The Stealthy Stag Is a Stealth Cargo Trailer Turned Into the Most Magical Tiny Home

Downsizing to tiny houses or other types of mobile homes has seen a surge in popularity over recent years, particularly in the aftermath of the 2020 international health crisis, prompting the rise of a new culture of vanlifers, tiny dwellers, and digital nomads who share their lifestyle online. To those watching at home, whether already part of this community or considering the transition, this means a wide range of content to peruse, get inspired by, or admire.

The Stealthy Stag is just that. Named in honor of a family heirloom, a pair of stag antlers that's been turned into the centerpiece of the build, it's a cargo trailer that's been converted into the most magical, surprising, treehouse-like tiny house you're likely to see this month. Or ever. It's the work of an artist, so no wonder.

This is the home of Boulder, CO-based artist Caley Cason, and it's been recently featured on the popular Tiny House Giant Journey channel, which focuses on alternative housing solutions. It's a full DIY (do it yourself) conversion that started with a stealth cargo trailer that Cason bought off the lot for $8,500.

It's also a most impressive conversion. Cason has been living inside it for the past three years, during which time he's continued building. He estimates he's already invested over 500 work hours in the build, which should come as no surprise when you hear a single cabinet door usually takes him over 20 hours. That's because they're all hand-carved to match the overall style, featuring 3D leafing and butterflies.

The trailer is 7 by 14 feet (2.1 by 4.2 meters), offering 88 square feet (8.1 square meters) of interior space. It's a dual-axle trailer with leaf spring suspension, and the only custom touches in the added window by the door, the propane containers on the tongue, and the roof-mounted 200W solar panel.

Cason chose an enclosed trailer for privacy reasons because they're the kind that doesn't attract attention in the city landscape. He also wanted that cocoony feel inside, which goes perfectly with the space he crafted, drawing inspiration from apothecaries and treehouses.

While the exterior is shiny and chrome (though not Mad Max-style), the interior is very cozy. Stained pine with polyurethane was used extensively to create the intricate sculptures, from the tree "growing" out of the living room floor and expanding across the ceiling to the serpent wrapped around another tree in the kitchen.

The kitchen is at the front, and it's where the apothecary inspiration is most obvious. It features open shelving and intricate handiwork, but it is still very functional, with a two-burner propane stove, a large sink, a 30-gallon (113.5-liter) fresh water tank under the sink, cabinets, and even a ventilated cupboard for the kitty litter box.

A thick iron rod across the ceiling is perfect for pull-ups or the farm swing that doubles as a guest chair.

The bathroom is located in the middle of the trailer, with corrugated iron for the metal sidings, a half-tub in the shower, a gorgeous handmade sink over a floating vanity, and a composting toilet that is, as of the time of writing, still a work in progress. Like in the kitchen, custom touches abound. A pickaxe repurposed as a towel rack is the most striking example, but the stock watering tank comes a close second.

Opposite the bathroom is a miniature office space, with a standing desk by the window and a special shelf for Cason's cat. As is the case with all humans, this is the cat's home, and Cason is more like a guest – a joke you'll appreciate best if you're a cat person.

The bedroom is at the rear, with a queen-size mattress positioned inside a gorgeous nook that is just as good for sleeping as it is for work. There's ample storage underneath and around the bed, thanks to custom shelving. Cason plans to lower the bookcase on the rear wall and use the trailer's drop-down platform as a deck, which would halfway open up his bedroom to the outside.

Cason has styled the home to have two "modes." There's a daytime mode, with natural and cold lighting, when the all-wood interior takes center stage, and then there's the party mode, when everything comes to life with colored LEDs. Cason put LEDs inside the serpent's eyes, in the leaves of the fake tree with foliage across the roof, and even on the ceiling of his bedroom. It's just the thing for when you're attending Burning Man or other festivals, he says.

Cason has invested $25,000 in his tiny home so far and more than three years of work, during which time he's also lived in it. He's not yet done, though, and speaks of further improvements and additions, like the rear deck he has in mind and finishing the composting toilet.

Cason is clearly very skilled with his hands, and it shows in his "livable [piece of] art" that he calls home. Unless you're too, chances are The Stealthy Stag won't be much in terms of inspiration, but it sure is very pretty to look at!

If you've ever found yourself thinking that maybe downsizing has peaked and that builds are getting rather unimaginative, this stealthy trailer conversion can convince you otherwise.