Once again, Snafu cautions to take baby steps, and I completely agree. However, as far as baby steps go, the first is always the biggest, and in my case, no truer words has been uttered. That's because in order to vandwell, you have to have a... van.
Now, if you are already driving your ideal vehicle for this endeavor, then this isn't a problem, but for most, including myself, it means finding and BUYING a vehicle, which is a serious purchase no matter how you approach it.
In keeping with the sage adage of baby steps, I've decided to keep things super simple and super boring. I am also going to follow a well-worn path already tread by others, particularly by Mr. William Myers, who wrote a book entitled, "Convert your minivan into a Mini-RV Camper".
Ok, the bottom line is, I am going to throw a bunch of recommended camping gear into the back of a Toyota Sienna. That's it. Easy peasy baby steps. At best, this is a great starting point that actually has been tried and true to work. At worst, things fail miserably, but the good news is I will still have a reliable minivan to drive the family around, and have some extra camping gear to boot in case I am able to take a road trip. Bonus is that his recommendations does not require me to do any type of screwing, sawing, nailing, or wiring to start out.
Now, the reality of all this isn't lost on me in that I'm basically committing myself to be a homeless man living out in a van down by the river. There is nothing glamorous about this. However, I prefer to think of this as a continuing adventure and self-experimentation to push my own boundaries and comfort zone, and hopefully find a better a stronger and happier me in the process.
I mean, no matter what happens, this will always be one of those amusing, "Ha ha, hey remember that time when that crazy guy Tabs did that?" moment right? Or, like my closet escapade, which seemed so crazy at the time, succeeded so famously, it is now my daily routine. I mean, who really knows, but I say let's go find out!
Choosing a vehicle
December 21st, 2016 at 08:29 pm
December 22nd, 2016 at 06:22 am 1482387727
Do you have significant camping experience ? I wish I could persuade you to rent a basic B type 16' 8" [W] 6' 6." I suggest discussing your plan with your insurance provider to make sure they are willing to offer a contract that meets legal requirements.
Where do you park the van when off work? What supplies electricity? Where do you find consistent WiFi and phone power? Do you belong to a gym with good equipment and generous shower facilities? Is there an option to shave and shower daily at work? Can you have daily, hot, nutritious meals at work for a modest cost? How do you manage wardrobe requirements for 4 seasons? Perhaps you work evening or night shifts. If not, will you spent your evenings at the library, gym, tavern or? How do you maintain a social life?
The insulation is insufficient for most of the year. Sleep space is considerably less than closet. Even basic, personal hygiene seems hard to manage ...do you drive to the nearest, 24 hour McD's ?
December 22nd, 2016 at 06:30 am 1482388221
I was trying to say stuff all yur belongings in a Sienna, L 16' 8" W 6' 6". Try out life on wheels for 2 months in winter by renting a B type [van style] outfitted RV where your basic needs have provision with camping supplies.
December 22nd, 2016 at 07:15 am 1482390945
I do not have any real experience camping. I know how luxurious commercial class Bs can be, but they are way out of the price range of what I am willing to pay. For what it's worth, I've also considered DIYing Sprinters, but the bottom line is I want something smaller (for one) and stealth is an absolute necessity for me.
Parking. Usual suggested places include Walmarts, 24 hour fast food places, camp grounds, even at my parent's place.
Currently do not have a gym membership as my workplace has a gym that includes showers for free. However, should that arrangement change, I can always pick up a gym membership.
Cooking. I've looked into many, many options, and to start, I've decided to start with a 12v RoadPro heater that I will elaborate in future blog posts once I've done more testing on it. For now, it is very energy-efficient, light-weight, effective (with temps up to 300 degrees I am told), and is not a fire and Carbon Monoxide risk in the same way propane alternatives would be.
Wardrobe. Great question actually. Luckily, I am a simple guy. I already have athletic shirts and shorts that double as core layer for colder weather, as well as sleep wear. Ok so that's triple. Colder weather time includes insulation layer of long sleeve shirts and pants that can zip off at the knee and double as shorts for warmer weather. For the very cold weather, I have these amazing jackets and suits, along with sleeping bags. The winter gear will take up quite a bit of space to store, but they are light enough to stow above the bed, or perhaps even vaccuum sealed. Not sure yet, will need time to work out the details.
I live in North Carolina, and really have no intentions of travelling very far. Here, there are climate and temperature challenges, but nothing severe enough to warrant needing more than 2 basic seasons in dressing.
While I am at it, let me go ahead and address insulation, which is a huge issue for me in the summer days here. Temperature here can reach into the 100s, and that's before humidity. Cooling off will be the most difficult IMO. Have thought long and hard about potential Rube Goldbergian contraptions to allay the heat, but in the end, I may have to also snow bird it up the mountains, which is perfectly fine by me since part of the plan is to travel a bit anyways. Also, yes, I have looked very long and hard into insulation as well, but apparently, in climates where heat and humidity is the main issue, it is actually recommended not to insulate too much... if at all, because there has to be a way to expel the heat (and still stay stealthy) as all the insulation will do is just trap the heat in there and make the interior temperature even worse. That said, I will still insulate to a reasonable degree, which I will elaborate at a later time.
Social life. Uh, I've never actually maintained much of one to begin with haha, but please remember that this is only to design a place to sleep and a place to hang out, though not necessarily 24/7. I mean, I can still step out anywhere and anytime somewhere. Also, many forum members and authors maintain that this has actually increased their social life because VDers tend to be a fairly tight community or so I am told. We'll see, not part of the design plan right now anyways, and I am OK with that.
Space is absolutely an issue. As cavernous as a minivan is by car standards, space is anemic for what I am attempting. That is why I specific went with this particular author, who suggests looking into cots... or at least cot mattresses, whose dimensions will totally fit with reasonable room to spare, and yes, I've already tested this part, and it will work, though of course it's going to be tight.
Basic personal hygiene will be difficult to maintain indeed. That's always a challenge regardless of how you approach it, even with the wet room solutions found in commercial rigs like true RVs. I've considered quite a few options, but ultimately decided that it's not feasible as part of my design option. I think the best thing to do is just to find an actual shower like in a gym, campground, or just going to my parent's place.
As for #1 and #2, the van will carry pee bottle and specially designed bucket with specially designed plastic bags for such things. They are meant for emergencies only as, of course, it's still better to find a toilet and sink somewhere.
As mentioned vaguely before, I know this will require austerity and even hardship, and that there is nothing ultimately glamorous about this endeavor. But once again, I willing to try. I have to try. We all have lines where we are willing and not willing to cross. I haven't fully explored where my lines are just yet.
So, hopefully that answered some of your excellent questions. I will report more here as it progresses.