# new to van dwelling



## vantramp2016 (Aug 4, 2016)

Hello
noob here
i have been lurking around the site gathering info on van dwelling as i am considering getting into it.. i will be starting out in LA next year hoping to get the fuck out of the god forsaken state with high rents and slumlords i really am getting tired of paying rent for what??? i get nothing out of it in the end other than paying for some slumlords 4 million dollar home as well as there property...

so i am curious as to what got you into van dwelling???
as i know that there are some that were forced into this lifestyle by the housing crisis and then when the economy tanked didn't help matters


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## VikingAdventurer (Aug 5, 2016)

Hey there, @vantramp2016 .

I myself am also new to Rubbertramping. I've been a traveler for about 3 years, mostly hitchhiking, with a tiny bit of Trainhopping thrown in for good measure. Somewhere around 2 years ago, I decided I wanted to "evolve" from being a Leathertramp to being a Rubbertramp.

I started looking on Craigslist for a van or bus, and saving up the funds to purchase one.

I finally and fully accomplished my goal just a few days ago.

In March, I found a van on Craigslist that needed a bit of work, but it was cheap. I bought it, and started doing the necessary repairs as I could afford them over the past 4 months, during which time I was a homebum.

I told myself 2 years ago that I was gonna BE a Rubbertramp before my birthday, and guess what? My birthday is in 3 days. I accomplished my goal; it just took me 2 years longer than I originally anticipated.

I now have shelter any time I want or need it, I have a way to get from place to place at MY pace and on MY schedule, and I have the ability to help any hitchhiker I see fit to help, assuming that they're at least going the same general direction as me.

For me personally, it was totally worth the time, effort, and cost to get to where I am today.

10/10 WOULD recommend.


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## Matt Derrick (Aug 5, 2016)

hey man, as a former LA resident, i totally understand why you'd want to get the hell out of there. while i've been vandwelling long before it was called that, i honestly think one of the best resources out there is the www.cheaprvliving.com website. there's a ridiculous amount of good info there.

also, we have some good info here and other folks doing the same thing for you to chat with (i.e. @Viking_Adventurer).

if you get some time, tell us what life is like for you in your van and maybe post some pics!


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## Zak (Aug 19, 2016)

I'm in the same shoes, same goal right now.
Working on getting me a van. Got a car...but...you know...size kinda matters.
Desperate to get the hell out of LA. Scared to death of hitting the road again,(for whatever reason,it's been a while).
Actually, only thing keeping me is an old back injury...
afraid I'll hit the road, have to do (want to do) some manual labor and mess myself up good and proper.
Anyway, enough of my bitching.
Good luck with your endeavor, may the odds be in your favor and the force be with you!


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## NBDDreamer (Mar 2, 2017)

Been rubber tramping in LA since June 1st. I pay 609 a month on a killer class B Roadtrek I picked up used. I found a 2005 model with 21,000 miles. The last rent I paid was 1,300 a month for a house in Burbank... and that was about 1,500 below market. 

I split up with my old lady and in the midst of taking stock I realized I was unhappy busting my ass to have a house full of shit I didn't need. 

I'm way happier now. I work 9 months a year and spend three months traveling. My savings account grows exponentially and my life feels streamlined. Living in a van also means you free yourself from all the bullshit associated with having a house. No more mowing the lawn or vacuuming. Cleaning my house takes an hour. Laundry takes an hour and a half. I have a PO box for mail, and a drive up storage locker for my remaining possessions that can't fit in the van. I shower at the gym every two days or take a sponge bath in the van. I dump my tanks and get fresh water once a week. The 250 watt solar panel I installed is tied to 300 amp hours worth of AGM batteries. Everything runs on solar except the AC and the microwave, and I never really use those anyway. I get wifi through my phone on T-Mobile's unlimited plan. I fill up my propane tank every two weeks for $10.47.

Every weekend I go on road trips to the mountains, hot springs, or the beach.

I wish I had gone houseless years ago. This feels like freedom.


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## NBDDreamer (Mar 2, 2017)

Been rubber tramping in LA since June 1st. I pay 609 a month on a killer class B Roadtrek I picked up used. I found a 2005 model with 21,000 miles. The last rent I paid was 1,300 a month for a house in Burbank... and that was about 1,500 below market. 

I split up with my old lady and in the midst of taking stock I realized I was unhappy busting my ass to have a house full of shit I didn't need. 

I'm way happier now. I work 9 months a year and spend three months traveling. My savings account grows exponentially and my life feels streamlined. Living in a van also means you free yourself from all the bullshit associated with having a house. No more mowing the lawn or vacuuming. Cleaning my house takes an hour. Laundry takes an hour and a half. I have a PO box for mail, and a drive up storage locker for my remaining possessions that can't fit in the van. I shower at the gym every two days or take a sponge bath in the van. I dump my tanks and get fresh water once a week. The 250 watt solar panel I installed is tied to 300 amp hours worth of AGM batteries. Everything runs on solar except the AC and the microwave, and I never really use those anyway. I get wifi through my phone on T-Mobile's unlimited plan. I fill up my propane tank every two weeks for $10.47.

Every weekend I go on road trips to the mountains, hot springs, or the beach.

I wish I had gone houseless years ago. This feels like freedom.


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