Contemplating Living in a Van

[frito833]

I've been reading some extreme frugal living blogs and this really intrigued me. Currently, I rent a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with one other roommate. We split everything 50/50. My cut of the rent is $550, utility is $140, and internet and cable is $50. However, my roommate is moving and I really want to try van dwelling for a couple months to see if this is something I can get into.

I am single, have no debt, and gross 50k. My plan is to buy a house outright by cash flowing the extra money by living in a van and working another part time job. I know this may seem extreme, but I don't really see any other way to make this happen sooner.

Can anybody give me pointers or maybe any bad experiences from living in a car? Maybe talk me out of it.... I don't know. I just want to hear some advice on this topic.

[creditcardfree]

What type of climate are you in? I'm in the midwest, so at some point during the winter, this would simply be difficult because of the cold.

[frito833]

I live in Tallahassee FL.

[creditcardfree]

Do you have a place to park it? This could be a problem, if you are on private property, which any residence or place of business is. I would want the place I park it to be relatively safe.

Of course, I would also store any valuables/financial documents with a trusted friend or relative.

Where would you eat, cook, and bathe?

Just my first thoughts. I'm sure there are numerous things to consider.

[investingnoob]

That seems very extreme, but if you could pull it off and think its worth it, then by all means go for it.

[Broken Arrow]

Wow yeah, that is rather extreme. But uh, not something that I haven't seriously entertained myself.... Because, for the price of rent, surely-- I think to myself-- I can figure out some way to live in a van or station wagon right?

Ok, a few things I've uncovered so far (although I don't have any links handy). Well, for one thing, you have to have some kind of bath and shower arrangement somewhere. If I recall, some use baby wipes or at least wet paper towels to wash off in public restrooms.

Another situation is climate control. As mentioned earlier, your car may or may not be able to handle that depending on your location and season. The other factor is sweat. Yes, sweat. After several hours, they can clog up the car, not only making it smell, but make it extremely uncomfortable. I can't quite explain it, but it matters, and not just on a personal hygiene front.

Perhaps one of the most important factors is to understand local and state laws regarding vehicles being left over-night, and/or occupying vehicles in public areas. Depending on the circumstances, extended or overnight stays is actually an infraction and you could end up being ticketed by the police.

That said, I do think it's possible, especially if you're talking more about an RV or camper placed in a camp area. If not, at least a conversion van. Anything less, and I don't know if it's practical.

If you decide to try this out, by all means, please let us know how it works out! Oh, and no, this isn't a practical option for me because I have children. Good luck!

[SnoopyCool]

Can you buy a small, used, inexpensive camper and park it at a campground? It wouldn't be free, but very inexpensive (not to mention there would be a shower/bath house at the campgrounds).

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Where are you parking it? Will it be like an RV? If it's going to be at a campgrounds it could work.

Personally I wouldn't do it. But I'm female. I'd be too terrified of someone breaking in and doing things to me while I'm sleeping. Dangerous, KWIM?

[shultice24]

Originally Posted by SnoopyCool

Can you buy a small, used, inexpensive camper and park it at a campground? It wouldn't be free, but very inexpensive (not to mention there would be a shower/bath house at the campgrounds).

This is probably a lot more practical than an actual van. Ideally you could find a cheap camper, and get set up with a state park or something to be a 'park host' or something (I can't think of the actual term) Basically you live there for the time being, run the front office or do other work for the campground, and stay for free or extremely cheap. Usually I've seen retired folks doing it, but I don't see why it couldn't be anyone.

You could also park a camper on a willing family member's lot and pay them for utilities and such.

[frito833]

As far as parking, I might get away rotating between the 4 Walmart parking lots here. My other option is a rest area off the interstate, just 20 minutes from work. A ticket for sleeping in your car is around $100.

For food, I'm thinking canned goods like ravioli, nuts, canned goods, or Hot Pockets. There's a kitchen at work with a fridge and microwave which I can use for cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As far as showering, I have a Gold's Gym membership which I can use.

Mainly, my van will be used just for sleeping. I plan on reading at the library or working.

This is the car I'm considering, a 1998 Dodge Cargo Van. Very stealthy and a lot of room to sleep. My big expense will be fuel.



I might do the RV/campground if the cost is no more than $200 per month.

[frito833]

Originally Posted by shultice24

This is probably a lot more practical than an actual van. Ideally you could find a cheap camper, and get set up with a state park or something to be a 'park host' or something (I can't think of the actual term) Basically you live there for the time being, run the front office or do other work for the campground, and stay for free or extremely cheap. Usually I've seen retired folks doing it, but I don't see why it couldn't be anyone.

You could also park a camper on a willing family member's lot and pay them for utilities and such.

Good idea. I'll ask if they need help for cheaper rent. What's the going price for a camper? I can actually use my Nissan Xterra to tow the thing.

[buildmybudget]

This is quite a bit extreme...are there really no opportunities to couch hop with friends etc? Maybe you could cook dinner in exchange for a place to sleep and a shower? Obviously a friend will wonder why you need a couch to sleep on when you're making a decent living--but theyll probably be equally curious as to why you're living out of a car. I think you just need to head over to sharkee strest or airport drive and see if you can find anyone who'll take $200 bucks a month to fill an empty room. Good luck!

[LivingAlmostLarge]

This will sound awful, and it is. But what will you do for dating? Will you have um, one night stands or "relationships" possibly for a place to sleep? Maybe stay a bit longer and buy the woman food?

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

This will sound awful, and it is. But what will you do for dating? Will you have um, one night stands or "relationships" possibly for a place to sleep? Maybe stay a bit longer and buy the woman food?

Her place! Or a motel. But yeah, not exactly ideal conditions for dating, is it?

[Cylenchar]

You said that a ticket for sleeping in your car is $100, so if you even get 6 or 7 a month, you are beyond the cost of a cheap studio apartment, especially once you add in insurance and gas on the van. Not to mention the hassle of driving between parking lots to 'rotate'

[Cylenchar]

Originally Posted by frito833

Good idea. I'll ask if they need help for cheaper rent. What's the going price for a camper? I can actually use my Nissan Xterra to tow the thing.

You can get a used camper for anywhere from a few Thousand for a fifth wheel, to $20-30k for some of the larger a-class campers

[PetMom]

Cheaprvliving.com
has a lot of stuff about the basics of living in a van or camper - covers a lot of stuff.

Also: many 'mobile homeless' know how to park - a super Wal Mart (wal mart is always there for folks) tend to let people park overnight - but there could be certain ones that don't or permission to park may be on the whim of the overnight manager.

Sleeping at a rest stop in a van should not be illegal unless you are there nightly for more than a few days. Doing so could attract the unwanted attention of patroling police. Mobile people learn to keep low profiles and avoid attention.

Maybe truck stops might be good.

Many cities have passed ordinances to prevent mobile homeless from parking.

One city in CA adopted the 'safe parking lot' program - places where people could safely sleep.

There was a guy who did this a few years ago and actually had a blog - he just wanted to graduate college without a huge student loan.

Much more people have resorted to doing this and some, like you, are interested in doing so to gain financial ground rapidly.

[tripods68]

How about moving back with your parents or siblings?

[Ima saver]

We bought a used camper for $3000 and lived in it for almost a year while building our new house. That would be a lot more room than a van. Of course, we owned the land, so that helped.

[arthurb999]

Rent a cheaper place and cut out the cable, intenet and phone. You could also save on utilities by adjusting the thermastat and taking advantage of your gym like you would if you didn't have a house.