While this is a well know bit from SNL (youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8) it is, in reality, a choice many make today as a way of life. In high cost areas, most notably the bay area, it is the only way many can afford to live. and work locally. My own niece lived in a van for months with her SO in the LA area and western US - some about making a go of being a 'comedian'. They now have 'real' employment, but I was surprised that they had made that choice. Use "Vanlife" or "Digital Nomad" as a search string and you'll find thousands of web pages, UTOOB vids and all manner of books, etc.about van conversions, full time RV living and as a subset of that, folks that live in a RV and work temp gigs as a way to 'finance' their travels. . All of this had been something I'd looked over from time to time as I have a Eurovan camper and might find a good tip or two. This week I finally retired my faithful 95 Sidekick and picked up a Kia Soul for a around town auto. In looking for cargo mats, I was surprised to find dozens of videos on how to convert this sub-compact into a 'camper'. As I dug a bit more, I found a mass of 'conversions' for other tiny autos - Prius, 4Runner and so on. By now, you might be wondering what this thread is about... Should you be forced to flee your home, you might also be forced to live out of your rig from some time - like these folks (The fire drove them from their homes. Now they could be flooded out of their tent city. - CNN). These videos may offer some valuable tips for living out of your auto for an extended period of time if hotels, shelters or other venues are not available. If nothing else, you might be trickled to see how inventive some folks are in these conversions Like this
Well,Umm, Ok, if that's what a guy's into.. Van down by the river is a great skit, but a shitty life. Personally I'd rather be in a tent at a campground. Living in an RV isn't a big deal. I did it for several years after my divorce. I saw no reason to rent/purchase another place while I was constantly on the road working in the oil field. Why come home after 2,4,6 weeks only to find your place has been broken in to and all yer shit is gone? I opted for a rig that was comfortable, could store what I couldn't live without and I could pull from site to site with my welding truck. Worked out great. Lot fees were all I had to pay,and when I stayed on site I payed for nothing but propane. RV living teaches a person to organize,only so much space-10lbs of shit in a 5lb bag. I went to town once a month. I had a small lockable freezer plugged into the outside outlet on the RV. One day a month I could go to town and buy enough supplies to stock my truck, enough groceries and laundry/cleaning supplies to last at least a month for the RV. Made a boatload of money, and kept it because my cost of living was low. Doesn't mean I didn't live well, because I did. One other thing. If you're going this route, take one day a week and treat yourself to supper. Go out and sit down, get a steak,burger and beer or whatever you want. A person needs that.You need to remind yourself why you are doing all this. Nothing like sipping a beer while eating a steak and counting all the money you've saved to set yer mind right.
I spent a year living in a 19Ft caravan. The only thing I didn't like was the small shower... I had been living in a hotel room @ $25/week (rural NV) and the trailer was $75/month - but had a full kitchen, so I was able to eat much better and still save... I still wonder how folks will cope with a wide area disaster - other than leaving a la Katrina. Texas is still paying for the forced migration of the dregs of NO....
The original RV I had was that way. Had a small shower and a bitty tub. it was OK for adults and the tub was good for my children at the time. Later I upgraded to a RV that just had a shower. It was walk in full size. This is the way to go if only adults are in the equation. An RV with a smaller shower/tub can easily be converted to full size shower in many cases.
I'm considering living in a van/RV/travel trailer as a temporary home when I retire. I am on course to retire early. I don't want to stay in the house I'm in now, but I'm not sure where I want to go either. Living on the road, maybe for a year or two, would be a practical & inexpensive alternative until I figure out what I want to do with myself. I went to an RV show last year and they had some surprisingly nice travel trailers for less than $30,000. I already have a truck big enough to pull it. Once I settle down I could sell the trailer and offset some of my costs. I would not want to do it long term, at least I don't think I would. My feeling is that RV life is one of those things that sounds a lot cooler than it actually is. We'll see how things go.
In the late 1960s, '70s and 80's doing van conversions was rather common. Not so much due to the economy, as much as people voluntarily unplugging from society basically..hippies. As an air compressor shop, we helped start several little businesses doing van conversions. If you go back into the 1920s and 30s people were modifying their cars, for living out of and camping even then. I venture to say that many home built arrangements were in some ways better built than factory methods, simply because factories tended to cut corners on materials. When I built my shop trailer I envisioned it going on it's side and the consequences of that.
"I am on course to retire early. I don't want to stay in the house I'm in now, but I'm not sure where I want to go either." Are you planning on selling your house right away? If not your RV can be written off as a 2nd residence for tax purposes. "I went to an RV show last year and they had some surprisingly nice travel trailers for less than $30,000. I already have a truck big enough to pull it. Once I settle down I could sell the trailer and offset some of my costs." If you have 30kish to spend you can get some damn nice RV's-esp gently used ones. Bigger RV for way less than new. You could sell the RV or keep it and right it off as a 2nd residence as long as you take it out for a extended period of time. "My feeling is that RV life is one of those things that sounds a lot cooler than it actually is." Very true for most folks. But it isn't bad. Like all things, it depends on your goals and mindset. I have spent more years of my life than I care to admit in RVs/Mancamps. If you have any questions I'll gladly share my opinions/experiences.
Find a plot of land that can perc and support a well. Bring in power under ground, and set a trailer pad behind the trees. There are a LOT of "hunting" camps set up like that in these parts, owners come and go when they feel like it.
Lived in a 29' travel trailer for 5 months. Never again! Was a load of fun at first, world have been better had we had a home to stay in for periods, but basically sucked. Laundry, waste water and the tiny bathroom facilities ruined it for us.
I've been living in a travel trailer for 27 years. From my experience, I can offer this knowledge. First, shop the used market. Often you can get a much higher quality used RV for much less than a lesser quality new one. Second, consider your space and weight limitations. Most who live the RV lifestyle full time tend toward being minimalists. That's hard when you are a prepper! Don't overload the rig. My trailer has 3 axles, and I use load range E tires. They take 80 lbs if air and carry the load well. Third, consider how you are going to deal with mail, and finances. Consider your medical care too. For me, I like being somewhat nomadic. Don't like the neighbors, the climate or the scenery? Take the home and leave!
I've seriously considered a variation on this. I live in the upper midwest USA. It's nice, but we get hellish winters. I also have a buddy who lives in the Gulf Coast area. I visit him often and love it there. So I thought, how about buying a plot of land in each area. Install a septic, well, and electricity. Maybe a pole barn for my other stuff. Then I can just rotate between the two according to the season.
That'll work. But if I go nomad, part of the year will see me where shoveling won't be needed and fat, dumb and happy in the mountains come summer.
I lived in our 39ft 5th wheel toy hauler camper for 4 months when work transferred me to a new location but my husband stayed behind at our house to sell it, let the kids finish the school year and find a job in our new location. It wasn’t bad. I had my total gym and some hand weights in the garage and biked and jogged when it was nice out. Besides some of those emergency food buckets we keep in there for just in case, I usually kept a week of groceries in it.
