Stealth vanlife was my best option when first starting to plan and research van living. I knew I would have to work for a few years to pay for the van I wanted. This meant I would be living in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. When designing my ideal van I knew I would be in the city so did not want to be easily seen when parked on the city street.
In January 2021 I bought my Promaster van and had it refitted to my design. In May 2021 I moved into my van full time and lived for a year in the city while working
What makes my van stealth?
1. No side windows
2. Darkened back windows
3. Low profile solar panels
4. Fantastic fan which as a lower profile than the max air
5. White van which is a common colour for work vehicles in the area I was living
6. A wall behind the seats with a sliding door for easy access from the front to back
7. My propane at the back of my van has a white cover which makes it more discreet
8. I kept the outside of van clean
9. Being discrete when entering and exiting the van
I chose a white van which is very common in the city I was living, knowing I would blend in more easily. I wanted no side windows mainly as I did not want to pay for the windows and then pay again to cover them up. This is crazy! For more daylight comming into the van I had a skylight installed and I love it. The van has darkened back windows which gives more privacy during the day. Installing black out curtains prevents light from showing at night.
A wall was built behind the seats with a sliding door for easy access between the front to back areas. There are two benefits for the wall. Firstly, it keeps the back area cooler. Secondly, from the outside no one can see into the back area making the van more private.
The van builders installed low profile solar panels so they are not so visible when someone is walking by. Also a fantastic fan was put in, which has a lower profile than the max air fan. This made it less obvious to any passerby that someone was living in the van.
Stealth vanlife in a cloudy climate
Vancouver has a rainy season from October to April where there is very little sunlight, lots of rain so it is damp and can get to nearly zero degrees Celsius especially at night. I have a propane heater installed which gives me more than enough heat. I had propane tanks installed on the back of my van. They had a white cover which made them less noticeable. During these months of low sunlight I only turned on my inverter when I needed to use my induction stove or recharge my computer.
I shopped for fresh food every few days that way I did not have to run my fridge as much. With so many rainy days I did not use my fridge much as it is powered by solar and it would drain the battery. As I was working full-time I usually only cooked one meal in the van. When parking during the day I made sure I got as much roof sunlight as I could to keep my batteries fully charged. While living stealth in Vancouver I made my van my home.
There was more than enough space for me even during the winter months where I never really spent much time outside. I lived very comfortably, had no problems with anyone and it was easy to find places to park. I often moved a couple times each day but did not have to go far and got into a routine fairly quickly.
At the end of May 2022 after a year of city stealth vanlife I retired from my job. I am now travelling full time across Canada and the USA exploring and having new adventures. Take a vanlife roadtrip with me.
Hi Cath. You mentioned turning your inverter on when using the stove or recharging device. Is your cpap hooked directly to your house batteries? If so I’d like to know how this is done.
See you soon (I hope!)
Loreen
Hi Loreen, I use a battery for my cpap machine. I charge it during the day, takes about 1.5 hours and then it lasts for my 7-8 hours when sleeping.
Very Cool. Wondering what type of van. Was it new? Who did all the retrofitting for you?
I bought a Dodge Ram Promaster. It was a year old when I bought it. I had a young guy who fixes RV’s help me with the build.
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