Cheap Travel

The decision of which vehicle to live in is a matter of trade offs. The ideal vehicle is big enough to carry lots of stuff and not feel claustrophobic, gets great gas mileage, is very reliable, inexpensive to buy, and can be parked anywhere without being noticed. I’m sorry to report that such a vehicle does not exist! I think the closest vehicle to fitting that description is a Japanese minivan. Much more room than an econo car but still decent gas mileage, they are reliable and used ones can be inexpensive. They look natural parked in front of a grocery store or on a residential street so you won’t be hassled. Some people think that VW vans are perfect but even they must admit that they have reliability problems. Minivans get better mileage and are far more reliable. They are also commonly available in four-wheel-drive which may be really nice the further you go into the back country.

Everybody has different needs out of their vehicle home. Personally, I need more space and to be able to stand up. My box van had plenty of space and I could stand up in it. Plus, in six years of parking in a city, I was never once hassled about sleeping in it. But, it got terrible gas mileage. That was a trade-off I was willing to make. A good compromise is a regular size van with a high top. Not as much room as a box van, but more than a minivan. You can stand up in one and they can get pretty decent mileage on the road (in the high teens or low 20’s mpg). If you can, find somebody who has the type of vehicle you are considering and ask them if you can spend a few nights in it in their yard. Try to imagine living in it for a few years. Where will you sleep? How will you cook, bathe, and go to the bathroom? I can’t answer all those questions in detail right now, but I can give you some general ideas to get you started.

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