Living in your car is not as easy as it seems. It can get hectic or uncomfortable especially if you don’t have a clue how to survive. Worse, if you park in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could get in trouble. However, there are great rewards to living a nomadic lifestyle in your car. For instance, you could live wherever you want and explore the countryside. It could even be an opportunity for you to save some money and clear some student loans. For those that dare to do it, here are 50 tips for living in your car.
Now let’s tighten our seatbelts, shall we?
When searching for a car that is comfortable to live in, keep in mind that it’s not about speed but rather the convenience. That means a 2 seater convertible car isn’t an ideal option if you want to find some extra room to stretch your hands and feet. Instead, you should opt for a van, truck, recreational vehicle, hatchback, station wagon or an SUV. The rule of thumb should be to choose whatever decent and spacious car that you can sleep in without breaking your bones.
Since you probably won’t have a permanent address living in a car, you need to sort out a virtual delivery address with a service that lets you receive your package at the nearest drop off location. A good idea would be a Private Mailbox.
Even if you have an RV, a vehicle is not the safest place to store valuable items that you can’t afford to lose. However, you can subscribe to a bank with a safe deposit box to keep your most prized possessions.
The last thing you want is going out on a road trip and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere because your vehicle broke down. A thorough and consistent car maintenance schedule will help you catch a problem before it becomes serious. You should know how to perform basic check ups like evaluating the tire pressure, changing a tire and assessing the fluids.
Obviously, you will have numerous encounters with the police when you start driving and living in your car. To avoid any legal complications, make sure you update your identity card, passport, driver’s license and car insurance to active status.
It can be a nightmare getting locked out of your car because you lost your key. It could even get worse if you try to break into your car and somebody calls the police. Anyhow, it’s wise to keep a spare key in a secret and secure location where you can access whenever you need it.
Of course, you will need to pack a blanket, sleeping bag, mattress, and a pillow if you want to camp in your car. The best place to sleep would be in the back of your vehicle or any designated area with enough space. However, it’s not uncommon for car dwellers to develop a slight backache due to tight angles but you can carry some pain killers just in case.
If you don’t want to sleep in the backseat or trunk of your car, you can purchase an SUV or truck tent to secure a comfortable space for you to rest. An SUV or truck tent can be patched onto your pick up bed or SUV backdoor or the roof to act as an extension of your vehicle. Similarly, there are special tents that are designed to be compatible with sedan cars.
Most likely, you will need to eat or drink while living in your car and there is no better way to keep your food cool or warm than using a car cooler or a portable refrigerator. Remember to pick out a spacious cooler that is waterproof.
If your car is big enough, you can carry a portable car toilet. The good thing is most portable vehicle toilets are cheap and you can get a unit for less than 100 dollars. Otherwise, if you don’t have an extra room or you can’t deal with the constant cleaning and handling, you can pack a small urinal bottle or choose to help yourself outside at a designated location.
It’s normal to experience a flat battery once in a while. However, you can keep a spare battery with an air compressor and a portable jump starter just in case it happens.
When it comes to cooking when living in a car, there are usually two ideal options; portable gas cooker or electric cooking appliances. If you plan to use electric cooking appliances then you will need an inverter system and a dual-battery unit. Otherwise, if you’re using a portable gas to cook, do it outside the car where it is safe.
Even though it brings a shiver just to think about it, there are car thieves out there who wouldn’t miss a chance to make your car disappear. So what to do about it? Simple, just get a steering column lock and protect your property.
Unless you’re one of those people who can sleep anywhere regardless of the noise level, you won’t need earplugs. For the rest of us who can’t get a minute of sleep with some background noise, you will need to pack some earplugs.
You ought to be inconspicuous as much as possible whenever you’re living in a car. A good way to avoid attracting unnecessary attention is to find quality window shades, sun shields, and curtains to cover your windows and windshield whenever you’re sleeping. Other than that, you can tint your windows if it’s legal.
You don’t want everything cluttered in your car, do you? If you pack all your necessary items in a duffel bag and keep it in the trunk, your car interior will be neat and you will draw less attention. Furthermore, it will be much easier for you to find your supplies. Don’t forget to conceal your dirty clothes in separate bags.
An emergency kit can be a lifesaver in dire situations. A must-have emergency kit for car dwellers should include a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, flashlight with extra batteries, ponchos, reflectors, tow straps, scissors, emergency radio, flares, emergency beacon, and reflectors.
Due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, it’s not safe to sleep with your engine running. So what should you do if you want to charge your phone or use a space heater during winter? A good idea would be to get a second car battery and a power inverter that can keep you going when the engine is not running. Better yet, you can get a car solar panel if you can afford it.
Since you can’t risk freezing in your car during winter or getting a heat stroke when it’s too hot, you ought to buy a portable space heater or cooler fans just in case the temperature gets too extreme. Remember, it can be dangerous to sleep with the engine running and you need to consider other options to keep yourself warm or cool.
If you want to maintain your hygiene and grooming habits, you ought to bring basic hygiene supplies such as wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, comb, razor, bar soap, deodorant, shampoo, nail clipper, lotion, and mouthwash. Also, pack a towel and flip flops.
A gym would be a good place to start but if you want other alternatives to shower and freshen up, you can look out for recreational centers, campsites, motels, truck stops, hostels, and swimming pools. On the other hand, there are plenty of public restrooms if you want to take a nature call.
It’s simple, take out your dirty clothes to any nearby laundromat and get it done. Also, you can take the seat covers, blankets, and sleeping bag to get machine washed; preferably every week.
In most places, you can get in trouble with the law due to throwing trash out of your automobile. However, you can purchase an auto trash bag to stash whatever you don’t need and dispose of it later in a public litter bin. The best car trash bags are usually waterproof and leak-proof with enclosed design to contain the smell.
Eating out may not be the first option for most car dwellers, especially those who want to save some money. Nevertheless, a restaurant could be a healthy change of scenario rather than stay dull and bored in the car most of your time. Not to mention, restaurants offer a wider variety of dishes that you can’t cook in the car.
Here is an idea; you could pack fruits and veggies that don’t spoil too fast in your car. For instance, apples, beets, coconut, carrots, oranges, lemons, tangerines, cabbage, and grapefruits. Even better, you could make fruit or veggie salad right in your car.
Besides the fruits and veggies that can last for weeks, you can choose a balanced diet that you don’t need to keep refrigerated. How about something like nuts, canned meat or beans, beef jerky, dark chocolate, dried grains, honey, protein powder, coconut oil, hard cheese with wax, ghee and powdered milk.
Thanks to technology, it is possible to store perishable foods for days or weeks under the right conditions. However, you need a car cooler or a portable refrigerator to make it happen. Apart from keeping food like meat, fish, poultry and cooked leftovers, you can also store ice cubes in a car cooler or portable refrigerator.
There is a clever way you can make espresso coffee in your car using a car coffee maker machine that you only need to plug into the cigarette lighter. Beyond that, you can drive to a secluded and secure place to cook lunch or dinner using a portable cooker or camp stove.
Buying bottled water can be expensive and it will give you more plastic to throw away. It would be better to carry a bottle that you can refill with drinking water at restaurants, malls, hostels, gyms, motels, and community centers.
If you don’t have an option to park and sleep on a friend’s or relatives’ private property, you can consider seeking a legal campsite and pitching a tent. However, parking in remote or residential areas can be risky and the last thing you want is a cop knocking on your windows. Anyway, the most ideal and safe locations to park would be around Walmart, truck stops, church parking lots, university parking lots, hotel parking spaces, hospital parking spots, and yacht harbors.
If you don’t want to fry like an egg on hot days, you need to park your vehicle under some shade to protect yourself and maintain some privacy. Fortunately, there are plenty of designated car shades including buildings and trees. Better yet, you could use car covers or curtains to keep off the harmful UV rays.
Okay, sometimes you can get away with parking for free but you can bet there will be parking tickets to pay once in a while. To avoid any legal trouble or paying hefty fines, pay your parking tickets as soon as possible. Likewise, steer clear of any parking violations.
Need to read a book or connect to the internet? No worries, just visit your local library and you will be sorted out. In fact, you won’t need to pay to borrow books in public libraries. Alternatively, you can visit local restaurants and access their wifi in exchange for a cup of coffee.
It’s boring to stay locked up in the car the whole day especially if you have no work that keeps you busy. You don’t want to get depressed, do you? Enroll in a nearby gym or sports center to work out and enjoy their amenities.
Everything can be done on a smartphone or a laptop nowadays and if you got access to the internet, download movies, songs, and audiobooks to keep you entertained in the car. There are plenty of streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Spotify where you can save content to watch offline.
Unless your car is immobile, you have no excuse not to drive to different national parks for a hiking trip. Who knows? Maybe you could meet up with some campers and make some new friends on the way.
Thanks to the internet, you can connect with other car dwellers that are in the same predicament. Social media sites like Reddit will provide you the opportunity to interact and share experiences within a community.
It can be easy to forget about the dangers of carbon monoxide while living in a car. Well, better safe than sorry and if you can’t take any chances, buy yourself a car carbon monoxide detector that will beep in case of excess carbon monoxide accumulation.
Talking about carbon monoxide suffocation, it is recommended to open the windows a little bit to let some fresh air inside. Neither should you shut off the vents’ air-flow. Mind you, you shouldn’t open the car windows giving too much space for any potential intruder to stretch an arm or a weapon. In addition to that, regularly inspect the exhaust and emission systems for any signs of wear and tear.
Believe it or not, there are cases of car dwellers getting arrested by the police after sleeping in the car when drunk. Picture it like this; an officer could presume that you were drinking and driving especially if you still have the keys in the ignition. It could even get more serious if the police find alcohol in your car.
Apart from being uncomfortable since you don’t have enough room to stretch your body, sleeping in the driver’s seat will train your mind to think that it is an ideal spot to sleep. In other words, it could be risky since your mind will think it’s normal to sleep at the driver’s seat even when you’re driving.
Living in a car is all about discretion and it is wise if you don’t raise a suspicious profile because of parking in the same place for too long. As a general rule, avoid parking in the same spot more than twice a week. Unless of course, you’ve settled in your private property. Similarly, if you’ve parked in a business parking lot open to the public, try to drive out as early as possible preferably before 8 a.m.
There are two major reasons why you shouldn’t stay in your car for the whole day. First, you don’t want to get depressed. Secondly, if you stay in your car the whole day it will start to get smelly.
If you’ve watched Breaking Bad, you know what happens when you leave your car keys overnight in the ignition. For those who can’t relate, if you don’t remove your car keys from the ignition before you sleep, your car battery will probably be flat in the morning.
Reflective foam insulation that is at least 1 to 2 inches thick can help you insulate your car interior to prevent heat from escaping. Just fit them into the car windows during winter. Another thing; the outside of the foam insulation should be black while the inside needs to be reflective.
The reality is sometimes the world is a dangerous place and living in a car leaves you vulnerable to all sorts of threats. Hence, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to think about your personal protection by legally concealing a weapon like an electric taser. Besides that, keep your car keys close to the ignition and always lock your doors before you sleep.
During winter, you will save your precious time if you remembered to bring an ice scraper, shovel, and a snow brush. Then again, you can search for an indoor parking lot where you won’t be directly exposed to the snow during winter.
If you can afford to fit all-terrain tires on your vehicle, why not? Most likely, you will experience all sorts of roads and weather conditions. Remarkably, all-terrain tires have enhanced puncture-resistance technology.
An effective method to generate some heat to keep you warm for the night is to run your car’s internal heat system before you tuck yourself in the sleeping bag. Afterward, insulate the windows and switch off the engine.
Since sometimes living in a car can strain your flexibility, hence it is important to stretch out after a nap. That means even if you hit the gym, don’t forget to stretch out to avoid any discomfort related aches. If you can afford it, get a massage occasionally.
