This Old Delivery Truck's Dull Exterior Perfectly Hides a Well-Equipped Tiny Home Interior

The point of stealth camping is to get away with sleeping and living in your vehicle without anyone figuring out there's a person inside. In many urban areas, it's prohibited to park your camper, but you can get away with it, provided you have a rig that blends in.

There are other benefits to stealth camping. One is safety – by hiding the fact that your vehicle serves as a tiny home on wheels, you lower the chances of any people breaking into your space. Moreover, it's very convenient, eliminating the need for you to search for and reserve a campsite.

What we have here is a 2009 Workhorse W42 step van sporting a 4.8-liter V8 engine. Vaughn says it gets about 11 MPG (21 L/100km). This vehicle used to be a grocery delivery truck for Peapod – you can even notice where the company's graphics used to be. Even though it's finished in an eye-catching bright green paint, there isn't a single detail on the outside that suggests this rig is a camper.

Before we go into detail, let's talk about Vaughn's budget. He spent $9,500 (€8,666) on the base vehicle, then invested a further $8,000 (€7,298) into the renovation, bringing the total price of this build to around $17,500 (€15,964). That's almost half of what most specialized companies ask for a van conversion, of course, not including the price of the base vehicle.

Vaughn also did some mechanical modifications to the vehicle. When he bought it, it had 260,000 miles (418,429 km), so there were some components that needed replacement. For instance, he replaced the radiator, alternator, starter, and more.

In the driver's cabin, things look as they did originally. Because you can see inside through the windshield and side windows, Vaughn wanted people to believe this was a delivery truck, so he didn't make any drastic changes to the cabin. But once you pop open the door that leads to the living space, things change completely.

You'll discover a nicely decorated space with all the utilities you need to enjoy a comfortable life on the road. The first area you'll be in as you step inside is the kitchen. It features a spacious countertop, a fridge box mounted on a drawer slide, and a decently sized sink. The sink's plumbing system is located in a cabinet underneath it, comprising a pump connected to a five-gallon (19-liter) jug. All the used water ends up in an adjacent grey water canister.

Opposite the kitchen, you'll find the bathroom. It's a simple wet bathroom consisting of a dry-flush toilet and a shower. The best feature inside here is a skylight, which lets in much-needed natural light. One nice design touch is that on the exterior, next to the bathroom door, Vaughn added corrugated metal panels.

Lighting is one of the issues when building a stealthy camper. Most people want as much natural light shining inside their tiny homes on wheels, but the more windows you add, the more your vehicle will look like a camper.

Vaughn added a single side window to his rig, which can be covered on the inside by a small door. Other natural light sources during the day are a tiny skylight toward the truck's rear, the bathroom skylight, and a Maxxair ceiling fan (light partly shines through it).

Step deeper into the interior, and you'll be in the seating area. It comprises two long benches, one on each side. One hides a huge storage space underneath, while the other houses a propane-powered furnace. Another notable element is a swivel table, perfect for enjoying a meal or working on your laptop.

Behind the driver's side bench, you'll notice a striking graphic design on the wall that Vaughn painted himself. Well, this wall is, in fact, a Murphy bed. This arrangement not only makes the room more spacious during the day but also makes it very easy to set up the bedroom.

It takes a mere five seconds (yes, Vaugn actually timed himself) to lower the full-size bed, and then you're good to go. The two benches act as platforms, and you don't even have to install the mattress, as it's fixed on the bed.

Two gas struts also support the bed and help you raise it. Moreover, there's even a tiny space left on one of the benches where you can accommodate a guest, although it's not the most comfortable solution.

Other notable features in this area include a seat back for one of the benches and a projector screen. What's more, between the bathroom and the seating area, Vaughn devised a sizeable closet with a hanging space.

This rig's electrical closet is located next to the door, separating the driver's cabin from the living space. It features a Renogy charge controller, an inverter, fuses and breakers, and two batteries.

The final part of the rig is dedicated to storage. That's where you’ll find Vaughn's musical instrument tucked away in a compartment. Furthermore, the rearest area serves as a garage, holding a bike and various supplies and tools. It can also be accessed from the outside by opening the two rear doors. If you want to remain stealthy, make sure the doors don't stay open for too long.

All in all, it's incredible how stealthy Vaughn's rig is while also being equipped enough to serve as a full-time tiny home on wheels. What's even more impressive is that Vaughn built it all by himself, even though he had no prior experience.

He just had the ambition and dedication to learn how to do it all - he didn't even spend a large sum for the conversion, and it took him just seven months to complete the project.