Yeah…So I plan on living in my van during college. Its a 1993 gmc Vandura 2500 the back is aprox 6 by 9.5 by 4.5. Luckily, I have about $3,000 to invest into it (aside from appliances), so it wont be so bad. I’ve been planning this since I was in 7th grade, however I still have a few issues.
Most importantly, powering the appliances. solar panels would cost too much…so is there any way to power batteries off of the gas engine, and use them during the night? This is a list of the appliances I will use, and approx how long during each DAY….yes, this is quite a bit of power…which is why I also wonder if hooking up several generators (making sure of theft-proofness, and safety w/fumes) would be an option
20″ tv +satellite equipment 3 hrs/day
Laptop 5 hrs/day
3 15 watt lights 10hrs/day
1000 watt microwave .25 hrs/day
surround sound/stereo equip 6 hrs/day
also, parking and showering are taken care of. I have access to a 5 acre parcel where I am legally allowed to park. to give you an idea, the school is www.adams.edu and the area is www.colomtland.com
I cant seem to figure out how to reply to people on here, so I guess I will add this all as a detail. I have considered a 5 by 8 or 6 by 10 travel trailer, however that is too much space…trust me, that idea has long crossed my mind. I will be able to leave the large generator equipment behind while using the van to go places, so bulkiness is not an issue as it will be contained outside the vehicle. Also, the area where I will be is definately away from people: the place is called the San Luis Valley…its about as big as massachutes and not even 50,000 people call it home. neighbors usually arent any closer than 10 acres to you
hehe, and one more thing…I dont think I’ve ever heard someone call living in a car cute. I’m just trying to make it a more comfortable experience
to the one who mentioned the warm climate… actually, it gets quite cold out there, however, It wouldnt be the first time I have slept with no heat in near 0 weather (the year before last, I went through an entire Michigan winter like that). It doesnt get above 90 in the summer on the hottest day, so thats def not an issue since I like it around 60 inside, which is what I will get during the night when I’m sleeping.
I’ve been planning the inside ideas for quite a while. The van width fits the length of a regular bed perfectly, and considering that it is not illegal to make the rear windows opaque, privacy wont be a huge issue either. I also plan on replacing the 3 large windows with ones that open more. I’ve also come up with several color schemes for the interior fabric and carpet…thanks for the positive advice; and realising that it is NOT impossible to save $5,000 a year on housing AND enjoy it…!
