just started 16ft step van

[tx2sturgis]

i I even ordered magnetic signs with a fictional construction company and a 1-800 so it will blend in any where! lol hopefully.  

Is that a steel body or aluminum? I thought they were aluminum.

 

[highdesertranger]

all a fictitious sign will get you is the attention of commercial LEO's. in other words you are calling attention to yourself. kinda anti-stealth. highdesertranger

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

its alum but I got steel rub rails. I roll around in a cargo van daily with property management logo/wrap I can leave it anywere for days never get hassled I haul bike in it now for weekend trips leave it paked go out on bike come back all is well im just upscaling and going full time now.

 

[Presteaux!]

im not trying to be an a$$

I don't have to try either!  It just comes natural to me.

 

[Matlock]

well I figured the signs as a temp camouflage if I park in a construction area or industrial park back up against something so not obvious the plates are not commercial but kinda hiding in plan sight thinking. don't draw attention def not driving around with them on

Ohio resident here.
Any advertisement and or phone number on the vehicle here requires a Commercial plate. With law enforcement automatic digital scan plate recognition (front or back plate) your about to get towed, no questions no excuses. Been there.
Just a thought about weight. You mentioned it was a bread truck, your gonna need a better suspension for bike hauling I'd guess. Specially with those miles, maybe just replace as a matter of course.

Just my ol 2¢

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

I know it requires a com plate. but if I take them down when driving and reserve them for "stealth" in construction areas when parked it may blend in better either way im not so worried about being "caught" so they knock and tell me to move most likely or what run my id. I have no wants or warrants committed no real crime. most going to be a little bit of hassle. not going to over think all that. been my exp. look/act like your supposed to be there and they think you are.
My first couple weeks in the area of my house I got cops called on me while fixing my gate/ pulled over few times driving through cause I'm a big tattooed dirty biker. living next to ceo's, pro athletes" etc. I didn't fit the profile of people there. point is ill cross that bridge when I get there pay there fine and move on with my life. plus I got an ace in my pocket in a good friend whit a bureau badge who a phone call way if things get too out of hand. lol

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

just checked GVWR is 11900 with curb weight was 4995. bikes are 984lbs and 432lbs the 4 battery's for solar are 440 42 gallons of h20 roughly 330?ish bed /gear/spares/solar panels/ generator. call all that 1800lbs. should be under 10k there abouts. leafs are all in good shape newer shocks. don't think it will be working it too hard. seams people over think things here and worry about things that really are fine anything could and might happen. im not moving train parts in a mini van dragging the bumper.lol

 

[tx2sturgis]

Ohio resident here.
Any advertisement and or phone number on the vehicle here requires a Commercial plate. 

I'm not sure about Ohio, but in most states a soccer mom or small business owner can stick 'Mary Kay' or 'Amsoil' stickers on the windows and it's never a problem.

I would think a magnetic sign with 'Joes HandyMan and YardCare' (or whatever) should also stay mostly under the radar...especially if displayed only while parked.

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

well I upgraded the solar to 2 lifeline 8dl lithium batterys and went to a friends furniture store scored a Sealy icloud queen mattress for $300 so I feel better about spending on the batterys. roof rack and solar all layed out setting up scaffolding. asked a couple of friends to come by tomorrow to get it all on roof! looking into linear actuators to make it all power tilt.

also stripped all the propane setup have to get a few junkyard pieces to get it all back to straight gasoline. also got an OnDemand water heater ans 12v rv pump for shower.

I have a friend making a new rear step bumper with a hitch in it and a mount for ramp to load bikes. cost me a case of new castle and hes powder coating it!!! he owns a company

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

ok found out my new lifeline are not lithium should have read the description better lol but there are kick ass battery! so I been researching cameras I have no way to take pics right now ass the first time I tried to shoot my roof mount for the solar I dropped my tablet and no more tablet!
So I got solar all done all the mechanical on van done and maintained all caught up on we are mounting the 70 gallon gas tank out of a rv and fresh and grey water tanks mounted most of the 4in foam board installed and were doing spray foam on the underside plus we installed a really nice stereo and some sound deading up front to make the drive time better.

sold 2 of my hot rods and 1 Harley last week so I got a cousin who does kitchen cabinets for a living to do everything on finishing the living quarters with all kinds of storage and secret compartments.

were going to load it up Saturday heavier than I would ever be on the trip and drive around some mountain road and see how it does on power if it is to lacking we are doing a 6.0l ls motor swap a friend offered to donate to this project.

 

[RowanFae]

all a fictitious sign will get you is the attention of commercial LEO's.  in other words you are calling attention to yourself.  kinda anti-stealth.  highdesertranger

I didn't even know there was a Commercial Division of LE, until I was pulled over driving a U-Haul truck.  I was surprised at the 'interrogation' I received and thought maybe it is part of looking for people smuggling illegal people or drugs?  The officer said he pulled me over for crossing the line a couple times.  I was surprised at that, and told him so (I wasn't being argumentative) because I didn't hear the thump thump thump from the ribbed pavement.  He said that i didn't actually cross over, just came close and he wanted to make sure I wasn't too tired or something.  Then he asked me where I was coming from, where I was going, what was the address where I was going to.  He asked where "Elizabethton, TN" was (which led to a discussion about the Appalachian foothills) and then asked to see inside the Uhaul.  I've never actually been interrogated on a traffic stop before.  He even had me step out of the vehicle (because of my dog).  He initially approached from the passenger side, which surprised me too. 

Having something (like magnetic ads) that draws that much attention might be counter-intuitive to maintaining an off-grid living.

 

[John61CT]

ok found out my new lifeline are not lithium

Wut?

Whatever led you to believe they would be?

> secret compartments

Watch out, illegal in places, can get your vehicle and other assets civil-forfeitured even if they don't charge you

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

john61ct:
I googled lithium solar battery and they came up. I saw 255ah and ordered 2 lol should have read description. lol
As for the "secret" compartments are not meant for any illegal use just trying to use every in of storage space and have multiuse items. Think more transformer than stash box. lmao one idea is sorta like highend rv were tv comes up out of counter. having things like a tv/table/etc. pop up out of someplace unexpected. My cousin that doing the work as he does super highend kitchens. Most of the spaces he does are $100,000+ dollar kitchens. so he has some ok skills, and ideas he is dying to try.
And with the LEO issues I'm not super worried about them they don't scare me plus I got lawyers on retainer and $$$$. mostly because im 6'5" tattooed covered dirty biker guy I get harassed by them ALOT!!! Mostly when I'm not in my local area. I know all the LE around here and got a lot of advise on exactly what to say and do during encounters to put them at ease with me. and I am not committing any crime so let them search.
I am in a little different circumstances than most on here I own houses and have a perm. address so I'm traveling the country in a self built rv? no state/fed/or local law against that.

 

[John61CT]

Just wanted to put the info out there.

What you intend is not relevant to the legal issue.

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

Ok so I did a little putt on the Harley yesterday and today 3 states(PA,OH,WV) 700+ miles. But now that I know what I'm looking at I found 8 people living in vans/ cars and 1 super cool schoolie.!!! And to be completely honest it scared the sh!t out of me.
4 were smelly dreadlock hippy, I do not even know. Around nelson ledges ohio. 1 was pretty normal, fell on hard times and what I expected. In Columbus OH area. 3 were deliverance toothless dirty scary no wonder LEO look for van dwellers and run them out of town! In 1 near Mercer PA and 2 near Erie PA. All in all I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be going to any "meet ups" in the north East. LOL But the west coast seams like a whole different ball game. Still has me wandering if I should just buy a traditional rv and stick to KOA style parks.

 

[John61CT]

With that sort of attitude - horribly judgmental snobbery IMO - I'm going to say Yes.

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

I call it like I see it! like I've said before, I have a good friend that is homeless literally living under a bridge in a tent and one that's a world famous rock star. both of them are good guys But at vastly different ends of the financial spectrum. But I must say the people I've meet so far living the "nomadic" life style I'de say 20 or so in the Pa,OH,WV,VA,NY,KY.MD trips I been on. Are whole different group of basically Free loaders living off society's loop holes and government assistance mostly looking for a hand out. With the poor me attitude but I'm not doing anything to make things better. With the exception of 1 lady living in here 1999 Toyota Camry in Columbus OH. I have a friend who is a producer and does a lot of reality stuff I'm going to see if he will spend a week of two and we will travel around interviewing and filming the people I have been finding. so all of you can see what I am seeing.

 

[highdesertranger]

so you are judging thousands by the 20 you met. seems to me you are looking in the wrong places. come to the RTR, out of the thousands of people there you would be hard pressed to find one or two as you describe. highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

I’ll bet you missed many vandwellers on your trip but just saw the ones that looked conspicuous. The ones you missed were clean and looked like everybody else.

 

[bob91yj]

I'd be willing to bet that most of the folks you have met have a better mastery of the written English language than you do, especially claiming your interweb persona as a college graduate with an engineering degree. I've tried like hell to see the good in you, and I just don't see it, no matter how hard I look. You claim that you are a tatted up biker dude, I find that hard to believe. IMO you desire to be your interweb persona and are failing miserably...if I were you I'd go back upstairs from whatever basement you live in and ask grandma if you can have another Cup-a-Noodles!

Mods, I apologize if this is considered a personal attack, I'll accept any interweb punishment that is deemed necessary for my opinions.