Car Living 2010

With the unfolding (and rigged) economic disaster… and worse likely to come, I believe that car/van living is a solution that many can and will turn to to survive and thrive.

I, in fact, prefer the second word– “thrive”.   We’ve been so conditioned by TV and movies to believe that we “need” a house or modern apartment.  Yet most of the world lives well in far less.  Thoreau was right, we can live happily in a box, if we are thoughtful and wise about it.

Living in a car is actually quite pleasant if you take the right steps and have the right attitude.   The “right steps” include modifying the interior of the car for living–  removing the back seats and the passenger seat, installing the darkest tinting possible on windows, using a black car window-shade on the front window at night when sleeping,  using storage bins in an organized way….

..I also like a readers’ recent suggestion of having a body shop install marine vents to the roof of the car (along the sides) to provide circulation and prevent condensation… without having to open windows.   Have the vents installed and then painted the same color as the car.  Great idea!   Open windows were one of the challenges I had… they could attract attention.

Choice of vehicle is also important– you want it to be as common as possible.  If using a van, choose a “soccer mom” mini-van rather than a utility van.  The latter certainly has more room, but can attract more attention.  If you do go with a (windowless) utility van, consider having a fake logo put on the side… for a construction or plumbing company.

Upkeep of the vehicle is important.  You don’t want it to look like someone is living in it.   Avoid collecting trash or anything else on the dashboard… keep it  clean.

Finally, as I’ve noted many times, overnight parking is really THE challenge.   If possible, park in a friend’s or family member’s driveway (or rotate between several).   Don’t use their bathroom or house at all.. just park there.  I promise, you’ll quickly wear out your welcome if you actually have access to their house.

Second best is to find a car-living friendly town and rotate between several parking areas.  By “friendly”, I just mean a place where you won’t be constantly hassled.   San Francisco would probably be fine, as I’ve noticed a few areas where people are obviously living in vehicles.   By being as non-obvious as possible in such an area, you won’t get hassled much (by cops).

Finally, if you decide to live in a vehicle (for adventure or necessity), enjoy it.   The vehicle is your home, so organize it and make it comfortable inside.  Have a system for using the bathroom (shitting and pissing) in your vehicle when necessary (see my old archives for suggestions about this).  Have a comfortable sleeping arrangement.

And during the day, get out!   Go for long walks.  Enjoy the library.   If you can afford it, join a 24-hour gym (for the showers and also to get in great shape!!).   Hang out in bookstores and read (for free    Relax in parks.  Learn a language.   Start a blog…..

Living in your vehicle can be a very liberating experience!