ORMojo
10-15-2018, 01:53 PM
Just posting because I thought it was interesting, because we post "you never quite know what you're getting on ebay" stories, and because we occasionally talk about vehicles/vans. Anyway, from our local paper . . .
Woman selling fully equipped ‘spy van’ on eBay (https://www.registerguard.com/news/20181015/woman-selling-fully-equipped-spy-van-on-ebay)
Story & ebay listing include more photos
Renee McLaughlin got more than she bargained for when she purchased a used van from a government surplus auction website to convert into a camping vehicle.
The 1992 Ford E-Series van came packed with four cameras, video and audio recording equipment, external microphones, TVs, solar panels, a heating and air conditioning unit that can run without the engine on, and a system that will level the van while parked on rough ground — all of it apparently in working order.
“Every time I walk into this thing, I find something else,” McLaughlin said. “It’s even got a periscope.”
She refers to the vehicle as her “spy van,” and now she’s asking $20,000 for it on eBay. She’s had a number of people view the eBay listing, but as of Saturday there were no bids made on the van yet. McLaughlin said she’s not disclosing how much she paid for it.
McLaughlin, who lives in Iowa but is visiting Eugene to help with her daughter’s wedding, said she was looking for something she could easily convert into a camper van when she came across the vehicle on a government surplus auction website.
She said she’s a frequent shopper on surplus equipment auction websites. She enjoys buying quirky items at bargain prices, then reselling them on eBay or other auction sites. Her list of purchases includes two used Jeep Grand Cherokees for family members, computers and miscellaneous tools.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which handles most of the auctions of surplus government items, declined to comment on the record about the surveillance van. McLaughlin said she bought it from the U.S. Forest Service. An official from the service who handles surplus auctions in Montana, where McLaughlin purchased the van, did not respond to numerous calls for comment.
McLaughlin said she thought the van would be perfect for her project because it already had a heating and cooling system. Her plan was to remove the equipment cabinets in the back so she could install a bed and other items. She wasn’t expecting to find all of the audio and video equipment still inside when she picked it up in Missoula last month.
She said she didn’t have the heart to tear out all of that equipment — it was just too cool.
She considered installing a hitch and using the van to tow her tiny home. McLaughlin lives in an 87-square-foot house that sits on a trailer that she tows with a pickup truck.
“I thought I might use the van as a kind of office space,” she said. “When I checked with a mechanic about putting a hitch in, he said he could do it but he would have to move some microphones first.”
Another problem: It’s equipped with a Faraday cage, a metal mesh enclosure that prevents electronic signals from getting in. McLaughlin discovered the van had the cage after she tried to check her email while sitting inside.
Plus, with all of the equipment, extra batteries and the heating and cooling systems, the van is incredibly heavy and gets about 10 miles to the gallon, she said.
McLaughlin is hoping that whoever purchases the former surveillance van will love its unconventional features and think of it as a novelty rather than something to use on the neighbors.
Springfield police Lt. Scott McKee said owning a van with this kind of equipment wouldn’t be illegal. It comes down to how you use the vehicle and the technology.
For example, if a person parked the van on a public street and was watching people in a public area, such as a park, where there is no expectation of privacy, then you probably wouldn’t get in trouble with the law, he said. However, if someone parked the van on a public street in order to look through the window of a home, where most people expect some privacy, then there may be a problem.
Trying to record anything could also be a problem, McKee said.
According to Oregon law, a person can record a phone call without notifying another person that they are doing so. However, Oregon Law prohibits someone from recording a face-to-face conversation without notifying everyone participating in the conversation that they are being recorded.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/223178739740
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EuMAAOSwb-Rbt~dc/s-l1600.png
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BaYAAOSwXUdbt~ZF/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/K00AAOSwUVhbt~dn/s-l1600.png
This Amazing ~ 100% Authentic ~ Government "SPY VAN" is fully equipped! Everything that has been tested works- including the PERISCOPE!! The following listed extras are included in this unique spy van and more!
100% off-grid, self contained unit
THIS VAN HAS A FULLY FUNCTIONING:
Faraday Cage
Periscope / Robotic Videoscope.
4 additional cameras, including Ikegami 1/2" CCD color chip camera and 1/2" CCD B&W chip camera (2)
4x3 video switching system- looping video switcher, terminating video switcher
Countermeasure receiver
Stereo auto cassette recorder with internal duplication (picture shows 2, but there is only one)
4 exterior microphones- excellent quality
4x4 audio matrix switcher
Headphones
Audio playback system
Black and white monitor
Color monitor
Time lapse professional video recorders
Wet ice-to-ice 12V DC air conditioning system.
Deadbolt locking system
Engine compartment hood locking system.
Halogen/ amber fog light system (not tested)
Single bullet light entry system
Exterior shore power charging outlet, reverse polarity alarm system, magnetic power coupling transformer system and internal main electrical panel reverse polarity visual indication system.
Scanner, scanning receiver
100w Solar panel
8 battery bank - Trojan AGM batteries purchased July '09
High capacity, high output alternator system with remote voltage regulation
White lights, tactical red lights, bullet lights
Numerous 12V outlets
GFI AC interior outlets
DC/AC electrical control panel
Electrical panel DC camera power breaker
Electrical panel AC camera power breaker
Airbag leveling system (can level the van from inside with a touch of a button)
Interior level indicators
Carbon monoxide detection system
Electronic ignition catalytic heater (electric start propane heater)
Propane tank and regulatory system
LP gas leak detection system
Cross flow/ counter-flow air-to-air heat exchanger and interior ventilation system
Circulating fan
Cab-to-rear intercom
Remote horn switch (in the back)
Command control console operator chair- swivels and tilts
Window plexiglass inserts
Vehicle underbody parasitic air fittings
Bulkhead pocket door front chameleon facia cover plate
Coat hook
Government license plates (current)
Field manual
Binder of information about the van
Brand new high power voltage regulator.
Woman selling fully equipped ‘spy van’ on eBay (https://www.registerguard.com/news/20181015/woman-selling-fully-equipped-spy-van-on-ebay)
Story & ebay listing include more photos
Renee McLaughlin got more than she bargained for when she purchased a used van from a government surplus auction website to convert into a camping vehicle.
The 1992 Ford E-Series van came packed with four cameras, video and audio recording equipment, external microphones, TVs, solar panels, a heating and air conditioning unit that can run without the engine on, and a system that will level the van while parked on rough ground — all of it apparently in working order.
“Every time I walk into this thing, I find something else,” McLaughlin said. “It’s even got a periscope.”
She refers to the vehicle as her “spy van,” and now she’s asking $20,000 for it on eBay. She’s had a number of people view the eBay listing, but as of Saturday there were no bids made on the van yet. McLaughlin said she’s not disclosing how much she paid for it.
McLaughlin, who lives in Iowa but is visiting Eugene to help with her daughter’s wedding, said she was looking for something she could easily convert into a camper van when she came across the vehicle on a government surplus auction website.
She said she’s a frequent shopper on surplus equipment auction websites. She enjoys buying quirky items at bargain prices, then reselling them on eBay or other auction sites. Her list of purchases includes two used Jeep Grand Cherokees for family members, computers and miscellaneous tools.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which handles most of the auctions of surplus government items, declined to comment on the record about the surveillance van. McLaughlin said she bought it from the U.S. Forest Service. An official from the service who handles surplus auctions in Montana, where McLaughlin purchased the van, did not respond to numerous calls for comment.
McLaughlin said she thought the van would be perfect for her project because it already had a heating and cooling system. Her plan was to remove the equipment cabinets in the back so she could install a bed and other items. She wasn’t expecting to find all of the audio and video equipment still inside when she picked it up in Missoula last month.
She said she didn’t have the heart to tear out all of that equipment — it was just too cool.
She considered installing a hitch and using the van to tow her tiny home. McLaughlin lives in an 87-square-foot house that sits on a trailer that she tows with a pickup truck.
“I thought I might use the van as a kind of office space,” she said. “When I checked with a mechanic about putting a hitch in, he said he could do it but he would have to move some microphones first.”
Another problem: It’s equipped with a Faraday cage, a metal mesh enclosure that prevents electronic signals from getting in. McLaughlin discovered the van had the cage after she tried to check her email while sitting inside.
Plus, with all of the equipment, extra batteries and the heating and cooling systems, the van is incredibly heavy and gets about 10 miles to the gallon, she said.
McLaughlin is hoping that whoever purchases the former surveillance van will love its unconventional features and think of it as a novelty rather than something to use on the neighbors.
Springfield police Lt. Scott McKee said owning a van with this kind of equipment wouldn’t be illegal. It comes down to how you use the vehicle and the technology.
For example, if a person parked the van on a public street and was watching people in a public area, such as a park, where there is no expectation of privacy, then you probably wouldn’t get in trouble with the law, he said. However, if someone parked the van on a public street in order to look through the window of a home, where most people expect some privacy, then there may be a problem.
Trying to record anything could also be a problem, McKee said.
According to Oregon law, a person can record a phone call without notifying another person that they are doing so. However, Oregon Law prohibits someone from recording a face-to-face conversation without notifying everyone participating in the conversation that they are being recorded.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/223178739740
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EuMAAOSwb-Rbt~dc/s-l1600.png
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BaYAAOSwXUdbt~ZF/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/K00AAOSwUVhbt~dn/s-l1600.png
This Amazing ~ 100% Authentic ~ Government "SPY VAN" is fully equipped! Everything that has been tested works- including the PERISCOPE!! The following listed extras are included in this unique spy van and more!
100% off-grid, self contained unit
THIS VAN HAS A FULLY FUNCTIONING:
Faraday Cage
Periscope / Robotic Videoscope.
4 additional cameras, including Ikegami 1/2" CCD color chip camera and 1/2" CCD B&W chip camera (2)
4x3 video switching system- looping video switcher, terminating video switcher
Countermeasure receiver
Stereo auto cassette recorder with internal duplication (picture shows 2, but there is only one)
4 exterior microphones- excellent quality
4x4 audio matrix switcher
Headphones
Audio playback system
Black and white monitor
Color monitor
Time lapse professional video recorders
Wet ice-to-ice 12V DC air conditioning system.
Deadbolt locking system
Engine compartment hood locking system.
Halogen/ amber fog light system (not tested)
Single bullet light entry system
Exterior shore power charging outlet, reverse polarity alarm system, magnetic power coupling transformer system and internal main electrical panel reverse polarity visual indication system.
Scanner, scanning receiver
100w Solar panel
8 battery bank - Trojan AGM batteries purchased July '09
High capacity, high output alternator system with remote voltage regulation
White lights, tactical red lights, bullet lights
Numerous 12V outlets
GFI AC interior outlets
DC/AC electrical control panel
Electrical panel DC camera power breaker
Electrical panel AC camera power breaker
Airbag leveling system (can level the van from inside with a touch of a button)
Interior level indicators
Carbon monoxide detection system
Electronic ignition catalytic heater (electric start propane heater)
Propane tank and regulatory system
LP gas leak detection system
Cross flow/ counter-flow air-to-air heat exchanger and interior ventilation system
Circulating fan
Cab-to-rear intercom
Remote horn switch (in the back)
Command control console operator chair- swivels and tilts
Window plexiglass inserts
Vehicle underbody parasitic air fittings
Bulkhead pocket door front chameleon facia cover plate
Coat hook
Government license plates (current)
Field manual
Binder of information about the van
Brand new high power voltage regulator.