Does anyone actual live out of their vehicle?

[upcountry]

No rent or no mortgage and no bills equals freedom but also may cause for isolation and lonliness.

I mostly long for the days of no bills and simple pleasures.

I grew up in Hawaii in the 70s and my parents first house was a shipping container with a shed for a bathroom. They still live on the same property today and have a modest house my dad built.

I spent a summer in College in the Gunnison Colorado areae living in a tepee. That was great!

I spent my last year in College in Beleize living out of a small one person tent in San Ignacio, Placencia, Punta Gorda, and caye caulker.

After college I lived in a thatched hut with a dirt floor for three years as a peace corps volunteer in Bocas Del Toro in Panama (Comarcan gnabe bugle).

After that I worked for the Nature Conserancy in Hawaii and lived in a portable shelter that we heli-dropped in the rainforest to do watershed monitorring.

Now I have a desk job with a large city government and sit in a cube all day long and come home to my house.

Where did I go wrong? I would take back the tent or the shack kn a heartbwat to drop the stress and the urban BS.

I think a lifestyls change is in order. Some will call jt a midlife crisis!

 

[juicifer]

It seems like everyone who has tried it thought it was worth it, even if it was just once. But it still seems like most everyone quit there jobs to do it. I'm trying to figure out how to keep my job and do it (not necessarily travel all the time), as I happen to have a professional career during the day. I have no desire for a mortgage and I camp every weekend anyways.

 

[upcountry]

Do it! I think the biggest trick is setting up a very comfortable sleepjng arrangement that requires minimal work to setup or breakdown. That seems to be where I got tired of it. I have a friend that lives in his volvo wagon......is a builder that just lives at the job site and has a gym membership and works out and does the triple S there every morning (shower, shave, and ********).

 

[Dirty_Jeeper]

Some useful information and ideas on this site that you may find helpful.

http://cheaprvliving.com/index.html

 

[Surfy]

Thats a good thread question

I plan to drive from Switzerland to Southafrica next year - and tryout to life in the car most of the time.

As car i had choose the Land Cruiser 200 V8 (Diesel/Petrol), and want only do a minimal camper build.

In the back in a hight of 25cm-30cm a Bedroast - below a Drawer and Storage System, also with Watertank and warm water with heatexchanger to the engine (for africa you dont really need it, for Island or canada its another case. To cook i take a 2 flame gas burner in one of the drawer, and i will take also a 40l Freezer for carry some stuff for eating with me.

So i can`t carry much stuff for myself - think i will need a thule box or so too, for camping equippement, showertent (girlfriend will come with me ^^), chairs, a table.

For me its important, that i dont need to build up my sleeping area each evening, that we can sleep inside, and that we dosnt have to leave stuff outside for sleeping.

When we find a good lodge - we will take ;-)

We have so the focus to travel/drive and see much - not to live really on the same place for longer.

I think to live really on a place (in the civilisation), you need something bigger, a "normal" Shower, a restroom and some storage.

So to live i would take a big transporter in a long Version Iveco as sample - to have enough space...

But to travel abroad and of the beaten tracks - i will prefere my land cruiser...

But after 6-8 weeks of living in it, crossing africa - i can tell u more about... I dream from a long term trip, but first i will to the testride trough africa.

I also love my live while working, love my job and love it to spend my time with my friends - so mayee my way will be - to travel 2 Months each year - to keep my work/live balanced..

 

[mtnbike28]

My thoughts....

Yes you can live out of the truck and keep your job. When I moved in March, I left my family for 5 months, so rather than rent something I stayed in my Compact trailer.... except, all my work cloths stayed in the back seat of the truck on hangers on a rack. I have a sleeping platform in the truck and slept in there rather than the camper half the time. The reasons were, winds storms (I felt better about tree limbs falling on the topper rather than the tent) cold, (truck was warmer), traveling (every weekend I was somewhere other than the campground were I parked the trailer) rain (if I got back to rain, or it was going to rain the night before I was leaving, I just slept in the truck) - I folded the trailer's RTT up a lot to protect it from UV damage over 4 months of being open. (I did find the house we wanted to rent for 1 month)

In the end I wondered why didn't I just use the truck full-time. I have a Zodi propane shower and Porta-Privy with the 5 gal bucket toilet, so I can be about anywhere and be clean and have facilities. As mentioned, the secrete is having a set-up that is fast (as in no work at all) to break down and move... the Zodi has an opening under the sleep platform as does the camp stove and I usually left the Porta-Privy set up. I was in a camp ground, but found a stop where campers and most trailers couldn't get to, so I was alone and peaceful....

hth

 

[NothingClever]

I forgot to mention....your employer's dress code will most likely have a direct correlation to how much storage you need. Jeans and t-shirts...no problem with the Fleet or an ATC Bobcat, etc. Formal or even informal but conservative coats, ties, slacks and office shoes....gonna need some closet space like a Keystone or a Bigfoot which is beyond the capabilities of a small pickup.

 

[4loco]

I think everyone should take a look at this thread. I have never lived out of a vehicle, or even thought about living out of a vehicle, but listening to all of your guys' stories makes me think there is more to life than what I'm living. I mean that in the most positive, exciting, adventurous kind of way. Listening to you guys really makes me think of all the CRAP that I have(possess) and call my own, and that's all it is, crap. I think living minimally out of a vehicle really makes you appreciate the small things in life. It would liberate you from the pressure from society/peers to be a certain way, act a certain way, buy this or buy that, live here or live there, make these people your friends and/or these people not your friends. You'd be satisfied doing what you want to do, living the way you want to live and loving on everyone, not just your friends. This thread has really changed my outlook on life and for that I thank you WISE gentlemen (and wives, gf's) for sharing your experiences and thank you to the original poster for asking this question!!! I can't even imagine how much I'd learn if I actually did this, if I've learned so much just by reading about it......my stock 4runner is far from that tho
-SK

 

[TangoBlue]

This has been an important thread to monitor. I've learned a lot. Especially since my wife keeps threatening that I might have to move into it.

 

[NothingClever]

...Especially since my wife keeps threatening that I might have to move into it.

That'll do her until the trash can's full or the toilet backs up and then our bad habits are once again somewhat forgiveable.

 

[TangoBlue]

That'll do her until the trash can's full or the toilet backs up and then our bad habits are once again somewhat forgiveable.

I don't know... it kind of sounds to me like she just gave me permission to do that auxiliary fuel tank. I mean if I have to move into the truck I'm going to need greater range than what I've got now, right? I'm pretty sure that's what she means.

 

[the dude]

The longest the wife and I have gone is 27 days in the Cruiser. No issues for us but we had two things we would not be without. Hot water onboard shower and our Engel Fridge.

Our fuel costs surpassed cheap rent. I wouldn't want to park and live out of our Land Cruiser as a permanent base. Tent city would be a better option for us.

 

[trump]

I don't know... it kind of sounds to me like she just gave me permission to do that auxiliary fuel tank. I mean if I have to move into the truck I'm going to need greater range than what I've got now, right? I'm pretty sure that's what she means.

Yup, just like she gave you the green light to fix your CV's.:coffeedrink:

 

[RMP&O]

FYI, when I first moved to JH I met some guys who lived in what we called a "skid pad". They were ski bums and climbers and all that jazz. The house they lived in was old and run down. So bad that it had fallen off it's foundation years before when a backhoe backed into the house. As a result the house did not have plumbing, it was crushed when the house came off the foundation. They rented the house for like $200 a month and at any one time there wold be 4-5 guys living there. I lived there myself for a few months. Across the street from the house was the public restrooms at the public parking area. Down the street was the rec center. The guys in the house would use the public restroms when needed and would go down to the rec center to shower and all that.

Not exactly living in your vehicle but similar. You could have a membership to the YMCA or local rec center if you lived in your vehicle. So staying "clean" for a job or whatever is doable. Laundry can be done at the laundry mats or simply do it the old school way, in a wash bucket with a wash board and hang it up to dry. A large part of the population in Latin America still does laundry this way.

 

[keezer37]

what we called a "skid pad".

Ah, that reminds me of the Tumbleweed houses.

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/vardo/