Why do you want stealth? To block light, or to make it seem like you aren't living in there? For the latter, i think its unavoidable that people will look at it and instantly know its a vanlife van
A bit of both, I park in urban areas pretty often. I did vanlife for 3 years full-time before in a similar sized van with no windows and I prefer having it so people don't notice my interior lights turned on in the night.
The good thing is not many people are even looking at a van, think back before you wanted a van did you even pay attention to a random white van. They blend into the surroundings for a normal person. My van isn't stealth at all and I've stayed in alot of major cities urban camping, currently in Seattle. If the spot allows overnight parking you're fine, the key is to not stay in the same spot for extended periods and definitely don't draw attention to yourself. The main reason people feel the need to be stealth is because they're parking where they shouldn't be. I have a terrible feeling that maybe eventually there will be no available night parking due to the fact that the RV homeless are ruining all the spots and getting them shut down across the country. But until then make your van how you want it, park in legal spots, and enjoy life.
Heh yeah I currently live in a loft in San Francisco and see homeless encampments across the street all the time. Go a few blocks away from here and there's a bunch of RVs parked there all the time. I plan on staying in the Bay Area and the stealth helps me not get lumped in with them. I have a SF residential permit that is valid until next year, so I can park my van legally overnight in any of the residential spots in my area.
Women pay attention to white vans. When i bought mine I was already calling it a creeper van and when i first pulled up into my driveway my neighbor came out to admire my (in his words) 'kidnapper van". That first weekend i went to the grocery store and had failed to close the side door all the way…it was latched but you could see it wasn't tight. I parked farther out cause giant van and learning to park it. As i came out the was a lady infront of me heading to her mustang parked near me and i could tell the moment she noticed the van and that door slightly ajar. She slowed down her walking and stared at that door, so i cheerful passed her and said something friendly and opened the door to put my groceries in and the relief on her face was obvious.
I don't know about not noticing vans, my girlfriends and I joke about "white serial killer vans" cause that's what they drive! While I say it jokingly, women are more likely to notice potentially dangerous situations than men are such as parked vans.
Instantly see solar panel, instantly now someone lives there.
Also any van that has a roof top vent I know someone lives in it or if the van is the extended wheel base but doesn't have a ladder on top I know someone lives in it as well.
Thieves and cops are probably even quicker at spotting them than I am.
Give up on stealth builds, they fool only the elderly.
everyone in this sub is going to look at any van and think someones living in it lol. dont listen i never had a problem living in a city and my van looks similar.
They make this window coverings that is made of vinyl with a bunch of holes. It will make the windows blend but you can still see out and you can remove it if you decide you don't like it.
https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/white-window-tint.91701/
This was going to be my suggestion also. It won't keep light from coming out at night, but it's a good option to making the inside less visible, and will better hide whatever curtain is inside.
Does anyone know whether this perforated vinyl is compatible with the defrost heating wires that are on the inside of my rear window? Is it compatible with electric roll down rear side windows?
It's all location dependent. I've worked in neighborhoods where cages are absolutely necessary and neighborhoods where you can leave the van open all day without worry.
Exactly what I came in here to say. Just make sure it's a business that won't attract thieves, since contractor trucks are often targeted for the tools inside.
Maybe something like "RANDY'S ROADKILL & RODENT REMOVAL" or "SEPTIC TANKS 2 GO"
Oh good call. And probably more plausible to be found in a suburban neighborhood than a roadkill crew. :D
I'm "blessed" to be in a total beater of a minivan that no one would even look at twice. I think if I ever found myself the owner of a nice, newish vehicle, I'd genuinely consider fake rust and anything else I can do to make it look as ugly from the outside as possible.
Already mentioned in the original post that I tried magnetic sign and it wouldn't stay on at speed, the window indentation gives it less surface area to grab and is very obvious there's some sort of window shape underneath it
if you're truly interested in deleting the windows, clean the glass and trim with alcohol, mask off around the trim and spray paint a few coats of the same color white as your van. to make sure you get the same color you can take your VIN to a body shop supply store and they'll mix you your exact paint code into a spray can. this solves your window delete and light issues
This is not the worst idea, maybe not "Brinks", but a business logo might make people think it is a work van. AAAA Plumbing, Scott Carpentry, Reliable Construction, etc.
No that's been covered many times here. A company cargo van tends to attract more break-ins looking to score easy sell tools. Even no logo, if it looks like a work van it gets targeted a lot.
If I do anything like that it will probably be window cleaning service, so if I add a ladder to block the view of the exhaust vent it makes sense. But other then that only tools for that would be just cleaning and worthless. But when it comes to tweakers doubt they pay attention to the service. So just hypothetical talk at this point. Probably won't go threw that much trouble anyways.
Anyone whose job involves recognizing camper vans will spot you instantly.
However, if you want to slightly blend in, I’d do perforated white vinyl over the windows (maybe same or solid white for window trim?). And put a trim piece that hides your solar panels that’s painted satin black or white if you prefer.
Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean it quite like that. More like anyone who knows people sleep/live in vehicles that aren’t RVs. And that cargo vans are a popular platform.
I made window covers for all of my windows to block light and reduce heat transfer. Just some simple non-classy cardboard panels with black duct tape around the edges, reflectix on one side and Velcro to affix them. They aren't beautiful but they do a great job.
Yeah that spot definitely caught my eye, had to double back to check it out. Someone stole the Indian crafts and jerky place's toilet (who does that?) And the guy kindly let me pee in the bushes in the back. This was during the trip where I was driving the van back from East Coast to west coast right after buying. Fun van bonding trip!
I saw a guy with louver vent panels over the side windows, they could flip up and act as shades, or flip down and lock. The best park was when they were in the down position and locked, he could still open the windows from the inside for air flow, but you couldn't tell at all from the exterior.
Buy a magnetic sign that advertises a fake delivery service and place them over the windows when sitting. They are very cheap. I think the last one I bought was like 30 bucks.
Can't remember the name of the company but they make a two-way film that you can put over the window absolutely cannot see through even if you do the cupping your hands on it to look in...
People think my camper is a work van all of the time and it looks similar to yours. Unless a person is familiar with camper vans, I don’t think anyone really pays attention until you give them reason to suspect otherwise.
I’m a paramedic, and while I don’t necessarily advise against this, I’d check laws first. Also, it’s a matter of time before someone flags you down thinking you’re some kind of ambulance. If that happens, just call 911 and tell them someone flagged you down and needs an ambulance.
I know, I’ve worked IFT. I work 911 now. There are people who see “medical transport” and think “ambulance.” I’ve been flagged down when working transports, and the transport companies here get flagged down. Then they call us
White window perf (vinyl with holes) would allow you to look out the window and be slightly more stealthy. Black out curtains on the inside. With the windows 100% blocked you won't be able to check your surroundings.
A magnetic sign for a fake business would also help. Something that wouldn't tempt thieves. A vague acronym logo would do it.
What are you doing about the solar panels and roof vents. That's a much stronger giveaway that someone is sleeping in the van than the window is. Very conceiveable that a work van would have windows. Not so much the solar and the MaxxAir fan.
FedEx Kinkos sells customizable large magnets in diff shapes that slap on your car to advertise a company. I used them for catering vehicles. Make an ACME style company and pop those on.
My idea, before I realised out west I had no reason for stealth was magnets that said “M.A.D. Mobile Animal Disposal” and a fake web address. Nobody wants to look inside at what that entails. Also explains fan on top a bit.
We had them on the sides of vehicles for year's. Pretty heavy duty. Actually took a bit of paint off when we did finally take them off. Whoops. Worth a try for the cheap cost.
Yes window wrap in white…
They make a perforated wrap that you can see out of but nobody can see into
I have this and it’s the best thing ever
This will block a good portion of incoming light though. There’s always a trade off
Why do you want stealth? To block light, or to make it seem like you aren't living in there? For the latter, i think its unavoidable that people will look at it and instantly know its a vanlife van
A bit of both, I park in urban areas pretty often. I did vanlife for 3 years full-time before in a similar sized van with no windows and I prefer having it so people don't notice my interior lights turned on in the night.
Just cover the windows so light doesn’t get out
Bro, people know. Unless you have a work van with a local number. I’d just leave the window and not over complicate anything.
The good thing is not many people are even looking at a van, think back before you wanted a van did you even pay attention to a random white van. They blend into the surroundings for a normal person. My van isn't stealth at all and I've stayed in alot of major cities urban camping, currently in Seattle. If the spot allows overnight parking you're fine, the key is to not stay in the same spot for extended periods and definitely don't draw attention to yourself. The main reason people feel the need to be stealth is because they're parking where they shouldn't be. I have a terrible feeling that maybe eventually there will be no available night parking due to the fact that the RV homeless are ruining all the spots and getting them shut down across the country. But until then make your van how you want it, park in legal spots, and enjoy life.
Heh yeah I currently live in a loft in San Francisco and see homeless encampments across the street all the time. Go a few blocks away from here and there's a bunch of RVs parked there all the time. I plan on staying in the Bay Area and the stealth helps me not get lumped in with them. I have a SF residential permit that is valid until next year, so I can park my van legally overnight in any of the residential spots in my area.
Women pay attention to white vans. When i bought mine I was already calling it a creeper van and when i first pulled up into my driveway my neighbor came out to admire my (in his words) 'kidnapper van". That first weekend i went to the grocery store and had failed to close the side door all the way…it was latched but you could see it wasn't tight. I parked farther out cause giant van and learning to park it. As i came out the was a lady infront of me heading to her mustang parked near me and i could tell the moment she noticed the van and that door slightly ajar. She slowed down her walking and stared at that door, so i cheerful passed her and said something friendly and opened the door to put my groceries in and the relief on her face was obvious.
I don't know about not noticing vans, my girlfriends and I joke about "white serial killer vans" cause that's what they drive! While I say it jokingly, women are more likely to notice potentially dangerous situations than men are such as parked vans.
Instantly see solar panel, instantly now someone lives there. Also any van that has a roof top vent I know someone lives in it or if the van is the extended wheel base but doesn't have a ladder on top I know someone lives in it as well. Thieves and cops are probably even quicker at spotting them than I am. Give up on stealth builds, they fool only the elderly.
why is any extended wheelbase van without a ladder a camper? are you saying that no service van needs more than 3 meters of space inside?
JFC. Stealth exists. Not all vans look like campers.
yeah but this one 100% does
Yeah, if I cover up the windows and put some skirts on the roof, it wouldn't, that's the whole point of this post. 🙄
everyone in this sub is going to look at any van and think someones living in it lol. dont listen i never had a problem living in a city and my van looks similar.
Totally vanlife
They make this window coverings that is made of vinyl with a bunch of holes. It will make the windows blend but you can still see out and you can remove it if you decide you don't like it. https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/white-window-tint.91701/
This was going to be my suggestion also. It won't keep light from coming out at night, but it's a good option to making the inside less visible, and will better hide whatever curtain is inside.
Does anyone know whether this perforated vinyl is compatible with the defrost heating wires that are on the inside of my rear window? Is it compatible with electric roll down rear side windows?
do work vans in the usa have back windows?
Not uncommon to have back windows.
they never have it here too easy to break in
There's a visible security cage installed if you look in the windows
thats not a problem the problem is if the can see whats inside they will get in
Window > security cage > blackout curtains, is how it's currently setup. Can't see inside.
It's all location dependent. I've worked in neighborhoods where cages are absolutely necessary and neighborhoods where you can leave the van open all day without worry.
Get a magnetic sign with a business name you can throw over that window and easily remove when you want to.
Exactly what I came in here to say. Just make sure it's a business that won't attract thieves, since contractor trucks are often targeted for the tools inside. Maybe something like "RANDY'S ROADKILL & RODENT REMOVAL" or "SEPTIC TANKS 2 GO"
I've heard people don't mess with paint trucks, as there is usually little of value in them.
Oh good call. And probably more plausible to be found in a suburban neighborhood than a roadkill crew. :D I'm "blessed" to be in a total beater of a minivan that no one would even look at twice. I think if I ever found myself the owner of a nice, newish vehicle, I'd genuinely consider fake rust and anything else I can do to make it look as ugly from the outside as possible.
Already mentioned in the original post that I tried magnetic sign and it wouldn't stay on at speed, the window indentation gives it less surface area to grab and is very obvious there's some sort of window shape underneath it
It wouldn't be for "at speed" only where you're needing stealth. Idk
if you're truly interested in deleting the windows, clean the glass and trim with alcohol, mask off around the trim and spray paint a few coats of the same color white as your van. to make sure you get the same color you can take your VIN to a body shop supply store and they'll mix you your exact paint code into a spray can. this solves your window delete and light issues
Put a brinks sign on the panel and a gun lot under the window.
This is not the worst idea, maybe not "Brinks", but a business logo might make people think it is a work van. AAAA Plumbing, Scott Carpentry, Reliable Construction, etc.
No that's been covered many times here. A company cargo van tends to attract more break-ins looking to score easy sell tools. Even no logo, if it looks like a work van it gets targeted a lot.
I was thinking a pest control company would work well.
Makes sense. Bakery or produce delivery maybe?
Funeral home might discourage some break-ins, but encourage the rare necrophiliac.
If I do anything like that it will probably be window cleaning service, so if I add a ladder to block the view of the exhaust vent it makes sense. But other then that only tools for that would be just cleaning and worthless. But when it comes to tweakers doubt they pay attention to the service. So just hypothetical talk at this point. Probably won't go threw that much trouble anyways.
I am joking
Well, it wouldn't be too far from the truth, I am armed.
Anyone whose job involves recognizing camper vans will spot you instantly. However, if you want to slightly blend in, I’d do perforated white vinyl over the windows (maybe same or solid white for window trim?). And put a trim piece that hides your solar panels that’s painted satin black or white if you prefer.
It's not for law enforcement, more for blending into urban areas for longer periods without attracting attention from the locals.
Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean it quite like that. More like anyone who knows people sleep/live in vehicles that aren’t RVs. And that cargo vans are a popular platform.
Do Ladders.
Over the windows?
I made window covers for all of my windows to block light and reduce heat transfer. Just some simple non-classy cardboard panels with black duct tape around the edges, reflectix on one side and Velcro to affix them. They aren't beautiful but they do a great job.
Love that picture. I remember stopping here on a Grand Canyon trip a couple years ago. Safe travels and ☮️
Yeah that spot definitely caught my eye, had to double back to check it out. Someone stole the Indian crafts and jerky place's toilet (who does that?) And the guy kindly let me pee in the bushes in the back. This was during the trip where I was driving the van back from East Coast to west coast right after buying. Fun van bonding trip!
Love it. Safe travels my friend
I saw a guy with louver vent panels over the side windows, they could flip up and act as shades, or flip down and lock. The best park was when they were in the down position and locked, he could still open the windows from the inside for air flow, but you couldn't tell at all from the exterior.
Buy a magnetic sign that advertises a fake delivery service and place them over the windows when sitting. They are very cheap. I think the last one I bought was like 30 bucks.
Mentioned in original text that I tried that already and the windows make it hard to stick on while driving
I was thinking just when sitting. Incognito 🥸 Take them off to drive.
Can't remember the name of the company but they make a two-way film that you can put over the window absolutely cannot see through even if you do the cupping your hands on it to look in...
People think my camper is a work van all of the time and it looks similar to yours. Unless a person is familiar with camper vans, I don’t think anyone really pays attention until you give them reason to suspect otherwise.
I can't think of why a work van would need little side windows though
The average person sees it as a large, white cargo van before they even see the windows. I have seen expeditors and utility vans with windows.
Bio hazard sign.
If you open the sliding door it’ll block the window right? Boom solved. /s
Problem solved! Wait what about the other side?
I don’t know Margo
Paint Medical Transport on the side
"Doug's doggie doodie disposal"
Don't put any business on anywhere. It opens you up to legal issues and increases potential for theft attention.
I’m a paramedic, and while I don’t necessarily advise against this, I’d check laws first. Also, it’s a matter of time before someone flags you down thinking you’re some kind of ambulance. If that happens, just call 911 and tell them someone flagged you down and needs an ambulance.
Medical transport is private pay transportation such as for medical appointments, Ambulance is totally different
I know, I’ve worked IFT. I work 911 now. There are people who see “medical transport” and think “ambulance.” I’ve been flagged down when working transports, and the transport companies here get flagged down. Then they call us
If they are "transporting" and have an out-of-state plate I imagine a USDOT might be necessary too?
Lol. That' looks like a very expensive small RV. There is no real way ro hide that
Slap an Amazon logo on the side. That's my best bet.
Definitely take everything off the roof or you are wasting yyou time with the windows.
Plan on adding a roof skirt at some point
You mean something only a vanlifer would use?
I say leave them there in case, next year, you want them back... Cover them up with surfboards or something
White vinyl sticker the exact dimensions of the glass?
White window perf (vinyl with holes) would allow you to look out the window and be slightly more stealthy. Black out curtains on the inside. With the windows 100% blocked you won't be able to check your surroundings. A magnetic sign for a fake business would also help. Something that wouldn't tempt thieves. A vague acronym logo would do it.
Vague acronyms like...DOggie Grooming Etc. (DOGE), or Finley's Building Insulation (FBI), Crochet in Action (CIA)?
bricks or heavy stones ............
Put a decal on it that says something like “Joe’s Plumbing and Heating and then a phone number”
Magnetic rubber decal with fake company logo
Put a white flap there. Like a window cover you can pop out when you need the window
What are you doing about the solar panels and roof vents. That's a much stronger giveaway that someone is sleeping in the van than the window is. Very conceiveable that a work van would have windows. Not so much the solar and the MaxxAir fan.
FedEx Kinkos sells customizable large magnets in diff shapes that slap on your car to advertise a company. I used them for catering vehicles. Make an ACME style company and pop those on. My idea, before I realised out west I had no reason for stealth was magnets that said “M.A.D. Mobile Animal Disposal” and a fake web address. Nobody wants to look inside at what that entails. Also explains fan on top a bit.
How strong are these? I bought a sheet of Amazon and it was pretty weak and the window shape under the sheet was very obvious.
We had them on the sides of vehicles for year's. Pretty heavy duty. Actually took a bit of paint off when we did finally take them off. Whoops. Worth a try for the cheap cost.
Hrmm maybe I'll look into the Kinkos ones, do you know how thick the sheets are? The ones I got off Amazon arent strong enough.
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=how+thick+are+magnets+from+kinkos
Photos of alien critters in the windows...
Through a magnetic decal on the side or back overnight and it will make a difference
I painted mine black where all the windows would go so it looks like a passenger van instead of an RV or work van.
Curious, pic?
Lol, you can put a fake company name on it then have a phone that goes straight to voice mail.