One of the niches you’ll find in the camping world is the stealth camper. As the name suggests, some people will build a camper that looks like a regular work van or box truck on the outside but features a cozy home on the inside. I found one of these that appears to be a brilliant example of the concept. Someone converted this 2001 GMC Savana 3500 box truck into a camper and it’s a home inside while maintaining a work truck look outside.
Now, some of you may have the immediate question “Why?” Why would you go through the work of building a camper just to make it look like you’re a plumber or a roofer? The stealth camper is pretty much the exact opposite of the pretty campers plastered all over TikTok and Instagram. The idea with a stealth camper is to allow the owner to fly under the radar and not draw attention to themselves. If you see a van parked on a city street with a roof air-conditioner and camper-style windows, you will probably guess that someone is living inside. But if you see a plain box truck parked on a street, you probably won’t think anything of it.
Some vanlifers believe that by having a stealth build, they can get away with parking their rigs in places where a camper might not be welcome, but a work vehicle might be. For example, a camper van would look out of place near an industrial park, but a box truck looks the part. There are entire guides dedicated to what vehicles to choose for stealth builds, how your vehicle should look, proper etiquette, and where stealth campers may be able to park for the night.
Just Another Box Truck
When it comes to the idea of stealth camping, I think this 2001 GMC Savana 3500 box truck hits just the right spot. If I saw this truck parked in my neighborhood, I would assume that there was repair work going on. If this were parked in one of the lots in the corporate parkway directly behind my apartment complex, I probably wouldn’t even notice it was there. That’s the magic of a build like this.
This camper started life as a 2001 GMC Savana chassis cab with a box on the back. The seller doesn’t note what powertrain it has, but assuming the listing’s specs section says the fuel type is gasoline. That selection is sometimes chosen in error, but if accurate, power is coming from a 5.7-liter V8 making 255 HP and 330 lb-ft torque. That drives a set of dual rear wheels through a four-speed automatic.
The body of the truck looks like that of a work vehicle. Its paint isn’t perfect, it has a few dents, and behind the cab is a big box that looks ready to go to a worksite. Basically, it looks like it has the 201,000 miles that are noted in the listing. Even the roof deck looks the part. I’ve seen trucks like these carrying ladders and pipes on their roofs.
The only part that doesn’t look exactly right is the rear, which has corrugated metal in place of a roller door. Though, I’ve even seen that before on specialized box trucks. In this case, there isn’t a roller door, but there is a split door that folds open, revealing the camper’s interior. Sadly, we don’t get a view of what it looks like with the door closed.
The opened door reveals a porch, which is a nice touch. From there, you walk through the door and right into the bedroom, which has a double bed. The seller says that the interior has a 7-foot-tall ceiling, which is better than many of the factory-built campers you can buy at this price range.
Forward of the bed is a small cooking area, which features electric cooking appliances, a sink with running water, and a wood countertop. The seller says that there are a lot of storage areas from the sink’s cabinets to under-bed storage and the bins forward of the kitchen.
In terms of power, the camper sports residential outlets, LED lighting, and 1000W of slim solar panels on the roof. The listing says that additional goodies come in the form of an internet router, a diesel-powered heater, and an app for the solar power system that allows you to monitor voltage. The seller doesn’t state how large the house battery is or how big the water tanks are, but I do spot a refrigerator and even a safe for your important belongings.
The cab of the camper looks like your standard-fare GMC Savana. This makes sense. I could see adding a better stereo and maybe better seats, but too much more and it stops looking like a work truck to someone passing by.
Stealth Has Its Limits
Of course, there are limitations to the stealth camper idea. When I drove around Florida during the 2023 Florida RV SuperShow, I often ran across rows of custom campers parked outside of interstate rest areas. A few of the campers were clearly stealth builds, but there’s no stealth when you’re parked among skoolies and camper vans. You also have to be mindful of where you park.
Someone might call the police if they saw a random white van or box truck parked in front of their house, but few people will bat an eye at a work truck parked at a Walmart. At the same time, a box truck on a beach looks weird, but a camper van wouldn’t. Additional stress can come in the form of a campground that doesn’t allow unorthodox builds like these. So, stealth isn’t a perfect solution.
Another detail I’ve noticed is that those who go with a stealth camper have to make concessions. You’ve already noticed that this camper doesn’t have any windows, air vents, stickers, outside outlets, or any other easily visible element that you might find on the exterior of a camper.
The whole point is that the vehicle is supposed to look like a normal work vehicle on the outside. But that may mean giving up on some sunlight, ventilation, and style. That said, this camper seems to do the stealth rick better than some of the others I’ve written about.
If camping out of a box truck seems right for you, this 2001 GMC Savana 3500 camper build is listed for $18,000 out in Bend, Oregon. Given the price of new RVs today, the price doesn’t seem outrageous.
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I would start with a box van that is on a cutaway chassis so the box could have a pass through bulkhead, then you could essentially have a big window in front. Install 3 wireless back up hitch cams on the sides and the rear to be able to see out those directions if necessary and get the wind deflector for the roof of the van so you can hide a small window ac in that dead space while also increasing fuel economy ever so slightly. C-tech also makes a bottle holder with a roof vent as well as a floor drain, that would make a nice shower if modified slightly.
I am 90% positive that this was my neighbor’s build, completed approximately fall 2019.
At the time, he was an auto mechanic tired of Portland’s skyrocketing rents, looking to live rent-free, and dailying a an immaculate, bright yellow Geo Storm.
I didn’t really know him, but we talked about the build a few times and I got a tour during construction, before the walls and floor were completed. Then one day he was gone.
The box truck came from U-Haul. Everything is insulated, and there is a full hvac system (peak the circular mini vents in the dropped ceiling).
I made an account to comment because of the shade being thrown here. I can’t say I’d make the same design choices, but if this is the build I think it is, it’s worth a look. It’s architect at least knew cars.
No intended offense to anyone. Just not a fan of this particular build. And the 18K ask for an old ex UHaul chassis, truck, GM product. Just the same the vibe is still strange about this one. YMMV.
This just seems to have a bad vibe to it. Like homeless serial killer guy/sex predator, or homeless guy who ran out of cash? Or “Free Candy” guy? Pass…
I thought about getting an obs Ford chassis U-Haul a few years ago to turn into a stealth camper. Figured I would do solar panels, a low profile ac unit and glass in the ceiling to make up for a lack of side windows. Don’t know how practical it would have been but I feel like it would be a damn good stealth camper.
Sorry. I vote crack pipe. Especially for 18K. A neat idea but poorly executed.
No. Just no.
Really don’t want to be mean, but would not offer over 2K for this as it sits.
Kind of a missed opportunity they didn’t start the build with a box truck with a “mom’s attic”.
So much more space to work with, and it would look less awkward with that roof rack.
Nice build though.
But I’ve gotta say it again…
Forget the beds in these things. Beds are space eaters.
Get a good, double, parachute hammock and some wall mounts.
When you’re not sleeping comfortably in it a hammock can hang in a stuff sack on the wall, and it’s smaller than a loaf of bread.
I stopped bothering with beds years ago.
Trust ancient technology, hammocks are always the answer.
Scorpio: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn’t I think of that? Hammocks! Homer, there’s four places; there’s the Hammock Hut, that’s on Third.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Scorpio: There’s Hammocks Are Us, that’s on Third, too.
Homer: Got it.
Scorpio: You got Put Your Butt There…
Homer: Mm-hmm.
Scorpio: …that’s on Third.
Homer: Yes.
Scorpio: Swing Low Sweet Chariot…
Homer: Right.
Scorpio: Matter of fact, they’re all in the same complex… it’s the Hammock Complex, down on Third?
Homer: Oh, the Hammock District!
The fact there is no ceiling fan shows this builder had no idea wtf they were doing.
You can pick up a big box dually with 200,000 miles for $5,000. That allows some building. Most of these have fiberglass roofs that allow the sunshine in. I think a drop out down door would be better and use it as a porch instead of part of the box. Now a stepvan with an anonymous phone or utility would be stealthier but do not park near a methlab they will assume FBI. WHY small vans dont use murphy beds with a flip out table when folded up is beyond me. If you need windows use a horse trailer for stealth noone is breaking into a manure factory.
I picked up a 2002 Ford e450 5 window short bus with the 7.3L powerstroke for $3500. Needed engine work. All in I’m under 8k, thing is awesome and functions as a winter cabin right now til I can afford a real building.
I generally like your horse trailer idea, and it would work in some metro areas. But here in Texas and all across the Southwest, there are plenty of unscrupulous “cowboys” who aren’t afraid of horseshit and are very knowledgeable about the excessive cost of saddles and good horse tack that is stored in these things. Hell, they would probably just be pissed to open the doors and find a DIY living space rather than the $10k+ of horse tack that they could easily sell.
Damn bandits.
And a Texan with a gun would also spoil their day. Lol
My cousins got his shit jacked in LA. Had a white ford van, but it was the new van life type and he had a mobile studio he used in it for interviews at shows and concerts.
Ended up finding it and selling it. Not worth the stress. This is a good option I think…but I’d be paranoid opening it or showing anyone, and that would ruin the van for me. Just sucks this is a thing thats needed.
I noticed that. The lightweight aluminum truck-bed camper you wrote about the other day had something similar, which struck me as a good idea: there’s room for a doormat so you can wipe your feet before going inside (or possibly leave your shoes outside, where practical).
Just have Flowers By Irene marked on the side and nobody will complain
Came here for this and not disappointed.
https://frinkiac.com/video/S03E04/Lo13uQdnwzmXi-UZ6tgF8iLA64Y=.gif
It may be unfair, but I’d be nervous about buying someone’s custom build. You never know which corners they cut, which things they figured they could DIY without the appropriate skills (electrical and plumbing), and what they did because they ran out of money or interest.
This looks like a great build, but I know I don’t have the skills to properly vet it. And I suspect most people who could inspect it well enough to be sure would just build their own.
That said, this is pretty cool (but not literally–as others have said, AC and/or windows are tough to go without), and I respect the amount of work to make it this stealth.
There are 2 distinct factions of #VanLife – traveling the country and having adventures, and “I’m half a step away from being homeless, I can’t afford an apartment”. This screams of the latter.
Also, it seems like many of the #VanLife folks want to tell you all about the living part and nothing about the greasy bits. 200,000 miles can be really rough on a work truck, or maybe (unlikely) it’s in fine mechanical health. For me, I’m not building myself out of homelessness in a (probably) used-up work truck.
Yeah, this definitely says “I’m not homeless, I just don’t want to pay rent (because I can’t afford it).” It’s a step up from the blogs you used to see telling people how to use a car cover to hide that you were living in your car, but not by much. You’re still looking at a gym membership so you can shower and making sure you move it often enough to avoid scrutiny.
And, yeah, it would be really tough to be wondering
ifwhen your home was going to break down and fearing it getting towed as a derelict vehicle before you could fix it.You say that like it’s a bad thing. I avoided rent by renting a small warehouse space with a buddy, we built illegal loft apartments, had room for all our cars/my boat, and our rent was $350 each. Yeah, I had to get a gym membership, but I saved so much money ‘renting’ that instead of an apartment that I could put a down payment on a house a few years later.
No, I do not mean it as bad, though I see how it would come across that way. I just mean to point out that it isn’t an easy life, as I suspect you know. I apologize for coming across as critical.
Skyrocketing rents make the difficulty look more and more appealing, though. I definitely looked at those blogs some years back and wondered if I could be intentionally homeless for long enough to earn enough to buy a house, but the various tips and tricks to avoid getting your house/car towed stressed me out too much.
The warehouse loft isn’t without risk, but at least you could be reasonably sure the warehouse wouldn’t be towed. And you have an address to put on job applications or attach to bank accounts. People tend not to be too picky about non-residential addresses, so it probably won’t invite TOO much scrutiny.
I think a thing a lot of the van lifers get razed about is the idea that it is more of a carefree life because some Instagram influencers and such sell it as kind of idyllic. It’s rough, and it takes a lot more planning and thought than paying rent does.
And social media makes it worse. Look at Nextdoor and see the posts complaining about an unknown vehicle parked overnight. You stay in a residential neighborhood more than a couple nights and you’ll likely have trouble. I lived in one neighborhood that had people talking about reporting marked delivery vans to the police when they stopped to eat their lunch or something for a couple minutes. Businesses don’t want you there, either. That’s why these stealth builds are popular. They make it a little easier to find a place to stop for a bit without too much hassle.
> I lived in one neighborhood that had people talking about reporting marked delivery vans to the police when they stopped to eat their lunch or something for a couple minutes.
Man, I hope you got out of there. This sounds like hell.
It really was. Most of that subdivision was bought up by people who decided to come to a red state for “freedom.” They didn’t want people controlling them, but they DID want people controlling their neighborhood to prevent drops in property values.
The HOA sent us a letter for a slightly brown spot in the lawn in late August. Triple digit weather and they wanted to make sure that one square foot of our lawn was lush. It was exhausting, and I was glad to leave. The only nice bit was that the neighbors didn’t try to be friendly. I don’t think I wanted to deal with them.
You know what’s even more stealth? A full size conversion van.
Absolutely. To me, that is the most versatile of the stealth builds. You can park it in any parking lot with minimal scrutiny, whether commercial, industrial, or residential. And people will be less likely to question you driving it wherever.
Actually work trucks are big mile eaters. I put 75,000 a year on mine at one time. Also if your livelihood depends on your truck you tske better care of it than yourself. But check out the business reputation first.
If you can find out what it was used for, that can help, too. A rental that people have abused is different from a cross-country hauler, which is different from a local hauler, which is different from a box truck shuttling things around a single site and spending more time idling than driving.
Highway miles and little idling would make for a great 200k. Local hauling, probably still pretty good. A rental or on-site hauler are going to be likely in worse shape (though they could be better than I would expect).
You got that right. My college buddies used to have a saying “Don’t worry, its a rental.”
200k is nothing on a diesel that’s had regular maintenance tho.
Speaking of mechanical bits, I’d much rather turn wrenches under the hood of a pickup cab than a van.
during our year of living in a van, we stealth camped in an Econoline. Mostly we’d park in hotel parking lots, and this worked fairly well. We had the windscreen and two small portholes at the back. In practice this was enough to let the light in but not display our camping.
In Durango a thief was wandering the lot at 2am, trying doors to see if anyone had left a door unlocked. I waited for him with a lug wrench, but he didn’t try further after finding us locked. In Salt Lake City a cop followed us across town and into the hotel lot, moved us on pronto. We ended up in a truck stop with diesels running all night next to us. I’ve never been back to Salt Lake..
The only time we resorted to Walmart was in Anchorage, where there were so many campers parked that suburbs had formed: pricy RVs at one end, dirtbaggers sleeping in their cars at the other. We parked cautiously in between and headed for the country as fast as we could.
Boy, Anchorage is a place with a weird vibe.
Salt Lake is a necessary evil to get to the good parts of Utah. Anchorage is just weird, again often needed to go through to get to the good places – although Anchorage is not as weird as Juneau- Fairbanks is surprisingly normal and a good place to recharge on your long Alaskan adventure.
This reminded me of the guy that worked at Google and lived in a box truck on their campus for a time, but look at pics, that was not nearly as involved of a build as this is.
Price and build quality alone are good reasons to consider starting with a work truck.
The build quality of a 20 year old clapped out Chevy box van being better than…….. what exactly?
Any RV ever built.
Nothing says stealth like 1000 watts of solar panels on the roof
I suppose to be fair unless you are looking at the roof (which you can’t see from street height) most people wouldn’t notice… maybe?
Box trucks are actually available and affordable when compared to Sprinters or Transits, so this sorta makes sense. But who wants to sleep in an airless aluminum box? Yuck.
Also WTF is up with that sink cabinet? Did they spill a bunch of epoxy?
I can assure you the box in summer easily reaches 120 degrees very fast even with the door open.
Seems like there’s a very short journey from van-lifer to serial killer.
Or the other way around
I appreciate the stealthiness of it, but no windows and no AC means this is going to be uncomfortable in most weather that people like to camp in. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a late season cool-weather camping trip as much as anyone, but I also like to be able to camp when it’s 70 and sunny, and I suspect this would turn into an oven in those conditions.
I’m assuming the point is to be out and about during the day and return at night when it’s cooler, but admittedly I don’t fully grasp the appeal of camping in an industrial park or a Walmart parking lot.
The appeal is generally not having to pay rent on a space, I assume. And, if you can afford it, it’s better than living out of a car. But a converted Sprinter van is a better combination of mobility and living space, in my opinion. If you drive your home to work, the box truck raises more eyebrows than the van. If you deck out the van right, you could make it look enough like a work van to park in a lot of places, probably. And you could have ventilation.
It’s begging for a ceiling vent. There’s enough room between the box roof and the rack. The box is tall enough that no one is going to notice a vent cover on the roof. You could easily add a vent fan to exhaust hot air out the roof. Leave the cab windows cracked to pull air through, or hide a lower vent somewhere.
Absolutely. With the massive rack on the top, not putting in a ceiling vent seems more like not wanting to cut a hole in the top than trying to blend in.
Or just install a trailer mini door high up.
Fit a Cab top wind deflector, and have the A/C there in that hollow, blocked from view from the front or sides
I’m sensing strong Flowers By Irene vibes.
I’d go with Two Guys from Quantico Pizza, myself
Phoey you beat me to it
Yabbut… no dang windows! Call me bourgeois, but I’m shelling out for a spot at the fairgrounds if the alternative is staying in a black box.
Needs windows. (terse hot-take achieved)
Yeah, maybe get a CO2 detector in there!
“Asphyxiated by flatulence” would be an impressive cause of death.
I went researching, and I can’t find any verifiable cases of this happening before, so it might even be the first such incident!
Hydrogen sulfide lethal concentration is an estimated 170-300 ppm, and there isn’t much in flatulence, so that would be tough. The other gases in flatulence have much higher LC50 levels. I think you’d die from CO2 before you could fart enough to make flatulence asphyxiation the cause of death. And, honestly, doesn’t that sound more pleasant than gasping for breath, only to inhale more fart?
Maybe a propane detector as well. Especially since it looks like there’s a propane tank stored inside. I think I’d at least want that on the “back porch” area with a little vent.
As I was reading the article I kept thinking “This looks just like one I saw when I was living in Oregon during the first few years of the pandemic!” Then I saw the Oregon plate and realized it probably was the one I saw. This is pretty common in the van life scene on the Oregon coast, but most don’t do it nearly this nicely.