Living in a van for a year to save $?

[bfdd]

I've actually considered doing this as well. I don't think it would be to hard to do, maybe I'll try it out in 2013.

 

[BoomerD]

If you're going to spend $20-$30K for a proper camper-van, wouldn't it make more sense to rent an apartment? (unless you're going to use the camper-van for traveling) Just buying one as an alternative to an apartment/house doesn't make sense. Now if you already own a 1975 Ford Van and want to "sleep" in that...

 

[alien42]

i have a friend who bought an old used camper for cheap, parked in a friends driveway and paid him a couple hundred a month for 'rent'. he ended up buying a foreclosed house for $11k cash a few months ago and now lives rent free.

 

[Phokus]

There was a couple on reddit who converted a bus into a mobile home, with insulation, kitchen, bathroom, 'living room', sleeping area, etc. i thought it was neat.

 

[KeithP]

After "THE WAR", the BIG war Romney starts in 2013, the war the ends civilization as we know it,...

LOL...another idiot for the ignore list.

In any event, a van in good enough mechanical condition to live in for a year is going to take a good size bite out of that savings you are expecting. Unless you had the stones to try and live in the van for at least two years, and even then, you would probably be better off looking for a roommate.

-KeithP

 

[Keeper]

Just curious if this is doable/practical for a single person w/no kids?

showers @ gym. (my gym is $10/month)
microwave + hotplate for meals.
panera bread/mcdonalds/starbucks/etc for bathroom + free internet.

lets say you save $700/month in rent + $100/month in utils (gas/electric/water) = $800/month = ~$10000/yr in savings


edit:
Converting a van into a mini-RV
http://cheaprvliving.com/howtoconvertavan.html

Kitchen:

got to love planet fitness. IF and when wifey tosses me out thats where I will be showering/Shaving....

Oh yeah.... the sweet life LOL...

 

[bobdole369]

If you're going to spend $20-$30K for a proper camper-van, wouldn't it make more sense to rent an apartment? (unless you're going to use the camper-van for traveling) Just buying one as an alternative to an apartment/house doesn't make sense. Now if you already own a 1975 Ford Van and want to "sleep" in that...

Financially speaking it doesn't make much sense to do this for the sole purpose of saving money. As you noted - a livable, mechanically-sound van + modifications is going to run at LEAST $5k, and a "nice" van will be more towards $20-30k.

However if your goal is more in-line with living within your means, "using less", dropping out of society, living as a pauper (sort of a buddhist thing - teaches you humility and thankfulness), finding yourself, traveling the country, etc. you are good to go. Your only bills will be gas, insurance, any healthcare/prescription plan, food, and the parking tax (that is unless you explore some free options as above). No way chicks will come hang out in your bitchin' van man. Seriously. Them's the breaks.

 

[kalrith]

If you're going to spend $20-$30K for a proper camper-van, wouldn't it make more sense to rent an apartment? (unless you're going to use the camper-van for traveling) Just buying one as an alternative to an apartment/house doesn't make sense. Now if you already own a 1975 Ford Van and want to "sleep" in that...

I'm guessing that with the economy the way it is right now, a decent camper could be had for 6 months worth of utilities and rent ($4800 per the OP). After those six months, the $800 would all be savings. But, a vehicle to tow the camper would be more. If the camper could be parked on someone's lot and maybe pay them some small cash for electricity and rent, then it seems more doable.

However, I'd look into really cheap rental houses/apartments or rooming with a friend before permanently living in a vehicle.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

wouldn't it be easier(certainly more practical) to make more money instead?

 

[Saint Nick]

wouldn't it be easier(certainly more practical) to make more money instead?

Not a good solution for the under-uneducated, "ignorance is bliss" type of people.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Fuck no.

If you are going to to live in a mobile vehicle, you have to do it in a motor home of sorts.

Living in a van sounds downright awful.

 

[Vic Vega]

Work an evening job for a year, make 10k, keep living in your own house.

You can make 10K a year standing on your head for crying out loud. That's like a part time job at Burger King. Work three nights a week.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Not a good solution for the under-uneducated, "ignorance is bliss" type of people.

plenty of side jobs one could get without a degree. bar tending comes to mind. Shoveling shit also comes to mind.

 

[bobdole369]

Work an evening job for a year, make 10k, keep living in your own house.

You can make 10K a year standing on your head for crying out loud. That's like a part time job at Burger King. Work three nights a week.

You could do ChaCha and make more than you do at Burger King.

 

[Krazy4Real]

terrible idea is terrible.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Gypsies, I fooking hate gypsies.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Personally, I'd rather live on a sailboat. Slip rentals are expensive here though so the cost isn't much cheaper than renting or home ownership.

 

[BladeVenom]

Build yourself a mini house on a trailer. You can put in better insulation than you'd get in an RV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRvsWuWNUM

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

 

[Rumpltzer]

That's a methlab

Different perspective: Self-employed, and working from home.

 

[vailr]

Why pay for gasoline? Bike camping with your own pup tent and sleeping bag, for ultra low cost accommodations.

 

[Saint Nick]

Gypsies, I fooking hate gypsies.

Pikeys?

 

[0roo0roo]

Yes, absolutely. This woman lives in a 97 Jetta while she works and attends college. Parks mostly in shops, and tried for a long time to legally and openly live in the parking lot on-campus.

"Cops wake me up every week in the wee hours of the morning, and I understand that they want to make sure I’m ok. They’re usually nice. Not this one, and now I’m ticked off. No one is going to sign their name to my living in the parking lot and this is just one more hassle I’ll have to deal and a few more hoops I’ll have to jump through."

sounds fun.

 

[Fern]

Just curious if this is doable/practical for a single person w/no kids?

showers @ gym. (my gym is $10/month)
microwave + hotplate for meals.
panera bread/mcdonalds/starbucks/etc for bathroom + free internet.

lets say you save $700/month in rent + $100/month in utils (gas/electric/water) = $800/month = ~$10000/yr in savings
-snip-

Yeah, it's do-able.

I lived in for a few years while traveling around Europe (also went down to Africa).

It's rough when it's really cold. My camper/van had no insulation really.

You can outfit your van better than that shown, particularly the kitchen. Mine used propane for both the refrig and the stove. Yes, you can buy small refrig's that work on both propane and elect.

It had a 5 or 10 gallon plastic container for water that you could access from outside to make refils easier. It was in a little cabinet with a door opening from the outside.

It was made out of an old VW van. Fairly similar to the Westfalia tyep. See here: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...JsDT8K8O4Wftwfms6TQBg&ved=0CFMQ9QEwAg&dur=485

You may just want to look for one of those (Westfalia). The conversion work is already done and unlike the one in your OP the roof pops up. It's nice to be able stand up inside etc.

Fern

 

[Red Squirrel]

While the idea sounds interesting, to save only 10k per year? No. Not really worth it. You can like, not own a car and use the bus, to save that much per year. Insurance, payments, gas alone adds up to about 10k per year if you have car payments.

I just did a rough estimate and I'd save about 16k if I did that. Actually a bit more since I did not count stuff like phone service and cable TV, guess I would not need that. But now here's the kicker, you'd have to leave it running all the time to stay semi warm. Would probably end up costing like 600/month, if more, in gas.

 

[RaistlinZ]

All that just to save $10k? No thanks.

I'd mostly be worried about security.

Plus, I can work an extra 8 hours of overtime every pay period and make an extra 10k if I really needed to.