Planned car living, or extended car camping as I like to refer to it as, is where you intend to stay in your vehicle through your own choice. You've made a concrete decision. You want to live in a vehicle. Whatever reasons, this is a choice that you prefer and are working towards.
One fact you should realize about living out of your vehicle, it's not as cheap as you might imagine. Reason it out, you're not paying rent, but you have to pay for gas as you travel. You pay for ice to keep food cool, laundry mats, buying food every few days due to storage (dependent on the type of vehicle you have). You might have to pay for showers, propane, mechanical repairs, and other equipment that will make it more comfortable. Plus living out of your vehicle may soon get tiring. Lack of room to stretch out, not being able to stand up and being in cramped confines with little privacy all gets to you. As I stated previously, it is dependent on what type of vehicle you possess. Sure, it would be nice if we all had vans, or RVs, but most people do not possess such vehicles.
One thing to consider about living out of your vehicle is if you can handle it. As a planned decision, do a trial run first. Put together what you think you need then try it for a week. Can you do it for a week without having to return home? Can you handle living in such a small space? Can you cope live without the perceived security of your home? Can you wash, cook, sleep and go to the toilet while living out of a vehicle? If you answered no to these few simple questions, then vehicle living is not for you.
Preparation
If you are currently employed, and think you may have to or want to try to live in your vehicle and want to prepare in advance there are some things you should consider. Would the vehicle you currently own, be suitable for living in? Granted, you can modify any type of vehicle for living in, but a larger vehicle does make it easier. A camper van is the best to have, but a van or station wagon is better than a car. Any vehicle that allows you sleep lying down is a lot better; you should also be able to sit comfortably without having to hunch over.
Can you modify the vehicle? Installing a dual battery system, along with modified solar panels to charge your batteries, are nice touches to have. It would run you somewhere around $400 to 800 dollars and would provide a safe supply of electricity that wouldn’t drain your starting battery. From my own experience, I did not have to make these modifications. I am a backpacker, so like my pack, it was easy to keep a seven-day pack ready at all times. A couple of other items that are nice are a one-two burner camp stove (propane) for cooking. My wife and I have a Coleman Camp Stove, it uses the one-pound fuel canisters that run a little over $5.00 for a two pack and last around a week. Another item that is nice to have is a porta-potty. Depending on your location, bathrooms are plentiful, and are not usually a problem to find one. But there are times that call for other measures; this is where the porta- potty comes in. They range in price between $50.00 to $150.00 dollars, so you’re sure to find one that’s affordable.
These are just a few of the basics to consider in starting planned car living. You also have your clothes, hygiene items, cooking utensils, storage containers, and the list goes on. Most of the items can be purchased as you go along, but are required at some point. As I stated earlier, if approached as a car camping trip, you will already have all the items ready to go. As a long distance hiker, my pack has everything I need to sustain me comfortably. All I need to add is my food and water.
If you find yourself in a situation unexpectedly, that forces you to live in your car is unplanned car-living. The causes could be many and varied: A natural disaster that destroys you home, eviction, divorce or separation, a low paying job, the list of reasons goes on. For whatever reason, you find yourself on the street with nothing but your car. Short term you can rent some storage to put furniture & belongings in to while you make some decisions. You might also consider staying in a hostel; this would be about the cheapest place stay for a few nights if one is in your area.
So you’re forced to live in your car. It can be a little intimidating. A large number of people that live in their car don't have huge financial resources, or they would be renting a cheap hotel or hostel room. You have to decide if it is going to be short term or long term. If you are employed, then living out of your car should be short term thing. But once you see the financial advantages, you may decide to extend it to long term. If you can afford to rent a small apartment then go ahead and start applying for apartments near your place of employment. This will enable you to get your life back on track.
If you’re in a situation where you simply don't have the resources to rent, and are unemployed, then you could be looking at having to spend extended time living out of your car or van. So you will need to make a few decisions almost straight away. The first of these will be about the car or van you live in. If your car is paid off, you have a few options you can explore. Could you trade your car for a larger vehicle? I know it would be a big decision, but if so, it would make it a lot more comfortable to sell or trade your car. Personally, I would not recommend trading your vehicle for several reasons: First, it would be almost impossible to find someone that would be willing to trade even vehicle for vehicle. Secondly, even if you do find an even trade, there are expenses involved with a new vehicle; tag, title, transfer, car insurance, all of which by law require a verifiable address, so if you’re already unemployed and living in your vehicle, you definitely would not want to incur the additional costs, especially if your resources are already limited.
Instead of living in your vehicle, there are alternatives. I've met people, and have myself, who lived in tents while living out of their vehicle. One individual camped out on a beach for over a month in a tent, while others simply camped out in the forest. Then there are shelters, but they are hard to get beds in, and can be degrading and unsafe. Abandoned buildings offer some security, but again, I don’t recommend this due to trespass laws (abandoned or not, someone owns it). Camping out in the woods is not that uncommon. I know many small groups who camped out on public land in State & National Forests, in areas where people hardly visit, but usually within a few miles of a city or town. If you can't afford a car, a tent is the next best option.
In closing, the economy is in recession, the unemployment rate is at an all-time high, and people are losing their homes at an alarming rate. Many people are forced to make this decision against their will. My point is that as outdoorsmen, and women, whatever your outdoor passions may be, we already possess many of the necessary skills to make the best of a planned or unplanned move into our vehicles. I hope that this will give you some insight into car-living and remember that as outdoorsmen, we are never homeless.
No comments:
Post a Comment