The Ultimate Stealth Van?

[Formaldehyde007]

There is so much about this van that an engineer built from scratch that I think is sheer genius. What do you think?

 

[bullfrog]

Stealth is not possible. You can be less noticable. Solar panels, roof vents and or condensation will give you away to someone knows what to look for everytime.

 

[swlands]

A lot of excellent ideas in this build. Not cheap - he spent $20,000 on the build. But the video has a link to all the drawings and parts lists. Add labor to that $20,000 and this is a very expensive vehicle. I think it is great he gives the drawings. I am researching all the ways people do stuff, and looked hard at 80/20 but that stuff is expensive. With a set of drawings you could avoid wasting material and money.

For myself I want to just get in the field for a while and see what I need to be comfortable. Let the stuff talk to me, rather than me tell the stuff. I am not that smart I can figure it out, but I am an OK listener.

One day. I will watch this video several times, I am sure. I like the way this guy thinks.

 

[Formaldehyde007]

"I like the way this guy thinks."

This is what really struck me about his build. Granted, it is by no means inexpensive. But I think those who are going for a minimalist van build can get a lot of very good ideas from his approaches.

 

[ckelly78z]

I was still scratching my head over the steps it takes to use the shower on his knees, and the sq footage it uses inside the van. I would be more inclined to take an outdoor shower that I could leave up.

Otherwise, a well thought out build, and not cheap.

 

[jacqueg]

He's packed a lot of functionality into that van.

But I don't see myself needing anything that elaborate.

I definitely agree about the shower, kneeling on the floor would be way too hard on my knees, I felt joint twinges just watching him do that. And I sure don't see the need for running water. Having lived in some fairly primitive situations in my life, I don't think that it is a hardship to dispense water from a jug, nor do I think it's a hardship to dunk my head into a basin to wash my hair.

I have been pretty rigid about the idea of poking holes of any kind in my van. But having seen his through-the-floor air intake and his shore power connection, I'm rethinking that.

 

[Paul Foster]

I imagine they do use some form of padding when washing their hair that way. He is also 5'10" and can easily stand upright in the shower area as well.

 

[Seminole Wind]

stealth is way more about a mindset and how you live than what you are living in. i can blend in on a city street in a factory rv or what ever by acting and making it look like it is just parked for the night and not occupied. just the mere fact of that dude opening his side door shows the whole world what he is hiding.

people get all worked up because someone that is an "engineer" designed this or that. sure engineers know how to use a slide rule and calculate the modulus of the material and make up a bunch of pretty cad plans. but there is no requirement for engineers to have common sense. most of the time they have spent too much time locked up in college or some office cubical to actually have any real world experience

 

[rokguy]

Nice concept but in reality having a dark coloured (grey) van with no AC on is going get hot in summer no matter where you are in the world.