Just how stealthy should my van be?

[RustyShackleford]

Currently saving up to outfit a cargo van and do about 10-12 months of cross country travel. 
The thing I'm most worried about is police harassment. I figure if I stay away from neighborhoods full of rich nosy NIMBY's everything will be fine. Is stealth important enough that I should consider forgoing a roof vent and solar panel? Poking around online it seems van living is becoming popular, and when something outside the norm of paying rent and being a debt serf becomes popular, I expect governments to start cracking down. Am I overthinking the situation?

 

[Almost There]

Yes, IMO you're overthinking this!

Where are you planning on travelling to? If it's to see all the wonderful sites like National Parks and Historic sites and all the beautiful places then stealth is totally unnecessary. You're out there travelling and camping your way around North America. Plain and simple!

If what you're planning on doing is limited to staying in the largest cities, in the downtown core, for days at a time -THEN maybe you might want to think about a little bit of stealth, although as far as I'm concerned most everyone who knows about living in a van can spot your vehicle a mile away and those that don't, well they wouldn't recognize it unless you were in their driveway...  

I wouldn't even think about staying in a van that didn't have adequate ventilation and that includes the roof vent...also rain guards at least. As to the solar, that will depend on what electrical needs you have as to whether that is necessary.

I've travelled all over the US and Canada for over 40 years including 16 of it full-time and not once have I been hassled by the police...well except for that time in Arkansas last winter but it wasn't for living in the van or sleeping in it...silly officer!...

 

[lenny flank]

I've never understood why so many people go all gaga over "the cops!!!". In two years all over the country I've only had one cop encounter, and it was friendly. If one is not doing anything to attract police attentiuon, one will not be visited by cops. They have better things to do with their time.

 

[LMTLMT]

^^^ spot on Almost There.

Couple of biggest giveaways stealth camping in a city/residential setting are out of state license plates and any roof vents or any sliding screen windows. Solar would really stick out in a city/residential setting. You can always stealth on a busy street that has merchants/businesses and the van will blend in a little better. However, its a bit loud with cars passing by all the time and I have a hard time asleep. And let's not forget the thought of some DUI guy crashing into your van in the middle of the night! yikes.

With that said, I try to avoid that and do the boring rest stops, truck stops, hospitals, allowed walmarts/cabelas and casinos instead.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Thanks for the replies!

I probably won't be in a city for longer than a week at a time as I want to move around and see as much as I can. I'm not so much worried about the police going out of their way to bother me, I know they have better things to do. But I've lived in the city in apartments enough to know there are plenty of nosy people who call the police for silly reasons. I'll build the van for comfort and try not to worry so much 

 

[Van-Tramp]

Never cared about stealth and I've done my share of both inner-city and rural camping. Only had one police encounter in my 5+ years and I simply did not open to the door to talk to the knocker. He went away within 30 seconds and we both went on with our lives.

Don't kid yourself that a "stealth" van means the local law doesn't see right through it, they do.

You will be living in such a small space, your focus should be on comfort and efficiently using the space you have.

Have fun

 

[MrNoodly]

It should be as invisible as Wonder Woman's plane.

 

[lenny flank]

Don't kid yourself that a "stealth" van means the local law doesn't see right through it, they do.

Yes. The purpose of stealth isn't to hide from the cops--that i impossible. They know all the tricks and you simply can't hide from them. The purpose of stealth is to hide from the ordinary public, since if someone sees you and gripes to the cops, they are obligated to come roust you out even if they would not have done so on their own.

 

[RustyShackleford]

It should be as invisible as Wonder Woman's plane.

Hmm but then won't the police see me floating in midair holding an invisible steering wheel like some kind of van driving mime?

 

[deadwood]

I think the topic of how stealthy do I need to be is a big concern for anyone who hasn't spent time Urban Camping. I also think the idea of stealth gets confused with what we are really doing and that is just not being noticed. The cops definitely know who is living in a car or van but I think they really don't care. What they care about is when they get dispatched to a suspicious vehicle because someone called in to complain.

I've stayed in rest areas, walmart, city streets and hotel parking lots. In the last two years of road trips (not full timing yet) I haven't had a single problem. Just don't draw attention to yourself.

Don't: park on the street and set up your BBQ
set up lawn chairs
put your trash outside your van
play loud music

Stealth is very easy. Most people go about their lives paying little attention to what goes on around them. Just don't do the things that make people stop and take notice of you.