Thinking of moving into a small car

[superminimalist]

Hi all,  I am new to this forum.  I have never lived in a car, but am thinking of doing it as a way to travel and save on hotel prices.  I am an extreme minimalist, having lived with just the backpack on my back for many years, travelling to many countries.  But in America, mass transit is very limited, and hotel prices are expensive.  Hence, I am considering moving into a small car.  Don't need much space since I have very few things.  Don't want to modify the car.  Need 6 feet of flat space to put a pad and sleeping bag down.  Thinking of maybe a Toyota Prius or Camry.  Glad to have found this site, and looking forward to making friends with like minded individuals.

 

[Allan Greenblazer]

Toyota is a wise choice due to reliability. Scion and Lexus are other brands made by Toyota. I owned a 2007 Toyota Tacoma that had 412,000 miles on it when it was hit and totaled. It ran perfectly and had only required minimal maintenance.

If you want a used vehicle understand that the Prius while reliable can be very expensive to repair if it does break down. The generator is a $6000.00 repair job.

I like the Rav4, but they are in high demand so they can be pricey.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy an old Toyota with over 200,000 miles as long as it was maintained.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[MrNoodly]

Bob has a video about someone's converted Yaris.


Also a Kia Soul.


And a Prius.

 

[tx2sturgis]

 Thinking of maybe a Toyota Prius or Camry.  

 
Also consider the Subaru Impreza, AWD is a bonus there.

And the Honda Fit.

 

[maki2]

• 
  Dont forget the option of a small truck with a canopy on the bed. in many ways those are better than a car for going boodock camping out on the forest and desert dirt roads. better ground clearance, nice and flat for a bed. No need to rearrange and put stuff away when you want to drive somewhere. Easier to curtain off the sleeping area as for winter warmth, easier to heat. Plus easy to quickly insulate that cap space on the floor, walls and ceiling. More privacy and much less obvious that someone is living in it. Be sure to get a cap with sliding windows. Sometimes you can find a truck with a slider between he cab and the cap. Good resale value too.  

 

[Qxxx]

Welcome to the forum Smini. Simple and Serene has a youtube channel with lots of videos regarding the issues of living in a car (especially early videos). Also, you might think about getting a 4- or 6-man dome tent for pitching when camping in forests and deserts. Bon chance. I spent a lot of time traveling in europe in the 1990s with just one carry-on bag, but I was younger then, and the pensiones were cheap and many.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG_GabIBd_cIU6mKckySX0g/videos

 

[MrNoodly]

 
Also consider the Subaru Impreza, AWD is a bonus there.

For those who don't know, AWD and 4WD aren't the same, and there are various types of AWD, each with different intent. Even within the Subaru line there are different types of AWD. A vehicle with AWD may or may not be as capable off pavement as desired.

Here's an article about AWD. It might be a little techie for some, but...
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15102281/best-all-wheel-drive-system/

 

[landyachtman]

Welcome to the CRVL forums! 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.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yes, AWD is not really designed for serious off-roading....just a bit better traction on slick roads (snow, ice, etc) is the primary design goal in most cases.

They have been doing this for what...50 years? I give the reader credit for knowing about AWD.

 

[MrNoodly]

 I give the reader credit for knowing about AWD.

Do people do, some people don't.

 

[tx2sturgis]

True but this is a thread about a car with some room to sleep in...not about vehicle drivetrains. So a quick mention was all that I felt was needed.

Anyway, back on track, so to speak, the Subaru Impreza is a decent little car with some room in the back...I like to remind people that Toyotas (mentioned in the OP) are not the only kid on the block when it comes to small, economical, reliable Japanese cars.

 

[maki2]

• There are the Honda Elements, lots of people use them for camping cars. The seats will lay doen for 6' of sleeping space. Plenty of youtube vidoes and articles on camping in them. Not the overall best gas mileage but they are very relibble and of course very much in demand. They have a cult following as they quit makinng them in 2011. Lots of rumors that they will be made again but so far no truth to back that up..

 

[eDJ_]

If I were to take a Honda Element on the road,  I'd consider this roof mod and having an awning on the side.

 

[Qxxx]

Ooof. The thought of spending $24,000 on a car, and then cutting a hole in its roof gives me the willies. Better to buy a rooftop popup tent for $1000 to get essentially the same thing. I met a couple in Death Valley with a rooftop tent on a Honda Element a couple of years ago, and they liked it quite a bit. Or just buy a 4-6 person dome tent for $300 or so, which you can live in for months at a time. I met people in Quartzsite last winter who were doing just that.

 

[bullfrog]

That would be a cheap price for a new car, and almost an average high price for a used car now a days wouldn’t it? It wouldn’t be much of a problem for me as most every vehicle I have ever bought new or used was less than $6,000. Now if I never spent more than twice that fixing them up that would be good. On my vehicles that roof top tent would be held on with big eye bolts in the door pillars as they are expensive and I wouldn’t want to chance loosing it!

 

[Qxxx]

That would be a cheap price for a new car,

I did a quick look on google, and that was the price range listed for the Element. ??? Whatever. The thought of cutting open the roof of a car makes my stomach hurt.

In 2017, I paid $22,000 for a 1-yo Savana with 16,000 miles it. I wouldn't cut a hole in its roof either, ugh . And I made my build such that I didn't even drill a single hole into any metal at all. So, cut open the roof is the very "last" option, AFAIAC.

 

[bagabum]

Is there anyway you could buy something like a Dodge Caravan, SUV or equivalent, so that you can have some room, think about 2/3/4 days of straight nasty cold drizzly weather and all you can do is sit in the small car seat all day long, I would target some kind  of vehicle you can kind of stand up in maybe hunched over at least because you are going to be living in it, not day camping.   If I ever have to live in a small car, something went terribly wrong, I understand doing it if you are forced to, but it's not something I would seek. [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Maybe rent a small car for a week and see if you like it before you commit. [/font]

 

[bullfrog]

It depends on how long you intend to keep the vehicle as well as how long you think it will last. I’m old and poor, really financially living below the poverty line or trying to because it makes me happy knowing I’m old enough now my vehicles I have now could be my last ones and anything I do to them to make them work, to make my life easier really isn’t going to make much difference to me. I have almost always never sold vehicles I have owned for my personal use. In fact all those holes and modifications that help me do something I otherwise couldn’t afford and function to make things easier I’m sort of fond of. Occasionally I’ll give one to one of my kids and they will ask “Why you do that?” I tell them it is Just so they will remember me.

 

[Qxxx]

, I would target some kind  of vehicle you can kind of stand up in maybe hunched over at least because you are going to be living in it, not day camping. 

Basically people buy Class-As and Class-Cs so they can say "Don't leave home without it", meaning everything that makes S&B convenient. Anything smaller and you're in compromise mode.

My GMC Savana is regular length, regular height, 57" high inside, and you can stand up hunched over. My solution to having to actually "live" in it during possible days of rain was to maximize open floor space; it's 4'x'6, so I have room to setup a comfortable chair, and so I don't feel like I'm living in a coffin.

Nowadays those larger, longer, taller vans have gotten to be very popular for a bit more money.

 

[Qxxx]

I have almost always never sold vehicles I have owned for my personal use. In fact all those holes and modifications that help me do something I otherwise couldn’t afford and function to make things easier I’m sort of fond of.

It I still have the van in 15 more years, I'll cut a frog viewing portal in the wall, LOL.