Urban stealth camping… in a pickup truck. Possible?

[Fivealive]

Yeah I think your overthinking this. I have been vehicle dwelling since 2013, mostly in urban areas and have never attempted to be stealth. I actually do the opposite, there is a lot of property crime out here in California so I purposely make my rig look occupied when I leave it. I could care less about cops, it's the window smashers that I want to avoid. I don't agree with seeing the cops as a threat to us, I've had a few knocks over the years and it just results in a casual conversation.

 

[Wandering Primate]

Your comments are reassuring, and I agree with you, especially about the window smashers. Thank you!

 

[ckelly78z]

It depends on where you plan on trying to park your truck for the night. Many large factories run all 3 shifts, and have cars coming and going at all hours (so yours won't be noticed).

Cabelas allows overnight campers to stay behind the building, and possibly some other businesses as well.

 

[Dingfelder]

I think you'll just have to exercise simple, basic, common sense.  Park with the front of the truck away from where people will pass by and then look around for the right moment to jump back there.  Don't sit there with the interior lights on or do anything to call attention to your presence there.  In fact, I almost think that getting out and opening the topper like you're looking for something before you climb in would appear more normal.  I mean, how many passersby are going to stand around and wait to see if you pop back out again?

What I've learned from living in NYC is that most people are either very self-involved or preoccupied with their cell phones, so they're quite oblivious to the world around them.  Of course, there's always a chance that a nosey-body will come along, but don't be nervous.  Some of the market research work I do has to be done covertly and in order not to be noticed, I have to be (and project) calm and confidence.  It works.

I agree with the spirit of this, but I think it's mostly because I like the spirit of this.

My old roommate used to work security in a supermarket.  They had windows that looked out on the parking lot that weren't at all apparent.  They would watch carefully when people parked.  People who parked there but wandered somewhere else would get towed.  They did it all the time.  Pretty keen on it.  Now that was a good while ago and things may have changed ... I just want to say that the attitude used to be VERY aggressive toward that.  Most of us probably didn't notice because most don't park at a supermarket and go to a movie, or ... go to sleep or whatever.  But for those who do ... it's not out of the ordinary at least in past experience to be made to pay a price for it.

 

[Dingfelder]

People who work out of trucks with toppers climb around inside the toppers all the time to get stuff so I open the topper and step over the tailgate keeping my bedding  and domestic stuff out of sight as it is below the tail gate and get in but wait till no ones around to close it up.

FWIW I have never seen anyone climbing through the front seat into or out of their topper in all my life and I'm a breath away from 60.  I don't think it's a big issue.

 

[eDJ_]

I used to have this old 64 Ford F-100 Pick Up with a 6 ft bed.  It was one of those red, white, and blue series. The topper that was on it when I got it was a wooden aluminum skinned type with wood panel on the inside.  The side window cranked out and had screen.  The rear window had two smaller windows that slid open and closed with screen also.  Roof had a crank up
plastic dome with screen.  Always cool and pleasant inside.

I had a cot in it that only stood about a foot tall.   Never had any problems, but I made sure to have a navy blue cover and the bedding was dark to match the truck bed. It just looked like another old Pick Up with part of a spare tire visible thru the side window.  Something like a working guy would drive to work.  I used it when I went out of town and didn't park anywhere for the night until it was dark and closer to bed time.

 

[Wandering Primate]

It depends on where you plan on trying to park your truck for the night. Many large factories run all 3 shifts, and have cars coming and going at all hours (so yours won't be noticed).

Cabelas allows overnight campers to stay behind the building, and possibly some other businesses as well.

I think you are right. The place where you park plays a key role.

 

[Wandering Primate]

This thread has been of an enormous help to me, both, motivationally and information-wise.

I hope to keep hearing more from forum members!