I plan on heading to cali for college and considering the expenses of living there im considering living in a trailer park close to campus. Ive heard of college students being forced to live in their cars due to the expenses of
Mobile home parks (not RV parks) are typically one of the cheapest housing options in an area. We're talking about parks that cater to full time residents not travelers. Most MHPs don't allow RVs (vans, 5th wheels, travel trailers, class A/B/C). Those that do are almost always very run down, not a place most college students would be comfortable living.
living there and i honestly really dont mind living in a kickass van. Ive loved vans and trailers since i was little (mostly because my aunt and uncle had one) and ive always wanted to travel. Ive heard so much about nomads and it sounds so fun! I was also thinking the van would be electric, and i also have a good hookup from my dad for wifi on the van.
If you're thinking electric van, unless you're several years away from starting college, it's probably not realistic. The choices in the US are the eTransit or eSprinter. As someone who is going to trade in my 2020 Sprinter for an e powered one from Ford or MB, as soon as reasonably possible, I'm following market developments closely. Demand is high relative to production volume. Supply chain issues have still not been resolved. Dealers prioritize their fleet and small business customers orders (read: allocations). The bottom line is that neither van will be readily available over the next couple of years and could cost more than 4 years in the dorm. Figure a minimum of $60-70k for the van and then $20-25k to make it "kickass". Make no mistake, drool worthy vans are not affordable housing alternatives.
Living in a vehicle is challenging, and most world choose to live in a fixed dwelling if they could. You're glamourizing it. Otherwise you'd be posting about how to find a 2008 era Econoline and build it out on a shoestring budget.
Again more fantasy. If you're in school, you will not be nomadic. Your traveling will be to class, to the library, to the cafeteria, to the rec center...
I lived in a dorm freshman and sophomore years. Although I didn't know it at the time, it was essential to my maturation and socialization process. The immersive experience, being away from the guidance and supervision of my parents, the quantity and depth of relationships formed living with a group of people 24/7 were the most important elements of my education. Commuter students are deprived of a very important aspect of the college experience.
I am not discouraging you from buying a van. I think having a van is awesome, I'll never go back to owning cars or SUVs. If you/your parents can afford it, vans make excellent everyday vehicles. Buy one and put it in the dorm parking lot. You've got plenty of time to try out vanlife. You only get one shot at dorm life.
