This Box Truck Camper Is So Stealthy You Could Sleep In A Construction Site And Nobody Would Notice

Some of those who live a life on the road choose not to advertise it. For those people, buying a camper van, travel trailer, or motorhome is not an option because everyone can see that you’re in a recreational vehicle. One solution is taking a nondescript commercial vehicle, like a cargo van or box truck, and turning one of those into a camper. Not every stealth build accomplishes the goal of blending in, but I think I’ve found one that mostly hits the mark. This 1994 Ford E-350 box truck looks like a work vehicle on the outside but has most of the amenities of a camper on the inside.

Stealth campers are a fascinating niche of the RVing world. Most people don’t mind rolling around in a giant box covered in windows, awnings, air-conditioner units, and boring swoop decals. However, some people don’t want others to know that they’re living in a van or a motorhome. After all, some folks have rather negative opinions of those who live in vehicles. So, how do you avoid that? You buy or build a motorhome that doesn’t look like a camper but like regular traffic.

Some full-time vanlifers believe that by having a stealth camper, they can get away with parking in places where a camper might not be welcome, but a work vehicle might be. For example, imagine a street in your nearest major city. If you saw a camper parked on the side of the street, you’re probably going to wonder about what’s going on. When was the last time you thought of the random box truck parked on the side of a street?

The topic of stealth campers does seem to trigger debates among vanlifer groups. Some think they’re pointless while others see a benefit. It seems whether a stealth build will benefit you will be highly dependent on where you will park it. If you go places where campers are welcome, you’ll probably be better off just buying a normal camper. But, if you live in a place where campers are considered to be an eyesore, maybe a stealth rig will work for you. There are guides dedicated to what vehicles to choose, how your vehicle should look, how long you should stay in one place, proper etiquette, and where stealth campers may be able to park for the night.

It would seem that the most common advice out there is that a stealth build works only when you commit to the idea. That means no getting out of your vehicle, no decals, no visible lights, no loud noises, no funny doors, or anything that would draw attention to your vehicle. Some may not care about a box truck parked on their street at night, but they will if someone hops out at 10 pm for a smoke.

Again, it’s a fascinating niche, and so are the vehicles involved.

The Camper

This van started life as a 1994 Ford E-350 box truck. This one does not appear to be a former U-Haul, however, it does have a low floor and an over-cab area like a U-Haul has.

That box is a Supreme Iner-City truck body for chassis cab vans. According to Supreme, its Iner-City truck body is designed for urban dry freight deliveries. These truck bodies can also be upfit depending on need and the seller says the truck spent its former days as a municipal camera van. The box has some spotlights, warning lights, and a roof rack, all of which add to the work truck vibe. Also nice are the semi-trailer-style doors.

The underlying van comes from a couple of years into the production of the fourth, current generation of the Ford E-Series van. Technically, if you really wanted to, you could convert the front end of this van to look like a 2024 model. Power in this unit comes from a 7.5-liter 385 V8 good for 245 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque. The seller doesn’t say what he gets for fuel economy, but I’ve driven a similar box truck with this engine before and returned 11 mpg. What we are told is the fact that the van has just 11,600 miles. Look how clean the dashboard is; I’d believe it!

Inside is a sort of minimal build. The seller says the truck’s walls were insulated and carpeted before its use as a municipal vehicle. The camper build is said to be new and comes with, from the seller:

New 6″ queen memory foam mattress, 21gal water tank, water heater, diesel heater, 12v/120v fridge freezer, full shower, flushing camp toilet, 32″ smart TV, 2 deep cycle batteries, Renogy solar set up w/200w on roof, roof top deck, and a ton more.

It’s not noted in the features list, but my eyes also spot a roof fan. The roof rack also has expanding rails so you can use it as a roof deck. The kitchen is also very minimalist. You get a sink with running water, but nothing else. The builder didn’t even bother to try to hide the sink’s guts. You will need to add your own cooking equipment.

I’m a huge fan of the shower and toilet. I’ve seen so many builds that don’t have an easy way to keep yourself clean. Who wants to sit in a hot box all day without being able to take a nice shower? Even some stealth builds don’t have a bathroom, which is awkward when you’re not supposed to leave the vehicle at night.

What I would have liked to see is a little more detail. Stealth campers give up windows to maintain the illusion of a work vehicle. It would be nice to have a little bit of color or some decoration so it doesn’t feel like you’re stuck in a gray box. The cabinetry could also use some doors for a cleaner finish. The seller wants $21,000 for this camper, and even for that price, I wouldn’t want to look at the innards of the sink while I’m on that paper-thin bench. I’d toss a real cushion on that bench while I’m at it.

Otherwise, the execution isn’t pretty, but it looks perfectly functional. Is this camper worth $21,000? I’m not sure, but if you want it, you can grab it from the seller in Stow, Ohio.

The good thing is that none of the camper’s faults are things that can’t be fixed. It wouldn’t take much to turn this gray camper into a little cozy motorhome. A little color here, some cushions there. All of the hard work is done, now you just make it your own!