Stealth in urban/ residential re:kind of vehicle

[vanvanvanvan123]

Stealth in urban and residential is a high value for me.

I have about 50 days to be out of my place. I have storage.

I have recently tried an ext van econoline , regular van, expedition/ suburban type, and finally, (I am paying off a "not upside down- for once in my life") the reliable low mileage Camry!

I am weighing many options.

One of the first decisions involves whether to keep two vehicles or just one, if i go the rv route.

My budget for rv is around 10K, which makes me without a $$cushion.

So that is a big negative on rv. (In my case the SMALLEST rv is the only one.. eg old low miles toyota's.)


rv has two big negatives - loss of $$ and zero stealth in urban residential San Diego... many dreaded cop disturbances. Not for me. I may just be forgetting the otherwise "perfect solution" Rv without hookup entirely.


The small dolphin or sunrader toyo's solve my problems, but are the biggest red flags without hookup- rv as DDriver.

With hookup In San Diego County, what is involved in the cheaper sites where I pay, maybe $400 plus utilities?

Are they even available? In this scenario, I would have two vehicles. Daily Driver and rv.


What rv-like conveniences does the large suv offer, over the Camry?


Maybe this is not a smart question but, In a similar comparison of a large suv and Camry; A normal size econoline versus a clean large SUV ( Suburban, Expedition, Navigator etc ) ?

Which of these two types is more stealthy?

The ultimate inconvenience but most stealthy, is live in the Camry. I am considering this too. What is possible ( sleep, electrical for computer etc etc ) with a mid size car, that doesn’t have addons ( like small solar etc ) that destroy the stealth factor? Eg I would not likely be able to use a small solar on the Camry!

All over the map, I acknowledge. Thank you all. Maybe someday i will play some music for you.

 

[maki2]

You need to learn to think outside the box if you want to fill your needs for urban camping.. There are other types of solar panels for special situations that mount in various places on a vehicle. The company has worked with clients for semi customized panel layouts. Including some up top situations. But no way is it going to be as cheap as a panel from a company such as San Tan Solar.
https://www.lensunsolar.com/blog/category/customized-solar-panel/

 

[vanvanvanvan123]

A long thread

You need to learn to think outside the box if you want to fill your needs for urban camping.. There are other types of solar panels for special situations that mount in various places on a vehicle. The company has worked with clients for semi customized panel layouts. Including some up top situations. But no way is it going to be as cheap as a panel from a company such as San Tan Solar.
https://www.lensunsolar.com/blog/category/customized-solar-panel/

im a creative musician. Not a “rhythm guitar “ player in a band
I’m thinking all kinds of ideas

May I Ask what does solar power on a Camry provide me; cooling being number one. Power for my keyboard would also be a consideration

 

[vanvanvanvan123]

Can my question not just be funneled into solar , but include all the things I mentioned that might interest you to comment on. This is not just a solar panels on Camry thread - although that solar topic if of interest.
Have I made an error in asking to many questions in one thread ? Should I have started multiple threads instead?

Thank you all

 

[Happy Camper]

Yes one thread would have been much better. I replied to one, and now reading another have more information that I could use to give better answers. It also consolidates information for others to see and base replies on the entire set of information and solutions already offered.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Pick some neighborhoods that you would like to stealth in and drive around at 7PM.
- what vehicles are parked on the street? You need to match them.
- are residents out and about? You'll be spotted; they may care or not.
Stealth is about blending in; anything different will stand out.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Oops wrong tab.
Ok I meant to post this.

Not very stealth!

 

[maki2]

Or you could just read threads from the archives because pretty much all the questions you are asking have already been asked and answered many times over the years.

Not that you are not welcome to ask them again ,.but you might find very helpful answers among the previous threads.

 

[bullfrog]

First of all living in your Camry is not the same as sleeping in your car. Most likely you can do everything you need to do during the day outside your Camry in a public space. Do trial memberships at health clubs/gyms, charge with portable solar at a park or plug in at a coffee shop or library, work on a small trailer at a rented space or friend’s parking space, take a few college courses that have overnight parking or a gym class. Heck get a night shift job and sleep legally in a park or public parking spot during the day. Get a bar tending job and live in the parking lot and jam before the place opens. Stop thinking like a normal 9 to 5 person! Lol!!!

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I've lived out of cars, pickups and vans.
The biggest problem with living in a car isn't being able to physically sleep in it. That can be accommodated with enough ingenuity.
For me it was stuff. It's hard to fit just your clothes, shoes, toiletries and basic food things in a car.
I have always been into camping, so I always have a backpack stove laying around and a compact mess kit.
So that solved the kitchen half. The rest was harder. Had to get a duffel for dirty laundry and stash that at the passenger side foot well.
clothes went in a large backpack that also helped to fill in the hump over which I slept.
The next worst part is temps.
In the winter you can freeze to death in some places. In the summer you can bake to death. You have to get really good at finding ways to mitigate this.
I think I read you are in San Diego area? So not a lot of freezing to death. But it does get hot. So you have to always be aware of parking in the shade. You don't want heat building up in the vehicle.

 

[Happy Camper]

If you just want to keep the Camry, then see if your can find a storage unit that has power. Or a light socket that you can add a power plug into for your fridge. Keep everything in the storage and use the car for sleeping.
You can work out cooking and bathroom functions in or around the car, as mentioned above. Gym memberships for showering and working out. You can even use the fridge as a freezer, make ice or freeze gel packs, and have a small chest cooler in the car for drinks or snacks. You can also charge a battery pack that can let your phone chargers, small fans, etc.

I would hold onto your cash reserves and do this for a while. Then you will have a much better idea if what your tolerances are, and what you personally want and don't need. At that point you'll have been working, and I assume building up your money even more. Then you'll better informed and also better financed for your next steps.

Spending up front without really knowing what you'll want or need is just wasteful, not to mention stressful. Start with basics and see what makes sense for you from there.

 

[user 37446]

Old thread I know, but to anyone with a similar question, I‘d suggest you look up YT‘er Robert Witham and look for his very oldest videos (6 years ago) when he was in a pre-2004 Dodge Grand Caravan.

He said that he started off in a Camry… Pretty sure that he improved his living space by going to the minivan, sacrificing some gas mileage yet gaining a lot of livability. As I have mentioned before, it is educational to scour YT vandwellers old videos and see what they started off in when they were less “successful” or popular.

Since older minivans are still available for less than $4K, a trade away from a car might be the best choice. Sleeping in the back seat of a sedan may not be very comfortable and even the front seat (while reclined) isn’t so great based on my crossover car past.