"I live in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER!!"

[enginewitty]

And then there are Granny Pods!
https://www.facebook.com/earthables/videos/661634877324139/

whoever came up with the design for this is awesome!
it's essentially a tiny house geared toward self-sustained living with a separate room for a live-in caregiver and technology safety features to boot!
unfortunately as Im broke with bad/no credit, this isn't an option at the moment. A bit spendy too but a really great alternative for people who are looking to move their relatives in to homes

thanks for the link ^^

 

[sarah darwins]

whoever came up with the design for this is awesome!

It is brilliant. And so are all the excellent low-cots kit houses and prefabs out there. Unfortunately, as Sushi says, the problem is getting permission to actually put up one of these things. Planning authorities in most western countries automatically reject permission for anything like this. It's insane. We need much more housing, and living in micro-homes is clearly the best available answer to an expanding global population, for any number of reasons, but the powers that be just won't act to help the huge number of people whose lives would be transformed by this kind of option. It'll have to happen one day, and better we start doing it now than wait until there's literally no choice, but it's a hard sell, politically. A lot of resistance from the usual corporate suspects, and, of course, a lot of 'pulling the ladder up after you' from people who are personally not in need.

 

[Sushi]

Unfortunately, as Sushi says, the problem is getting permission to actually put up one of these things. Planning authorities in most western countries automatically reject permission for anything like this.

I just heard that my city is working on plans to approve this sort of thing. Maybe it is a trend?

 

[sarah darwins]

I just heard that my city is working on plans to approve this sort of thing. Maybe it is a trend?

Let's hope. I'm afraid I'm in a country with the most reactionary planning officers in the world ... "you want to build a WHAT???"

 

[Sushi]

Let's hope. I'm afraid I'm in a country with the most reactionary planning officers in the world ... "you want to build a WHAT???"

Since we got the first co-housing community approved, they are planning to lump together tiny house communities with co-housing and smooth the way for more communities.

 

[Jennifer J]

I live in a co-housing community in the US that qualifies in many of these categories. It is built with non-toxic materials, no pesticides allowed, we have solar panels, harvest rain water, have a community vegetable garden, a community room and guest house. The underlying purpose of co-housing is living in community and helping each other out.

We do have to contribute to the community but recognize that we have different skills and different levels of physical and mental functionality. I am not a severe patient and my contribution is mainly computer work and organizing things that I can do by phone. If I am having a bad day and need something from the pharmacy or health food coop (which is next door!) I only have to stick my head out the door and ask. We do that for each other regularly.

This all sounds amazing, @Sushi. Thank you for sharing it.

I'm interested in this stuff, and over the years I've come across many references to such places - in articles and on tv shows etc, so I know they exist. And Sushi seems to be living in one! How cool is that!

@sarah darwins, that's so cool!

I imagine a lot of folks here have thought about alternative living arrangements, for both practical and health reasons. This illness kind of forces us to live differently, anyway, so we're natural members of that tribe.

So true.

And there is the catch! The community I am in was developed by three totally healthy professionals with knowledge of building and community development. It was very hard for them for the reasons below.

My community was the first of a kind in this city. The zoning and permit people were not impressed initially. It was a long uphill battle. The local government even polled our neighbors on whether they wanted us here. They did! We are in the oldest developed part of the city and close to hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies and everything we might need.

I just heard that my city is working on plans to approve this sort of thing. Maybe it is a trend?

This information is so valuable. Thank you, @Sushi. I'm sticking it in recesses of my mind for the future (hopefully my mind will remember to look there in the future). That is great that they fought and made it happen. Amazing neighbors, that they approved. I'm impressed. I keep shaking my head in amazement, that's great that it's close to everything you might need. I'm glad it exists, you found it and it was a good fit. It sounds like they paved the way for more communities like this in the future! May it become a trend.

And then there are Granny Pods!
https://www.facebook.com/earthables/videos/661634877324139/

I love this. Thank you again, @Sushi. What a wonderful innovated idea. This could be good for many of us, and in other ways, too. Ahhh, if it could be affordable and there would be some older out-gassed models.

An eleven year old I know is trying to get kids to visit people in nursing homes. She's visiting nursing homes and doing a project on them. I will share this with her, so she can share it with others. Maybe some of the people she visits could benefit from this and not be in a nursing home.

 

[enginewitty]

Hmm, sounds like hard work, fresh water, waste water, toilet waste, electric, gas etc etc.

It would help to say where you are for the vehicle inquiry too.

Hi Aristu

I'm open to other ideas...

As for location, I'll be flying in from abroad and have no home so... anywhere really.

 

[Dainty]

Arizona is said to be one of the best places for living out of a vehicle in. I haven't personally tried it there, but a lot of folks I know recommend it. You're going to want someplace that doesn't get a lot of rainfall and isn't very cold in winter, also where there's plenty of land you can park on for free without anyone having a problem with it.

I've been living in vehicles the past 2 years. It's hard, it's exhausting. You absolutely must have some sort of income because vehicles are constantly breaking. Must be able to do maintenance or pay more to have someone else do it...and drive it there.

If you get a vehicle not already converted for living in, first thing you have to do is "build" your set-up. It is not easy to build your own "house"; doubly so while actually living in it. I have spent nearly every "good" day (and many bad ones) the past 2 years working on either mechanical maintenance or improving my set-up to be more restful and liveable.

I'm happier like this than in my previous situation, but it's freakin' hard. Know that before you tackle it and good luck!

 

[AndyPandy]

Hi @Dainty! Great to see a post from you. I thought about you when I read this thread and wondered how you were going.

Best wishes Andy

 

[Sushi]

Hi @Dainty! Great to see a post from you.

Yes, whoopee--@Dainty is here!

 

[Dainty]

Hi @Dainty! Great to see a post from you. I thought about you when I read this thread and wondered how you were going.

Best wishes Andy

Thanks, @AndyPandy! Good to see you around!!

@Sushi yes she is!!

Gosh, thanks for the warm welcome, guys, You didn't have to derail a thread for me! lol

 

[moblet]

I did a couple of years of living out of a car (using a tent). I had a lot of prior camping experience (hiking and cycletouring) and like sleeping on the ground. I was camped exclusively in the bush or countryside except when the car required work.

There's a different set of advantages, challenges and constraints depending on whether you're living in built up areas or remote ones. I was doing the latter and have no first-hand experience of the former. In either case you'll need to think about coping with the temperature range, and food storage and cooking. Remote living presents the financial challenge of how much driving you do (vehicle maintenance + fuel was one third of my budget), especially if you need to access treatment (which constrained how remotely I could travel). Remote living can be logistically smpler in some respects, since stealth isn't an issue, e.g. I used portable solar panels to power a portable fridge and laptop and could stay in the same spot for 7-10 days at a time. Challenges of remote living can include disturbance from other campers (most commonly generators and barking dogs), having to relocate in response to the weather forecast, maintaining communications access, not always knowing where you're going to sleep that night (and finding that where you'd planned to sleep isn't suitable), and finding your way around unfamiliar places and businesses (e.g. supermarkets and mechanics).

It was beneficial for my health to do it but eventually I got tired of the constant setting and packing up, and being disturbed by the wind and by birds (many of which are pretty raucous in this part of the world). Being able to escape disturbance from other humans was great though, and the travel helped me decide where to settle once I got tired of it.

 

[enginewitty]

Hi @Dainty! Great to see a post from you. I thought about you when I read this thread and wondered how you were going.

Best wishes Andy

Thanks

 

[enginewitty]

Arizona is said to be one of the best places for living out of a vehicle in. I haven't personally tried it there, but a lot of folks I know recommend it. You're going to want someplace that doesn't get a lot of rainfall and isn't very cold in winter, also where there's plenty of land you can park on for free without anyone having a problem with it.

I've been living in vehicles the past 2 years. It's hard, it's exhausting. You absolutely must have some sort of income because vehicles are constantly breaking. Must be able to do maintenance or pay more to have someone else do it...and drive it there.

If you get a vehicle not already converted for living in, first thing you have to do is "build" your set-up. It is not easy to build your own "house"; doubly so while actually living in it. I have spent nearly every "good" day (and many bad ones) the past 2 years working on either mechanical maintenance or improving my set-up to be more restful and liveable.

I'm happier like this than in my previous situation, but it's freakin' hard. Know that before you tackle it and good luck!

This was great! Thanks so much for posting about your experience and insight

 

[enginewitty]

I did a couple of years of living out of a car (using a tent). I had a lot of prior camping experience (hiking and cycletouring) and like sleeping on the ground. I was camped exclusively in the bush or countryside except when the car required work.

There's a different set of advantages, challenges and constraints depending on whether you're living in built up areas or remote ones. I was doing the latter and have no first-hand experience of the former. In either case you'll need to think about coping with the temperature range, and food storage and cooking. Remote living presents the financial challenge of how much driving you do (vehicle maintenance + fuel was one third of my budget), especially if you need to access treatment (which constrained how remotely I could travel). Remote living can be logistically smpler in some respects, since stealth isn't an issue, e.g. I used portable solar panels to power a portable fridge and laptop and could stay in the same spot for 7-10 days at a time. Challenges of remote living can include disturbance from other campers (most commonly generators and barking dogs), having to relocate in response to the weather forecast, maintaining communications access, not always knowing where you're going to sleep that night (and finding that where you'd planned to sleep isn't suitable), and finding your way around unfamiliar places and businesses (e.g. supermarkets and mechanics).

It was beneficial for my health to do it but eventually I got tired of the constant setting and packing up, and being disturbed by the wind and by birds (many of which are pretty raucous in this part of the world). Being able to escape disturbance from other humans was great though, and the travel helped me decide where to settle once I got tired of it.

This is really helpful Thank you m(_ _)m

 

[moblet]

On the subject of doing your own mechanical work, you might have the theoretical capacity to do work yourself but you might not have the necessary equipment with you, and/or a suitable place to do it. As @Dainty said it's easier to live in places that get little rain, but where it's dry anything you open up in the outdoors can quickly become contaminated with wind-blown dust/dirt/sand.

 

[enginewitty]

On the subject of doing your own mechanical work, you might have the theoretical capacity to do work yourself but you might not have the necessary equipment with you, and/or a suitable place to do it. As @Dainty said it's easier to live in places that get little rain, but where it's dry anything you open up in the outdoors can quickly become contaminated with wind-blown dust/dirt/sand.

yeah man, working on the building aspect too. it'll probably be easier to get help with the construction part. Maybe I can find a tool rental place...
In the beginning I'm thinking maybe just buy a conversion van where the back seats fold down into a bed and throw a camp mat down on it... at least until I can situate finances and labor to actually strip it down and build a bed frame. I'll also probably start very minimally and gradually start building in a table and cabinets depending on how much I'm enjoying vanlifing.

as for the weather, I'm kind of originally from the PNW so I LOVE the rain. I'll probably just work on insulating my van well and learn how to deal with the elements ^^ if it sucks, I can always move

 

[Strawberry]

as for the weather, I'm kind of originally from the PNW so I LOVE the rain. I'll probably just work on insulating my van well and learn how to deal with the elements ^^ if it sucks, I can always move

So maybe you could move back to the PNW. Just stay away from Seattle, they have a HUGE homeless and drug problem with camps being cleared on a moments notice. There are a few camps in King County that are permanent (one that I know of near the airport), or you could try the clean air of the peninsula. That is where I would go if I were in your situation. But they think I have MCAS, so probably in a different boat then you. Air/car pollution makes me ill.

Where ever you wind up, keep temperature extremes in mind. Unless you don't mind being mobile for seasons.


Best of luck to you and I hope you find an area where you can heal some and get the financial help you need.

 

[Dainty]

as for the weather, I'm kind of originally from the PNW so I LOVE the rain. I'll probably just work on insulating my van well and learn how to deal with the elements ^^ if it sucks, I can always move

The problem I've experienced isn't so much the outside elements as the inside. With constant 100% humidity and temperatures below the dew point, and staying inside it a lot (exhaled moisture) significant condensation issues can develop. In areas that have only a moderate number of rainy days, you can usually crack open a window to release some moisture. Here in Seattle, ~8 months out of the year that doesn't work!

I quickly learned that any cardboard in my van was going to get soggy, and any hard surfaces (e.g. windows, plastic bins) would have water literally dripping down them into a puddle. In fact, in my old van water would drip down from the ceiling right onto my head! No, there were no leaks, that was just from condensation.

A heater would resolve the issue, but the only efficient ways to heat require a few key things in order to operate safely: enough room, some way of being secured inside the van (an empty conversion van does not have this) and a carbon monoxide detector, plus the actual heater and fuel. I haven't managed to make it work comfortably yet but if you can that's awesome!

 

[Dainty]

So maybe you could move back to the PNW. Just stay away from Seattle, they have a HUGE homeless and drug problem with camps being cleared on a moments notice.

I full time in Seattle and personally find it isn't too bad, aside from the traffic and parking issues. I personally feel the media has kinda blown the "homeless" issues out of proportion, just based on my experiences. It does require a bit of street smarts to park safely there, but I've never been hassled by authorities. Cargo vans are big targets for break-ins though, back when I was in one it averaged 1-2 break-in attempts a month. Haven't had any since switching to a minivan.