This Amazon delivery van has more than brown boxes inside

  • This Amazon delivery van has something surprising behind its doors
  • The couple transformed the Ford van into a unique place to live
  • They’ve seriously thought of everything

Published on Jul 03, 2024 at 6:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Jul 04, 2024 at 5:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

This enterprising couple could be the joint Jeff Bezos of tiny homes, as they turned an Amazon delivery van into a unique place to live.

Hope and Manny Hernandez had just 95 square feet to work with.

And it totally works as a piece of Prime real estate on wheels.

READ MORE: See inside the RV labeled ‘the epitome of luxury’ that is better than some houses

How they started van life

Using their Instagram account, Beer Run Bus, to share their journey, this is actually the second project for the content-producing couple.

The Hernandez’s first foray into tiny living happened in April 2021.

They left their 1,200-square-foot Florida apartment for a 187-square-foot shuttle bus that they used to visit breweries across the US.

Ten months later they sold that tiny home and returned to Florida to open a bubble tea café.

But after their feet started to itch, in October 2022 the couple bought an Amazon delivery van for sale at a Ford dealership in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for $49,000.

That’s when their serious renovation journey began.

Into that Amazon life? A YouTuber who bought a house off Amazon for $30,000 reveals what it’s like to live there.

The Amazon delivery van conversion

“We knew we wanted to go full-on, high-end in every area, regardless of the price,” the pair told lovePROPERTY about their decision not to set a budget.

Inspired by the elegant and simplistic Japandi fusion of e and Scandinavian interiors, the couple opted for a clutter-free and minimalistic approach.

Custom cabinetry and other storage hacks, simple white walls and light wood flooring, countertops, and ceiling slatting, helped the limited space of the interior feel both bright and spacious.

With comfortable upholstered and seat-belted swivel seating to use both on the go and at a standstill – the space is truly multifunctional.

Other smart van-life touches include locking latches and raised-edge shelving to prevent doors from rattling while the vehicle is moving.

When cranked down, the dinette table can be lowered to the level of the benches to form a queen-size bed with the bench cushions doubling as a mattress.

The couple claims they barely used the shower in their first tiny home and so, relying on gym facilities, installed an outside shower used mainly for their dogs, instead.

The toilet is concealed in a cabinet below one of the kitchen countertops, mirrored by a small sink.

“You can’t rush perfection,” the couple said of the time-consuming renovation and space-saving touches.

This is far from slumming it, however, as the tiny home features all their home comforts.

The van’s electrical system is strong enough to power everything – including the air-conditioning minus a generator.

Hope and Manny hope their living costs will be halved by living in the van full-time.

As for the conversion cost of $35,000, it’s dwarfed by the final MRSP of $150,000.

As such, the pair have established a successful bus conversion business.

“Living on the road isn’t fun and easy every day,” they confessed of their ‘pure freedom’.

“Things break, vehicles need maintenance. It’s inevitable, but it’s worth it to us.”

Now that property prices are rising across the globe, people are getting creative when it comes to their accommodation.

This is especially true in countries like the US, where the housing situation seems to be out of control.

From school buses converted into homes, to the guy who turned his Chevy truck into an apartment, they all look pretty good.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”