First-timer needs help with vehicle choice

[Owlie]

I'm in the vehicle choosing stage right now. I need to know where I'm going to be living before I can jump into down-sizing again.  I would hope to be in a a tall van with room to stand up as I have severe neck problems so bending my neck a lot would not be good, but looking for an affordable used one is proving to be unrealistic now. I have to be out of my current situation in the next 2-4 months. So ... I've been looking at minivans and SUV's. Here is my main, basic question: If people who get vans and trucks want "lift kits" for better ability to be on back roads, etc., would I be better off finding an SUV or a 4WD vehicle than a minivan which is low to the ground and best on well paved surfaces? What is the advantage of a minivan over a SUV? What are the advantages/drawbacks of each? 

My secondary question might seem weird, but what about vehicle color? Is a black vehicle less desirable than a white one? Is it harder to keep cool? What about a distinguishable color (red, orange, blue, etc)? If one were to be "stealth camping" would that color draw too much attention?

Any experienced information would be appreciated!

 

[bullfrog]

White is the coolest color by several degrees. Lighter colors like silver are a few degrees cooler than dark colors like dark blue. Black is the hottest. There are plenty of options for types of vehicles, it mainly depends on you, if your neck is really bad a trailer, truck camper or high top may be your only choice. Better to limit your choice of camping spots than to be in pain while there!

 

[highdesertranger]

I always advise against lifting any independent suspension vehicle. Just don't do it. Highdesertranger

 

[crofter]

Use what you have for starters, and save up for your dream rig. I started out with a pickup, and now have a cargo van. 
-crofter

 

[maki2]

Get something with enough power to tow a cargo trailer in case you want to expand your living and storage space later on. Don't bother with low ground clearance vehicles. Four wheel or all wheel drive with ground clearance is of course a good thing to have. The cliser you get to optimL the better off you will be for eady resale if you want to change vehicles later on. The reason such rigs are scarce is because they are popular. The closer it gets to summer the harder they will be to find.

 

[maki2]

Stealth camping is pretty much a myth even when yuou try to be discreet. The cops will spot you by your parking choice. They have regular patrol assignments. People in residential neighborhoods notice strange vehicles on their street. That is why people try not to use the same spot twice when urban camping and wait until after dark and leave before daylight.
Of course it is easy to spot someone that is hanging out in their vehicle all day.

 

[lab_nomad]

Hmm, not sure I agree totally with that. I’ve seen it said a lot on this forum, and I think it may be a case of being immersed in the lifestyle and assuming everyone knows what you know. If you asked me what percentage of vehicle sales are for minivans, I would probably give a higher number than what is actually true, b/c ever since I bought my minivan, all I see on the road are minivans!

I think you’re probably right about law enforcement, especially in areas where they enforce. They know what to look for and whatnot. But residents? Maybe I’m an anomaly b/c I’m an introvert, but even when I lived in a neighborhood, I couldn’t tell you whose car was whose, except for my immediate neighbors. And I would assume any cars I didn’t recognize belonged to visitors, and I wouldn’t give a hoot. I mind my own business. I would only take notice if there was lots of loud noise or cars coming up to a house and honking, especially if it was repeatedly.

Now, I’m in a large city in an apartment complex. I know the make and model of the cars in the parking spots immediately to the right and left of me, but I don’t pay attention to the other cars. There is street parking on all the streets around here (with meters), so people are always coming and going. I think most towns don’t have enforcement of meters after a certain time, so there is overnight parking on the streets around the building. I sure as heck don’t notice any of those cars, unless there is something strange going on.

Now, NOSY people might be aware of everyone’s cars, etc. At one apartment building I lived in, there was an old lady would sat outside her apartment which faced the bank of mailboxes. She talked to everyone and knew their life stories. I took to getting my mail at night just to avoid her. So, I think some people are hyper vigilant, but lots aren’t.

I was talking to my aunt the other day, and she said, “Do you know those sun shades people put in their front windows to keep their car cool? Well, I saw an RV with those in ALL the windows.” I told her it was probably reflectix. She didn’t know what that was. 

So, I think that people who aren’t in this lifestyle and who aren’t law enforcement probably don’t notice people who are doing all the things right.

 

[highdesertranger]

It's mostly the newbies that think they are hiding and no one knows they are there. Once you have been doing this for awhile you kinda of realize stealth is just a myth. Highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

I was talking to my aunt the other day, and she said, “Do you know those sun shades people put in their front windows to keep their car cool? Well, I saw an RV with those in ALL the windows.” I told her it was probably reflectix. She didn’t know what that was.

How many minivans parked in lots or on the street do you see with all the windows covered?

That definitely would draw notice.

 

[jacqueg]

I have never aimed for stealth. too many variables.

What I do aim for is innocuousness. So what if I'm traveling in a van? Lots of people enjoy traveling, and most of them are not rich. the question is, do I look/act/talk like a harmless retired person who is on a trip? Or do I look/act/talk like someone who is looking for a permanent parking spot?

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I often talk about "stealthing", but it's not that we can hide it with solar panels and the fan housing on top. What has worked for us is (yes, this is sexist) is sticking Hubby in the back when I park in our nighttime spot after teeth brushing and walking the dogs elsewhere. An old lady in a van is less threatening to most people than a male in a white cargo van. We've not been rousted since 1997 in Berkeley.

Not all cops know that you're living in a van. My son is a sheriff's deputy here in New Mexico and he says some of his fellow deputies didn't know that a vehicles (non-RV) with solar panels and a fan on top are likely van/car dwellers. Even if they know, they don't care unless someone complains. Paperwork is a hassle they like to avoid and they usually have more local fish to fry with meth heads and alcohol. So the moral or the story is just not to piss anyone off.
Ted

 

[lab_nomad]

How many minivans parked in lots or on the street do you see with all the windows covered?

That definitely would draw notice.

Yes, but...all the minivans I have seen have tinted windows. Yes, if there’s a light on inside or if you get close you can see inside, but if someone put a dark covering over the windows, people might not notice. If I saw reflectix in the windows, then yeah, I know someone’s in there, but if I just can’t see, I’d assume it was the tinting. 

Unless it’s common for people other than police officers to go up to vehicles unknown to them and press their noses to the glass and shine flashlights. I would find that odd behavior.

 

[lab_nomad]

Not all cops know that you're living in a van. My son is a sheriff's deputy here in New Mexico and he says some of his fellow deputies didn't know that a vehicles (non-RV) with solar panels and a fan on top are likely van/car dwellers.  Even if they know, they don't care unless someone complains.  Paperwork is a hassle they like to avoid and they usually have more local fish to fry with meth heads and alcohol. So the moral or the story is just not to piss anyone off.
Ted

For sure, solar panels and fans are a giveaway. But if a person was just sleeping in their vehicle and living “out of it” and not “in it,” especially if it was a car, SUV, or minivan, then I think a person could totally be stealthy, if they roll in late to sleep and roll out early. I can’t imagine a resident would go outside at midnight with a flashlight and check all the cars on the block. That person would be a wacko. 

But yeah, if you’re living in a vehicle and you have all the amenities...solar, fan, etc. then yeah, you’re not stealthy.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^Apparently you either had a convertible or never made out in a car with the windows up on a cool evening as condensation gets you caught every time! LOL!!!