vandweller wannabe

[akvan]

Ok, so i'm a wannabe. Right now i'm in college, living in a rented room, and don't even own a van. But the idea of van living has lodged itself in my brain, and i just know i need to try it. 'regular life' feels all wrong and i don't think i can stand it much longer. maybe this is the solution. can't hurt to research it and ask some questions here, at any rate.

good to 'meet' all of you!

 

[Donedirtcheap]

How much is the rent?
If in a van, can you go without air conditioning?
If in the city do you have a legal place to park or will you be breaking the law?
If in a cold climate heating is an issue just like ac. You must be plugged in to 120 for ac but the heat can be done.
Room could work out better with the gals when dealing with temperature extremes.

Doesn't hurt to dream and make long term plans. School, decent job, cool gal, mobile job skills or limited hours, work for X number of months and quit, hit the road, work again, etc.

 

[Reducto]

Welcome! Do you have any sort of vehicle now? You don't necessarily need a van, many live in cars. I'd say give it a shot for a week and see how it goes. Being in college has some advantages you can explore - lots of indoor spaces you can sit and study in all day, possibly a gym with showers, free entertainment, cheap food options, etc. My school even had a "nap room" in the student center with a bunch of couches.

 

[Starlight]

Some people consider "four square walls" comparable to "cages."
There are options...

Buy on time a shed $100. month (some of them are cool), put it on an acreage, call it a hunting cabin... lease the land or find someone who'll help a student. Long ago, my husband and I found an old cabin, searched the owner on County Assessor records, and made a deal. We went in town on Saturdays and mowed his lawn and cleaned his house. He was a professor at a University.

Live in a tent in someone's yard... insulate it... or... make it out of foam board.


The rules may be different in the city for "tents" vs "rv's" as far as codes.
How can you tell people that their kids can't sleep in a tent in the own yards??
Heck... you can live in a garage if you ensure air venting... go research what the fine would be if you got caught... but be safe at all times.

 

[akrvbob]

I say go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!!

Run an ad in your local craigslist and ask for a driveway to park in for $100 a month. Chances are good you will find one! You may get lucky and find someone who will let you run an extension cord for an extra $20, but be ready to negotiate.

Do a lot of research about campus policy on living in a van. Some have a zero-tolerance policy.

We're here to answer your questions!
Bob

 

[akvan]

Thanks so much for the welcomes and suggestions Donedirtcheap, Reducto, Starlight, and akrvbob

I've got a 93 subaru impreza (hatchback) that i lived out of for about a month last summer. Camped in a tent rather than the car because all my stuff was crammed into the car. No matter what i do this summer, i'll have to rent a room again next school yr because it's....really, really cold here. But after graduation next spring i'll be free to go wherever i please. Til then, guess i'm mostly just here to do some research. The whole process of converting a van into a living space looks daunting to say the least. I'm kinda stuck on the van idea rather than RV or trailer, though. I guess mainly because i drive a 15-pssgr van for work so i'm familiar with handling/manuverablity/etc. maybe not the best reason.

 

[wagoneer]

I have a 15 passenger window van and have done 3 weeks 2 times obligations keep me plugged into the grid. Welcome aboard and follow your heart.

 

[sephson]

The whole process of converting a van into a living space looks daunting to say the least.

Break the conversion process down into smaller parts. It'll be far less daunting then. Also, this will give you smaller, more easily achievable goals and you'll feel you're making progress with each completed step. The folks on this sight with experience converting vehicles can help you break the process down and prioritize the steps for your conversion.

 

[GotSmart]

https://vanlivingforum.com/Forum-Conversions-and-Modifications

See how others are doing it. Lots of ways to avoid mistakes here!

 

[blkjak]

welcome from s.w. florida .... blkjak

 

[Pikachu711]

Welcome to the group akvan!