Biggest Stealth Fails

[Blue]

Just wanted to get all your opinions on these...

Typically I think stealth fails happen for four reasons...

Light
Obvious visual cues
Sound
Movement

Light coming from cracks in covered windows etc. big fail generally.

Obvious Visual cues:
Condensation on windows, big fan vent open, liquid dripping out of back area of van (gray water etc) somebody smoking or cooking and smoke/steam coming out a disguised vent etc.

Sound: fans, TVs, radios, farts, coughs, laughter, talking (on cell or otherwise) cabnets or storage doors closing, etc.

Moving: movement in van causes body to rock slightly (I know any movement cues in people near by)

I left off smell stealth fails, I assume you could get caught from people smelling something you cooked or if you did something stinky in there, but I would think thats pretty rare.

ok so two questions... what should be on this list that isnt, and what ways would you correct stealth fails listed? (I mean I guess you could put jacks under your van to stop it moving around but gosh that would be a big fail all its own heh and says "please take my tires")

 

[Lucky mike]

Most of your reasons are correct and the main ingredient to stealth is "Observation"...yours and theirs , if you are going to be in a position that stealth is needed , you have to go NINJA and stay ninja .

if your cooking in the stealth mode,lights on ..or have noise coming from your unit....your not stealth.

if your instincts tell you when you park that its not going to work ...its not.
sometimes you just have to work harder to blend in....and some nites thats not going to be easy

that spot you found where nobody bothers you.....is no longer stealth when you keep going back to it.......somebody see's you

its kinda like telling a security guard at walmart you have only been there a nite when the video shows you coming and going for a month! so much for stealth

 

[Patrick46]

Stealth isn't difficult to do...but it does take dilligence!!

It's useless unless you take & handle it seriously.

 

[Reducto]

Curtains covering front windows or having lots of clutter on the passenger seat is a big giveaway. If you are in a situation where you need stealth, best to put a curtain behind the front seats or at least use a normal-looking windshield sun shield. Most people when they glance at a vehicle and see an empty driver and passenger seat will assume it's unoccupied.

Nobody should be regularly draining liquids onto the ground. Not does it call attention to you, it greatly increases the chance that someone who does spot you will report you. Plan your cooking to not produce waste water and pee into jugs that you carry away and empty into a toilet.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

If I need to be that stealth, I find my sleep spot then move on to another area and do all my cooking, talking, draining, hanging, tv watching, farting, bedmaking, then move back to where I want to sleep and climb into bed.

 

[Blue]

Are there any suggestions as to how to stop a van from rocking when your moving around inside of it? I know there are like hydrolic jacks that a lot of RVs use, but isnt that kind of obvious? maybe lower something behind the wheels?

 

[Reducto]

Are people really moving around so much that they get noticed? My van is small enough that I really only have a sitting position and a sleeping position - not much motion unless I'm moving from one to the other. Even then, it's just a few seconds worth and I don't know if that would be noticeable unless someone was right next to me.

Seems like you could keep from being noticed this way by 1) having peepholes or video cameras so you could watch the sidewalk before making noise and 2) creating an interior layout that doesn't require a ton of shifting or banging around. Have most of what you need within reach.

 

[Blue]

well I'm big and and have some back problems, when I adjust while sleeping the minivan rocks a bit, its tipped off others before. I dont move around much when I'm inside (really just sleep or read in there mostly) but when I do move, even a little bit, its noticable.

 

[GotSmart]

New shocks.

 

[akrvbob]

In my experience I think you missed two of the most important reasons:

1) Neighbors calling and complaining to cops
2) Spending too much time in one spot--either hours in a day or too many days in a row.

This was my solution to the problem:
1) have at least 7 sleep spots and rotate them daily
2) spend the minimum amount of time at your sleep spot. If you sleep 7 hours a night, only be in the sleep spot for 7 hours and 10 minutes. In other words, arrive at the last possible moment and leave as soon as possible after waking.
3) don't have anything that distinguishes your van for every other van. If the neighbors only see you once a week and can't tell you from every other van, they won't notice you so they won't call.

As long as I followed these rules I didn't get any knocks.
Bob

 

[Lucky mike]

things that screw up your stealth mode

As Bob Says....Over staying your welcome ....try in at sundown out at sun up....and find several places , and again dont overstay your welcome...

if you have a bunch of crap strapped down on your roof and your rig is nasty dirty, try parking by the salvage yard...you will fit in better and no one will notice.!

When I pull into walmart and your parked across 2 spaces the wrong way...your slider is wide open...your dog is tied to the door....yes thats stealth!!!....

pretty much if your going to be out here and want to be unnoticed you have to be unnoticed !!!!

people dont just stare at your van and think somebody is living in there....you have given them a reason.

I manage to hide a 26' wide body ..that is 10'9 high in plain sight and never get knocks...its all in your presentation

 

[WheelEstate USA]

You're right Mike. I think stealth is a big part frame of mind.

 

[Unchained]

Han Solo said it best:

“Keep your distance, though, Chewie, but don’t look like you’re trying to keep your distance. I don’t know. Fly casual.”

I think that stealth can sometimes be ruined by trying too hard to be 'stealthy'. If you look like you're trying to be sneaky, anyone who sees it will be suspicious. If you just casually go about your business (without being obvious), you will pass under many people's radar.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Yup...there's a big difference in being right under their noses and being right in their face.

 

[Blue]

Living a completely nocturnal lifestyle has some huge benefits and some drawbacks to van dwelling. On one side I can't violate most overnight camping laws as I'm awake from 10-6, sleeping during the day though means many more people to spot a minor stealth flaw (a big issue if you prefer privacy) dealing with changing heat (very cold at around 7:00 am, very hot at noon) more noise from traffic, and a more difficult time finding shaded isolated parking places.

 

[arizonatruck]

One thing that I learned from a homeless guy, after he wasn't homeless. He went to sleep after it got dark and then he woke up before the sun came up. He had a cell phone with no service with an ear bud that he used for an alarm, just in case. Somehow he had obtained a solar charger for his phone. I think he got that before he became homeless. He said he spent many a night behind bushes. A few months ago, I thought I saw him living in van.

 

[Belinda2]

How is this idea:
The outside of your van or truck has a vent/fantastic fan on the roof with a white cap. The cap is closed and appears low key and stealth. In the center of the cap, which you cannot see from street level, is a hole in it for air flow and ventilation. Rain control and "opening" and "closing" the vent. are controlled from the inside.

 

[Blue]

Yeah I been thinking about doing that, also considering a condensation cooler that has a temp setting... but the condensation cooler is like 340 bucks, if I could just get a temp sensitive fan myself (for like 10-30 bucks) I could basically make it myself.

the fantastic van I was considering getting and not using the roof vent at all (as that is the biggest give away to me that somebody might be in a van) and just top venting with computer fans and a small rear vents, maybe putting the fantastic fan upside down on the floor (to bring in cold air from under the vehicle) or put it on the top of the van and connecting vents to it (no roof vent)

BTW I almost broke down and got a roof AC unit, the roof AC cost about 700 bucks, but I can buy a nearly identical "easy start up" AC unit from costco with all the same power requirements for about 130.00... starting to think everything made specifically for "RVs" is super over-priced.

also been looking into "ejector" cooling, mists coolants out of something like a airbrush into air box (to cool it down) then filters the coolant from the air and fans it out. Very low watts/amps drain... so far there isnt a commercial one on the market but theres like 30 prototypes being built.

 

[Belinda2]

My other idea is to install a maxx air vent COVER or air conditioner COVER. Then, vents, etc. open underneath would not be noticed. Also, you would have the option since it is 14" high to have a stand up space in the unit for a shower, stretching, etc. If you are tall, you could put the vent up on a wooden frame and then attach the cover to it. I got two maxx air vent covers for $5 and vents for $10 with fans from a RV repair shop. Too obvious?

 

[SoulRaven]

Han Solo said it best:

I think that stealth can sometimes be ruined by trying too hard to be 'stealthy'. If you look like you're trying to be sneaky, anyone who sees it will be suspicious. If you just casually go about your business (without being obvious), you will pass under many people's radar.

Greetings!

For the most part I don't get this whole stealth mindset. Sure, I go into stealth mode if I'm parked under a no camping sign, but when I park in neighborhoods, I don't try to hide. Everybody knows I live in my van, their dogs know I'm always good for doggie treats, I wave at the cops when they pass by, and they wave back.

Most of my neighbors from anywhere I frequent know me by name, and I'm talking about in many cities & states. I don't even have curtains on my windows most of the time, and I'm frequently running lights most of the night.

I just tell everybody, cops included, that I travel a lot with my work, and by living in my van, I can take my home with me. If asked, I tell them I might be in an area for a month or more. All true, and usually if the cops do have a problem with it, they'll tell me where it will be okay and safe to stay for as long as I want. A couple of towns in Alabama the cops directed me to stay in their police parking lot. All of them know me by name and greet me with a smile when I return.

I offer free computer repairs to my neighbors, I'm a popular guy, they like having me around. They have my phone # and email address, and if they have computer problems when I'm away, I'll fix em up online if I can.

More than once I've been asked to return to some places where they were having trouble with vandals or thieves. If I'm available, I'll return and slap on my magnetic security signs, and the problems move elsewhere.

You can be an asset in the neighborhood you choose to live in, you don't have to be that homeless guy living in his van.

I think trying to hide will draw a whole lot more negative attention than just being honest and upfront with people. If I'm in a new neighborhood, I'll open both side doors, and sit on the stoop and say hello to the people passing by and hand out doggie treats to the ones with dogs. That's always a great ice breaker and most people figure if their dog likes you, you must be okay. If they're curious, I show them my home. Many people tell me they wish they could do what I do, others say they never could, but still don't fault me for doing it.

You could probably tell people you travel with your work whether you have a job or not. Maybe that is why nobody considers me homeless. Maybe it's because I don't consider myself to be homeless, I don't know...

I know one guy that travels around and lives in his van, and he has a sign on the back that says "Handyman Needs Work, Inquire Within". So I'd guess that he isn't trying to hide the fact that he lives in his van.

My van isn't very good at stealth, anybody that isn't blind can tell it's a camper van. So why hide? I know what to tell people and it's all true.

I don't think most of the "stealth" people are fooling anybody but themselves. If you're parked in a neighborhood, arrive late and leave early, there's people who know exactly what you're doing. They just don't complain because you're not causing any trouble.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man