Anyone recommend a good value stealth van?

[gslanm]

you know I left out a bunch of other negative stuff about FWD vehicles like towing,  handling, working on them,  build quality,  unibody,  etc.

highdesertranger

You'd stick with a RWD van then? So you're saying that the rear wheels are better from a wear and tear or if you add weight perspective, and just to be careful if there's snow generally? Are there even any AWD vans out there that make sense?

 

[gslanm]

gslanm if you'd said, I bought or I have,  I'd have just smiled and thought, That's nice,
It's fine to blow off what I've said, but listen to what HDR said, 
Talk to your auto body & insurance friends for there view on owning a unibody
Also I live in the northern plans (on a gravel road) & unless theres 2ft of snow on top of the ice, I'm going shopping, And yes I have a factory elocker,

I'd 100% not blowing off what you said. I'm just not knowledgeable and am basing my experience on FWD cars I've had vs RWD. In the snow, the car I've had FWD on is far more versatile and safe. I have no idea about any mechanics or how that translates onto a van or how weight complicates the situation.

No I plan on buying my van within 12 months. I don't have yet. I'm still in the phase trying to avoid serious mistakes. I'm asking bluntly, what would you buy then, rear wheel or all wheel? I'm assuming rear wheel? 

I'm a little depressed that you guys think stealthing is impossible to be honest. I mean my plan is to buy a magnet logo for the van with a made up business, and also keep it parked as strategically as possible in commercial spots and use the park late leave early scenario. Of course I'm solely worried about cops more than I am some nosy you know what trying to inspect.

 

[highdesertranger]

"I mean my plan is to buy a magnet logo for the van with a made up business,"

Mistake. don't lie your just digging your hole deeper. if you have a sign now your the target of commercial police.
are you going to print your business/contractor license on that sign? big red flag if you don't.
are you going to stop at weigh stations and commercial inspection stations?
commercial vehicles have far more restrictions on them and far more LEO's looking for violators.

highdesertranger

 

[gslanm]

Well I watched the channel video on stealth and one guy did that. But I was honestly just planning to make up something like "B & A transport" or some other vague description that almost looks like it could be an independent thing. But I get your point I guess. Plain white van kind of sticks out more though for sure, especially parked at night.

 

[riptorn]

Like HDR said, Throw away vehicle , Example - 3 years ago my daughter had a miner low speed 1 suv accident , Left front damage, She safely drove 2 & from work etc for about two weeks till ins told her it was a total (cheaper than fixing) If it had had a full frame it probably been less than $1500 , My '95 E150 with a 302, '05 Express 4.8L & my present '16 Express 2500 6L have all served me well, But the 4.8 was under powerd for my need's, You'll have to make your own decisions, Keep  learning,   :thumbsup:

 

[highdesertranger]

"3 years ago my daughter had a miner "

it wasn't me I swear.

highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Thanks, I needed the laugh!

 

[Cammalu]

HDR - bwahahaha

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . I'm just not knowledgeable and am basing my experience on FWD cars I've had vs RWD. In the snow, the car I've had FWD on is far more versatile and safe . . .

 . . . I'm asking bluntly, what would you buy then, rear wheel or all wheel? . . .

 . . . I mean my plan is to buy a magnet logo for the van with a made up business . . .

I lived and drove for years in Duluth, Mn. with a rear wheel, non-positraction car.  Going up and down those hills (I lived on 22 ave w) when FWD cars were getting stuck.  It's about learning how to drive on snow and ice.
As HDR and others have said, FWD vehicles are built cheaply and do not handle additional weight well.  If you put additional weight in back (your house) it will handle worst in all conditions.

With respect to driving in slippery conditions, from best to worst:
 - 1 - 4WD with lockers (preferred) or posi
 - 2 - 4WD
 - 3 - AWD
 - 4 - RWD with posi
 - 5 - [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]RWD, no posi[/font]
 - 6 - [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]FWD, little weight on rear axle[/font]
 - 7 - FWD, with lots of weight on rear axle

If you are worried about driving in slippery conditions I would recommend:
 - 4WD with at least posi
 - tires rated for snowy conditions (winter tires are better)
 - - if you can add studs they will handle better on ice
 - some training on how to drive in slippery conditions

re: "[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]made up business[/font]"
"Oh what a tangled web we weave . . ."

Some things to consider:
 - will it cancel your insurance if they find out you are advertising your vehicle as commercial?
 - does where you park require a business license number displayed?
 - will you be checked for no displayed DOT registration?

 

[Bobhdus]

Checkout a small breadtruck. Mine is the size of the largest transit or sprinter and looks like an industrial vehicle. Can park in any manufacturing or industrial parking lot overnight with no issues... I don’t live in mine (it’s business/ recreational), but I know people that do live in their Stepvans... check out Paul Barger aka “breadtrucker” or Seven Wanders on YT. Transits and sprinters are getting pretty obvious nowadays and not as stealthy as you think. Plus Stepvans are made to be heavy duty. I bought mine for $1500, and put a couple a thousand in it to get it how I wanted. But mines a 74 and no fancy electronic stuff. It’s all old school mechanical and easy to work on. And to answer a question I seen above, Ford has an AWD model Transit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[East_Coast]

I'm also interested in stealth living in the same area (Bucks county PA or Mercer/Burlington co NJ) so I can relate to the need for stealth. The east coast is not like the southwest where lots of posters seem to hang out. It's a whole different vibe.

I think the advice upthread to look at what type of vehicles are common in your area is really good. That's one reason why I'm going to buy a minivan.

Firstly, I'm a middle aged woman. I look like a soccer mom. I don't look like someone who does contracting or whatever for a living. So it's already drawing people's attention on some level when I jump out of a contractor van. Me stepping out of a minivan? Nobody on Earth would notice, because that's what matches their expectations.

Secondly, I see minivans up and down the street all over in this area. Nobody will notice one more. I'm also doing a no-build build. Having all kinds of furniture nailed together in the van is just begging for trouble. These cops out here play no games and are quick to mess your life up. No reason to invite more trouble.

 

[user 423]

Me stepping out of a minivan? Nobody on Earth would notice, because that's what matches their expectations. 

Secondly, I see minivans up and down the street all over in this area. Nobody will notice one more. I'm also doing a no-build build.

This is pretty obvious but you need to keep in mind that if you're living in a minivan you will want privacy. If you have nothing covering the windows, passersby or police will see you sleeping in the van. They will also see bins,camping gear,etc. that says someone is living in the van.

The alternative is to cover the windows with Reflectix,etc. That will be a big tip-off that someone is living in the van.  That's why cargo vans with few windows are preferred. The downside to that is it can be too claustrophobic with little light and reduced ventilation.

Depending on where you park, you stepping out of a minivan early in the morning more than one day in a row, or having lights on at night will draw notice. You can drive around and find different places and rotate but that can burn a lot of gas.

It's hard to achieve true stealth for any length of time.

 

[Qxxx]

These cops out here play no games and are quick to mess your life up. 

EC, you also need to realize that the windows of the minivan will fog up on the inside, and also frost up on the inside in winter, which is an obvious giveaway that someone is sleeping in there. I got run out of Aspen in the middle of the night for that reason. The cop was beating on the van and yelling at me loud enough to wake the whole town.

 

[user 423]

Firstly, I'm a middle aged woman. I look like a soccer mom.

These cops out here play no games and are quick to mess your life up. No reason to invite more trouble.

I was going to add that since you would appear as no threat to the cops, then maybe you would have luck in getting them to fill you in on where you could park legally and safely in your area.

Then I re-read your post and comment about the cops. Good luck.

 

[Matlock]

You need to call the DMV before you go much further or at least check their website. In NJ you are not allowed to advertise anything on your vehicle without it being registered as a commercial vehicle and have proof of commercial insurance. That includes a magnetic sign. They don't care if it's a fake name. 10 years ago it was an automatic $400 fine.
Also, I thought they issue a different plate for commercial Vs non-commercial vehicle plate.

A white van is standard for commercial businesses throughout the country... from my observation. Matters not how high the roof is or what is on the top. I'd go with a Transit High Top in 144" wheelbase in RWD.

Do your best to stay clear of those areas that are prone to theft/vandalism. Even if it means driving a bit further out from the city. To me it's worth the hassle to be safe.

I'm not in NJ so this is just my 2¢

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

I lived and drove for years in Duluth, Mn. with a rear wheel, non-positraction car.  Going up and down those hills (I lived on 22 ave w) when FWD cars were getting stuck.  It's about learning how to drive on snow and ice.
As HDR and others have said, FWD vehicles are built cheaply and do not handle additional weight well.  If you put additional weight in back (your house) it will handle worst in all conditions.

With respect to driving in slippery conditions, from best to worst:
 - 1 - 4WD with lockers (preferred) or posi
 - 2 - 4WD
 - 3 - AWD
 - 4 - RWD with posi
 - 5 - [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]RWD, no posi[/font]
 - 6 - [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]FWD, little weight on rear axle[/font]
 - 7 - FWD, with lots of weight on rear axle

If you are worried about driving in slippery conditions I would recommend:
 - 4WD with at least posi
 - tires rated for snowy conditions (winter tires are better)
 - - if you can add studs they will handle better on ice
 - some training on how to drive in slippery conditions

re: "[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]made up business[/font]"
"Oh what a tangled web we weave . . ."

Some things to consider:
 - will it cancel your insurance if they find out you are advertising your vehicle as commercial?
 - does where you park require a business license number displayed?
 - will you be checked for no displayed DOT registration?

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]This right here. People with cars usually think fwd is better in snow because the weight is over the drive tires. When you build out your rig, you'll have the weight over the rear tires. And rw[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]d is leaps and bounds cheaper and easier to work on than fwd.

Also, like some have stated, look at step vans like bread trucks and such. You can get them in many different drivetrain options, they are made out of aluminum so no rust and rot, and the prices are reasonable.[/font]

 

[East_Coast]

EC, you also need to realize that the windows of the minivan will fog up on the inside, and also frost up on the inside in winter, which is an obvious giveaway that someone is sleeping in there. I got run out of Aspen in the middle of the night for that reason. The cop was beating on the van and yelling at me loud enough to wake the whole town.

I was planning on running a small dehumidifier while sleeping, with windows cracked an inch (rain guards can hide that) and those silica dehydrating pillows. Is that going to work, do you think?

 

[Qxxx]

I have no experience with a dehumidifier myself, as I don't do stealth. However, I can tell you that in my van in winter in Arizona, a "huge" amount of condensed water vapor sometimes forms on the metal ceiling (no insulation). By huge I mean enough that I take a towel to wipe it off. So, YMMV especially back east where humidity is much higher.

 

[user 423]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] And rw[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]d is leaps and bounds cheaper and easier to work on than fwd.[/font]

This is true but if you have a 4x4 or AWD vehicle that requires work on the front drive components, you would have the same problems as when repairing a FWD vehicle.

 

[highdesertranger]

if you have an old school 4x4 with a straight axle and locking hubs(the only type I would consider) they are nothing like a front wheel drive. nothing in common. highdesertranger