Car Livin'

[mkirby]

Thought this would be an interesting topic for everyone to share on.
Stories?
Tips?

I've been mostly on foot in my short squat career but I'm wondering if wheels might be nice to have for a while.

 

[dirty_feet]

here's a couple of sites I find useful.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Van_Dwelling

http://www.vandweller.org/

http://selousscouts.blogspot.com/2008/05/van-dwelling-is-it-for-you.html

http://www.squidoo.com/vandwelling-how-to

This one is one of my personal favorites. - http://www.cheaprvliving.com/

And www.workamper.com is a good website for being a campground host, alot of Rv'ers do it - it's a nice relaxed way to make some money while living in your vehicle.

I'm planning on getting a van and living out of it for the next few years to provoke a low cost of living so I can buy some land some day. I'm also taking an auto mechanics class next semester in three parts. I think if one is going to live in a car - it's an important part of it.

Also - researching how much electricity you will use or run off of a deep cycle battery is important. A good sleeping bag, and good coffee.

 

[Dmac]

i agree with dirty_feet, if you are going to live in a car, or any other mobile type of housing, knowing how to work on it will save you a lot of headachs. the key for me (got an old dodge prospector and a 23 foot hi-lo camper) is to check and do preventative maintainence. it always seems easier to fix something, before it is all worn out and gone to hell!
the camper has a furnace (propaine) but i found that a simple heat element that attaches right to the top of a propaine tank (Mr Heater is what i have, 5000 btu's) works better and 1 tank will last me over a month and a half.
a power inverter is nice to have, so you can run small electrical devices. a real help is to go to a large truck stop and check out all the DC apliences that they carry for the truckers. i got this crock pot/oven type thing, looks kind of like a tackle box or tool case, just plugs right in to the cig lighter, not fast but really simple and easy to clean. also i have a cooler that plugs in, it will either chill or warm foodstuffs depending how you wire it up. niether of these put much of a strain on the battery.

 

[compass]

I've lived in my car for the past year, spent several months living in an SUV a couple years ago. Alot depends on your situation, the vehicle you have to work with, the area you want to stay, etc.

I live in a really chill area, but to sleep, I drive a few miles out of town where no one goes, and I don't have to worry about being harrassed by cops or assholes.

Otherwise, motel/hotel parking lots, 24 hour businesses (Wal Mart, Grocery Stores, Gyms, etc.) Shit, the other day, the cops found a guy dead in his van who'd been parked in a Vons parking lot for three weeks before anyone called.

I've been a mechanic for several years, so that wasn't a problem, but like the others said, defintiely learn at least the basics about automotive technology and maintenance.

If you really want electricity, get a cheap generator, or wire up a deep cycle battery with an isolator. Standard automotive batteries are not designed to be disharged, and just sitting there idling will wear the engine out.

There's alot to say, but I'm not going to write all that now. It's fun though, alot of creativity involved. Figuring out food, cleaning up, staying undetected.

 

[mkirby]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice.

I've been doing research and I'm just about sold on the idea of converting a van into my new studio apartment on wheels. Unfortunately, I have no cash. I've got stable living at the moment though, so I think I'll go for a little burger flipping or something to rustle up the dough. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Adonis]

I just picked up this(see pic below) for $300.00 (CAD).. Needs a little bit of work but not to bad considering..

A few years back when I drove my Civic to Kelowna BC along the way I would just pull over at truck stops to sleep but once there I found finding a place to park and sleep very difficult as I was constantly being disturbed by police and security people telling me I had to move on.

Having a Jeep is a great way to live out of a vehicle, You can go where you want, always find a place to sleep or go to bathroom, etc because you are not limited to staying on paved/dirt roads/parking lots..

Jeeps make great tools too! from helping you go mushroom picking to make some cash
(among all the other countless ways you can make money with a car of course) to helping gather wood for a fire, hauling rocks, water etc etc

 

[Angela]

I've had a van now for a little while and lived in it on and off. Be aware that vehicle living although it can be quite comfortable does have it's own set of stresses. Money is the biggest one. Gas ain't cheap. Neither are registration/taxes in some states and insurance. And if you don't have any of the aforementioned watch out for the flashing blue lights. Finding places to stay put with it is another problem. Lot's of Wal-Marts don't let you stay in their parking lots anymore and it seems like a lot more places are putting up those obnoxious "no overnight parking" signs and having the police or their rent-a cops patrol the parking lots, although there are still lots of places to park them if you know where to look. Vans are really hard to take up in the woods too which is where I prefer to squat/camp and most vans were just never designed with 4-wheeling in mind(mine has a lot of scrapes and bruises from going up into places that vans were never intended to get to). And like any other large possession they tend to require physical and emotional maintenance. And by emotional maintenance I mean the worry that if you leave the thing somewhere it's going to get vandalized, stolen, towed/impounded. When gas prices went up so high last summer and I had to leave the thing and return to hitching, etc I was constantly worried that when I came back the van was gonna be gone(even though this really would have been more of a blessing if it had just disappeared). They can become kind of like a bad addiction that's hard to get rid of. In my case it really hasn't been good for my health, I've put on a lot of weight and aggravated a couple of medical problems because of not walking enough.
I think the point of this rambling post is to think seriously before committing to living in a vehicle. I could rant more about the negative effects of vehicles to social and environmental health but I'll save that rant for another time. But if you decide to do it I may have a somewhat dented minivan for sale soon.

 

[Beegod Santana]

I lived out of a 1990 volvo wagon a few years back and cannot recommend them enough for car living. They don't offer quite as many ammenities as a van, but they're comfortable, roomy, and they never stop going. I ran this car into the ground... 10,000 miles without oil changes, running it for over 48 hours at a time, at one point it didn't go in reverse for 3 months but IT NEVER STOPPED RUNNING AND I SPENT PRACTICALLY NOTHING ON FIXING IT! The car finally died when I got hit while making a left hand turn by a van going about 60mph, and I came out without a scratch. I've traveled in tons of hippie buses / vans and my experience with them is that unless you maintain them constantly, they will break down at the worst possible moment. I once was in a VW bus that broke down in the middle of hwy 80 somewhere in nevada while a massive brush fire was making its way across the highway. I've hated VW buses since.

 

[Angela]

I've traveled in tons of hippie buses / vans and my experience with them is that unless you maintain them constantly, they will break down at the worst possible moment. I once was in a VW bus that broke down in the middle of hwy 80 somewhere in nevada while a massive brush fire was making its way across the highway. I've hated VW buses since.

Hippie buses and VW buses just seem like a really bad way to go for vehicle living for so many reasons, even though lots of folks do live in them. The big buses are definitely best left parked, great though to live in if you can find someone that wants to let you haul one onto their property and live in it. Besides being notorious for break downs, they are also cop magnets. Although I'm definitely having some second thoughts about living in vehicles(see my previous post) certain vehicles are much better suited to it than others. I recommend small vans and this does not include VW buses or any of their newer spawn. Pretty much anything in the Plymouth/Dodge/Chrysler family are great for being inconspicuous, much roomier than a car or station wagon, get 20+ miles to the gallon and also seem to go forever with very little in the way of expensive mechanical maintenance other than oil changes. And when they do break down, their parts are a lot cheaper than Volvo parts. Their also nice for being able to wallpaper the side windows inside with contact paper or whatever you choose to do this with making them much more private so people don't see you sleeping in it. From the outside this just looks like the tinting unless you get up a few inches from the van. Their not trendy vehicles for anyone besides suburban housewives so they won't win you any cool points with a lot of folks but they can be pretty comfy.

 

[finn]

I remember the Frida Bus, which was an activist bus based out of Maine before a really nasty crash, it was a sweet setup, but it was constantly breaking down.

 

[spoorprint]

I had a VW bus once, even if you can still find a classic bus, don't.Of course the big problem was the oil cooling meant you constantly had to check the oil, or blow a piston.
Other problems;about 1966 they replaced the hinged panel door with a sliding panel that as it got older would slide out of the track on fall of in your hand ( or on to your toes.)
The floor boards tended to rust, although this allowed passengers to watch the road go by through the floor on long road trips.
Of course in a collision the driver isn't just going through his windshield, he's going in through the other car's (because the driver sits right over the front end.)
The problem nobody sees until they drive one is the bus is so light it will BLOW SIDEWAYS
in a high wind and sometimes even if a big truck goes past.
Also the lights weren't wired through the battery, so if the engine went out,the headlights went out-and at low speed the engine could go out if you hit a bump (say, crossing railroad tracks.
Plus the bus never got the great mileage you might hope for with such a small engine.
Sorry, I had to get that out.

 

[mkirby]

After looking into this a little more, I actually see a lot of pros to living in a wagon over a van. It's WAY more inconspicuous, you spend less on gas, and its lower maitinence. Vans have more room for stretching and conversions, but that's really not a huge deal to me.

I'm probably gonna get an old honda or volvo as soon as I can save up for one. I'm still looking for work at the moment, though. Ugh. Fucking recession.

 

[Ghostie]

I was thinking about just traveling around in my car at first. Then I figured paying for insurance and gas would start to become a real pain in the ass if I didn't have savings for those costs set in place. I just feel like it would be a big thing to worry about on the road. So I'm officially taking my car off the road and might come back to sell it if I really decide to stick to this lifestyle for a while.

 

[wartomods]

wahaha pretty cheap :

 

[mkirby]

wtf is that thing

 

[connerR]

The few times I've slept in cars, it's been in the middle of nowhere, so I've never had any problems. I have a problem sleeping in cars though: I'm 6'2'' so it's hard for me to get comfortable. But besides that, it's nice to just wake up, twist the key, and go.

I've had some decent luck as far as maintenance goes, too. Most of the mechanical problems I've had happened close to home or a friend who could help me out.

 

[wartomods]

wtf is that thing

volkswagen caddy

 

[dolittle]

I've lived in a full size GMC van with extend top for the last 2 yrs. It sticks out like a sore thumb, but I can stand up in it with out hitting my head. It has a twin size cot, electric lights built in to the top, I have a DVD player that plugs n2 the cig lighter. A ice chest for a fridge & a folding TV tray for a table. Had a propane camp stove till it played out.
I generally park at the truck stop for access to shower & bathroom. **NEVER park among trucks at truck stops!!!** Always park up front. During the day, when I'm off work, I park out at the lake, or one of the local parks.
Cops only bothered me once. When they found out why I was there, they let me be.
Because of gas prices, I will be down sizing this winter to a small, 70s/80s modle 4cyl pickup with a camper top.
If U'r on a small or fixed income, scout around. U can find old busses to turn n2 campers & plain Mobil home parks to set up in. With a bit of research, U can find both at reasonable prices.

 

[Nelco]

Cars seem to be more a burden than a luxury, in previous times before I had the little one.
Paying insurance.
Buying gas.
Maintnience.
Cops and tickets.
Finding places to park.
Super sweating in the summer.
ect..

 

[Jimmy Beans]

When I first hired on for the RxR I was broke as fuck. I owned a 1973 Volkswagen super beetle. I was first given the assignment of going to a three week stay in Bakersfield at a decent hotel where my class would be in one of their rented hall/meeting type rooms. It was pretty chill, I'd have my room and do my thing then in the morning wake up stagger down the hall to class. After three weeks of that class I was sent to Fresno to do some on the job training with the Fresno switchmen. I did that about 3 months then off to Roseville Oxford Suites on douglas blvd for a similar to Bakersfield experience except conductors class this time.

Well after all the initial schooling and on the job training was complete it was time to mark up as a conductor. I lived in Fresno but couldn't hold a local with my seniority at the time so I went to Bakersfield and marked up on the conductors board travelling south to West Colton/Long Beach. I had to post up in the parking lot many hours in my bug waiting to be called on duty but that wasn't too bad really. Well I finally grew tired of Bakersfield and the southern scenery and decided to mark up in Roseville. This meant I would be staying overnight there sometimes and I'd have to figure something out.
I removed the passenger seat and back seat along with the kick panel that encloses the battery normally under the passenger side of the rear seat. I moved the battery over behind my drivers seat and this left a flat section of floor panel on the passenger side of my bug from the foot space up front all the way to the cubby hole in the back. I then removed the futon matress from my house and doubled it over long ways and it fit perfectly on the passenger side floor of that bug. Pillow, blanket, done deal.. It was pretty awesome bacause I could fully stretch out and get comfortable in a bug and keep in mind I'm 6'3" 250lbs... not exactly the guy to be driving a bug in the first place, let alone turing one into a studio apartment for himself.

I eventually went to SLC for engineers training and marked up as an engineer in Roseville. You'd think with the money I was making I'd have got a place in Roseville, or at least an RV, some shit. Nah, not me... I'm too cheap. So living in my car in Roseville proved hard on my family life down in Fresno so I'd go home and visit one of three ways. I'd either get lucky and catch a trip there, or I'd hop a second unit after working it out with the crew what I was doing, or I'd take an Amtrak. When I'd take the Amtrak's I'd leave my car in the Amtrak depot parking lot racking up a parking fee everyday it sat. Well being that I'm so cheap, I would come back after two or three days to my car in Sacto Amtrak and no way in hell would I be paying that fee.

There was a small pedestrian ramp that curves up and lets out on a sidewalk that goes along the onramp to the highway there in downtown Sacto. It is about 6 feet wide at best. The super beetle is 71" wide and with my mirrors turned in, and wouldn't you know it, that damn beetle fit up through that walkway perfectly. So I'd throw the parking fee away and drive out where only people were thought to walk through, the only problem was the curb I had to drive off of was about a foot tall, much taller than a typical curb and everytime I did this at a generally moderate speed to make sure I got away quick, the bottom would come crashing down on the curb edge as I drove off it. But hey, fuck it I ain't payin a bill if I don't have to.
So probably the 6th or 7th time I had done this I drove off it like any other, crashed down on the curb with my pan and off I went on the freeway back to Roseville, the yard office parking lot aka home for me and my bug. On the way I was coming out of Natomas heading up a small hill/overpass and I felt a loss of power, I thought nothing of it and kept driving. I kept feeling that car growing weaker and weaker as I entered the citrus heights area still on 80 I heard something behind me, I looked back and flames were flowing out of the engine bay behind me. I guess I did something when I dropped off that curb that time and messed some things up. So here I am, on fire. I take the next exit and end up in an industrial park at about midnight not knowing where I am or what exit I even took I jump out and look at my house on fire, my house on wheels, this little bug on fire.

I called 911 on my cell and had to run down the street a long ways to see where I even was, the fire truck arrived about 15 minutes later and my home was now molten steel, broken windows, all my belongings inside including my whole life of music I had collected all burned to shit. I took it as a loss cause there's not much else you can do, I mentioned I'm cheap right? Yeah, I never get insurrence other than the initial one you need to register, but I always let it go from there never paying that shit again. Anyhow, fuck this turned into a novel, my bad. I upgraded that burned up bug to my favorite classic, a 1964 Chevy Nova. I slept in the back seat of that in the yard for a long time until I left Roseville for good actually.. I think I lived in a car in that Roseville parking lot for roughly 2 years straight. The summers were hell and I'd always hope I was working days and sleeping nights but it never goes the way you want it to with them.

Lost my train of thought for a minute there, now I remember where I was goin. So I moved to Watsonville (UP yard parking lot) with the Nova and it was SO nice, the weather much better for that sort of thing. I worked the train to Davenport and slept at night and it was lovely. I think if you're forced to live out of a car, just try to stay out of the heat. Summer in the valley was no bueno.