What vehicle am I searching for??

[Hawaii stealth van]

Aloha Vanners!!
New here and have been a lurker, but now is the time to jump in and narrow down my search.........but what kind of vehicle should I search for??  In my dreaming, I went from Sprinter type vans and now leaning towards a small box van for the ease of build and square sides.................but not too big
with the following requirements.............

Stealthiness
Square sides
Decent gas mileage
Under  10K $ price
under 100K miles
under 10 yrs old
easy to find parts
dual rear tires would be a +

preferably a pass thru from cabin to box, or ability to DIY easily without leaks.
box interior height of 6ft+
length of box 10-15 ft
total length of rig under 20ft
Uhaul configuration with the cab over for future bed would be a +

Now. what kind of a 'beast' am I looking for?? and/or does it exist??
Thanks in advance for helping me narrow down my search for my perfect van.............
Aloha, Jack

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Jack to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Learn how to build a lightweight box and put it on the chassis of your choosing. Start at teardrops and tiny trailers, the foamies forum. Finding a chassis that meets your requirements and budget will require most if not all of you money, especially in Hawaii I would think.

 

[Hawaii stealth van]

Yeah BF, I thought of going that route, but @ 70+ yrs, I don't have the time/energy/or $$ to build a shell from the ground up.  That is the way I would go if I were 20 yrs younger.

 

[tx2sturgis]

If you are not picky about the color and previous decals and graphics, then a used U-haul or Penske boxtruck or cutaway van might fill the bill:

https://trucksales.uhaul.com/

https://www.penskeusedtrucks.com/

 

[highdesertranger]

I don't think that vehicle exists. this part is what I think is like finding hens teeth,

Under 10K $ price
under 100K miles
under 10 yrs old
I was under the impression that vehicles are expensive in Hawaii.

also,

length of box 10-15 ft
total length of rig under 20ft

how is under 20ft with a 15ft box going to work? I don't see how that is possible. a cab over might be close. but a pass through is not possible with a cab over.

one last thing. I believe that stealth is a fantasy. you are not hiding from anybody that wants to know.

my 2 cents

highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

Some of the pre-requisite specifications were so far off-the-mark I just thought 'to heck with it' and referred the OP to the websites.....reality should be able to filter thru the fog.

 

[maki2]

I am not sure that anyone can actually manage to stealth camp in vehicle that can be slept in throughout Hawaii no matter what vehicle they choose. Mild climate, expensive housing, expensive fuel, expensive food, not enough income, that ads up to people living in vehicles. Vehicles with no windows in the cargo area that are not parked in a place of business location with the company name matching the sign on the building, that equals someone living in it.

 

[maki2]

I just looked at the Hawaii craigslist, there are quite a few cargo vans that are under 10 years old, around 100k miles or less and under 10K for price. Probably even better prices on them in Hawaii than in many areas of mainland USA. Also some of the tourist transit vans that fit into those specifications although they have lots of windows in them.

Not a lot of box vans listed though. But maybe there are some on a government auction site?

 

[Hawaii stealth van]

Finally a positive post implying the doability of my concept. Hawaii caters to so many tourists that have to be moved from airports to guided tours and they are a common sight, so stealth could be quite easy if you used your mind and cool.  currently there is this listing https://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/d/haiku-ford-350-passengervan/7040465807.html  which meets most of my qualifications, but wondering what to do with all those windows?? mirror film? and blackout curtains?
Is anyone familiar with this ford e-350 and care to comment on mileage and conversion ideas??

 

[tx2sturgis]

One of the great advantages of a window van/shuttle type of conversion is the wonderful open, airy, and light feeling during the day when camped somewhere nice, scenic, maybe close to nature.

But not so much in an urban setting, and of course at night you need to figure out something: curtains, blinds, blackout panels, or similar.

 

[Hawaii stealth van]

Yeah, I can appreciate the beauty and light with having all those windows and luckily we don't have to worry about heat loss from lack of insulation here in Hawaii. Hopefully a 1 way mirror film will reflect the heat from the sun away from over heating the vehicle. I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to attach an awning hinged at top that could add shade when opened?
 Still waiting for some input re: what kind of mileage the rig would get and what would the prefered chassis /motor [Ford/Chev/or?] for economy, reliability, parts etc.
Thanks for the input so far............

 

[becida]

Still waiting for some input re: what kind of mileage the rig would get and what would the prefered chassis /motor [Ford/Chev/or?] for economy, reliability, parts etc.

In my mind there is no real difference in which of the big 3 you get (I'm talking full sized van). Individual models might have specific problems. I've had all 3 over the years.
Mileage, figure 11-14 mpg (very ballpark), probably towards the higher.

 

[Bear_from_OBX]

If you are not picky about the color and previous decals and graphics, then a used U-haul or Penske boxtruck or cutaway van might fill the bill:

https://trucksales.uhaul.com/

https://www.penskeusedtrucks.com/

Penske used sales tends to be expensive and many of their straight (box) trucks are dock height at the tailgate, requiring stairs, ramp or ladder to get in and out. 

U-Haul in the 48 states is more reasonable in price and height and "mom's attic" offers some extra space vs the deliver lease box shapes, IMHO. In Hawaii, military vehicle sales might be worth looking at as well...

 

[Bear_from_OBX]

Stealth, one way film almost always relies on more light on the reflective side than on the viewing side. You may want to check a sample before buying the film you are considering, otherwise the inside of the bus might become the reflective side of the glass at night when you turn on a light. I am guessing, but it would seem limo tint with a heat reflective layer would fit in with buses in an environment like Hawaii's and would be appropriate to help your bus blend in?