Living and traveling in my car, a good idea?

[Firewoman]

My car is old, a 99 Dodge Intrepid. It's had some problems. Lately it sometimes loses power driving at high speeds on the interstate. I do have a part time job typing court records,  I travel to courthouses and type the records on my laptop. Right now it isn't enough to live on. I really hate the shelter where I'm staying.

I can take on more work with my company but those locations are further away. There's  a lot of work available in southern Virginia right now  (I live further north in this state). I could just live in my car and drive from location to location where I'm working so I wouldn't have to come back to the shelter every night by curfew. The only thing I'm worried about is my car breaking down when I am in a town where I don't know anyone who can fix it, and I may not have the money to send it to a shop. I also don't know where I would sleep at night. 

Ideas?

 

[B and C]

Losing power at speed is may be as simple as a fuel filter. As the fuel flows faster at speed, the sediment gets pushed against the filter choking off the fuel.

 

[Firewoman]

That would explain why my car gets such terrible gas mileage

 

[RoamerRV428]

your wrote...Lately it sometimes loses power driving at high speeds on the interstate.


LOL I read this as losing power at high speed on the INTERNET....I thought what in the world is this person talking about? HAHA

too funny

get it into the shop, that can be dangerous for sure hope it is an easy problem to fix and B and C might be right with something simple, hope so.


few extras needed here

you got some money for a newer good vehicle to take on the road?....once you are 'out there' and working and traveling your vehicle becomes your home and something reliable is sure a monster plus.

you can check freecampsites.com and put in the area you are working and see if ya hit on anything close by to take advantage of.
you can check all local county parks, state parks, coe, national parks etc for a place to sleep.
you can do overnight at any rest stops in the area near your work, any retail stores like Cabelas and Walmart if only a day or 2 is required.
cheap local campground next to work situation.
you might be able to spend a few nights IN the parking lot of the place YOU ARE working IF you ask you never know what easy option you can grab is you just ask.

a shelter is your home with a curfew? like a boarding house kinda thing?
with your own vehicle home you have freedom and not locked into 'rules' by others

hope some of that helps ya a bit in what you are trying to do for yourself.

 

[ckelly78z]

My daughter had a car that would lose power, and seem to suffocate. It needed a new catyletic converter. We also replaced the fuel filter because it was time.

 

[B and C]

Shoot, forgot about the cat. Yes, it too will cause a loss of power. I had this happen to me on the way to Alaska when I hit one big frost heave that knocked the insides of the cat loose and blew the guts back into the muffler clogging it (muffler). That caused a lot of back pressure. That frost heave also did other damage.

The shop troubleshooting the problem pulled the oxygen sensors (in between engine and cats) to see if it added power; it did. When they pulled the muffler, the guts from the cat fell out. New muffler. I didn't replace the cats because there is no sensor behind them to throw a code or cause driveability problems.

 

[Homeless in Canada]

I wouldn't want to live in a car full time. but if you have a bed  And the shower at the shelter then you could sleep in the car for just 1 or 2 nights when it is worth traveling to those more remote jobs.

If your plan is to leave the shelter and travel on the road going from job to job full time without using the shelter as a home base then I'd recommend a larger more comfortable Vehicle.

I'm sort of doing the same thing I have to drive from job to jobAnd with a pick up truck and large cargo trailer that I live in that's expensive. But the gas costs are offset by the fact that I don't have to drive home at the end of every day.  While my truck uses more gas towing my living trailer I don't drive as many miles anymore as I did when I was in an apartment and had to go home every day.When I'm finished work I just find a place to park and stay where I'm at until that have to go to the next job.

Far as your car goes I wouldn't put any money in it it's not suitable for life on the road.  You need something big enough to sleep and like a minivan. And something big enough to stand  like a cargo trailer Or a cube truck Or sprinters even better

 Maybe use your car for the time being and ease into the lifestyle. Picking up that extra work will help you save money for a larger vehicle.

 

[GypsyJan]

I plan to snow bird half of the year by living in my car. You can give it a try to see if it is feasible by sleeping in it in the parking lot of a truck stop or Walmart. It takes several tries to tweak things to suit your unique needs. No sense upgrading to something bigger if you don't feel it is the life for you. If it turns out you can adapt to it, then start saving for something more reliable.

 

[Firewoman]

Thanks for all the replies. I've given it so much thought. My health issues make sleeping in my car pretty much impossible. I won't be able to use my cpap machine and sleeping in an uncomfortable position will make my fybromyalgia worse and make it hard to work. My therapist reminded me of that. It's hard adjusting to life with fybromyalgia. I'm mad that I'm disabled now. Once I get disability, I may get a van, I may not. Been researching the lifestyle. I've moved around too much. I either need to learn how to settle down or say F it and live in a van.

The car is a no go, as Homeless in Canada said, it isn't suitable for the lifestyle. Even if I were in good health and could handle it, the car is too old with too many problems. So I continue to stay at the shelter. I often feel annoyed with it, but I do have a bed and my cpap machine.

 

[ckelly78z]

My wife has fibromyalgia, and had days where she barely was able to move. She started using the proper essential oils during flareups and it has virtually disappeared unless we WAY over do it slinging hay bales, or riding bikes.

She knows many other people who are fully dis-abled with this disorder, but refuse to help themselves, because they enjoy not working.

 

[Cammalu]

What essential oils


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RoamerRV428]

yea what oils?

 

[ckelly78z]

My wife uses the following oils only when she has a bad flareup, (not a daily regimen) but has also learned to stretch physical projects over a longer period of time, and to try to have less stress on herself. You will need to research the dosage for yourselves.

-Blue Tansy
-Camomile
-Peppermint
-Neroli
-Jasmine
-several mixed blends
-CBD hemp oil in extreme cases

She only uses JADEBLOOM mail order company to get her oils, and cautions against selling pyramid schemes like Doterra, and YoungLiving, where they want you to become a sales person, and recruit more sellers under your level.

 

[Firewoman]

CBD is the only thing that I've found that works, but it's expensive. I only take it on days I work. On other days I just take the pain. Meds don't help, and I won't take pain pills.

 

[Homeless in Canada]

Maybe the car could be used as a trade in / down payment for a larger vehicle such as a minivan that would allow you to travel to more remote jobs and sleep comfortably

 

[DesertRose]

Hi Firewoman,

with your (future) disability award you can get a very suitable vehicle for life on the road. 9 yrs ago I could have done the same thing after my own disability award. Boy do I wish I had done what I just suggested. Instead I rented an apt and here I am 9 yrs later, going back out on the road after 1 year stationary in a now defunct domestic relationship. In my minivan instead of a more suitable vehicle for life on the road. I did it in my minivan last year and it's not really so fun. Even without dogs -- which I have 1 big one and 1 medium-sized one. If you do get a minvan, go for a larger one than a Honda Odyssey.

Essential oils are wonderful (I have used them), but I'd skip the essential oils and go straight to CBD because your symptoms are chronic and severe. I'm supposed to use a CPAP but am getting by without it. I don't have fibro and I still have trouble sleeping in the minivan without discomfort. I'm headed to CO this month and plan to get some CBD for my chronic issues.

Forget an inverter and go with one of those $250 power thingys with a handle (forget what they're called). I bought a 750W inverter and have never hooked it up -- HDR told me uhhhh maybe NO, and so did my recent ex. (HDR being HighDesertRanger a mod on this site.) Mainly because those things are hard on the battery and the alternator.

You can do this, and you will!

PS If you are a single woman over 50, you will likely be approved for disability on the first application. DON'T hire an attorney. I paid $6K to an attorney (deducted from the award up front) for something I could have done myself. I've already helped one woman do it. PM me if you have questions.

 

[DesertRose]

"She only uses JADEBLOOM mail order company to get her oils, and cautions against selling pyramid schemes like Doterra, and YoungLiving, where they want you to become a sales person, and recruit more sellers under your level."

Thanks for the tip ckelly78z!
I signed up with DoTerra about 4 yrs ago, paid a fortune for a box of many different oils. Went to their dog and pony show in Mesa, AZ one year (about 4 yrs ago). I'll definitely be looking into Jadebloom.