Moving into and heating an SUV in a pinch

[Anon]

I'm getting kind of tired of staying in this extended stay hotel that costs me nearly $900 a month. I've noticed that most of what I do with my free time in such a room is just waste it anyways pacing back and forth talking to myself about my next move or what I'm missing, and the only reason I'm still sticking around is because of my concern for not being ready with enough STUFF to live out of my cruiser with.

So I got to thinking: What would I do if I got evicted right now?

I would drive to my father's house, remove the back seats and store them at his place if he's okay with it, and then quickly find a power inverter for my cruiser, take the little space heater he gave me, blow up an air mattress in the back (if it will fit, otherwise use a foam pad), then take my mother's blanket, cover the mattress with it, hook up the space heater using the power converter, turn the power on in my vehicle, and let that heater run throughout the night while I sleep on the mattress. And I would also try to scramble to find vehicle curtains or blinds to put on the side windows.

The only thing about that is, my father always told me not to leave the car battery on or to leave any appliances on because it runs down the battery. He would always say it like if I left a single light on overnight, then the battery would be dead and I wouldn't be able to crank my vehicle.

Logically, that doesn't make sense to me, because a car battery seems like such a massive and powerful source of energy, that it could handle that if it's the only thing running. Plus my vehicle has a battery gauge, and getting a new battery or a recharge every now and then doesn't seem like a big deal to me, and even seems worth it. Possibly cheaper than $800 a month.

And that's basically all I would need. I could store water in jugs and use them for brushing teeth and drinking, I can use the bathroom at the gym, or my father's house, or at work, the only challenge would be ensuring privacy, not drawing attention, and trying to change clothes inside the vehicle, which shouldn't be too hard with how much more spacious this is than my last.

What am I missing? Is my father right about the battery thing? Should I just insulate my cruiser instead?

 

[bullfrog]

Keeping warm by using battery power for heating almost always is beyond what a battery bank has the capacity to do and the reason most people resort to another source of heat. Really as long as you have ventilation inside a weather proof shelter so condensation isn’t a problem a really good sleeping bag works well and should be the number 1 priority in order to insure you survive the cold if all else fails. Short answer is your dad is right. It is much easier to insulate your body when sleeping rather than the whole vehicle. During the day go to a library or public heated space if in an urban setting or build a campfire if in a BLM/wilderness setting if allowed.

 

[JDelete]

Forget about running a space heater off an inverter from your car battery. I doubt a space heater in this setup will run more than an hour at most and your battery will be dead. Also, don't run anything off your car battery.

Don't use an air mattress—they are a cold way to sleep. Get one of these instead:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Willpo/page/727E19BA-5642-415A-AED9-41CD3F08D3D2?ref_=ast_bln
I have spent numerous nights sleeping on one of these mattresses along with a lot of heavy blankets with no heat and always, I mean always, wake up in the morning nice and warm. It isn't warm when I crawl out of my nest but I never get cold while sleeping. The key is lots of layers of blankets. Some nights it has gotten below freezing temps.

Leave one of the windows open about a half inch to get fresh air.

 

[bullfrog]

Air mattresses are cold, a good memory foam topper inside a cheap sleeping bag makes a warm pillow top mattress and a good sleeping bag on top that works well.

 

[scaredycat72]

Your car needs to be running if you're going to run anything significant off it. A heater is significant. Insignificant is something like a phone or fairy lights. I have a small camping heater that runs off propane for heat in my SUV but when I lived in my car, I just ran my car and used my car's heater. As long as the car is running and you have the windows cracked, you'll be fine. I used about 2 gallons of gas a night so it was $6 a day or $180 a month.

I did the same thing in the summer to stay cool.

 

[Anon]

Your car needs to be running if you're going to run anything significant off it. A heater is significant. Insignificant is something like a phone or fairy lights. I have a small camping heater that runs off propane for heat in my SUV but when I lived in my car, I just ran my car and used my car's heater. As long as the car is running and you have the windows cracked, you'll be fine. I used about 2 gallons of gas a night so it was $6 a day or $180 a month.

I did the same thing in the summer to stay cool.

Sounds risky leaving a vehicle running for roughly eight hours, but I'll consider it in a pinch.

 

[GntlStone]

Sounds risky leaving a vehicle running for roughly eight hours, but I'll consider it in a pinch.

Consider an autostart with a 15 minute auto shutoff. Push the button and the engine runs for 15 minutes then stops. Repeat as necessary.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Typical car starter battery has about 40 amp hours of energy = 480 watt-hours.
It will take a 1500 watt electric heater about 15 minutes to drain it so it won't start you vehicle.

It is not safe to sleep with engine running. If you do, have a CO and a CO2 alarm inside; make sure your exhaust does not have any leaks and exhaust is blowing away from the vehicle. You will also have to service the engine more often.

Get enough blankets/sleeping bag and you don't need heat for sleeping. You need warm enough blankets anyway in case your heat source goes out.

Blow up mattresses conduct cold from below; are cold to sleep on. You will need an inch or two of insulation about the air mattress.

 

[sephson]

Typical car starter battery has about 40 amp hours of energy = 480 watt-hours.
It will take a 1500 watt electric heater about 15 minutes to drain it so it won't start you vehicle.

Also, a car's starter battery will have 6 to 8 duty cycles. This means that you can only drain the battery 6 to 8 times before you need a new battery. The battery doesn't drain while you're driving because your car's alternator is constantly charging the battery whenever the engine is running.

There are a number of available options for heating a vehicle without running the engine or draining the battery. As has been stated earlier, electric heat sources tend not to be good options for use in vehicles without a generator or access to shore power. I'm oversimplifying this, but shore power basically means plugged into a building.

A better option would be a propane heater. However, you must take safety precautions if you use one. The most important precaution is that you need to make sure you have good ventilation for the heater. This means cracking open a couple of the windows in your vehicle. If you don't do this, the exhaust emissions from the heater have a very good chance of killing you. Another very important precaution is to make sure that you have enough clearance around the heater. The absolute last thing you want is a fire in your vehicle because you left your hoody hanging too close to the heater.

I don't full time, but I travel in a Kia Soul, which is a small hatchback car. I use a Mr. Heater Golf Cart Heater, which is designed to fit into a standard cup holder. When I use it, I crack both front windows open about an inch. I do not run the heater while I sleep. I run it for a few minutes before going to bed and first thing in the morning to warm the air up in the car so that I can dress and undress in relative comfort. I shut it off before going to sleep. My sleeping bag keeps me warm overnight.



The heater is nowhere near as close to the seat as it appears in this photo. Take note that there is nothing flammable close to the heating element.

 

[scaredycat72]

Sounds risky leaving a vehicle running for roughly eight hours, but I'll consider it in a pinch.

I don't know what would be risky about it but it's an option that served me well for years. Now I'm going with the camp heater but I'm definitely considering it during the summer.

 

[Matlock]

I don't know what size you are and what size your vehicle is nor the climate your living in, so with that in mind I offer the following.
Live out of your vehicle... sleep in the vehicle.

Your typically around 98.6* so find the proper clothing and sleeping bag for the enviroment your sleeping in. Keep your body heat in.
Get comfortable inside your travel/sleeping vehicle by making as much room as possible for sleeping.

Entertain, internet, eat, drink, bathe, bathroom, etc... outside the vehicle.
For half of what your spending on living accomodations you could buy a really nice vehicle and gradually build a nice conversion with all the trimmings.

Just my ol 2¢

 

[Nautithespian]

I'm getting kind of tired of staying in this extended stay hotel that costs me nearly $900 a month. I've noticed that most of what I do with my free time in such a room is just waste it anyways pacing back and forth talking to myself about my next move or what I'm missing, and the only reason I'm still sticking around is because of my concern for not being ready with enough STUFF to live out of my cruiser with.

So I got to thinking: What would I do if I got evicted right now?

I would drive to my father's house, remove the back seats and store them at his place if he's okay with it, and then quickly find a power inverter for my cruiser, take the little space heater he gave me, blow up an air mattress in the back (if it will fit, otherwise use a foam pad), then take my mother's blanket, cover the mattress with it, hook up the space heater using the power converter, turn the power on in my vehicle, and let that heater run throughout the night while I sleep on the mattress. And I would also try to scramble to find vehicle curtains or blinds to put on the side windows.

The only thing about that is, my father always told me not to leave the car battery on or to leave any appliances on because it runs down the battery. He would always say it like if I left a single light on overnight, then the battery would be dead and I wouldn't be able to crank my vehicle.

Logically, that doesn't make sense to me, because a car battery seems like such a massive and powerful source of energy, that it could handle that if it's the only thing running. Plus my vehicle has a battery gauge, and getting a new battery or a recharge every now and then doesn't seem like a big deal to me, and even seems worth it. Possibly cheaper than $800 a month.

And that's basically all I would need. I could store water in jugs and use them for brushing teeth and drinking, I can use the bathroom at the gym, or my father's house, or at work, the only challenge would be ensuring privacy, not drawing attention, and trying to change clothes inside the vehicle, which shouldn't be too hard with how much more spacious this is than my last.

What am I missing? Is my father right about the battery thing? Should I just insulate my cruiser instead?

Change cloths at the gym. Shower at the gym… use the toilet at the gym…

 

[scaredycat72]

I don't know what size you are and what size your vehicle is nor the climate your living in, so with that in mind I offer the following.
Live out of your vehicle... sleep in the vehicle.

Your typically around 98.6* so find the proper clothing and sleeping bag for the enviroment your sleeping in. Keep your body heat in.
Get comfortable inside your travel/sleeping vehicle by making as much room as possible for sleeping.

Entertain, internet, eat, drink, bathe, bathroom, etc... outside the vehicle.
For half of what your spending on living accomodations you could buy a really nice vehicle and gradually build a nice conversion with all the trimmings.

Just my ol 2¢

Do you actually do this? Do you never get tired? Do you never get tired of people? I always thought this might be possible if you're only in the boonies but I don't see how it's possible if you're in the city. My car is where I hang when I'm tired, when it gets dark, when I'm sick, when there are too many bugs, when the weather is bad, and when I just want to be alone. I can't imagine never being alone.

 

[JDelete]

Sounds risky leaving a vehicle running for roughly eight hours, but I'll consider it in a pinch.

I wouldn't do that. I can't imagine that is good long term for your engine.

Since you are in a southern area and plan on staying in a southern climate, I think you can manage without an extra source of heat.

The key is having a warm sleeping nest—as has been discussed before. I have a warm sleeping setup which keeps me nice and comfy throughout the night even when the air temperature is below freezing. Yes, it is a bit of a shocker when crawling out in the morning! When I am in those colder temps, I will run my car heater for about 15 minutes on full blast to warm it up inside. Then do what I need to do—a quick sponge bath, put on fresh clothes, etc. I dress warm and stay active during the day so I don't need extra heat.

 

[frater secessus]

So I got to thinking: What would I do if I got evicted right now?

• suddenly living in a vehicle
• longer-term living in a vehicle

find a power inverter for my cruiser, take the little space heater he gave me

mistakes beginners tend to make with power

The only thing about that is, my father always told me not to leave the car battery on or to leave any appliances on because it runs down the battery. He would always say it like if I left a single light on overnight, then the battery would be dead and I wouldn't be able to crank my vehicle.

Starter batteries are, perhaps unsurprisingly, designed to start the engine and run DC loads while the engine is running. Idling for hours is not good for the vehicle, the alternator, and perhaps your ability to stay above ground.

If you want to run loads when not driving some form of power setup is required.

Logically, that doesn't make sense to me, because a car battery seems like such a massive and powerful source of energy, that it could handle that if it's the only thing running.

The math will kick the snot out of our wishes and dreams. It's a lesson best learned on paper before finding oneself cold, dark, and frozen in the middle of nowhere. Of course, some need to learn the hard way and there's no shame in that.

Starter (SLI) batteries are designed for dumping huge amounts of power to crank the engine then being immediately receiving big charging current from the alternator. They don't like to be drained over hours.

Deep cycle batteries are designed to be discharged then recharged again regularly, typically once a day. <-- this is the kind of battery we use to run loads in vehicles that are not running.

Plus my vehicle has a battery gauge, and getting a new battery or a recharge every now and then doesn't seem like a big deal to me, and even seems worth it. Possibly cheaper than $800 a month.

It's a big deal when it's 3am and freezing.

If you are determined to do it from your car battery, see this article. It's really not an approach well-suited to beginners.

What am I missing? Is my father right about the battery thing?

Yes.

Should I just insulate my cruiser instead?

Job 1: good sleeping bag. If that doesn't work then you can think about insulation and heat.

 

[Anon]

Do you actually do this? Do you never get tired? Do you never get tired of people? I always thought this might be possible if you're only in the boonies but I don't see how it's possible if you're in the city. My car is where I hang when I'm tired, when it gets dark, when I'm sick, when there are too many bugs, when the weather is bad, and when I just want to be alone. I can't imagine never being alone.

Wow you're a mood. That's exactly how I feel. Why do you think I'm looking towards the desert or hills or mountains?

There's enough room in my vehicle, to where if I want to, I can roll up my sleeping pad and pretend it's a tiny little living room that I can't stand up in, and that's all I need for my entertainment and computer stuff. As well as making music, writing, and drawing, I have no intention of doing those things inside a gym.

Still it's nice for the option to be there.

 

[scaredycat72]

Wow you're a mood. That's exactly how I feel. Why do you think I'm looking towards the desert or hills or mountains?

There's enough room in my vehicle, to where if I want to, I can roll up my sleeping pad and pretend it's a tiny little living room that I can't stand up in, and that's all I need for my entertainment and computer stuff. As well as making music, writing, and drawing, I have no intention of doing those things inside a gym.

Still it's nice for the option to be there.

Yeah, it is. What does "you're a mood" mean? I'm honestly curious about what Matlock does. I've heard people say this and I don't understand how they do it. I've never seen anyone in cities live out of their vehicles - the people I know hold up in theirs - but I don't know everybody and I don't know anyone who boondocks. Matlock might have tips and tricks that make being in public spaces all the time a lot more bearable or enjoyable.

I have a small SUV but I sacrificed space to keep one of the back seats down. With the front passenger seat pushed forward, I can do everything in that seat/space, including watching movies, cooking, painting, doing crafts, taking a bathe, changing clothes, going to the bathroom, etc. Susanne kept her back passenger seat in her Prius and that's where I got the idea. For me, living out of my vehicle makes sense if I'm only on the road a few days or even a week or two, but I need a private space to breathe, chill out, and decompress if I'm going to do it months at a time or longer.

 

[rruff]

I'm honestly curious about what Matlock does. I've heard people say this and I don't understand how they do it. I've never seen anyone in cities live out of their vehicles - the people I know hold up in theirs.

Matlock said he sleeps in the vehicle... so since he has space for that, these other things he does outside, "Entertain, internet, eat, drink, bathe, bathroom" can be done inside if necessary, even if you aren't set up to make it convenient.

When I spend a lot of time in town, I get a gym membership. I shower and use the toilet there, or sometimes use the toilet at a restaurant. I've never pooped in my rig, but I could if I really had to. I cook, eat, and wash dishes outside, whether in town or not.

For me, camping in the boonies far from people is the deluxe way to do this life, and it's super easy to live out of your vehicle then. The insides are for bad weather; rainy, cold nights, etc.

If I was living in a SUV I think I'd remove all the seats except for the driver, and build a hightop, to get some decent room.

 

[scaredycat72]

Matlock said he sleeps in the vehicle... so since he has space for that, these other things he does outside, "Entertain, internet, eat, drink, bathe, bathroom" can be done inside if necessary, even if you aren't set up to make it convenient.

When I spend a lot of time in town, I get a gym membership. I shower and use the toilet there, or sometimes use the toilet at a restaurant. I've never pooped in my rig, but I could if I really had to. I cook, eat, and wash dishes outside, whether in town or not.

For me, camping in the boonies far from people is the deluxe way to do this life, and it's super easy to live out of your vehicle then. The insides are for bad weather; rainy, cold nights, etc.

If I was living in a SUV I think I'd remove all the seats except for the driver, and build a hightop, to get some decent room.

I'm not a fan of the boonies or being away from people. I love being in nature but being alone in nature bores me silly pretty quickly. People are my jam and the best times of my life have been when I've done awesome stuff with friends.

I haven't done any cooking outside my van but if the weather is right, there's not a lot of bugs, and there's a park or something to cook at, I will. I only plan to cook one or two times a week and then eat leftovers the rest of the time. Weather, bugs, and an adequate place to cook are my determining factors so cooking outside isn't always possible.

I don't know if Matlock has space for all that - I've seen people sleeping in the front seat of a packed car - so I'm interested in getting their take on how they handle constantly being in public spaces or in public view. Thankfully I've always had friends' houses to hang at but after awhile I still needed a safe space to retreat.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

My thought: why not just try it out! It sounds like you can manage this, financially, so keep your extended stay room. Outfit your vehicle, minimally, as you have described. Assuming the removal of the seats isn't a complete nightmare, take them out and put them in your room (or at your Dad's if this totally isn't possible, but as long as you're paying for the room, why would they care.) Try it out for a night in the hotel parking lot. Then maybe venture further afield. Use the room as command central for a month. Challenge yourself to not go "home" to your hotel for a full week, if you can. You'll get all sorts of info about what does and doesn't work for you, with a safety net. Assuming you like it / get the kinks worked out, then tell your hotel bye bye. If you discover you hate this lifestyle, all you've really lost is a few day's rent and a few good night's sleep.