live in a van for a year

I have lived in my Geo Metro for five months. Yep, a Geo Metro.
In about two weeks I am getting my van, it’s a mini, but I am sure it will feel like a mansion compared to my Geo.
I would love to talk to someone else who has done this.
I wrote a bit about it on my myspace
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=40226054&blogID=383092122

feel free to contact me there, I just sort of stumbled across this site and I don’t really know if I will be using it

Generally, I am looking to drastically reduce my monthly rent. I will certainly end up paying something, but in a university city like Halifax, Nova Scotia, it should be less than what the corporate landlords are demanding.
1. My objective is to find private driveway where I can park an unlicenced van. Perhaps somewhere other poverty activists live or among the many housing collectives populated by students.
2. It needs some access to washroom facilities and power. Up here you need some heat, if just to keep the dampness out. If I can manage to get 6 months a year out of it, I will call it a success.
3. Also, even if I need to have the van towed to new locations a couple times per year, it is still better than licensing and insuring the vehicle on the one hand, or getting hassled by cops on the other.
4. Finding a cheap the van is the easy part, if it doesn’t have to be safety-checked.
I’ll keep you posted.
Anyone else still toughing it out?
K

It wasn’t actually a full year, but it was great nonetheless. My van is so cute—it’s got adorable curtains and a really comfy bed. I got so used to the van that now that I’m in a house I feel like I’m a rich prick. I feel wasteful. The van was all I really needed. I’ll probably do it again sometime…but this time somewhere warmer than Pennsylvania!

Lived in a 78’ Chevy Shagwagon… you can store your stuff in totes under a mattress… get a solar lamp. Make magnetic curtains with material and hot glue and magnets… have AAA :)

well, i actually gave up on this back in december but i haven’t had a chance to get to the internet and say that. I suppose that Foley would work if i wasn’t converting him while i was living in it. December got to be a cold time and i didn’t want to deal with all the snow (that we never got!) and the cold and all that without proper equipment. Plus, my van needed a lot of general work under the hood that i wasn’t really prepared for. I also didn’t really like all the heat i was getting from the police. So i lived in it from May through December and it was great. i live in a house and it’s been fun, i guess, i don’t really like the whole roommate thing but it’s been working out. I found another place that i’m moving into the beginning of April and it’s with one of my friends, an older guy that’s responsible (i know so, he was my boss over the summer) so i don’t have to worry about rent and all that crap. Anyway, one day i’ll try this but maybe when i’m not living in Tahoe, the whole winter thing could get annoying. Good luck to everybody else, i hope it works out and is a blast!

Well Due to an unfortunate series of events I find myself on the verge of being homeless. We cannot always control what life throws at us however we do have control as to how we choose do deal with things. So instead of being homeless I will quit my job and go on an adventure. I could sure use some tips on what to pack for a tear long adventure. I have already purchased my journal and this will be my first entry.

i’m still rocking out in foley but it’s costing me about the same as living in an apartment around here. But at least i own this! My friend lives in his Bronco next to me at this one parking lot. We may have to split up for a few nights and find something else because one of the facilities guys from the place that owns the parking lot talked to us today while i had everything out and ripping out the old insulation. Oh well, it’s still pretty chill i bet, and tomorrow the new insulation is going in. I would wait to get a new vehicle until they get a hybrid van. Also, i feel you on missing the van, sometimes when i stay the night inside my friend’s houses i miss my van, Foley. cheers!

so I was really 15 days short of this but I am going to count it anyways :) I have moved out because the engine is dying… and plan on getting back into a new vehicle as soon as I get enough money. i miss living in my van already.

i just moved into my van a few weeks ago and it’s been pretty chill. it doesn’t run yet but it’s going to because i’m going to oregon in the next coming weeks. the struggles i’ve found so far is how super sketchy it is. i live in a rich town and a brown van is pretty obvious especially when someone’s getting in and out of it. good luck
5/26- update, cops woke me up this morning because the van doesn’t have proper registration and stuff. crashing at a friend’s house tonight, getting van up and running and moving it tomorrow is on the agenda

I’m saving money right now and researching the perfect van. I originally wanted to go with one of the old VWs but I’ve owned 3 VW Bugs and I don’t want to have to deal with all the maintenence issues that come with those old VW cars. I’ve been looking at the GMC Safari and a few of the Ford and Chevy work vans that I could probably convert into decent vehicle to live in.

Another thing that I think could be a good way to get myself on the right track would be to live in my car for a weekend or two just to try it out.