Car dwelling

[floodw4y]

I was really excited to find this thread! I've recently taken the rear and passenger seats out of my car, and plan on getting it set up as a micro-camper. Now, my car is even smaller than a lot of cars that I see people living out of– an early-model Toyota sedan. With the passenger seat out, there's plenty of space for me to sleep, but I'll probably be building a wood platform for a more level area. Are you happy with the solar setup you have? I need a power supply that can charge my laptop and phone. I was considering an auxiliary battery setup, but there's no space in my engine bay for another battery, and I don't feel very safe installing it in the passenger compartment. Plus, if I can get a setup that weighs less than another car battery or two would, I would prefer that. My girl is old, and the more weight I've got, the harder it is on her poor little 4-cylinder engine!

 

[dprogram]

(Sorry to hijack the thread with my long post)

I'm happy to have found this thread, cause I've been considering a van. I currently live in my Honda sedan. The idea of having a van and being able to stretch out while I sleep is alluring as hell. I'm a 5'4" chick, but I personally cannot physically handle not having my body flat/straight or stretched out while I sleep. It causes a lot of pain in my back, but I can't get myself to deface my car by taking out a seat (no where to keep the seat in case I want to put it back) and adding a sleep bench. But with all things considered, an O-K van would cost me roughly 2-4k, then a shit ton in gas every week and I'd lose out on the reliability of a Honda sedan. Plus I can't deliver food with a van. It's really made me realize that a car may be my only viable option. I've been watching as many Youtube videos and reading as many car dwelling forums/blogs as I can to get an idea of other people's experience with this. The van life seems so much more comfortable, but at a very big price. I'm even considering saving up and getting a better/newer Honda instead of a van. My insurance is cheap as hell on my car ($200/6 months) and gas doesn't gouge me.


Things I'd like to add to my car for comfort..

- Tinted windows! That is a huge problem I'm currently facing. People love staring into my car for some reason. Half of the reason I want a van is for more privacy. If I had tinted windows, I'd feel much more secure.
- Car alarm/remote locking. I've already had my car cleared out of all my personal belongings once. I imagine this problem happens with vans as well. I've also had numerous people try to open my doors while sleeping in my car, so locking my car at the click of a button would be much more convenient than double checking all 4 locks every night before bed.
- Velcro window curtains, or something of the sort. Tint doesn't prevent people with flashlights from taking a gander at the inside of my vehicle and I personally hate waking up to the sun.
- Window deflectors. I'd love having my windows cracked without drawing so much attention to myself and while it is drizzly.
- A better windshield cover.. mine is trashed. It also doesn't deflect heat quite as well as I would like. It has served me well for about 6 months and was only $3 though.
- Solar powered fan, as OP mentioned. I've thought about this for a long time and would really love to have such a thing for the high temps in Southern California. Cracking the windows doesn't do me justice and I tend to be roasting alive by 7-8am since I'm chased out of most the shaded areas that I can find by cops (it's illegal to live out of your vehicle here).

My car is already white so I got lucky there. Oh and I need new rims.. I bought the car with 17" wheels and it's ridiculous. Plus the thing needs tons ($$) of mechanical work (struts/valve job/shocks/some other shit). I really think my next plan of action is saving up for something else, like an Acura MDX or newer, more-functioning Honda. I think I'm going to stay away from vans now that I really weigh all the pros/cons.

Thanks for posting a good thread topic and letting me rant.

Get a Honda Van!