Van Dwelling

As I was researching ways to survive without a permanent home or income (ROFL), I came across http://www.hooptylife.com/. April has had her share of employment issues and describes her own decison to live her life in a van. From her site I learned about the Van Dwellers group on Yahoo, and I've been surreptiously studying their pictures, tips, and strategies for a permanent mobile life. There are legal issues of domicile and even issues with sleeping in a vehicle. Apparently, you are only "allowed" to sleep in a vehicle if it's a bonafide RV parked in a bonafide RV park. I am so appreciative of the things that have been posted. Did you know you aren't supposed to sleep in a vehicle in a rest area on the interstate highway system? I sort of knew that, plus I knew it was a bad idea due to crime.

It is also illegal to sleep on the street or in public view, lest the homeless offend our sensibilities, in most urban areas. Like a sane person would want to do that, but if you are at rock bottom how are you supposed to get back on top? You need an address and a phone to get a job, and you need a job and good credit to get housing. It is a vicious cycle. Yeah, I know that people who have jobs and housing think that the homeless are scum. I call that holier-than-thou attitude the denial that they are only two paychecks away from being homeless themselves. I think the attitude of "it can't happen to me because" I am so perfect, I have planned it all better, I'm smarter, etcetera, is just camofluage for the reality that people are insecure. It's the "it can't/won't happen to me" mentality. I'm so totally not secure anymore that I'm secure in the knowledge that I have the means to survive without sleeping on a public street. I can at least sleep in the woods. I'd rather sleep in a van and be able to move around easily. The van is some protection from thugs, the public, and the elements, while mobility gives you better opportunities to forage and make some money. I'm going to be an upscale homeless bum, a hobo on wheels, a human turtle with my metallic shelter on my back. I have a friend who wants to come with me, but we'll have to get her a van of her own.

I posted this on April's site in March, and I'm posting it on my blog for my own archival purposes. I want to know why I am doing what I'm doing. In a year I'll be in my van down by a river, somewhere.

I am in the same boat now at age 50 as a result of a personal injury, and have been battling my way back to my former career as a software engineer. You are only as good as your last reference and if you spend a year and a half learning to walk that last reference is too long ago for the regular hiring processors.

I reinvented myself as a data analyst and worked for a temp agency at $30 an hour (used to make $80, and yes I saved my money for a rainy day–that doesn’t always work as well as we hope). Then I moved back into software development contracting at $60 an hour. I’m working at a horrible assignment at the moment, due to be over in a few weeks. I will be eligible for unemployment, thank god. And I will be in a better position to get that next contract, I hope.
Anyway, what is different now, from before the accident, is that I have already gone bankrupt, paid cash for a car, and have saved cash for a decent used van. At the moment I live with my son, no lease for me. We can help each other out. But realistically I need to provide for myself and my retirement years. The plan is to get that used van and make sure it is in excellent driving condition first, then my son and I are fixing it up to be a “camper”. That’s what I told him. It’s really going to be my last-ditch effort to live in relative comfort and safety without being in servitude to a lease. I know I need to be mobile and adaptable.

I have everything of value in a storage room, and I’ve pared it down to the most important things for survival. I plan to get a service trailer, like the innocuous ones used by a lawn service, for carrying extra supplies and my “stuff” when I have to become mobile. The plus side is that trailer can be used to make a living trash-picking and selling at flea markets if I have to. I also have an Ebay store where I sell miniature crafts, something I enjoy and can do well, plus it takes up very little space as a hobby and vocation! I keep it active even while working because I know I’ll may need that store to buy gas or food supplies one day.

For my health I’m serious hiker, a vegan, and I grow my own sprouts. You can do this anywhere, even hiking, even in the dead of winter. I love brown rice, beans, salads, and Indian food. With much experience as an ultra lightweight backpacker I think that cooking is the least of my issues if permanently homeless.

I’m considering buying a $200 a month catastrophic health care policy, but for now I’m living on the edge. Maybe if my accident case is ever settled I can afford it. And now I’m saving money to buy mountain property at a tax sale somewhere where I can at least have a permanent address and park the van and trailer if I have to. I could eventually have a well put in. I’d really love to be able to afford a ready-made tiny living space that is towable. I saw one on Oprah a few weeks ago. That would be so awesome! At least I have a dream and maybe I can achieve it. One thing is certain. I will never go back to believing in home ownership or company loyalty and retirement. That’s unrealistic in the present circumstances.

I appreciate all the information I find on this site. This site and others like it help me figure out the best plan for me based on what is realistic.
Thank you, April!

Haven't seen anything posted from April in several months. I hope she is ok.