The Best Vehicles to Live In
Advantages and disadvantages of various vehicles for living in your car
Obviously, the most important factor when it comes to living in your car is WHAT KIND of car it is. I know many people will not have much choice as to what kind of car they will live in since most people will be living in their car not necessarily of their choice. Either they fell on hard times or atleast probably don't have a lot of money to buy a new car with. They will just be living in whatever car they already happen to own. However, other people may be able to purhase a vehicle and will have to consider several options. That said, let's look at several types of vehicles and what their advantages and disadvantages are.
First of all, the general rule of thumb is "The bigger the better!" The worst type of car to live in would be a small compact car like a sedan or even worse a small sports car. I can't even imagine what it would be like to try in live out of a Mazda Miata, but if that's all I had, I think I would live in the woods or under a bridge instead. Personally, I have been living in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but I'm thinking of upgrading to a van, especially a cargo van, but they can be rather expensive. I already owned this Jeep Grand Cherokee for several years before I became homeless so I got kind-of "lucky" because it is a decent enough size that I can stretch out and lounge comfortably in the back. I removed the back seats so the whole back is like a flat area.
There is a whole range of sizes starting from the smallest compact car, to a sedan, then sports utility vehicle, large SUV, pickup truck, minivan, cargo van, small to large camper, RV, and finally a large bus. I have seen at least two people living in school buses, one was a short bus and the other a full-on long school bus decked-out with hippie graffiti on the side and some type of expansion on the roof.
If you want to live comfortably and luxuriously in your car, the more living space available in the vehicle the better. However, there could be some drawbacks to very large vehicles. RV's are cumbersome to drive around in, having to make wide turns and difficult to back-up in, etc. They also burn a lot of gas and stick out like a sore thumb, so finding good parking spots might be more difficult than just a normal road vehicle that blends in better. After all, one of my main tenants to living in your car atleast for me is Stealth. The more you can blend in and not draw attention to yourself the better, and RV's don't blend in, except at RV parks, which cost money to stay at. Plus, you simply may not need all that extra room, like one person living in a mansion, what's the point?
Campers are a decent option, but often they have to be towed behind a truck, and personally I don't like the idea of having to tow a trailer around all the time. They also don't blend in and take up two parking spaces, so it may be difficult to find good parking spots with. One upside is that the camper trailer can be disconnected from the truck which might be good for making short trips with just your car, or some other purpose. I have seen small campers installed just on top of the pickup truck bed, which might work pretty well, but might be cumbersome and is not stealthy. You can install those normal truck bed toppers which are common and could be a great option, especially if you already happen to own a truck. They probably are not very expensive, and especially if you can climb through the back truck window into the bed area and if it is large enough and normal enough looking, might be a very good option.
In my opinion, the best option, at least for my circumstances, is a VAN. I don't mean a soccer mom minivan, but a good cargo van, without seats in the back. In fact, they actually make decked-out vans just like these with living areas in the back including a small bed, stove, cabinets, and some even have a TV, running water, shower, and/or bathroom. This is like an ideal car-living situation and could be very comfortable even for the long-term, but these vans tend to be expensive. Personally, my goal is to buy just a plain used cargo van and just modify the back area to my own desires and means.
If you are living in your car, chances are you did not have a choice as to what kind of car it is. But, even less than ideal options can be modified to be reasonaly suitable. And, if you get or have a job, you can save up money faster without having to pay a large mortgage or rent, and possibly buy yourself something better(bigger). Sports utility vehicles and small vans are decent options, if not ideal, and some used ones can be purchased for just a few thousand dollars or even less.
If you happen to be stuck with a small sedan, you can probably live relatively comfortably at least for awhile in the back seat by blocking off the windows(either with strong tint or window blockers on the inside which I will talk about in another article). Put most of your belongings in a storage unit to give yourself as much space as possible in the car. Store some food and random necessities in the front passenger seat or back floor boards. You'll have enough space and privacy to be comfortable and even go on your smartphone and watch TV!
What kind of car do you live in? Leave a comment below and tell us!