Not everybody is cut out for camping, even in something as sophisticated as a camper. But even within that niche, boondocking is a horse of a different color. It takes a certain type of adventurer to embrace the art of camping off-grid—and perhaps even doing so in plain sight. Fortunately, those of us who prefer a real mattress and built-in amenities can get our kicks vicariously through lovable weirdos like Steve Wallis, known as @campingwithsteve on YouTube.
Steve put together these incognito sleeping quarters using pretty much what you see. The walls of the open interior are plywood, and they’re framed in by the pallets that form the exterior disguise. The walls are coated in what Steve describes as plastic (it appears to be some sort of housewrap) and decorated inside with canvas. The former offers some protection against the elements, but not enough to prevent water seepage when it rains, as we can see early in the video.
The advantage here is that you can camp where a parked RV or tent might bring unwanted attention, but a RAV4 hauling lumber wouldn’t. This is arguably a far better “tactical” camper than something bright orange and bristling with accessories. Flying under the radar is the real thinking person’s apocalypse prep.
He describes the camper’s electrical system as “modest,” and from what we can see early in the video, it utilizes just a lithium iron phosphate battery and a simple power inverter. It’s robust enough to run a slow cooker for Steve’s dinner while simultaneously supplying power to his 360-degree camera setup while he’s inside the camper, plus the battery has built-in over-current protection, significantly reducing the risk of a fire if something shorts out.
That surveillance system is not merely to identify potential thieves coming to pilfer the pallets; it’s also how Steve monitors his surroundings after entering and before exiting the camper. The camper’s physical security is almost entirely dependent on remaining stealthy, so Steve takes great care to avoid being spotted during entry or exit; he even taped over the lights on the cameras themselves to make them blend in at night. The camper door itself is secured only by simple slide latches, so he keeps his valuables in the car itself when he’s outside the camper.
The bulk of Steve’s video involves an actual test—the third such attempt, he says, without much in the way of elaboration—in which he camps out overnight in a parking lot attached to a modest strip mall. We’ll leave out the spoilers in case you’re curious, and it’s certainly worth a watch even if this isn’t your scene. Besides, don’t you want to know how the jambalaya turned out?
Seen any other cool stealth camper setups? Share them with us at [email protected].
