Stealthing with removable Decals

[wasanah2]

I was driving today and a hightop white conversion van passed me and on the back were those stick figures to represent members of the family and pets.  It had a mom and a dad and 3 kids and a dog.  I was thinking stealth when I thought, man, a van like that parked in a development around here would never be suspected to be a solo stealth nomad. 

Then I got to thinking that if you had removable decals for whatever places you are in, you can blend in better and your van might look different also to LEOs if you swap out the decals in the windows with other ones.  Kind of choosing the kind of stealth parking you'd be doing.  So my minivan can look like it belongs to a soccer mom or I can swap the decals out to look like it's a service vehicle.  I have a white passenger Astro Van.   Granted, the conversion van wouldn't look much like a service vehicle, but you could still make it look different.

Here's how this could be done.  If you had a number of different decals and stick figure families and such and put them each on a piece of acetate ( transparency film from Staples store) and then jam the thing into the back window or maybe reinforce with a tiny bit of transparent tape.  If you move to a industrial complex, put some decal on acetate that would go with it.  Just look at legitimate work vehicles and get the same decals they have.  Then if you're in a residential area, go stick figure family, soccer balls or honor student bumper sticker on acetate and in the back window.  If you're camping in a hunting area, put that Browning deer symbol on acetate.  And get Bob's CRVL decal on acetate for when you go to the RTR.

I'm going to try this idea.  Also, if you're staying in the same place a long time, people remember decals or bumper stickers (something I'd never put on my vehicle because it makes it stand out), but sometimes having no decals or bumper stickers can look like you're trying to not stand out.  If you've swapped out the acetate decal for another one, the person seeing it might not think it's the same vehicle they keep seeing around town.

I have eye surgery next week and I'm trying not to drive much until afterwards.  Staying with relatives until then.  But afterwards, I'm going to try this idea.  I think especially for a vehicle like mine that it could work well.

 

[lenny flank]

Bad idea.

Advertising and decals have the purpose of being noticed and remembered. That's why they are there in the first place.

Stealth dwellers do NOT want to be noticed or remembered. Anything that either attracts attention to your vehicle or makes it easier to individuate and remember, is a bad idea.

Plain vanilla is best. You're just one of a bazillion other unnoticed and unremembered white vans on the road.

 

[QinReno]

Actually, I think it's a good idea, as long as you make it look like it's a "family" RV. However, it might work better for a regular RV than for a van the size of an Astro or even Chevy Express. A family would be more likely to have a regular Class-C or Class-A or travel trailer than to be stuffed into a van.

I personally don't plan on trying to do stealth camping in cities with my plain white GMC Savana, but if that were a major plan, then I would "not" have solar panels on top, and I would tend to park in industrial areas where you see a lot of white cargo vans.

 

[Weight]

Until the liquor store is robbed.

 

[WanderingBiker]

Here's how this could be done.  If you had a number of different decals and stick figure families and such and put them each on a piece of acetate ( transparency film from Staples store) and then jam the thing into the back window or maybe reinforce with a tiny bit of transparent tape.  

just put the decals on static cling material... no tape needed..... on the back window it would work, but not so much on the side windows when there is a lot of wind... they would probably blow off

 

[wasanah2]

Bad idea.

Advertising and decals have the purpose of being noticed and remembered. That's why they are there in the first place.

Stealth dwellers do NOT want to be noticed or remembered. Anything that either attracts attention to your vehicle or makes it easier to individuate and remember, is a bad idea.

Plain vanilla is best. You're just one of a bazillion other unnoticed and unremembered white vans on the road.

I had a feeling you wouldn't like the idea.  I don't think you've liked even one of my excellent ideas.  

I still think it's great.  I am thinking... my white PASSENGER van with a stick family on it.  Maybe a soccer ball.   Swap it out for when I stay at the industrial park and put different decals on the back, maybe a few other props...my fav is a heavy duty powercord coiled in the back window.  ALL the legit vehicles have decals.  Astros are smaller than an express.  They're about the size of a Grand Caravan.   They made a cargo version, but I've seen this same van kitted out as a service vehicle even though it was manufactured as a family van.

Swapping out decals might make staying longer in a single location a lot easier.  After I get this eye surgery, I'm going to get some decals and share pix.  I think plain vanilla looks more suspicious because people are always putting stuff on their cars.

 

[wasanah2]

just put the decals on static cling material... no tape needed..... on the back window it would work, but not so much on the side windows when there is a lot of wind... they would probably blow off

Cling material sounds good, but like you say, they can come off...and if it rains and such, it might be a problem.   Now if it is something that can cling to the front of the decal, it could cling on the inside to the outside.  That would work.  Where do you buy that cling material?  I think I should try that as well.

 

[bullfrog]

We have a fellow that has his own fake power pole, sewer and water hookup as well as several security cameras and no traspassing signs that he uses to make people think he owns a homestead or has ownership of the land or figure he is a camphost or employee of the BLM. When he camps remote he even has a sleeping old man dummy in a rocking chair with a hearing aid dangling off the strap of his bibs. I don't know how many times I waved to that thing before I was introduced to the owner nick named "Pink". Decals could work or get you into trouble it just depends on how good a story teller you are.

 

[Allan Greenblazer]

I saw on YouTube someone had a fake handy man sign with no phone number or other information, then I saw the same van parked in a Walmart parking lot, and I knew what was up. I've thought about doing these kind of things with magnetic signs because the back of my van has no windows.

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[wasanah2]

We have a fellow that has his own fake power pole, sewer and water hookup as well as several security cameras and no traspassing signs  that he uses to make people think he owns a homestead or has ownership of the land or figure he is a camphost or employee of the BLM.  When he camps remote he even has a sleeping old man dummy in a rocking chair with a hearing aid dangling off the strap of his bibs.   I don't know how many times I waved to that thing before I was introduced to the owner nick named "Pink".  Decals could work or get you into trouble it just depends on how good a story teller you are.

Yeah it's not in my DNA either to be deceptive, but I gotta tell you, this is OUR country and we aren't hurting anything by sleeping in our vehicles.  I LOVE that story, bullfrog.   That's so funny that you were waving to that dummy.  I like the idea that you have your story ready if you're asked anything.  I don't know how the decals can get you in trouble though unless they are decals you shouldn't have like employee decal of the BLM, now that would get you in trouble, I can see that.  LOL

 

[wasanah2]

I saw on YouTube someone had a fake handy man sign with no phone number or other information, then I  saw the same van parked in a Walmart parking lot,  and I knew what was up. I've thought about doing these kind of things with magnetic signs because the back of my van has no windows.

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If you are stealthing in the state you're licensed in, it would work out to use a phone number, but it's gotta be local.  Here in FL, we have so many scam artists come by after a hurricane that out of state handy persons are scrutinized heavily.  But if you're a local and use a local number, hey, if you even know how to do some handy work, you could put your number on there.  If it were removable for Walmart camping, it would be even better, but that would be hard to do on the body of the van unless you use magnetic signs as you mentioned.  I think that's an excellent idea.

That's such a great idea.  A sign could be made for little cost.  Put it on the van, it's a work van.  But yeah, I'd put my phone number on it.  Hey, I'm pretty handy for a girl.  I might be able to fix something.  If I can't, I might know people who could.

 

[John61CT]

Cops will want to see commercial rego if you make it look like a company / work van

 

[tx2sturgis]

If you leave the area code off the sign, they will always assume it's a local number.

 

[wasanah2]

If you leave the area code off the sign, they will always assume it's a local number.

GOOD POINT!!

 

[highdesertranger]

if it's any kind of advertising for a commercial service now you get the eye from commercial LEO's. advertising services without commercial plates is a red flag, basically they will think you are trying to skip out on paying the fees for commercial plates. then what? where is your business license? resale license? tax returns? you are screwed either way, pay big fines or get accused of fraud. either way it's not pretty. highdesertranger

 

[Weight]

Very soon ever number dialed will have all 10 numbers. The police are curious things, and lose their humor when they think they are being mislead. "Are you casing this area? Planning to rob something? Why are you trying to hide your identity? just what do you have in that van?"

 

[wasanah2]

Yes, I can see the concerns you have about a business.  I know people in the area here that are not a real biz but have a cleaning service.  I don't know if they even have a tax ID to do it, but they live in stix and brix, so they garage the car when not in use.

Do people driving cars that are wrapped get such attention?  Just curious.  Wrapping would be a bad idea. 

I think I should go back to my brilliant decal idea.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

The local boat harbor has yearly parking very cheap. A friend suggested a magnetic sign suggesting that you are a commercial fisherman would keep the lot attendants from realizing you are living there in your van. They would probably think you are living on your boat. The police would probably not be involved as you would be paying for parking.

 

[wasanah2]

The local boat harbor has yearly parking very cheap. A friend suggested a magnetic sign suggesting that you are a commercial fisherman would keep the lot attendants from realizing you are living there in your van. They would probably think you are living on your boat.

Oh wow, that's really a great idea.  Even if you had some kind of decal that didn't say you're commercial fisherman but suggests that that's your gig.  Like a fisherman's association logo. Just the locale screams, I'm living on my boat.  Those boats are well outfitted.

Great suggestion.

 

[QinReno]

This one has it all covered. All you need are 11 good stories to cover all the variations,
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