I did all of that, and lived in my SUV for a year. A black curtain on a bar behind the drivers seat makes a very cozy bedroom, along with insulated blackout covers for my rear windows. Having a gym membership is great for showers and bathrooms. I cooked a steak or hamburger a day on a Coleman stove on the back bumper. Celery, carrots and blueberries rounded out the diet. I had a BougeRV 12 volt cooler. I had solar panels, and an Ecoflow battery. I used a virtual address to receive my mail. Though some outlets do register as a PMB (public mail box by the post office). I bought a 12V fan for cooling, and I used an electric blanket for heating, both plugged into my battery. I slept in my car at 26 degrees F. I kept myself warm, rather than trying to warm my car. I always used the black facing outside on the windows at nights because they are more stealth. Showing the reflective side is a giveaway that someone is sleeping inside. I used libraries a lot for WIFI connections and battery charging. PS. I know Santa Cruz very, very well, including the Abby. :)
Hey! I would just like to share my “tiny home” experience I tried out to lower my cost of living during the pandemic. I have a condominium with two parking lots. I tenanted out the unit and one parking spot. The other is where my parked my Hyundai Starex (it’s an 11 seater) it doesn’t have the height but it’s long. I remove all the seating and converted it to a seating set for the condo unit, saves cost in buying couches and I freed up space in the MPV. Minimal modifications. 1) Foldable thick mattress for comfortable sleep. 2) Mini fridge that can be powered by the car battery. 3) Plastic drawers for my clothes, almost no cotton based materials so I can fold them without worrying about creases. 4) Very silent ventilators which are hidden under a Thule roof rack. Black out the windows for that stealth mode too. 5) Initially I did intend to add battery packs and a second alternator to charge it but I didn’t want to add cost. In the end it was just a place to sleep. I keep one set of access card for myself so i can use the swimming pool, shower, sauna, BBQ pit, washrooms, business center and other facilities of the building like any resident. Cost of fuel was my only concern. Mostly I get free electricity at the business center and charge my power banks there. Free parking and didn’t need to worry about security or police knocking on my door in the middle of the night. And parking in a fully lit condo parking basement doesn’t feel as creepy as parking at random places outside. I did that for a while then I tenanted out my stealth mpv 😂 I’m back living with my folks and earning maximum from that condominium.
I am 60 years old disabled with a walker and on dialysis with many health issues...I was living with family which became more than I could deal with ....I wound up leaving in the middle of summer with outside temps over 100° and after 2 weeks I found myself in the hospital for 2 weeks....when I was discharged I went to a homeless day shelter which was the only shelter with openings...we couldn't check in b4 5pm and had to be gone b4 7am...me I had to leave by 6am to get to dialysis....this was the only solution any caseworkers or any one helping could find...the drinking drugs and mental illness was more than people should endure....there are not housing solutions out there except in the future ....you have to find a way to survive for a year or more until you can get assistance...this is so sad.
Re food: doing your own canning in a friends kitchen once a month is a great idea. A quart of stew can be eaten cold and be shelf stable, cheap and nutritious
40 or 50 years ago you'd have a van like that for touring in the summer, a big house somewhere and a job to pay for it all. (Not such an easy job, e.g. banking computerisation on contract.)
The toilet is very interesting. Many people, especially elderly, have bowel problems you don't know about. Without a toilet they don't want to go far. So even if they have nice car and money for a hotel, they still might be wanting like your NV 200 setup.
I am so impressed! Okay, it's cramped for space but, if you have a home, this saves on motels and hotels if you go anywhere and, if you don't have a home, you're not 'homeless'. Brilliant!
@StoriesFromaVan What kind of felt lining did you add to the inside of the walls? Is that part of the insulation? I would love to know how you did this.
So working man not only forced to live in a small car which is a shame already, he is forced to disguise it to avoid being pushed even more. That is some sorry state of society. I'm russian and this is crazy to me. I always thought we lost the cold war, now I doubt that.
@@hellopellos thats true, rural and slums of some depressing cities have that problem. And even those not having plumbing system has a roof and full sized bed. And no one lives in a car or a tent in the middle of the main streets. Even those doing drugs are doing them behind their own doors.
Does anyone know if this van has either the electric motor or is it a 2.0L petrol engine? My question is because here in Australia we only have a 2015 Nissan NV200 only with the electric motor, would setting up electric system for offgrid be easy or hard as the van is an EV? Would appreciate any advice, cheers!
