U-Haul Yesterday, U-Camp Today: Moving Van Becomes Stealth RV With Patio

What does it really mean to have a stealth camper? Being sneaky is a debatable subject, but this particular builder feels the proper way to go full stealth is to leave absolutely no clues as to what’s inside. That’s why this 17-foot box van has no windows, no decals, and certainly no Instagram tags in plain sight. In fact, the exterior of this former U-Haul moving van is still awash with scratches and evidence of its former life.

Inside, however, is a very different story.

This isn’t the first stealth camper build we’ve seen, but Techno Barbarian on YouTube strives to stand apart by plugging all the amenities of home into a properly small space. By that, we mean a full bathroom with a flush toilet, a small washer/dryer combo, a home-sized refrigerator, and gobs of electrical power. There are sleeping accommodations for four people, and there’s a loading ramp for a motorcycle that doubles as a patio.

Per the video, the interior of the truck is fully insulated all around and the floors are heated. A diesel heater also provides heat, and an air conditioner is installed above the refrigerator. However, you won’t see a condenser on the outside – it’s mounted underneath the truck to keep it out of sight. A modest sink is nestled into the cabinets with a butcher-block countertop, and a Cuisinart is available for cooking.

The full-service bathroom is across from the kitchen. It includes a stand-up shower with a standard flush toilet, connected to a 35-gallon black water tank. 40 gallons of fresh water and 30 gallons of gray water are also carried beneath the truck. A portable clothes washer can be set into the shower for washing and drying, powered by the van’s 13,000-watt-hour battery pack. There’s also a 3,000-watt inverter, and on the roof, you’ll find 1,600 watts of solar covering just about everything. There’s just enough room for a small skylight and vent, neither of which are visible from the ground.

As for the living space, a small sofa at the back converts to a bed that can sleep two people. Meanwhile at the front, the U-Haul’s iconic “attic” cab-over space is repurposed to sleep one person, with room for two available using a fold-out support. It does block part of the kitchen, but there’s still space to access the cab via a passthrough, meaning you never have to go outside once parked.

In areas where stealth isn’t required, a large loading ramp folds down from the back revealing a large residential-style sliding glass door. The ramp serves a dual purpose, allowing motorcycles to be loaded when fully down. With the U-Haul’s small built-in person-sized ramp extended, the larger section sits neatly atop it as a patio. There’s a connection for a hose to clean off people and/or things before venturing inside, and you’ll find an exterior storage box cleverly disguised on the right side of the van.

This is certainly an extreme stealth build, and from what we gather in the video, it won’t be the last project for this YouTuber. If this is what he does with a modest 17-foot van, we’re curious to see his take on a 24-footer. We’ll take one with a hot tub and pool table, please.

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