Stealth campers get their name because they look like ordinary work vehicles but contain hidden living spaces. Commonly made out of delivery vans, enclosed trailers, and different varieties of buses, their dull exteriors conceal everything from basic living quarters to elaborate tiny homes on wheels. Box trucks are a less common choice for stealth campers, but open up a lot of possibilities thanks to their size and shape.
Take this Mitsubishi Fuso four-wheel drive box truck, for example. Featured on the Tiny House Giant Journey YouTube channel, it's the second box truck camper created by Marina and Mark. After selling their previous truck, they decided to build an overland vehicle, which led them to the Mitsubishi.
Gallery: Mitsubishi Fuso Box Truck Camper
Applying lessons learned from their previous box truck, Mark and Marina were able to maximize the use of the space and organize the layout so it remained open. They created an L-shaped kitchen with plenty of storage and counter space. The bathroom is tucked in the front corner near the cab, so it didn't create a hallway in the living area. The sitting area includes a platform bed, which is lowered from the ceiling via an electric lift. Positioned at the back of the truck, the sitting area takes advantage of light from two sides.
One of the best features of this camper is the 60/40 split rear door. The top opens to provide shade, and the bottom portion serves as a deck to expand the living space. Other nice features include a mini-split air conditioning system, a tankless hot water heater, and plenty of internal and external storage space.
Purchased at an auction, the Mitsubishi was originally configured as a dump truck. However, they were able to find a 12-foot box to install on the Fuso's chassis. Other issues included transmission problems, which required four attempts to fix.
All-in the Mitsubishi Fuso, repairs, and conversion cost $37,000. They were fortunate to find the Fuso and were the only bidders. Normally, four-wheel drive Fusos sell for around $20K, but they were able to pick this one up for $7,500, leaving them almost $30,000 for repairs and renovation. That's considerably less money than the other box truck stealth camper we saw recently, but this vehicle is no less impressive.
