HA! I was probably roaming and living in a van around the time eDJ was doing it. The Rand McNalley and some campground guides from AAA was all I had.
As others have suggested, you need to start slow. The first time you ever saw water larger than a bathub, you didn't just jump in, did you? If this is all new to you -- and it sounds like it is -- make a list of what you would need for a weekend camping trip without having to stop to buy something. You need a vehicle, a place to sleep, the simplest way to cook/heat food and water, maybe a simple toilet.
You could sleep on a chaise lounge mat, or even on three skinned foam sofa cushions (discards) wrapped with an old sheet (thrift shop) and pinned with safety pins. Lay it on the floor and sleep there. You'll quickly discover that sleeping on the floor wastes a ton of space. See, you're learning things already!
You could make a hobo stove from a tin can. It's okay for the basics, like heating up canned food and Ramen soup, and coffee/tea/cocoa. And you'll learn that cooking on the ground is a real PITA. KNOWLEDGE! Also take a smaller pot and a larger pot. You can heat water in the larger pot for doing the dishes or bathing. Don't forget to take some matches, and for certain kinds of cans, a can opener.
A simple toilet could be a bucket with a plastic bag in it. But for pretty cheap, you could get a clip-on toilet seat w/lid like a LuggableLoo from a sporting goods store for about $12-15, and get a new 5-gallon HomeDepot bucket ($3) to put it on. DO NOT use old, brittle sun-damaged buckets for toilets! If you have access to some sawdust (old or new, dry or damp), put it in another HD bucket (preferably with a lid for storage. Put a plastic bag in the toilet bucket, add about 3 or 4" of sawdust, and use it. Whenever you can see anything above the sawdust, cover it with a couple handsful of sawdust. This kind of toilet smells less than a flush toilet. Don't forget the TP!
Bathing: heat about a quart of water until warm -- all you need is about a quart. Add 1 tbsp baking soda and mix, then use to take a bird bath. Start with your face and work down. Dry. No rinsing is needed, the mix cuts oil, cleanses and deodorizes.
Always carry several gallons of water. The clear plastic jugs seem sturdier than the milky kind, which seem to leak suddenly for no reason. Some campgrounds don't have water. Some don't have a toilet.
Have a spare vehicle key and wear it around your neck. Sooner or later, you're probably going to lock yourself out -- probably in the least convenient place on the planet.
Take a decent flashlight and some dog food (and bowls).
The more time you spend on the road and in the 'wild', you'll discover what you need and what you don't. Don't spend a lot of money on complicated things. Beware of what guys tell you that you "need". :dodgy: Some of them will spend all of your money if you let them.
You're used to living small. Keep it up.
