Getting around the "white cargo van = lucrative breakin" thing

We all know that the standard white cargo vans are attractive prey to folks looking for expensive tools and equipment they can steal and sell. So I'm just wondering about some possible strategies for defusing this expectation, such as:
1. Buying a non-white van (although they seem relatively rare, and mechanical soundness is Job 1)
2. Painting a white van a different color (which costs thousands)
3. Adding distinctly personal decals such as cartoon characters, other pop-culture imagery etc. that a commercial van would never have (at the risk of making your vehicle more recognizable and therefore less stealthy: "Hey, that same Calvin and Hobbes fan keeps parking here....")

What do you think? Or is it a non-issue?

Umm park in a different/safer location………

Sayin
intjonny

I would be more concerned about any other color than white getting 10 degrees hotter in summer sun than someone thinking a white van would be better to break into. Lol!!!

bullfrog ! said:

I would be more concerned about any other color than white getting 10 degrees hotter in summer sun than someone thinking a white van would be better to break into. Lol!!!

Click to expand...

Paint so white it is predicted to replace air conditioning:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/inno...-someday-replace-air-conditioning-180977560/#

Wonder if it is on the market. The article is from 2021.

More about that paint: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/rel...-is-here-and-its-the-coolest.-literally..html

I have Beware Of The Dog sign in my window....and I'm thinking about buying a tape recording of a dog barking (Amazon)

Small magnetic signs for the front doors that indicate "Diaper Service". Hang an air freshener over the dash too.

You are unfortunately under the misconception of why vehicles in cities get broken into. Vans and cars are not wanted just for what you carry inside them. They are wanted for the basic components that can be stripped out of them and resold. Vin numbers are traceable and can put a thief in jail. Wiring harnesses, interior panels, etc are not easily traceable. You might get the van back but it will have been found stripped out of components and it can't be driven. The thieves do not care what color you paint it or what decals you put on it.

ganchanRV said:

So I'm just wondering about some possible strategies for defusing this expectation

Click to expand...

We had a whole thread about business logos you could paint on the side. Some were quite good! Stuff like:

Diaper Cleaning Service.
Mobile Infectious Disease Lab.
Rabies Control.
Python Rescue. Rattlesnake Rescue. Tarantula Rescue.

user 22017 said:

Wonder if it is on the market. The article is from 2021.

Click to expand...

Ordinary white paint already reflects nearly all solar rays... that's why it looks white. Other features like durability are more important than getting 3% more of the sun reflected.

It's not going to "replace AC"... or make any difference that a person would notice.

eDJ_ said:

Small magnetic signs for the front doors that indicate "Diaper Service". Hang an air freshener over the dash too.

Click to expand...

I LOVE IT!!! ...Thanks
I'm going to use it:
Dukey -Poo
24 hour Dirty Diaper Service

With the Beware Of The Dog sign I might have people calling the cops on me for locking up a 'dog' in a hot van.