Is van life right for me?

Awesome Street · Sep 6, 2018

Alright everyone! My name is Byron, and I'd like to find out if van-life is right for me. I know virtually nothing about van-living so over the course of the next several weeks or so I plan to utilize this forum extensively for the purpose of doing research and educating myself on exactly what I'm getting into - and I do apologize because that's going to mean lots of tl;dr posts and dumb internet comments...

Anyways, let's jump right in!

For today's purposes, I want to give you guys some basic facts about myself, explain what I'm trying to achieve, and then elaborate on my plan for accomplishing it. I'd like to get some feedback from the community in regard to how feasible this will be.

So I'm 27, single, no major life commitments... Some might refer to me as a "loser"... and my main reason for transitioning to van-life is FREEDOM. While I'd be a little embarrassed to go into full disclosure, I'm deeply enthralled with a certain hobby and would like to pursue it full-time. To make this happen, I need to free up time and money for myself, and van life sounds like it could prove instrumental in making that happen. I've been spending some time in excel throwing together some hypothetical budget scenarios and, while there is a chance that I'm way off in my analysis, it sounds to me like transitioning to van-life would allow me to pursue my hobby full-time, live comfortably, have plenty of spending money, and even save and invest - I'll mention here that I really don't have many other major financial commitments beyond fulfilling my basic needs. I don't yet know enough to for sure say that this is a good plan of action, but it is worth looking into.

what I'm looking for in a vehicle / various other important details:
- The vehicle in question will need to be stealthy. I don't want people to suspect that someone is living in it.
- I need to be able to live in it year-round. I do live in Seattle Washington where the weather is more mild, but the vehicle should be something that will allow me to live comfortably in extreme heat and cold.
- I do plan on installing a solar-powered electrical system on the unit. Eventually I'd like to install some powered-amenities on/in the vehicle that fall into the "nice-to-have" category, but the only thing I truly need from an electrical system is the basic ability to charge electronics. As time goes on, I'd like this vehicle to eventually turn into something that will permit me to live off the grid.
- I can get away with going to the gym to take showers and using single-occupancy restrooms to take sponge baths in, but eventually I would like to install a system that will provide me with running water for showering and drinking. I don't want a sink, but I would like to have a setup where I can get pressurized water through a hose. I can easily make do without a toilet. I'll rig up a sawdust toilet or something for emergency use, and rely on public restrooms as much as possible.
- For the time being I plan on buying a used cargo van that won't allow me to stand all the way up inside. This should be fine as I plan on spending a minimal amount of time in the vehicle, but later on down the line if I decide that van life is something I really enjoy, I may consider upgrading to something more spacious - a Ford Transit Van or Dodge Sprinter, and would like to put myself in a position where, should I make that switch, I'll be able to move as much stuff as possible from the old van to the new one, and revert the old van back to a cargo van for selling.
- I don't have all the money on hand to make this happen all at once and I estimate it will take me around six months to have the means of getting my van to a point that it is reasonably comfortable to live out of. I'd like to develop a plan that will involve buying a van, developing a bare-bones set-up that will allow me to scrape by, and then moving into it as quickly as possible. It will certainly be a little uncomfortable for a period of time, but not having to pay rent to my landlord would greatly expedite this process. Essentially, I'd like to do a "build as I go" sort of thing.
- For at least a couple of years I don't plan to do any major traveling in the unit. Later on down the line I may, but for the time being I'm probably just going to continue to work and live in Seattle and use it as a place to sleep at night. I likely won't even drive it that often.

Anyways, I think this is good for now. I'd like to get some feedback on what I've posted and find out if you guys think this sounds feasible at face value, or if it sounds like the ramblings of another crazy internet person.

Thanks!

rvwandering · Sep 6, 2018

Welcome to the CRVL forums Awesome Street! The most important factor for successful vandwelling is an adequate source of income. It's cheaper than living in a house or apartment but it's often more expensive than people figure. Add up everything that you spend each day just on essentials. Don't forget things like insurance. See if can cut down on anything. Try living for a month or so on the amount of money that you have decided is essential - minus rent, utilities, etc. of course.

Use boxes or furniture to build a space the size of a van in your apartment. Move your daily living supplies into the space and don't use the rest of your apartment.

People will know that you are living in your van. It's very hard to stay stealthy if you are living in one area for a long period of time. Drive around and check out all of the places where you are planning on sleeping. Are there other vandwellers? Are there signs prohibiting overnight parking? Are there security patrols? Most likely you will have to find at least five or six spots and rotate through them. It's best to have daytime spots and separate sleeping spots.

To live comfortably in extreme heat and cold you'll need either a generator (not a good idea for anyone trying to avoid notice) or a very large solar system.

These are just a few of the things you should consider. The forums are full of great information so pick a subject and start reading. You will get more and better answers if you ask questions one at a time in the forum headings that best fit your questions. Good luck with your research!

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. We look forward to hearing more from you.

Awesome Street · Sep 6, 2018

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it. I know that my initial post was lengthy and broad, and I fully intend to delve into all of its various individual aspects in much greater detail, but for now I just want to hear back from some experienced van dwellers on whether or not this is overall a feasible project to take on, and on that note I do think it's important to be somewhat detailed here. If the general consensus is "yes, this is doable," then I'll begin to explore all of the various facets of the undertaking in more detail. On the other hand, if the general consensus is, "Are you out of your mind?? That's completely unrealistic!" then maybe it'd be best to abandon any notions of van life and consider some alternatives. As of right now I know virtually nothing about van life, and it's entirely possible that this project is going to be much more unrealistic than I imagined it would.

Later on down the line, if I come to the conclusion that this is doable, I'll ask for specific advice on remaining stealthy, living in extreme temperatures, budgeting, etc.

Mobile Mike Sutton · Sep 6, 2018

Hi Awesome Street,

I'm more than twice your age yet we are similar. I find myself nearing retirement age with little hope of being financially able to retire. My work has physical standards and my health is declining and jeopardizing my livlihood. I worry that I'll be out of a job and on the street. So I've been exploring stealth camping as a way to cut the expenses of living in overpriced Western Washington while continuing to work to achieve a financial milestone then semi retire to a nomadic work camping life where I too will be pursuing hobbies long neglected.
   This forum is one way I've gathered info. I got here via Bob Well's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAj7O3LCDbkIR54hAn6Zz7A. On YouTube I also found bunches of other creators loaded with helpful information about how to get it done. There are many approaches. I spent most of fall/winter '17/'18, watching build videos, solar systems for vans, how to stealth camp, the works. In March I started looking for a rig and settled on a 1993 Chevy G20 3/4 ton van and have been working on it ever since. I just started a conversion thread here: https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=32944
   Very soon I will do some camping both stealth in the city and in the forests to discover what changes/additions I need to make and to reveal whether or not this approach is going to work for me. I'm apprehensive about the stealth camping piece, but logic tells me that is normal.
     Most of the veteran vandwellers I have respect for say this is very doable and anyone can do it. I respect them because they also point out that it's not for everyone and to start with basics if you aren't being forced into it. I've reached a point that if I lost my income due to my health issues I will not end up homeless. Instead, I'm prepping to be houseless!
   I suggest you do some screen time, here, YouTube, other blogs too. Maybe web search "how to live in a van".

Cheers!