7 TOP THINGS YOU NEED TO START LIVING IN YOUR CAR

I thought I’d put this video together to help you with some of the first things you will need if you’d love to try living in your car.

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[MsBaddest]

Almost half a million people watched this video contemplating or having to live in thier car, like myself. I could cry

[harrisconnection]

1) Gym Membership 0:29
2) Water 2:51
3) Window Coverings 4:01
4) Cooler 7:32
5) Battery Charger 8:51
6) Sleep Setup 10:43
7) Physical Mailing Address 13:13

Love this list! Thank you so much!

[terryjames]

I have lived over 10 years in my Honda Element. 1. YMCA membership. 2. 5x5 storage area. 3. A PO Box. 4. A Coleman sleeping bag. 5. Access to a local park for daytime tailgate party/cooler/ sterno / small hibachi or Weber grill. . 6. A reputable, honest mechanic. 7. A positive attitude.

[quartytypo]

Manufacturers need to start building cars with a bed, kitchen and toilet in them.

[mimibee]

Im 64 and, as soon as my elderly mother dies, I will be homeless, so Im getting ready to live in my car. No rush, but I want to be ready, and I appreciate you so much.

[pinetree]

Decades ago, I lived in my Toyota SR5 pickup under the canopy. I was attending a university and I had 2 jobs totalling 72 hours a week. I showered after school, and then went to work everyday. I dumpster dove for closed cell foam used in shipping containers of the pallet size. That was my mattress. I used plywood to cover the windows. I used a couple sheets and a sleeping bag. I had aa small cooler, a 1 gallon water jug, a flashlight, a line-up alarm clock and that was it. I lived in my truck for 2 years. I saved nearly $20k back in the early 1980s. Those were great days.

[swashfrogsailor]

1. Baby wipes and 100% tea tree oil.

2. Merino wool clothing. It’s more expensive but in conjunction with the baby wipes and tea tree oil, enables one to go without bathing for a few/several days if need be. Cotton kills, but before it gets that bad, it contributes to stench.

3. Piss jug. I use a fluorescent yellow Nalgene, which allows for discrete disposal in any public place, and it looks completely different than any of my potable water containers. Regularly dose with vinegar.

4. Plastic shopping bag, or a gallon-sized Ziploc as an emergency repository for a deuce. Practice makes perfect. “Works in a pinch.”

5. “Forward-facing car cameras” discretely installed in a roof rack system, cargo box, solar panel rail, or even rain deflectors, plugged into a purpose-specific monitor allows for a quick look around. They’re dirt cheap. Spring for infrared to see well at night.

6. Minimal grey water tank from 4” PVC pipe, mounted under the vehicle. Mechanically open a valve, or actuate a solenoid to discretely drain.

7. Water tank from 4” PVC (potable) or 4” ABS (non-potable, solar heated) pipe, mounted or lashed to a roof rack system.

8. Conspicuously labeled “biohazard” diaper bags for stowing clothing/sleep system in plain sight.

9. Combo key safe, mounted or hung, hidden under the vehicle. Don’t presume they’re infallible.

10. Catalytic converter security stickers on the windows.

11. Blinking red LED mounted on dash or the front of the rear view mirror.

12. Barking dog file ready to play on interior Bluetooth speakers.

[MamaMailisha]

One thing I would add to your list of must-have is those little window awnings… I’m not sure what they’re called but I think they’re made to keep the rain out if you want the windows cracked. But what I like about them is that you can leave the windows cracked (because you’re secretly inside and wanting to be able to keep breathing oxygen) and no one can tell you’re in there! Of course, you need the blackout curtains/window coverings, too.

[akmini]

It's so sad that people cannot afford to live in houses anymore.

[ajfeinman]

Great video. I have been living in my Toyota Prius for seven years. Mostly in the Miami Beach Florida area. The hottest and most humid area of the country. But I can comfortably live this lifestyle anywhere because of climate control. I love LA fitness - for 10 dollars a month more than planet fitness, you get a pool, a hot tub and sauna

[tybrady]

For anyone contemplating living in their vehicle, consider a Toyota hybrid. The AC works much like a house AC. The engine does not need to run all the time. The AC works off of electricity, not belt driven. The engine only needs to run when the larger hybrid battery needs recharging, which is for a little bit every fifteen minutes or so. A Sienna minivan would be a great choice.

[tigerscott]

I slept on concrete for almost a year, so a decent vehicle would have been a big improvement.

[mariettawilliford]

I have started living in my 2006 Kia sorento for the last 2 weeks and have been researching the nomadic lifestyle and for the last year. I’ve found it to be very liberating and rewarding to be outside the box. It’s not for everyone but for me personally it’s a good fit. Thanks for sharing your journey. I’m in Northern California and will be hitting the road south shortly

[rawnwild]

I recently started living in my car after the breakup of a long relationship. It’s been a truly freeing experience and since I do have a job and only 5 monthly bills, the amount of money I’ve been able to save is astounding. I live in MA so rent is just stupid. I currently sleep in a 2017 Ford Escape and once I pay it off I was thinking of upgrading to a bigger truck with a cap.

[lisalewis]

Thank you for being complete, speaking at a good pace and not being too repetitive.

[NoMoreTears]

Lots of good information there! I'm not PLANNING on living in my car, BUT am researching just in case that ever becomes necessary with the way the rental prices are increasing. It was nice hearing a video from someone closer to my age and how they make it work.

[elisabethm]

Great basic advice! Another basic is both an emergency toilet bucket (for those midnight calls of nature when going into the gym is too conspicuous) and baby wipes.

[pjbuffet]

Having recently bought a Bronco Sport, I was thrilled to see this video. After test driving the car, I put down the back seats, got in and made sure I’d fit sleeping in it. Salesperson thought I was crazy but car camping was my vision with the car. Thanks for all of this information. It’ll come in handy as I continue to get ready to hit the road.

[snowbirdgardener]

I love the transitions many people go through. Hiking and tent camping to car camping to vanlife to acreage. That's what I did, too!

[bagelandapriusrv]

I use a mail forwarding service, IPostal, which has a physical address at Staples. I pay $ 10 a month, it's great! It's free to pick up mail, and generally cost $2-4 to have a few letters combined in a large envelope and mailed to wherever I am at the moment.