The Neverwas Haul is a three-story, self-propelled mobile art vehicle built to resemble a Victorian house on wheels. Inspired by the fantastical stories of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the Haul was designed by Shannon O’Hare and built by a crew of volunteers at the Shipyard art space in Berkeley, CA, in 2006. Originally intended to be a ‘mutant vehicle’ for the Burning Man art festival in Nevada, the Haul is made from 75% recycled materials, and measures 24 feet long, 24 feet high, and 12 feet wide.
Although built just over 10 years ago, the design of the Neverwas Haul looks like it originated in another era
The Neverwas Haul has been constantly changing since the day it was made. The design doesn’t really change, but worn-out pieces are constantly replaced. Judging by its appearance, it would seem that the Haul is steam-powered, although this is not the case. The creator says that a boiler was initially installed to create steam but unfortunately it didn’t work very well. It now has a diesel engine and is maneuvered using a wooden ship’s wheel.
The Haul can move in two different ways. It can be towed by a pickup truck, in which case the top structure can be taken apart and folded into the rest of the “building.” When at Burning Man or trade shows, it can move under its own power as well, though not by steam power as you would be tempted to believe.
As for the purpose of Neverwas Haul, it’s admirably noble – and difficult because of it: to encourage people to create and to tell them to follow their dreams until they become real
