Hi, Need some Advice

[CBlitz]

Hi, Need some Advice,

I've been taking care of my Dad (for about 11 years, living with him as his caregiver, His Doctor say currently he has about 10 weeks or less)
 He  has left me about $ 12k , I was thinking about giving van life a try, as I have been out of work for most of those 11 years (and I wanted to take some time after caring for him to explore the country and refind myself), AT first I will be living in my Chevy Malibu Classic (homeless?) as the Place he was staying at says after he passes I have less then 14 days to get out(as My name was not on the lease and you have to be older then 62 to live there)...and I will have to wait for the Insurance check etc to arrive before I can purchase a Van.

So, not to dwell on all that, but Any tips for making my Stay in my car more comfortable?(I have no Idea how long it takes for a insurance company to release funds) and when the money does arrive any idea what I should look for in a Van? (I say Van but I am open to any other rv as well/box truck etc as well)  I'm thinking something from $1k-5k so the reminder of the money I can use to live on till I find work.  

thanks

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums CBlitz! Check out the Car section for tips on making your Chevy more comfortable until you get a larger vehicle.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[maki2]

the cheapRVliving youtube channel has quite a few interviews featuring people who are living out of their cars. Those videos will show different people handling things like hygiene needs, cooking, sleeping, organizing belongings for easier access, keeping the temperature cooler or warmer depending on the time of year, electrical power and lighting, water, food, etc. The nice part of watching those videos is they cover all the functions and you will see more than one way of doing the same functions. Then you can pick and choose which concepts will work best for your own individual preferences.

 

[outermostsoul]

CBlitz your 11 years of experience care-giving should help you get a transition live-in position until your finances fall into place to allow you to choose your next steps. I would let local agencies now know that you be available at a close but not specific date. Many clients need overnight care and the company can assign awake or sleeping shifts depending on patient needs. I would ask your father's care team to write recommendation letters for you detailing the amount of care you have provided over the years. Agency owners desperately need employees with experience and compassion.

I have a Malibu Classic 2008 and for the mpg I get 24-30 miles per gallon, I have a lot of space. My car is the 4 cylinder but they made a 6 cylinder too. The trunk is large and if I was living in my car I would get plastic totes with different colored lids to organize items by purpose.
I camped for three weeks last Dec/Jan. A tent is good to have. I stayed at a park with free wifi, community room, laundry, bath ans shower rooms for just 44.00 a week.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums  

You are not alone in this day and time.  Many.....many.....people are doing what you are doing now.  

The Van life can be several things including retirement travel to see the world,  a bail out mechanism for those who find themselves in dire straights,  and those who are into a few days and nights of camping, fishing, hunting,  and anything in between. 

Where I would see you is finding a job with good pay so you can get on your feet financially.  In the meanwhile if your car could be fitted with a trailer hitch you may find a small used camper trailer for what a Van would cost and travel towing it.
You would be able to find State and National Parks where you could live in the short term and use the car to commute to your job until you find an apartment to live in.  There are numerous trailer parks where you could rent a place to park your trailer.  The trailer you would want would have a bathroom kitchenette and bed with a little storage.  

If you are in a town where there is a Planet Fitness Gym for around $30 a month you could get a membership that would allow you to use any Planet Fitness Gym you come to in your travels.  This way you would have a place to shower and clean up, recharge a cell phone, laptop, watch TV etc.  Laundromats are listing themselves on the internet now so they will be easy to find as you travel.  

I don't know if there are jobs around where you are or not but if you could find one or even a temp until the spring season and a palace to stay short term that would buy you some time to so you could do what ever you choose should that be buying a Van or whatever. 

Below are a couple of links which may be helpful to look thru and study during these remaining winter months.  

If you were to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton used Van with trailer hitch and a tow bar for your Chevy you could do what I once did with my first Van.  (read my Profile for more about that)

eDJ Profile

Good luck.

 

[Riverman]

Welcome to the forum... if I needed a van, I'd get the latest model that I could possibly afford.

 

[highdesertranger]

I wouldn't do anything to the Malibu that can't be easily reversed because you are going to sell it.

as to what vehicle, can you do your own repairs?

highdesertranger

 

[CBlitz]

thanks everyone for the advice, unfortunately last Friday My Dad took a Turn for the worst and passed away...(thought it would take longer, but Cancer you can never tell)...

Now I have 14 days to get out, and basically get rid of what I can't fit in my car..(this is ok, I knew this would happen at some point but not this fast)..

I've been looking around the web, there are some State parks nearby that I could stay for two weeks at a time, if I understand it right the fee is about $300 (for 14 days) or I can get the year pass for $75...I don't own a tent but seeing as for the tent sites you do drive to them and park...is it ok to sleep in your car instead of a tent? I have ordered a of Solar Generators $129 250Watt,, 60000mha-gonna try and power my xbox for a couple hours a day???   (I did the math it could work, just not sure how long)  from Amazon as well as as a Battery powered Tv(13 inch)...Got a 50Gal 5 day cooler though at this time of year it might last 6(though we have  had some 50-60f  recently). Looking for a laptop as well, but unless I want to settle for a $50 one off ebay, I think I might let that go till the insurance check arrives. I also bought one of those case style camper stoves (uses Bupan or propane)

IF I can't stay at the state park, I know of some logging roads etc that get almost no traffic...

No I have no skill a car repairs...(can build a mean pc though, pity I can' take my current pc with me...as it uses a 1200 watt power supply, I don't think I can power that)

 

[outermostsoul]

So sorry on the loss of your father. Both my sisters died of cancer and nothing is predictable with that viscous disease. If the parks are the hassling type you could buy a tarp from the dollar store and a long parachute cord and rig up a shelter that looks tent like. I went to an RV park next to the venue where my grandson had his HS graduation in 2018. The manager lady freaked out when she saw me in a car not RV. "You may not sleep in your car! " was the first thing she said to me. No I had a tent in my Malibu trunk but I really wasn't wanted there. Us tenters are rif raf you know,

 

[maki2]

I have slept inside my Honda Element without ever putting up a tent. They don't care if I sleep in the car. I used to do the same thing when I had a truck with a cap on it.

It is not about that you MUST sleep in a tent. What it is about is those sites are usually tucked into spots that are too small for an RV to get into them. That can happen because sometimes the terrain drops off leaving only a small sized spot for parking or the road is too twisty to allow for backing in and out a large vehicle. So those types of sites then get designated as tent camping. Typically they have a small cleared area to set the tent up on as well as a cleared area to park a car in. Most of the time that cleared area can fit an average sized van but not always an extended length van.

Of course there are some types of tent sites that are walk in only because there is no way to get a car into them.

 

[GypsyJan]

Some state parks let you sleep in the car, but some don't. So I carry a cheap 2-man dome tent (about $30 on sale) as a "decoy." I pitch the tent but sleep in the car. I put kitchen gear, folding table and chair, beach umbrella, bucket, etc. in the tent which gives me more room on the cot in the car. I have never had a ranger try to wrestle me into the tent to sleep, LOL. If one did approach me, I would just say I am reading or online on my laptop in the car and will go to the tent when I am ready to sleep, but again, I have never had to do that.

I have never tried this at a "walk-in site" which requires you to park your car in main lot and tote your tent by foot to a site with no car access. I have stayed in one of that type of site with a larger tent that I slept in. I could probably still put kitchen gear in my decoy tent on one of those sites and sleep in the car stealthily (curtains up, no lights).

 

[JeanInaBox]

Check out Hipcamp app. There’s a lot of really reasonably priced places to car/tent camp. I checked it out the other day and saved ( hearted) so many. You can put them into groups... I’m doing that by state. There are some like 10/night.

 

[maki2]

$10.00 a night adds up to $300.00 a month. That us a hefty chunk of "rent" money out of a tight budget even though it sounds cheap enough when just considering it as $10.00.

 

[GypsyJan]

But $10 a night is doable if alternated with free sites, such as Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and truck stops. When I go full time, I may use cheap campsites part of the week and free sites the rest of the week. That way I could do laundry, muck out the car, and shampoo my hair while at a campground, which would hold me over while at the free sites until the next time I use a campsite.

 

[maki2]

The original poster is living in his car while he looks for work. Some cities do not allow stays at Walmart, Cracker Barrel and such. Options will be limited to those where he is looking for work and what camping options are in that immediate area. That is a bit different than using an app to find new locations along a route you are traveling.

 

[JeanInaBox]

Agree w/ Gypsie.... cheap campsites are good when you need a break. I found one near my home and it is absolutely amazing. It’s a small camp on a farm. They have a outside shower and portable loo... 40 out of the 250 acres your free to roam... nice creek. I decided to check it out since it was only 20 mins from my house. Booked 2 nights. Getting ready to check out soon as a matter of fact. Real nice folks.

 

[GypsyJan]

In Florida, we have cheap campsites via Florida Water Management. Some limit vehicle access (you have to park your car in the main lot, then walk in to the camping area carrying your tent and gear) and some allow vehicles, including RVs. There are usually not any ammenities other than a port-a-potty, though some have fire rings and picnic tables. You have to take your trash with you when you leave (and your loo deposits, if there is no port-o-potty). So it would not suit many people, but could come in handy for those on a limited budget. See Florida Water Management website for reservations (some sites are free, but you still have to register and often get a code to the gate.)

 

[Lynident]

I'm sorry about your dad CBlitz, I hope he is not suffering much.

What Maki2 said. Watch Bob's channel, you will learn a lot.
And good luck.

CheapRVLiving is a wealth of info.

 

[hallalujah imabum]

I know it has been awhile, but I hope you are okay and have found a situation that works for you. I'm in NM now, and NM State Parks don't care what you sleep in. For seniors the cost of a yearly permit here is very reasonable, and free for veterans, I think. I'd always suggest buying a yearly permit if you will use it enough to balance the cost. I feel safer in state parks than dispersed camping on federal lands, although I do the latter more often. In many NM State Parks you can camp outside of established sites. I like that- I get access to showers and WiFi, etc., but I can move away from noisy generators and parties.
If you don't think that your car will sell for much, as I didn't for my Hyundai Accent, you will be far more comfortable if you take the seats out. I used large plastic cargo boxes for food, etc. and put a nice blanket on top, so it didn't look too funky, but clean and organized. They were strong enough for me to sleep on. It also makes the vehicle easier to clean, like when I had to pull everything out at a car wash to vacuum the floor/carpets.
I'm sorry to read about your father. Be well.