Living in a Van

[waveform]

Yea so one of the benefits of "living like a homeless person" as sarcastically pointed out its dirt cheap! And my Odyssey is fare better then your standard corrugated box and a bottle of boons farm.

Chico and that part of Cali are exactly where I want to go because its more socially exceptionable! Stories like mention above made it that way. Plus Sierra Nevada is from there.

I think a lot of people have had that dream about a motorcycle across china, and other places. My dad did it across Europe after the war, met Errol Flynn.

Travels with Charlie, on the list! Its that romance of America Im after. We wake up go to work, come home eat dinner and then do it again the next day. You can pull the definition of insanity out of that almost. Were not robots. I lived out of my car years ago in Tahoe and worked for over a month. That sucked. You need to be prepared and have a set up that works very well. Im going to take some pics and post em today. Thanks all.

[RP]

I think that this kind of lifestyle is a great example of the half-full/half-empty glass. To some it represents being homeless while to others it represents being home-free. I must confess that the notion has a long-standing romanticized appeal to me, but at 67 it will likely never happen for me....

[jpd]

Originally Posted by RP

I think that this kind of lifestyle is a great example of the half-full/half-empty glass. To some it represents being homeless while to others it represents being home-free. I must confess that the notion has a long-standing romanticized appeal to me, but at 67 it will likely never happen for me....

RP....many of the *vandwellers* are in there 60's and up. It is a romanticized view of *economic* freedom. I bet the over all majority of these people would trade this lifestyle for a secure location with a shack anyday. The financial squaller enveloping this world has clearly left a large portion of humanity homeless....or *houseless* as the vandwellers say

[RP]

Having been around the (online) fringes of Escapees and Workampers for a while now, I understand that there are all of retirees who opt for a mobile lifestyle in everything from a family sedan to half-million dollar RVs. My life isn't lavish, but I am somewhat set in my ways to the extent that I wouldn't want to dive into a nomadic lifestyle. However, I can still see upsides to such a lifestyle...

[martingitdave]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/Nnzs...887629/3505931

I, for one, cannot condone such behavior. The above video should disabuse of the notion that living in a van is rewarding.

[Mr. Jelly]

Freedom's just another word for nothing else to lose.


You could do what allot of upstanding people do. Get a divorce sometime in your forties and start over with nothing.

[waveform]

Some people want to live in a van down by the river and others dont.
One plan is seasonal work in California. This would be perfect for it. And this is not forever, check it out for a few months. Theres a lot of this country to hear and see.

Pics of the van. Beds adjustable (park at angles), guitar right in back of it at end. Water pump 10 gallon tank, water heater above catalytic heater. Sink, faucet pulls out for shower, stove, fridge (12v), solar, deep cycle cells.

Thinking of hiking some trails and camping a lot. Funny how that isnt consider homeless. Its so much nicer being outside then in anyway. The trick with this van is its a long distance runner. Head where you want 25 mpg and better.

Hope links work,

[Otterhound]

I lived on a motorcycle twice in my life .
Once for 56 days in Europe and the other was for 43 days in Australia . Both were done solo .
Neither was done with any intent on finding work or not returning to home .
I wouldn't trade either experience for anything because I learned quite a bit about myself in different ways during both trips .
Letting go is harder than you think , but if you can do it , I see no reason why not to .
Oh yeah , I do already have the van . With a little body work , there is a chance that I could do it , but not now .
Since I learned of my sleep apnea , I now require an electrical outlet every time I sleep .
The only one stopping you is you .

[jpd]

waveform.....no links.......

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Well, hang in there ...

I see what you did right there...

[lionhead]

Youtube channel and a good camera.


Do search it out, it is quite popular these days.

[AX17609]

My sister and her husband decided to become 'full timers' and live in their RV. Worked fine until it needed extended service, and they found they had nowhere to live. So, they bought a small house. Once in the house, the trips with the RV got shorter and shorter, and their stays in the house got longer and longer. Now the RV sits abandoned in a storage lot. They take cruises instead. I concluded from this that life on the road is fun for a while, and then it isn't.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by AX17609

My sister and her husband decided to become 'full timers' and live in their RV. Worked fine until it needed extended service, and they found they had nowhere to live. So, they bought a small house. Once in the house, the trips with the RV got shorter and shorter, and their stays in the house got longer and longer. Now the RV sits abandoned in a storage lot. They take cruises instead. I concluded from this that life on the road is fun for a while, and then it isn't.

Troof. The rigors road warriors deal with in the pursuit of fun always seemed counter-intuitive to me. The older I get, the lesser I am in all manner of tolerance of people expecting everyone else to tolerate them. The last thing I can think of as fun is RV'ing in a vehicle that everyone is wishing would get the heck out of their way. Far be it for me to be that guy, and the guy who is expecting people to treat his bus with courtesy on the road is going to get a lesson in the tolerance I mention above that I do not want for myself. Best to be a fixed-base retiree and go for the cruises to scratch the traveling itch.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Pitar

Troof. The rigors road warriors deal with in the pursuit of fun always seemed counter-intuitive to me. The older I get, the lesser I am in all manner of tolerance of people expecting everyone else to tolerate them. The last thing I can think of as fun is RV'ing in a vehicle that everyone is wishing would get the heck out of their way. Far be it for me to be that guy, and the guy who is expecting people to treat his bus with courtesy on the road is going to get a lesson in the tolerance I mention above that I do not want for myself. Best to be a fixed-base retiree and go for the cruises to scratch the traveling itch.

Your comments suggest that others not tolerate you, someday, when you happen to be a little slower on the road than rude and impatient youngers, who only wish to speed ahead as fast as possible, oblivious to fellow citizens who are less able to race on as quickly as possible to the next stopping point. Impatience is a weakness that degrades your quality of life!

I wouldn't choose a van as my sole abode. Not even as my sole option as an RV.

But there are many joys and wonders associated with RVing, which you are oblivious to.

Would I choose to live the rest of my days wandering the country in an RV? No, I wouldn't. But I'm fortunate to have a wonderful home and a wonderful motor coach, and can travel as much or as little as I wish to.

There are many who enjoy living out the later years of their lives in a comfortable RV, even if they rarely ever move it anywhere. There are a LOT worse ways to live out your retirement years than as an RVer.

Unfortunately, most people never achieve the means, nor the opportunity, to explore this incredible country, at leisure, in a nice RV. For them, I feel sorry. That experience is a blessing that most people never get.

[MikeBmusic]

Seeing this post reactivated is interesting - wondering if the OP has done any more on it.

In the US, these issues:
1) Motor vehicle registration and insurances and drivers license. A friend or relative who will let you use their address is one solution.
2) What to do if vehicle needs service that will take some time - staying in a hotel for a week or more will quickly eat up savings.
3) Where to stay - state/national campgrounds can be $15 to $30 a night. Private campground even more expensive. The days of just parking in a 24 hour Walmart are gone - you need to ask permission of the store manager (if you can find one) or the cops will be knocking on your door at 2am. Alaska is ok with parking in rest areas overnight - but that only works for the 2 months of summer they get each year - you'll want to be much further south in someplace warm when winter comes.
4) Getting a job 'If I did find a job I wanted I would say I live down the street from the place, just not tell them its in my van' - unless its a 'dishwasher' kind of job, most employers are going to do a background check, which will include how long you have lived at a particular address.