Planned car living

Planned car living or van living is where you intend to live in a car or van through your own choice. You've made a conscious decision. You want to live in a van. For whatever reasons this is a choice that you would prefer and are working towards.

One very important thing to realise about car living. It's not as cheap as some people imagine. Think about it. You're not paying rent, but yes you are paying for fuel as you move about. You have to pay for ice to keep food cool, for laundry mats, for buying food more often because you can't store it. You may have to pay for showers, propane gas, mechanical repairs, equipment to let you live in your car. Plus living in a car soon gets tiring. Lack of room to stretch out in, not being able to stand up and being in cramped confines with little privacy all gets to you. Life in a van is better, life in a camper van is better still. Life in a motor home can be greatly enjoyable and pretty close to life in a house.

Some things to consider about planned car living is if you can handle it. I always suggest that you do a trial run first. Gather what you think you will need then try to live in your car / van / camper for a week. Can you do it for a week without having to return to your home? Can you cope with living in such a small space? Can you cope with living away from the perceived security of your home? Can you wash, cook, sleep and go to the toilet while living out of a vehicle? Do you find yourself wishing you hadn't tried it? If so perhaps car living is not for you.

Preparing to live in a vehicle

If you are in a situation where you have a job, but you think you might have to live in your vehicle and want to prepare in advance there are some things you should be considering.

Is the vehicle you own now suitable for living in? Can you trade it for one that is better suited? A camper van is the best to have, but a van or a station wagon are better than a car. Anything that will let you sleep in it laying down fully is a lot better than anything that you can't lay down flat without curling up. Ideally you should also be able to sit comfortably without hunching over.

Can you prepare the vehicle? Installing a dual battery system is one of the first and best steps to preparing your car. It probably won't cost more than $300 and it will set you up to provide you with a safe supply of electricity that will not drain your starting battery.

Can you buy a porta potty that will make going to the toilet on the road easier, safer and less smelly. Just today, April 2007 I have seen these for sale brand new for $125.00 for a good bi-pot porta potty

Can you buy a portable stove?

Unplanned car living.

• Your home could have been destroyed by natural disaster.
• You may have been evicted.
• Due to a marriage break up you have been asked / forced to leave your home.
• You may be on a job that pays a wage where you live from pay check to paycheck and something stops you from getting paid.

There are all sorts of reasons. For whatever one of these reasons you find yourself on the street with nothing much but your car. In the short term you might want to rent some storage to put your furniture and belongings in to while you make some decisions. You might also consider staying in a hostel some nights, as this is about the cheapest place you can stay in a building.

So you've found yourself having to live in your car. It is scary. If you are living in your car odds are on that you don't have huge financial resources or you would be renting a cheap hotel room or hostel room. At this point you've got to decide if this is going to be a short term thing or a long term thing. If you have a job then living in your car should be a short term thing. If you can afford rent on a small flat or apartment then get out there and start applying as soon as possible for flats or units near where you work. This can get your life back on track as soon as possible.

Long term. If you find yourself in a situation where you simply don't have the money to rent a place, and you don't have a job then you could be looking at having to spend a long time living in your car or your van. So you 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 that gives you a few good options. Can you trade your car for a van? Look I know it is a big decision to sell or trade your car. I gained emotional attachments to my cars.

The alternatives.

Besides living in your car there are alternatives. I've met people who lived in tents when they were homeless. One guy camped out on a beach for over a month in a tent. Others simply camped out in the forest. I once stumbled on some people sleeping rough in a make shift humpie hidden behind a wall of an abandoned station. Then there are homeless shelters, but these are hard to get beds in, and some can be a bit degrading in the way they treat you. Abandoned buildings offer some security. One guy I know had a really nice set up, his room in an abandoned building had running water, electricity, and he had a heater and computer. He did have problems though with people stealing his stuff and copper thieves making off with his pots and pans once. Eventually the building was demolished and he had to move on.

Guys camping out in the woods are not that uncommon around here. I know of one small group who camped out on public land in a little space where people hardly go, yet within a fairly wealthy and affluent suburb. They all camped out in camouflaged tents scattered around a heavily wooded area. If you can't afford a car, a tent is the next best option.

There are also other options. Can you afford student accommodation at colleges? Can you band together with other people to share rent in a flat, unit or house? Can you rent a caravan in a caravan park?