Whatchu know bout RV life?

[hamikman]

RVs are very comfy for sure but they advertise "someone livin here free ...." and pissing off the ones that are in the rut. They're great if you don't have to hide the fact you're living in it. I live between to conveyences: a little sailboat and a pickup with a camper. They are versions of each other in different environments anyway, what I want to say is RVs come at a price and that is you stick out. With a plain van (best with no windows on sides or back) you can park all kinds of places and sleep and it just looks like a parked vehicle. Yes, I have a small camper on a pickup but its so small that it looks like its for general pupose cargo etc. Everyone thats had a peek inside has been very surprised as the outside which looks rough doesnt idicate that inside theres a livingspace with heater, cookstove and double bed as well as tons of storage for gear and tools etc under the bed. My favourite places to park are often in residential areas. I just pull up on the street at night, park and go to sleep. People in the nieghbourhood just think I'm visiting somebody on the street. Works great. I have black spray painted cardboard in the windows so light doesn't escape and give away the fact that I'm at home and chillin. When I pull out in the morning often there's people getiing in thier cars for work etc so to continue the charade I'll wave to invisible people in a window of a house as I go cause I might want to use that street again in the future. Often residential areas have a nice little park nearby I can park where theres no hastles cause its daytime. Thats where Ill make coffee, walk the dog, use the public john, etc. I think the vehicle that has the best stealth to usefullness/comfort ratio is certainly a simple cargo van custom rigged inside but I have the ancient little 4x4 toyota with the tiny camper cause I like to escape winter and offroad and in the desert boondocks down south. If it wasn't for that I'd have a van instead for sure.

 

[hamikman]

One other thought - I've often thought a great stealth camper would be a minivan withe seats removed. Looks so totally suburban and harmless and no ones gonna think your camping. Big sliding doors on side for easy access, foamy on floor and could probably cook with the right set up. (campstove on improvised wood box maybe). Youd just be limited to decent roads is all but perfect stealth and thier frickin everywhere.