failure isn’t an option.
A funny, fast-paced true story for fans of van life memoirs, overland adventures, and DIY projects – perfect for readers who love chaos, comedy, and big dreams on six wheels.
As seen on TV: meet The Beast in a guest appearance on Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild (Channel 5).
Originally published in April 2024, this is an updated edition with a new cover.
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Author Bio:
Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is an award-winning travel writer, adventure traveller, and dogmother.
B.C. (Before Canines) she hurtled, slid, submerged beneath, and threw herself off bits of every continent except Antarctica.
A.D. (After Dog), she quit work to become a full-time nomad.
Initially, as an Adventure Caravanner, she aimed To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before – with a husband (Mark) and four dogs. This included towing across two cornfields, along a footpath, and letting Caravan 'Kismet' ('Fate') join the Mile High Club when they crossed the Carpathian Mountains on one of the world's most dangerous roads.
Since 2021, she has been at large in The Beast, a 24.5-tonne army lorry she and Mark bought blind off the internet to convert into an off-grid home-on-wheels fit for a trip to Mongolia.
Her memoirs about life on the road have been described as 'Inspirational', 'Laugh out loud funny', and 'Armchair travel delight'.
While chronological, each book is a standalone tale.
11/26/2025