Tips for Stealth Overnight Parking and Building a Stealth Vehicle

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
I followed this thread with interest faithfully reading the posts until they went south. I have a lot of respect for the Wanderer, and believe he had a lot to offer, if only one would listen. I have no 'turf' to protect, only some personal experience with so-called, Stealth Camping. Firstly, I believe i do not Stealth Camp, but rather prefer to do a fair amount of Layovering. We've done quite a bit of it in the city environment. Jeanie and I have a truck camper and usually hang out on the RV.net Truck Camper Forum. For another look at layovering, take a look a Tioga George's blog: http://blog.vagabonders-supreme.net
He was on the road for at least 10 years (I don't know. it might be 25 years) in a 28' Class C and never paid for an overnight site. He has some very good tips for overnighting that seemed to work for him. His Blog became, over time a very good read.
My particular connection with layovering came about when we bought a truck and small camper to travel in and park/sleep at the trailhead for unloading our rock crawler. Those days are gone.

I sold my CJ-8 with stuff and now only have 2 Jeeps on the property, but I was wont to build up the Truck Camper into an all season, all weather, all surface, long term mobile domicile for traveling. I call it the XTC. I asked a similar question on RV.net Truck Camper Forum about making your rig more stealthy, in the same frame of mind that Wanderer had. The responses were friendly and helpful. Many responses were similar to The Wanderer's conclusions. Blend in by looking like your surroundings, or like you belong there. In the city, those colors are white and black. One of my interests, over time has been WWII in N. Africa and all those SAS and LRDG boys roaring around the desert in their Jeeps zapping Nazi aerodromes and ammo dumps. In particular, the art of camouflage in the desert had an attraction. I wanted to Monstaliner my entire truck and camper in a desert sand color. The problem is this would only work in the desert but would stick out in N.Y. City. So, I think black and white are still the color of blend in the burgs. What i learned today is to lose my Lance logos all around and make the box as plain Jane as possible.

One of Tioga George's concepts was to find a place for the night well before dark; go to a city park and enjoy supper and the ambiance till sun down and return to the place you found earlier and sleep. The thing he stressed was to park on the street in an area that had no obvious ownership, like in a light industrial area. He said to get up and move out early enough to leave BEFORE the workforce arrived the next morning. He also had a good list of where not to layover. BKA on the RV.net Truck Camper Forum has posted a lot of information on landing a cost -free spot for the night. He said it is much easier in the western U.S. than anywhere else. He has been living in his Lance/F550 full time now for over 7 years, about 2800 layovers. He is a world of info on the subject. He has no stick house. During EXPO 2013 I went to all the stealth camping presentations and learned a lot.
I originally hoped more of you would add to the list here of handy tips about layovering (stealth camping). Pax in aeternum. jefe
 
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pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
I've found that it is much tougher to wild camp east of the Mississippi. Even the Wal-Marts and rest areas are less hospitable. I find the COE campgrounds work the best.

Out west we pretty much turn off pavement to dirt, and then turn off dirt to smaller dirt. Results in some great campsites and great vistas, and can't say we've ever been disturbed. Also a lot easier to find places to dump and take on water.
 

goin camping

Explorer
Back in 1980 & 81 I was living in Los Angeles and worked part time and went to junior college part time. Made enough money for school, food and gas and not much else. I did have a 1959 VW Van though...

My goal was to be in plain sight in a legal vehicle parked in a legal way. I also decided that if possible to live (Spend the night) in the good part of town.

Go to Valley JC in the morning and work in the afternoon and spend the night in South Pasadena. Very high end real estate and no parking 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM unless you went to the local police station to get 3 day overnight parking permit which was free. So every three days during the week I would move to a new local in So. Pass. Nice thing about So. Pass was that it was an old money town. Gas station bathrooms left unlocked at night. 24 laundry mat. Weekends were spent at the beach or in the desert.

Funny story, Asleep one night and a car pulls up behind me. I peek around the curtain and it is a civilian car. I watch the male and female jump into the back seat. See the clothes come off. Someone's rump going up and down and the the police car parking behind him. Officer approaches the car. People grabbing clothes, excuses given, a parking ticket issued and the unhappy couple driving away.

Wife and I just sold our Airstream and we are looking to go back to a van and it will be a stealth van too.
 

Kitten Smith

New member
I tuned into this forum a short while ago because I enjoyed your photos of the old yellow truck, and all your advice about staying stealthy while in plain sight. Hope you're still enjoying Arizona!

You sign off the same way my twenty something son does,

Peace.
 

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