Who lives out of their camper?

[WyomingBackcountry]

Sorry if this is a common topic. I am new to the forum and it seems that its always hard to search for exactly what you need when you are new.

I am currently in college and fed up with paying rent on an apartment and just tossing money away. I bought an RTT last september and have used it countless nights. I originally purchased it in hopes that I would find it suitable to live out of but it seems like more work than its worth and I would like more space. I was shown a website about a guy that bought a FWC camper along with a tacoma and has been living out of it for several years now. I would absolutely love that lifestyle.

Is there any specific builds or links that have more information on people living out of the campers?

 

[Hittheroad]

On the road we once met a couple that were living out of their Alaska until the housing crisis calmed down. They had been going about a year and a half and had many months ahead. He was happier about it than she was. We have gone over a month in our FWC Eagle and see no reason why it could not be done for much longer. For a single person you have too much space and start collecting useless junk.

 

[Espresso]

To me the lack of a toilet and shower are the biggest downsides. Plus, if you need your truck to go to the store, you have to drop the top. I knew a guy in college who lived out of a small trailer. It was 16' or 18' and he picked it up cheap. It worked out well for him. He always had a gym class and would take a shower afterwards.

 

[Argonaut20]

Camper or trailer, you have to have a place to put it so you are potentially a renter anyway. The trailer idea makes more sense for long periods as you have shower/toilet, larger refrigeration, more room. For extended trips I find the small trailer ideal as you can set it down in one place and roam around in the tow vehicle. The camper works well for me for trips to the boondocks that are not long term.

 

[MarkBC]

This is NOT a common topic here -- that's why you won't find much on it no matter how you search.

Living out of a minimalist camper -- FWC or ATC -- seems more-feasible if you're living as a wandering vagabond, not in one spot.
I say "minimalist", primarily, because of lack of built-in toilet facilities. I say "feasible...as a wandering vagabond" because I don't think it's convenient to live in one spot but need to drive the camper-carrying truck every day. If you remove the camper from the truck it's recommended to support the floor (rest the camper floor ON SOMETHING), as it's not built/intended to be walked on unsupported.

If I wanted to live in a minimalist (but occasionally mobile) dwelling I'd choose a little camp trailer rather than a pickup camper.

Good luck!

 

[Smokecreek1]

This is NOT a common topic here -- that's why you won't find much on it no matter how you search.

Living out of a minimalist camper -- FWC or ATC -- seems more-feasible if you're living as a wandering vagabond, not in one spot.
I say "minimalist", primarily, because of lack of built-in toilet facilities. I say "feasible...as a wandering vagabond" because I don't think it's convenient to live in one spot but need to drive the camper-carrying truck every day. If you remove the camper from the truck it's recommended to support the floor (rest the camper floor ON SOMETHING), as it's not built/intended to be walked on unsupported.

If I wanted to live in a minimalist (but occasionally mobile) dwelling I'd choose a little camp trailer rather than a pickup camper.

Good luck!

2x-While any one could live in in a FWC/ATC-you would have to do allot of walking/or have 2ndary transportation! Our beasts are places to come back to or used to go then explore! But good luck, I did the trailer thing twice in college and it was better than living under a tree-by a long way!

Smoke

 

[highz]

I have to agree with everyone else who recommend a trailer, for the reasons they state - except - if you can camp close enough to campus to ride a bike (in the snow and rain - yuck) so you can leave the camper popped up, it might work out for you.

A couple of questions: What truck do you have?
Are there nearby boondocking sites you plan to use? What is the maximum number of days you can legally camp in them?

You can probably get by without a public bathroom, if you set up a solar shower and camping john of some kind, but that might get old really fast.

 

[craig333]

I personally couldn't see doing it, way to cramped for a long period, but a young person who probably isn't going to do much more than just sleep in it, maybe I could see it. Especially if you have access to sanitary facilities.

 

[DanT]

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8230-cool-video-link-from-one-of-our-customers-ute-flat-bed-model/

This guy has been doing it.

 

[garyoNC]

I agree with all the above. Check out this site: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/index.php Very interesting and unique.

Also don't forget google:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=living+in+a+van&as_epq=going+to+college&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=

Good luck

 

[imix]

This topic just happens to be a long term goal of mine. : )

"Lack of Toilet facilities" is really a non issue, unless you are the kind of person who absolutely has to flush five gallons of drinking water down the drain with your fecal matter. Piss in a yellow nalgene bottle, but draw a skull and crossbones on it with a sharpie first. Get a folding camp toilet, either PETT or Reliance or similar. Use with cat litter if cost is an issue. Use your toilet facilites sparingly. Public restrooms are everywhere, if you are boondocking, piss on a bush and dig yourself a hole, put your Reliance or Pett over it and poop away.

" Lack of Shower facilities" Also, non issue. As anyone who has backpacked or been in the army will tell you, it is perfectly possible to get clean with a cup of water, a washcloth and a cup or a helmet. Most Americans in 2013 can't even conceive of not having a twenty minute hot shower, and while I confess I like my hot showers as much as anyone, it isn't really a requirement to be CLEAN.

The real problems I see with a FWC or ATC is complete lack of stealth, unless you camp in it with the top down, which is not really a great way to study or live. I plan on living on the vast public lands of the west, not trying to go to college. Eight years of that, and a Doctoral degree and I am done with school, forever. The best vehicle on the planet, nay the Universe for what you are suggesting is a VW vanagon, prefferably with a Subaru Outback or new Ford Engine, as the old VW ones are crap. Since another kind soul has already posted a link to cheaprvliving (an absolute must read for all humanity) I will introduce you to Mr. Morrisette:

http://www.tosimplify.net

He's a professional musician (does music for tv shows like Family Guy while on the road) and has lived for several years in bigger RV's. He lives extra comfy on about 10 grand a year but has now downsized to a Vanagon, which he bought, gutted, did the Bostig Subaru engine swap. He also remodeled the entire van himself last year. 600 watts of solar power on the roof. Comfy couch/bed, induction burner to cook (he has the power, believe of not), PETT toilet, and does sponge baths. Eats mostly a paleo diet, so he needs a big fridge to store all his dead animal parts. Unlike some vanagons his doesn't have a pop top so he can't stand up in his van, but as he explains to the complainy pants on his blog that he does have an entire planet he can stand up in right OUTSIDE his van.

Embrace living in a van down by the river.

 

[WyomingBackcountry]

On the road we once met a couple that were living out of their Alaska until the housing crisis calmed down. They had been going about a year and a half and had many months ahead. He was happier about it than she was. We have gone over a month in our FWC Eagle and see no reason why it could not be done for much longer. For a single person you have too much space and start collecting useless junk.

My family of 4 lived out of a tiny trailer when I was in highschool for a few months while waiting on military housing. I didn't like it due to not having privacy from my parents. The idea of having a home that can move has stuck with my since.

To me the lack of a toilet and shower are the biggest downsides. Plus, if you need your truck to go to the store, you have to drop the top. I knew a guy in college who lived out of a small trailer. It was 16' or 18' and he picked it up cheap. It worked out well for him. He always had a gym class and would take a shower afterwards.

I have a 2011 regular cab tacoma 2.7l. I take that truck everywhere but hauling a trailer is probably a no go. I am looking to replace the RTT with something I can make my weekend adventures into a life style. I want to live out of the truck and be able to still hit the complicated and rough trails I already do.

Camper or trailer, you have to have a place to put it so you are potentially a renter anyway. The trailer idea makes more sense for long periods as you have shower/toilet, larger refrigeration, more room. For extended trips I find the small trailer ideal as you can set it down in one place and roam around in the tow vehicle. The camper works well for me for trips to the boondocks that are not long term.

I asked a cop about living out of the RTT and he said its possible. I would have to have friends that would be willing to let me "visit" every few weeks. I would be able to live in town using this method.

This is NOT a common topic here -- that's why you won't find much on it no matter how you search.

Living out of a minimalist camper -- FWC or ATC -- seems more-feasible if you're living as a wandering vagabond, not in one spot.
I say "minimalist", primarily, because of lack of built-in toilet facilities. I say "feasible...as a wandering vagabond" because I don't think it's convenient to live in one spot but need to drive the camper-carrying truck every day. If you remove the camper from the truck it's recommended to support the floor (rest the camper floor ON SOMETHING), as it's not built/intended to be walked on unsupported.

If I wanted to live in a minimalist (but occasionally mobile) dwelling I'd choose a little camp trailer rather than a pickup camper.

Good luck!

The toilet and shower is not an issue. It's not hard to work around not having running water. Our showers went down in Afghanistan for a month and I made due just fine with a bottle of water. I have no problem utilizing public restrooms, pissing in a bottle, or crapping in a bag.

2x-While any one could live in in a FWC/ATC-you would have to do allot of walking/or have 2ndary transportation! Our beasts are places to come back to or used to go then explore! But good luck, I did the trailer thing twice in college and it was better than living under a tree-by a long way!

Smoke

I have a bicycle and the town of laramie is small enough to ride through in about 10-15 minutes. The winter is harsh at 7200 ft but they have decent public transportation and I would trade the road bike for a mountain bike to handle the snow better.

I have to agree with everyone else who recommend a trailer, for the reasons they state - except - if you can camp close enough to campus to ride a bike (in the snow and rain - yuck) so you can leave the camper popped up, it might work out for you.

A couple of questions: What truck do you have?
Are there nearby boondocking sites you plan to use? What is the maximum number of days you can legally camp in them?

You can probably get by without a public bathroom, if you set up a solar shower and camping john of some kind, but that might get old really fast.

I have a 2011 Reg Cab Tacoma with the 2.7l. Beast of a little truck with some power lacking at this elevation. I plan on regearing shortly to regain the power and help turn the larger than stock tires I have. We have numerous camp sites out of town. The closest being on the river that runs through town. Being a fly fisher I plan on utilizing that spot a lot. A short 10 minute drive is a national forest where you can camp anywhere within I believe 100ft of a dirt road. Its truly a great town for camping...aside from the winter.

I personally couldn't see doing it, way to cramped for a long period, but a young person who probably isn't going to do much more than just sleep in it, maybe I could see it. Especially if you have access to sanitary facilities.

I lived out of a ruck sack for 6 months in Iraq and afghanistan. My personal space was just big enough for a desk and a twin bed. You would be surprised how little space you need .

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8230-cool-video-link-from-one-of-our-customers-ute-flat-bed-model/

This guy has been doing it.

Thats the guy I saw that turned me onto pop up campers! He's living the life.

I agree with all the above. Check out this site: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/index.php Very interesting and unique.

Also don't forget google:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=living+in+a+van&as_epq=going+to+college&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=

Good luck

Ill check out that site! Thanks

This topic just happens to be a long term goal of mine. : )

"Lack of Toilet facilities" is really a non issue, unless you are the kind of person who absolutely has to flush five gallons of drinking water down the drain with your fecal matter. Piss in a yellow nalgene bottle, but draw a skull and crossbones on it with a sharpie first. Get a folding camp toilet, either PETT or Reliance or similar. Use with cat litter if cost is an issue. Use your toilet facilites sparingly. Public restrooms are everywhere, if you are boondocking, piss on a bush and dig yourself a hole, put your Reliance or Pett over it and poop away.

" Lack of Shower facilities" Also, non issue. As anyone who has backpacked or been in the army will tell you, it is perfectly possible to get clean with a cup of water, a washcloth and a cup or a helmet. Most Americans in 2013 can't even conceive of not having a twenty minute hot shower, and while I confess I like my hot showers as much as anyone, it isn't really a requirement to be CLEAN.

The real problems I see with a FWC or ATC is complete lack of stealth, unless you camp in it with the top down, which is not really a great way to study or live. I plan on living on the vast public lands of the west, not trying to go to college. Eight years of that, and a Doctoral degree and I am done with school, forever. The best vehicle on the planet, nay the Universe for what you are suggesting is a VW vanagon, prefferably with a Subaru Outback or new Ford Engine, as the old VW ones are crap. Since another kind soul has already posted a link to cheaprvliving (an absolute must read for all humanity) I will introduce you to Mr. Morrisette:

http://www.tosimplify.net

He's a professional musician (does music for tv shows like Family Guy while on the road) and has lived for several years in bigger RV's. He lives extra comfy on about 10 grand a year but has now downsized to a Vanagon, which he bought, gutted, did the Bostig Subaru engine swap. He also remodeled the entire van himself last year. 600 watts of solar power on the roof. Comfy couch/bed, induction burner to cook (he has the power, believe of not), PETT toilet, and does sponge baths. Eats mostly a paleo diet, so he needs a big fridge to store all his dead animal parts. Unlike some vanagons his doesn't have a pop top so he can't stand up in his van, but as he explains to the complainy pants on his blog that he does have an entire planet he can stand up in right OUTSIDE his van.

Embrace living in a van down by the river.

Awesome! I agree that people dont have an idea of how little we need. I will be using the school showers or the gym I frequent but there is no reason a bottle of water every few days can't keep you clean.

That only thing I have against a vanagon is the fact that I frequently hit the mountains. Taking challenging trails every chance I can. That won't be changing so the Tacoma is staying . Plus I already know how to fix common issues with it.

The pop up seems stealthy enough. I could be wrong though as I haven't got to see one in person yet. I was debating just getting a camper shell. Decking it out with solar power, a small heater, tiny platform bed, propane grill and some other simple modifications just to have a place to sleep and eat. Really, thats all I really need, a place to sleep and cook. The pop up just seems like a more reasonable option for that lifestyle.

 

[RicoV]

Wow. Chalk it up to my being a desert rat who appreciates warm weather, but the very idea of weathering a southern Wyoming winter in a little FWC unit literally sends an icy breeze down my spine. I simply can't imagine doing that for any length of time day-in and day-out at that elevation and latitude, in winter. I'm reluctant to be a party pooper since the idea sounds very enticing, but really, how many sub-freezing nights in a row are you willing to muddle through? At first I imagined you to be a student in AZ or coastal southern CA, and the prospect seemed quite reasonable to me; but now I realize you're talking about UW in Laramie. If you're really on top of what such an endeavor would entail (and hopefully you are), I surely wish you all the best should you decide to proceed with the plan (ditto on what others here have recommended that would make such a life a bit easier). Otherwise, consider doing a few more reality checks to assess your level of commitment before springing for a potentially pricey FWC or equivalent. I for one would love to follow a travelog of your full-timing adventure should you decide to post such updates on WTW. In any event, enjoy!

 

[DonC]

These campers and the trucks and upgrades for them are not cheep. I know many dirtbag climbers who have spent years living out of their vehicle and a van is the option of choice for most. Cheap and much easier to be stealthy.

 

[Taku]

Kind of depends on your needs and lifestyle. I the '80's I spent months living out of my Honda Accord, mostly spring, summer, fall, but some winter trips too. Have had ski bum friends live whole winters in Jeeps, trucks, etc. while working at ski areas and making ends meet. Very possible, just depends mostly on your attitude!

 

[ntsqd]

A trailer approach in a more welcoming clime, but in an area not too tolerant towards "homelessness" (the gotz-rocks periodically lean on the local gumberment about it).

http://americanadventurist.com/Forum/showthread.php?703-Nomadic-in-CA

 

[craig333]

Sounds like you have the right attitude for it. In that case a pop up should fit your needs very well. Its nice being able to actually stand up (which you can't do with a camper shell). Only question now is if you have the budget for one.

 

[LuckyDan]

<p>I'll not repeat pros and cons already stated.&nbsp; In my experience they are all valid points.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's what I learned from fulltime living in my RV's of the time off and on over the course of a few years.&nbsp; The RV's were a 68 Caveman Camper, 8ft with a queen sized cabover bunk.&nbsp; Then a 86 or so 28ft Skamper bunkhouse model trailer. The final entry was a 28ft Fleetwood Tiaoga class C motorhome.&nbsp; This was largely done dry camping on remote job sites or flat out boondocking doing woods work.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul class="bbc">
<li>Heating any of them in the wintertime was propane intensive. Both the Caveman and Skamper had duel tank setups. It took both tanks plus a spare to rotate regulary to keep heat, fridge and cooking going.</li>
<li>Electric lights, furnace fans and dsi ignition used regularly made keeping a battery charged challenging.&nbsp; I will admit the era in which I fulltimed solar was in its infantcy. The Caveman had a plumbed in propane lantern and I used my old fashioned 2 mantel lantern with the others. The Tioga had a built in 4kv generator that burned about 1 gallon of gas for every 4hrs operation time. What fulltime RV living meant for me was keeping it unthawed fulltime. It got to be resource intensive.</li>
<li>Both the Skamper and Tioga of course were self contained. If located where I could'nt dig a hole and dump then they needed to be taken to a dump site or pumped out about every 3 weeks. This of course was bush availability dependant.</li>
<li>If boondocking on the public domain IIRC it was either 10 or 14 days in one spot without a permit.&nbsp;</li>
<li>For me the biggest hassle was having to haul water or go get it every ten days or so. I used 4 5gal jugs to shuttle with.&nbsp; Some on this forum will say how they get a couple three weeks out of their 12gal FWC tank but figure it this way, you're living out of it, your drinking, eating, showering and/or other cleaning, coffee, Koolade and icecube making water all comes from the tank.&nbsp; What that meant for me was about 2gal+ consumption a day on average.</li>
<li>Get used to canned goods and durable produce. None of the fridges I had, had enough room to allow me to be casual about my grocery shopping.</li>
<li>For me I never experienced a want for more room. I did experience a reluctance on the part of the opposite sex to come over to my place though. I blamed it on a combination of their lack of a sense of adventure and the stigma portrayed by the slasher movie genre.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To summarize my thoughts on your proposal; It's doable, it has the potential to be a hassle, it won't be as cheap as it appears and it will make for a grand adventure.&nbsp; Go into it with eyes open, no preconceived notions and enjoy the ride.&nbsp; If it fails there is always someone in a college town with a couch to loan or a room to rent.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Good luck with your choice.</p>

 

[WyomingBackcountry]

Thanks for all the responses guys!

I know it will be cold in the winter but I prefer the cold when it comes to sleeping. The coldest temp I camped in was during a week of -20 weather and -40 with windchill. I deployed the RTT in the driveway just to experience it. Miserable? No, but it wasn't comfortable either haha. I have since upgraded my sleeping bag and I sleep comfortably below 0.

As of now I spend from 8 am to around 7pm on campus during the week. Being a fulltime student and living off the GI bill gives me some wiggle room financially. My rent money, around $600 after all bills, would go towards a camper payment. After speaking to USAA I should be able to finance a 10k loan easily and then its just a matter of buying used. Hoping to keep costs under 10k that way.

I was curious on how much propane, electricity, and regular maintence would cost. I have until august in my current apartment so I still have quite a bit of time to decide if its a good choice for me. This hasn't been my first choice. Initially it was looking for a landowner willing to allow me to live out of a tipi. I would still love to do that and think it would be an awesome project but I wouldn't know where to start asking. The RTT seemed possible but really I just wanted one for camping . I almost looked into purchasing land and paying into that but the payments would last longer than my education and would like to leave college debt free.

 

[Argonaut20]

You have thought about this so go for it. You'll never know if it works until you try it. Leaving college with no student loan debt is a real goal.