Would you ever consider living out of a Van???

Consider the challenges:

1. Still have to keep the van working
2. Still have to keep it legal (tags, insurance, etc.)
3. No ability to store refrigerated food
4. Must use public toilets
5. Where do you shower?
6. Where do you wash clothes?
7. How do you wash dishes?
8. Eventually, you may be too old to drive, what then?

Not saying it's a BAD idea, just pointing out things to consider. A small camper would be cooler.

Originally posted by Gazrok
Consider the challenges:

1. Still have to keep the van working
2. Still have to keep it legal (tags, insurance, etc.)
3. No ability to store refrigerated food
4. Must use public toilets
5. Where do you shower?
6. Where do you wash clothes?
7. How do you wash dishes?
8. Eventually, you may be too old to drive, what then?

Not saying it's a BAD idea, just pointing out things to consider. A small camper would be cooler.

Okay I will counter your offer....

1) yes but a domestic van is cheap to fix, parts are cheap
2) yes for sure, not a big deal. That would be about 650 a year for me
3) ya true, but if you're in the wal mart parking lot then you can just go into walmrt
4) for the sake of everyone eating, lets not even go there.
5) you can shower at truckstops, but for the most part you have to learn to do spung baths. Or jump in the odd lake. The truth is in this day and age we live far far too clean. The truth is a full bath maybe every 2 weeks, then a spong bath inbetween would be plenty. And then daily just use baby whips or a wet rag.
6) this one is tricky for sure. you have a good point. But laundramats are one option. I think another option works like this. You get 2 buckets. fill them with water whereever you can. Then you put the clothes in one with soap. Let that sit for several hours with the odd stir. Then after that's done, you move them into the rinse bucket. Same thing. then you hang them whereever the frack you can. Maybe out in the woods somewhere. But again you don't need to be perfect as long as you're cleaning them once in a while you'd be good.
7) you'd want a van that has a decent sink and a reasonable sized water container. Or you use paper plates.
8) then you might want to seattle down.

But I think the main advantage is that you'd get to see the whole country. Plus you'd be able to live for next to nothing. I figured that you could do it for 1000 per month easy. That's a pretty easy pill to swallow. I don't know that's how I look at it.

They sell a washing machine that will fit in a camper. I friend showed me his; it is extremely small and will only wash one set of clothes at a time.

You can all buy a plunger-looking device that is a metal cone on a handle, with holes at the top of the cone. It agitates your clothes in a bucket as thoroughly as the agitator of a washing machine

Great thread!
Near and dear to me as my heart belongs to the open road.
You are Canuck I presume, as am I. Been following this fellow on youtube, and he has some very good advice as well as an amazing philosophy on life sometimes.


I can see you are doing a fair bit of research by the vids you posted, and to be sure you can't do enough. For instance, many Walmarts now across Canada no longer allow overnight camping. Some truck stops still do of course, 24 hour Timmies, Canadian Tire parking lots. Even hotel parking lots sometimes can offer stealth camping spots. However, never more than a night. It rouses suspicion , and could create an unsafe situation.
After researching this for a couple years now, I can say that you may have underestimated your expenses. Especially gas. A lot of time will be spent driving looking a place for the night. Unless you are parked for a week at a time at a campground, but that'll cost you about $30 per night. I remember coming across a network of RV enthusiasts that offer boondocking on their own property (when they are there and not on the road) and I believe it was Canada/US. Can't recall name of it but perhaps in your own research you might find it. It sounded good to me. Meet people, place to stay...win-win.

I have a secret desire to have a well equipped 4 wheel drive van. (With wifi)

reply to post by spartacus699


if I was ever to live out of a van, I would do some practice runs first.
take a week of vacation and try it out.

then the next time take two weeks.

each time figuring out what works and what doesn't.

I think it would be doable.

I too am more in favor of a PU with a shell instead of a van. On a roof rack I also carried an aluminum john boat that also at times was an extended roof to relax under.
I was a "trout bum" for 2 years living in my PU and fishing the rivers, lakes and streams in the Rocky Mts.
Sometimes working as a guide/outfitter but usually just fishing.
I also took an extended trip thru Mexico, along the Gulf to the Keys and then north into Canada and eventually back to the Rockies.

The gypsy life was the most freedom I ever had the good fortune to enjoy.

You really want to end up like this guy?

olaru12

The gypsy life was the most freedom I ever had the good fortune to enjoy.

Too bad the allure of it is far from the reality of it.
It can be done, wisely, and short term. Long term...depends on what you have for income, or where you plan to do it.
Variables are endless.
Kudos to those livin the life and who can make it work.

A good book to own, is How To Survive Anywhere. Im in the process of reading that, interesting stuff. It shows you how to buil shelters, from an igloo to a structured wood shelter.

AccessDenied

olaru12

The gypsy life was the most freedom I ever had the good fortune to enjoy.

Too bad the allure of it is far from the reality of it.
It can be done, wisely, and short term. Long term...depends on what you have for income, or where you plan to do it.
Variables are endless.
Kudos to those livin the life and who can make it work.

All very true AD!

The gypsy life style is a state of mind; a type of cosmology that accepts the concept of embracing the new, the strange, the dangerous, the erotic, and the romantic experiences that are available if our heart are open to them.

I'd much rather dance in the rain than huddle in fear of the thunder.

olaru12


I'd much rather dance in the rain than huddle in fear of the thunder.

Im stealing your quote Olaru...

Not only have I thought about it, but it is my long term plan. It's just me and my girl friend and we have already started 'downsizing' so everything we own will be able to fit into one of these:

Sportsmobile

We plan on going with the off road edition with all the bells and whistles. We'll be able to live completely off the grid. Again, this is a long term plan.

Well ya it's a catch 22. But it's a possiblity. It would be uncomfortable at first. But over time I think you'd adopt the rutine of it. It just think it would be fun to live on the beach somewhere. So you live there for a while. Then you get low on stuff so you head to wal mart. Stock up. Live there for a short while. It's hard to say though. It's strange with me, because I sort of got back into work mode lately. So I'm trying to make a few extra bucks. I don't know that's the tricky part, generally speaking if and when some people start to get good money then they get trapped by the mentality that they need nice things. And because they can afford it then that's what they do. And any type of dream to life wild and free flys out the window. Kinda sucks. But I should start to decide on what exactly I plan to do. My biggest challenge is all my friends and family are here so I don't feel like leaving them for very long. But if anything was to change then who knows. I don't know, maybe just road trips might be the healthy balance between freedom and misery.

reply to post by AccessDenied


I can't believe how expensive those vans are. I guess if you're rich, ya maybe. But even then they're just too small. It would feel like living in a car.

Oddly enough I sorta am thinking about doing this next summer. Maybe just for a month or so. I think it would be a lot of fun. Then if I like it I'm going do this permanently. I'm just gonna live in a van. Get drunk, smoke weed, live at walmarts, And just sort of start to be semi-retired.

It'd be a cool thing to do, but maybe having a possibly permanent home to fall back on might work just in case something happened.
Just in case the van got stolen and never recovered or wrecked. Maybe depending on what your insurance company offers.
If you needed money, or need extra, could start a vlog on youtube, some people are actually earning a fair bit from them, and living on the road would probably be a fairly followed topic.


Never thought of living out of a van, though I have always thought myself of getting a piece of land, nothing big, get planning permission and make own home, start small first, then expand, like any conventional home extension. Some materials are pretty cheap these days, your own labour, build what you need, a lot cheaper in the long run compared to buying or renting. Though land is pretty expensive from what I've seen at the moment.

Oh give me a home... where the buffalo roam...

Sure its risky, there are problems to overcome.

But the cost and time is offset somewhat that you don't pay rent, utilities or deal with jerks at a dead end job.

When you get up and do something its because you chose when, not the scheduled work a day world.

Thats true freedom. Try it. Hella view living on the outside, looking in.

Changes your viewpoint, builds character, brings an inner peace I can't describe.

Being in the world but not "of it".

many years ago i was spending $1000s a week on the guys who worked for me hotel money + fuel money+materials for the work plus wages every week .

i was putting in 20 hour days and sleeping in my work van on top of dust sheets in minus 10 right at my work because i could not find accomodation nearby .

i woke up one morning and coughed and all the condensation fell on me from the roof aaaahhh felt like a shower ,

and to top it all the company i was working for went bankrupt and it left me £45.000 out of pocket

you would be suprised how many people live like that here in aussieland,i am in the process of converting my toyota landcruiser for that purpose,not for permanent living but a few months on fraser island and maybe further depending on how it goes,a good deepcycle battery and a solar panel will run all of your appliances,im looking forward to it especially now the warmer weather is upon us.....we have good weather for that kinda lifestyle i would not consider it in the kinda cold you guys are talking about.....