What makes good stealth?

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paddling_man said:
What akblack10 said. Having boondocked in both commercial vehicles and personal vans, how you behave adds / detracts from stealth more than your decision in the purchase.<br /><br />Personal style van: minivan (loved my AWD Previa,) or conversion van. Park in 24 hour lots with traffic (Walmarts, truck stops, rest stops), communities with lots of transient folks (college areas,) and avoid overuse of interior lighting, letting your motor run, entering/exiting the side/back doors and DON'T think you're being sly by taking a whiz in a dark spot. Suddenly you appear as a prowler or vagrant. Don't park in closed business areas, office parks, etc.. Then you stick out.<br /><br />Cargo vans. Usually OK in those 24-hour areas as long as the exterior looks pristine. More likely to be in fine in closed business areas / downtowns where a cargo van doesn't stick out. NOT a good idea for those neighborhoods of transients... that white cargo van suddenly looks like the pedo-candy-mobile. I've not had luck in closed office/industrial parks, though others have. Those areas often have private security who are looking for traffic engaged in theft, vandalism or illicit sex hookups.<br /><br />RVs / A/B/Cs. I had an A. Family had a C growing up. In-laws have a B now. They stick out, no doubt. Best bet is places they are welcomed. Don't stay more than a night in one spot, arrive late, leave early. Spend LITTLE time wandering around the outside. Patronize the business if you're on their property. You're not fooling anyone with the vehicles purpose - best bet is to work to not be a nuisance.<br /><br />Simply not sticking out visually, not drawing attention to yourself by your behavior, being respectful of the area and people: these are stealth.<br /><br />* Previa. I've made some trips with a Yakima Rocket Box on the roof, a 17.5' sea kayak and a mountain bike on the rack. Note that you'll stick out as a vacationing traveler just as much as driving a RV *unless* you're in an college area that has a high percentage of outdoor sport enthusiasts. (Asheville, NC as an example.)<br /><br />Go for middle of the road:&nbsp; your stealth is shot if you're boondocking in a high-crime, low-income area since the local LEOs are looking for *any* suspicious behavior/movement/vehicles in the area. Flipside, very nice areas have an unofficial mandate to the police to keep it nice... ultra nice neighborhoods, resort areas like Hilton Head Island. As a matter of common sense, you are more likely to be hassled in destination areas where folks come to vacation.<br /><br />
<br /><br />The BEST approach to the topic
 
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