How to hide

[Mangyhyena]

How would you hide your RV on a piece of land, whether you own the land or not?

Why? Maybe as a hidden bug-out location, or maybe because I just don't want to be bothered by anyone or any local govt agency. Maybe it would just be flat-out cool to know I could completely dissappear. Maybe I'll grow up some day.

I've thought of a few ideas. I'd like to hear yours.

1. Bury a bus that has been converted to an RV. I've seen the buried bus idea used for a cheap tornado shelter as well as an in-ground shelter. Doesn't seem a huge leap to do an RV conversion before burying it to make a shelter that is hidden, comfortable, and protected from the elements.

2. Build a garage, berm it, then park the RV inside. Covering it with dirt should make it look like a hill, once grass & weeds grow. I have no real idea of how to disguise the garage doors, though.
Could use sandbags to build the structure, concrete it, cover with a moisture barrier, then cover with dirt.

3. Purposely grow a stand of trees/bushes, leaving a clearing to park the RV in the middle. Bamboo might work for this as it's fast growing. Winter might pose a challenge, though. And, it can still. E seen from the air.

4. Build a hay shelter, park the RV inside it, then stack hay bails in front so it looks like the whole thing is filled with hay bails. These hay shelters have a slanted roof, sides, and an open front. They're only for keeping the elements off hay bails. I saw them frequently in hay fields in Colorado.

4. (this one came from a member here). Park RV next to a hill. Lay trees, which have been cut down, at an angle, so one end rests on top of the hill and the other rests on flat ground. RV would fit under the trees, effectively shielding it from view from above.


All right, any other ideas or suggestions for these?

 

[VanTramp]

Hide in plain sight.<div><br></div><div>The ideas above all sound good and are would probably accomplish what you are after well. Likely if they failed in any way though, you would get the opposite of what you wanted, hidden stuff draws more attention a lot of the time. Especially in todays climate of mobile meth labs etc.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Look like you are supposed to be where you are and you probably will never be bothered. Look like you are trying to get away with something, you could possibly wake up with a SWAT team screwing up your morning coffee. (slight exaggeration... maybe) &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Just the typical considerations for this type of topic. Interesting question otherwise.</div>

 

[sl1966]

I like these ideas. I saw video last night about burying a shipping container and using it as a wine cellar. I was thinking this would be a great way of setting up a home while maintaining the the landscape (somewhat). Just gotta make sure it's not done someplace where flash floods occur or water can collect easily now that I'm thinking about it.<div><br></div>

 

[Phantom Blooper]

&nbsp;"Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da BATMAN!"<br><br>Build a batcave.....camoflauge the entry door with bushes.....need a good solar and battery bank to open the door.....<br><br>Paint your rig camouflage.....dye burlap.....greens...browns....blacks.....make netting......<br><br>Or I have to agree with..... hide in plain sight.<IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"><br><br>If you look like you belong....no one messes with you.<br><br>Hay bales attract mice and bugs......<br>

 

[Mangyhyena]

Looks like good drainage is mandatory. Would absolutely suck to find the RV under water.

As for the non-potable water in the big hole, a Berky water purifier would clean it right up for you.

 

[VanTramp]

I did a (zero in) google earth---can't see it,&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>

</div><div><br></div><div>Give it a couple years, those images are not real-time, rather updated over time.</div><div><br></div><div>I agree with Mangy on the Berky too, they are excellent! &nbsp;</div>

 

[Mangyhyena]

Mainly, I'd like to find a way to park the RV so no one would know it's there. My first inclination is a hidden garage, however crude. Anything to provide cover. It wouldn't have to be solid or even waterproof, just keep the RV hidden from sight.

Scrub land would be my preference to hide it on; remote land most would consider worthless. Mainly because there wouldn't be many people there to begin with. Besides, I don't plan on anyone looking for me, specifically, should I drop off the grid for a while some day. I figure if the mafia or govt. are ever looking for me, there would be nowhere to hide. So, steer clear of any trouble with either of those two groups of thugs and hiding shouldn't be very hard. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

I've been looking at sandbag structures. That looks promising. Price is right, materials are readily available, and construction is simple. It's a lot of work, but pretty sturdy when complete. With concrete & waterproofing, it could be a long lasting shelter as well. If it is bermed, it should look like a hobbit hill---with an RV inside.

 

[Mangyhyena]

Any building that can fit the RV should work.

When you've got a piece of worthless scrub land, what type of building can you put on it that will not look out of place or draw undue attention? Something that should not draw thieves, either, so it shouldn't look like it would house anything of value. Of course, if you use the RV as your main transportation, there won't be anything of value in the building when you're not there to watch it. (Building has to be big enough to house the RV)

You all know what I'm after. How would you hide your RV on your own land, along with the fact you're living there?

Also, there's no rule against owning several small plots of land so you can rotate which place you're staying on every few days.

 

[Guest]

i couldn't afford a berkey, but i got a "just water" from "monolithic marketplace", its basically the same thing. i bought the spicket, washers, and the ceramic filter with a cloth sleeve, for 37$ incld S/H. i've had it a good while and it works great. i had my own buckets to make it. son and i put it together with dremmel tool in about 30 mins.<br>once every 2 weeks i wash and scrub the ceramic filter and wash out the buckets.<br>shake the filter a little (don't remove it, shake the buckets).<br>i filter rain water and well water in it. great to keep coffee pot clean. also i used 3 gallon size buckets but you can use what size you want. and it is definitely portable.<br>i punched a small nail hole in top of each bucket for air. <br><br>

 

[lampliter]

<P>Make sure you isulate it well or they'll find you with a&nbsp;heat seeker.</P>

 

[Mangyhyena]

Make sure you isulate it well or they'll find you with a heat seeker.

With my luck, it would be a heat-seeking missile.

Honestly, I don't plan to have anyone looking for me. So much easier to hide if no one is seeking you.

During retirement, I'd like to have several small pieces of land to park an RV on so I can rotate where I park. I'd be able to winter in the South, then head back up North during the summer.

I'd want some cover on each piece of land.

 

[SoulRaven]

Well sorry if this sounds different but I got into this life for several reasons, one of which was to leave reality and the stress behind... This train of thought is paranoid at least and about as stress inducing as can be... Acting like a man running from the law or zombies is not a way to live your life... There are many places to just go over the next hill and you are alone, safe and stress free... Changing gears into low, stopping to smell the flowers and enjoying life is what the purpose of boondocking is...<br><br>Just sayin'<br><br>

 

[LivinEZ]

Interesting topic, Mange...&nbsp; I like to use this sort of thing to relax my mind when it is on overload!&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><BR><BR>My understanding is ICBM sites are available for sale cheap and are fortified beyond belief, complete with large blast doors opening huge garages.&nbsp; With this type of fortification, the bad guys would need to bring a lot of fire power...&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><BR><BR>I have many ideas, just short on time today.&nbsp; I will be back to add some things of interest...<BR>

 

[LowTech]

I would do a paint style that&nbsp; is suited to to where I want to be parking, and, as we do sometimes, run camo netting for shade and stealth.<br><br>&nbsp;Here are to diff "camos" that we have on rigs at the moment;<br>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>To survive the great Earth changes that are coming, you will need to get away from the coasts.&nbsp; Go inland and get up high.&nbsp; Dig a deep drinking water well as all the surface water&nbsp;will be polluted.&nbsp; Make sure you go underground or have a mountain to the west of your RV and one east.&nbsp; The Jet Stream is going to come down and touch&nbsp;the Earth so you want the wind to blow over your RV so you don't get blown away.&nbsp; We are living in the last days so you need to prepare.&nbsp; Going underground will keep you warm, dry and hidden.&nbsp; Make escape tunnels in different directions to drive out of harms way.&nbsp; Or at least grab your bug-out-bag and run to safety.&nbsp; Stock up on freeze dried food, backpacking, camping gear&nbsp;and all the things we now take for granted on the shelves of stores.&nbsp; One day there will be empty shelves and all the Gold in the world won't buy you a hamburger.&nbsp; Learn and practice survival skills.&nbsp; </p>

 

[Willy]

Here ya go (park, skirt it, and slap some planks around the cab): <br>

 

[Ricekila]

<P>surround it with mirrors <IMG src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" align=absMiddle border=0></P>

 

[Seraphim]

Buy a house, pull into the garage, close the garage door. No one will know you're secretly living in your van.

 

[sl1966]

<em style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small; ">My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.</em><div><em style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small; "><br></em></div>

 

[Nemo]

along with clean air and water.. 'should' being the operative word <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp;&nbsp; sadly, to often not the case<br><br>

<p>I think is is sad that we are discussing how to hide so that one can sleep. Seems that if we can own a gun that we should have the right to sleep with out getting rousted. Shouldn't eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping be a basic right???? </p>