From the pan to the fire.

[SoulRaven]

The stix and brix gene is strong within you.

Yes it is. I have always been able to adjust all my life to different living arrangements or shall I say I HAD to adjust. So maybe I am just tired of readjusting. I don't know if I have another adjustment left in me. I think I am just weary of them. Basic comforts and conveniences are hard for me to give up at this point of my life.

 

[highdesertranger]

why give them up? being on the road doesn't mean you have to give up comfort or conveniences. highdesertranger

 

[Tussah]

Since you seem like you will probably be trying the lifestyle out for a year or less, maybe you should try to hang on to your house while you are giving it a try. It might make things easier if you decide to take back your present life when you want to have a break from the nomad lifestyle. In other words I wouldn't burn your bridges until you are for certain that you like it.

I originally went to China for only a year, but ended up staying two years.... then returned for another 4 months the year after that.  If I hadn't wanted an American education for my daughter, I might not have come back at all.  I sold my house to go, and put all my possessions into storage.  They stayed in storage for six years, and by the end of the first year, I had forgotten almost everything that was in the pile.  

I've lived in lots of houses, and can always find a house to live in.  I like the place I'm living now, but I'm not emotionally tied to it.  Actually, my plan is to hit the road for a year, and then when my daughter starts her family, I want to become a full time grandma for them.   So, I'll live wherever my daughter is living.  If it works for me to sell the house, I will.  If it works for me to rent it out, then I'll do that.  That all depends on where my daughter is living at that time.

I'll be retired when I hit the road, so I don't think bridge burning will be an issue.   I do agree that if you take a sabbatical while you are in mid-career, it can be difficult to get back into the "rat race".   I moved from Colorado to China to Arizona, and came back during a recession, so it was hard to find work when I first returned.  Interviewers had a hard time understanding the gap in my resume.  But it wasn't an insurmountable problem, and I found a job I'm very happy in.  I grew so much as a person, in so many ways, but one was definitely being more responsible with money, so I know that more than compensates for the couple of years I wasn't adding to my 401(k).

I don't expect to convince you that this would be right for you, because it doesn't sound as if you would be happy living in a van.  But I have enjoyed explaining why it is so appealing to me.

 

[rvwandering]

Please be respectful with your answers. This forum is open for everyone whether they are fulltime van dwellers, part time van dwellers or just want to learn more about van dwelling.

 

[SoulRaven]

Honestly people do need to consider a lot when dreaming about the lifestyle. There is a realistic side in that while it's easy to be idealistic, thinking about the actuality isn't always so dreamy. There are hardships, there are cost, it gets lonely, it gets boring too. Luckily people here talk about those things and how they deal with them.

Why would a person consider it is a good question for a new person to ask themselves.

Exactly. I think sometimes people get the dreamy idea as you say that there is a certain magic in just jumping in a vehicle and calling it home, and all their troubles will disappear. But of course that's not the case. As I put in my subject of this post, they sometimes jump from the pan of suffering and unhappiness into another kind of suffering and unhappiness because they overlook the unpleasant things that can be in this type of lifestyle. When you only look at the surface of things it looks easy. And for some it is. But unless you give it a trial run and really find out what it is like you could be in for some rude awakenings.
I know, I gave it a try a few extended times and couldn't hack it. I had to give up too many comforts and conveniences. I can for certain accomplish living in a vehicle and get by pretty well. But the trade offs were too many for what I was getting in return.

Everyone needs to do some extended trial runs before giving up everything including job, friends, family, and homes. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Then if after a few months out there and you are happy cut the strings and enjoy your new life.
That's just my opinion.

 

[SoulRaven]

why give them up?  being on the road doesn't mean you have to give up comfort or conveniences.  highdesertranger

Well, I am the sort of person that has to stay clean, and be able to bathe at least once a day. Without a  toilet and proper shower I am not happy. The 5 gallon bucket and bug sprayer is not for me. I did try those and they got old real fast.
These are just a few of my favorite things.

 

[SoulRaven]

 
I don't expect to convince you that this would be right for you, because it doesn't sound as if you would be happy living in a van.  But I have enjoyed explaining why it is so appealing to me.

I think you may have me wrong there. I could live in a van but not on a permanent basis. I  have lived in my SUV for 5 weeks and did ok. But if I thought I would have to do it for a permanent thing, then no, it would not be right for me. I don't need to be convinced about living permanent in a van because I KNOW for sure that I could not do it.

 

[Txjaybird]

       While reading these posts I was also watching a movie set in the mid 1970s.  Suddenly it came to me.
                                                  Mobile Lifestyle or Permanent Dwelling
                                                                          Is Just
                                                 Different Strokes For Different Folks    

Jewellann

 

[DannyB1954]

Everything has advantages and disadvantages It just depends on what you value. I traveled more when I was younger and am now retired and free to go anywhere I please. I will probably always have a house for a home base. My hobbies require a bit of storage space. I am working on a van to travel the summers, (gets hot where I now live).

Here is a question. Would Samuel Clemens, (Mark Twain) been the same person if they never left where they grew up? How many important interesting people are there that never traveled? I grew up in Michigan, joined the Navy, traveled some of the Western Pacific region. Lived in California, (San Francisco area and Sonora), traveled cross country by motorcycle and car. Now I live in the Nevada desert. For most of my life I lived on a boat. Sometimes it was cold, sometimes hot. It was great. I have an older brother that never moved out of the house we grew up in. I would not for a moment want to have lived the life he lived.

If you are happy where you are, we all wish you the very best. If you decide to seek something different, we will be here to help you on your way. What we have to offer is a lot of experience.

 

[frater secessus]

I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the idea of why anyone would give up a comfortable stick and brick house to live in a vehicle such as a car, cargo trailer, or van.

That is ok, no one will try to convert you to The Dark Side.

I can see living full time in a motor home because it does have some semblance of a house with all the amenities.
...
And I have heard about where most people that are going to start living the mobile life go crazy getting rid of all their stuff and clear things out of their house in preparation for their new nomadic lives.

Not everyone wants the same amenities or a traditional house.  

One might argue that average folks who live in houses go crazy accumulating useless doodads and debt.  I am in the process of getting rid of all my stuff right now and it is rewarding for me.  It might not be for you.  I once read a quote that said earthquakes rarely kill people.  Rather it's our possessions, our house, or our workplace that crush us.

Just because a person lives in a vehicle doesn't make things easier.

I haven't heard of anyone going mobile because they wanted things to be easy.  A life of liberty is often strenuous but worth the effort if so inclined.  

From an economic standpoint a nomadic population would be better able to adjust to regional employment / cost of living trends.   And act as downward pressure on municipalities' willingness to tax real and other property.

 

[Tussah]

I think you may have me wrong there. I could live in a van but not on a permanent basis. I  have lived in my SUV for 5 weeks and did ok. But if I thought I would have to do it for a permanent thing, then no, it would not be right for me. I don't need to be convinced about living permanent in a van because I KNOW for sure that I could not do it.

If you were willing to live in an SUV for 5 weeks, then you're plenty tough enough.   I know I will need more space than that.  I want to be able to stand upright and still clear the ceiling, and I'm planning to get a gym membership for showers, and make full use of potties I find while on the road. 

Personally, I always need to consider both sides of my personality.  One side wants nothing more than to wipe the dust off my feet and hit the road with as little stuff as possible.  The other side is total nest builder, wanting the comfy home with all the comforts.  For the past 10 years, I haven't had the time or money for adventures, so the craving to get out is getting stronger and stronger.   I know that as I age, I will have less strength and stamina for the adventures, but if I don't squeeze them in when I can, I will regret it in the long run.

 

[AltTransBikes]

Choice is good if one can swing it, I like having both, mobility and base.  I'll never give up my 2 acre homestead, cabin, gardens, etc.

Stevesway Wrote:
I think sometimes people get the dreamy idea as you say that there is a certain magic in just jumping in a vehicle and calling it home, and all their troubles will disappear. But of course that's not the case. As I put in my subject of this post, they sometimes jump from the pan of suffering and unhappiness into another kind of suffering and unhappiness because they overlook the unpleasant things that can be in this type of lifestyle. When you only look at the surface of things it looks easy. And for some it is. But unless you give it a trial run and really find out what it is like you could be in for some rude awakenings.

The above is true enough and frankly I think while it's obvious it still needs be stated somewhere. There is a lot of 'magical thinking' that goes on these days, in many regards and facets of life, I remain circumspect of entities or those that might seek to heedlessly promote it.

 

[Wanderer]

I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the idea of why anyone would give up a comfortable stick and brick house to live in a vehicle such as a car, cargo trailer, or van. I can see living full time in a motor home because it does have some semblance of a house with all the amenities.
And yes I can understand wanting to get out from under rent or house payments. And of course all the work involved in upkeep of a house is.....well.....work!!! And I have heard about where most people that are going to start living the mobile life go crazy getting rid of all their stuff and clear things out of their house in preparation for their new nomadic lives.

Some, don't have a choice. I have met others (In rest stops) who are only hanging on by their teeth. No housing available, SS disability (Doesn't help much when it's $550 a month) and downsizing is NOT a choice. Met a dweller also who not only had his vehicle stuffed, he had 2 storage units full also..

Now, let me counter that with the other side of the coin or fire. To begin with, if you are able to keep up now with your rent or house payment what's the problem? Yeah you are going to be paying less I would imagine if you can find free places to live in your vehicle. But, how does that kind of life compare to living in a comfortable house or apt with living in a vehicle? You are more crowded now than when you were living in a house or apt. Let's face it after you set up a bed, some cabinets, cooler, and all the other things you need to just survive you don't have hardly any room to move around in there. 
​

If you are happy with your spendy mailbox, go for it. Mine only costs $75 a year. No cooler needed. No bed (Recliner works way better) Shelves No cabinets here. Only crowded if you think you are. 

​

As far as the freedom of the road goes, if you live in a house or apt you are just as free to load up your vehicle of choice and hit the road for a few days on the weekends or vacations, and if you are retired just about whenever you want (within reason). You can visit and go to the same places that the people that live full time in their vehicles do. The difference is you return to a comfortable house or apt when you are ready to go back.
There is also work that has to be done on things living in a vehicle as well as a house. And if you compare that to an apt you may have more to do on the vehicle than the apt. You are using that vehicle a lot more when full timing. So there will be more maintenance and breakdowns.

You are NOT free from noisy/nosey/criminal neighbors, and worse yet, you can't just move a half mile down the road either. You have rules regarding rent, utilties, parking. You also have to spend a bit of cash to protect that which you treasure. Having less means less worry and it's easily replaceable since we don't have 50" TV's. ​

Just because a person lives in a vehicle doesn't make things easier. Some things can even be harder. Living in a very small area with all your worldly possessions will keep you busy trying to keep things organized and out of your way. You do have to work at that.

Not a hassle if you are well planned on this. Some are,  some are not.​

This post in no way is a put down on anyone living in or out of a vehicle

Sounds like it is. IMHO​

​

 

[Gadget728]

I've been following this thread since it started and knowing my blunt ways of responding, I've sat out. I don't want to make anyone angry. Most all of the people who replied were met with another argument or reason why you don't want to do this full time.
There are numerous people interviewing RV'ers on you tube, asking them the same questions, WHY & WHY NOT. We all know the lack of readily available hot water sucks. We all know the lack of Air Conditioning when it's really hot sucks. We all know pooping in a bucket isn't as comfy as a house toilet. We all know no matter which mode of dwelling you choose will be more difficult than living in Sticks & Bricks.
I think rvpopeye said it best, The stix and brix gene is strong within you. From your replies, this may not be the right lifestyle for you. Although it was nice reading how other people feel, and it certainly shows how much some people like this lifestyle, even with it's down sides.
To many of the folks here, the trade offs are worth it. The replies you've received proves that. Good luck in what ever you decide, it's your world boss. - Gadget

 

[SoulRaven]

Thanks to everyone for their honest replies. My reason for posting this subject was to find out exactly how everyone replied. And as far as I can tell from most is that they are aware of the hardships of this sort of lifestyle and are happy with their choice. And have stated some of them. That is what I wanted to find out.

Also I wanted to bring out the NOT so magical aspects of it as well, for the people that are contemplating jumping into it, to give both sides of the story, sort of speak. I just hope that the newbies read this post and all the honest replies, so they can make an informed decision.
This imho has been a good back and forth on this subject.
It has opened my eyes up to some things I didn't realize as well.
Thanks to everyone.

 

[djkeev]

Interesting thread........

I am not a full timer, and as long as my Wife still breathes, probably never will be.
Honestly, I'm not convinced that I even want to be a full timer.

Extended trips for months?
Most certainly! Both of us agree upon this.

But to totally give up all roots and not have a home base where you can come back and rest, make repairs, make plans, see the family? No, I don't think I want that.

But, we also recognize that we do not need the huge amount of space and quantity of stuff we have today.

A four bedroom house, heating and cooling 3,000+ SF is simply not needed for two aging baby boomers.
To this end we've recently purchased a small (676 sf) home with a one car garage. It is currently two bedrooms but we're remodeling it into a one bedroom. This isn't much more space than some of the larger bus based units drag around. What are they, about 400sf or so? We also paid substantially less than any newer Class B unit retails for today.

We were lucky to find an older isolated home located in an area that due to zoning won't change much from what it is now.
I guess when home base is something like this (our new home) the need to "get away from" isn't that great? I'm not hemmed in and trapped by suburbia.



Now about not having roots? A place to return to......

I'm guessing that everyone on this site has an address, a place mail is sent, a home State for a drivers license and registration. IRS, insurance, all that stuff that life demands.

Many use a childs home address, a siblings home address, a parents home address, a family members home address, a friends address or maybe even just a paid mailbox type store.

Everyone of these locations is bricks and sticks.  You cannot exist in the 21st century without an identifying bricks and sticks address.

I also wonder about those who are full timers, are they always welcome when they "crash" at peoples homes?
And for how long does the welcome linger......... if they are initially welcomed?

Anyway, right now I need a home base, be it ever so humble.........

Dave

 

[Almost There]

I'm guessing that everyone on this site has an address, a place mail is sent, a home State for a drivers license and registration. IRS, insurance, all that stuff that life demands.

Everyone of these locations is bricks and sticks.  You cannot exist in the 21st century without an identifying bricks and sticks address.

I also wonder about those who are full timers, are they always welcome when they "crash" at peoples homes?
And for how long does the welcome linger......... if they are initially welcomed?

Anyway, right now I need a home base, be it ever so humble.........

Dave

Yes, society demands that we have an address to which they seem to attach more importance than I do. I currently 'live' with a friend! I wish I had a video of his face when I asked him 'Can I come live with you'....   it was pretty priceless!! I have not, nor will I ever spend a night there, not even in his driveway but it's someplace for all my official mail to be delivered to and that's all that matters! Next year, one of my kids will get to be my official mailing address...I expect I might even stay there occasionally for a night or two.

I'm always welcome at friends' places because I don't abuse their hospitality. Most want me to stay longer, maybe I'm even more delightful a guest than I thought I was....   I dunno! I bring pressies, do chores and fix things that need fixing. I also end up cooking sometimes if I'm allowed in their kitchen or grabbing the tab at the restaurant.

I adhere to Benjamin Franklins' theory that guests, like fish, begin to smell after 3 days - day 3 I'm outta there....

 

[bcbullet]

I think the whole "living in a vehicle" comes down to this....you can see all the sunsets you want from your house and all the exotic locations you can travel to on your all inclusive vacations, but until you hit the road and see it from the ground, you ain't got shit.
The misses and I are waiting for the day we can hit the road.

 

[Auto360]

This such an excellent thread. I completely understand where Stevesway is coming from and I would like to add my take, which consequently is, I love (truly, genuinely) living in my van. For those that don't know I'm finishing school and decided to live in my van as opposed to renting which I despise.

Previous back ground. I drove 18 wheelers throughout all 48 states for eleven years and the truck was my home. Therefore, living in my van is perfectly normal and comfortable for me because I'm used to, and prefer, small spaces. 

I know the subject of sunsets came up. Yes, you can see them at home but experiencing them "out on the road" is a completely different experience for me and much more desirable. Driving my 18 wheeler into the evening while watching the sunset was/is my favorite part of the day. 
I purposely built my van to live in. It is 100% livable...for me. I know Steveway mentioned spending 5? weeks traveling in an SUV which is virtually car like in the way it's laid out inside. Honestly, that sounds horrible except if it was a short period time. Again, my opinion. I think a mental thing comes into play here, and that is "what home is". If your home is a house, then your vehicle will always be just a vehicle. Whereas, like myself and many people here, their vehicle has been transformed into their home. Spending time in my van feels exactly like home to me. Its almost absurd how comfortable I am. It's weird but I think I even prefer my van over, say, a Class C motorhome. I know it doesn't make sense but I think there are two reasons. One, is my van is easily driven and Class C's are bulky. And two, I built eveything in my van from scratch so it's all mine in design and execution. It's strong and reliable (like me. LOL) and I know every system...and I have a sun roof...  
Long hot showers...Everyday for me. I'm living in an urban area and I have two gym memberships which is a total of $30 a month. One gym has a pool and I swim three times a week. The other gym is only $10 a month and has great showers so that's why I keep it, and it's also 24 hours. Understood if your boon docking out in the...uhh...boonies, showers can be some of a challenge. Being a bit creative I think you can rig up an adequate shower. I'm not super keen on the pump type "insecticide" spray container myself but they do work. 

Now here is where I get a little different. I did learn near the end of my trucking career that I want a home base to come home to. As it turns out, I don't want a house. Well, I want a few more rental homes but I have ZERO desire to live in a house. What I do want is a shop where I can come back and work out of. In that shop, or erected beside it, will be a small unit, maybe the size of hotel room that has a bed, bathroom and kitchen. Being able to have a place to work on my projects is crucial and also keep items that I'm not using during certain times of the seasons. So yes, a home base, but in no way in the form of a typical house.

I personally can't fathom waking up in the same place year after year. I feel life passes you by without much true experience. My best  friend is that way, and he feels perfectly fine so it's not wrong, it's just not something I want. In fact, I had that same comfort feeling afflict me. While doing the prerequisites for nursing school I lived in Tucson for three and a half years. I had bought a Toy Hauler and set up an RV spot on my rental house property, so in theory I was living for practically free...I did pay my share of electric though. Anyway, I began noticing that I always wanted to go home because it was so "easy and comfortable". It was a horrible realization. I was becoming so comfortable that I was becoming soft. Yuck! So, in response to that I set my cot out on the front porch and slept outside for three weeks. (October in AZ). Then, this summer when I rode my bicycle coast to coast I experienced true discomfort...and LOVED it! Every night for 73 days I had to find a place to secretly camp and I didn't know that place until I scouted whatever town I was in...or Nevada desert, or Oregon woods. What I discovered was that the more uncomfortable I was, the richer the experience surrounding it. But, when it was that time of the week for me to get a hotel room for the night it was pure luxury. That trip really drove home for me the importance in life to experience discomfort. I realize that not everyone wants this though and I can respect that...sort of...

I could go on about the little subtleties of van living that are non existent in a S&B, but I think I have gotten the point the point across. Oh, one more thing. I created a little hypothetical scenario for myself. If I was given the choice to either live in my van or an apartment complex for free, not that that would happen, but I will still choose my van. There are many reason's for this but I feel I've written enough.

Take care all,
Matt