Living in vans, cars, RVs, etc

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!houseless@lemmy.sdf.org

We're not homeless, we're houseless! By choice or by circumstance we are living in our vehicles. Don't worry about us -- it can be a very good life.

Anything that affects us as vehicle-dwellers is probably on topic.

external resources

emergency guide to suddenly living in a vehicle <-- start here if you don't have a choice in the matter
vanlife FAQ
introduction to power in the vehicle
gentle introduction to solar power
overview of charging by alternator
guides to hygiene and toilet

fedi resources

rules of engagement

be civil
use descriptive thread titles. Pro tip: "Help" or "Question" are not descriptive titles.
old-timers: assume people are different and have different needs, preferences, budgets, and use cases
newbies: demonstrate effort and willingness to learn; you'll need it on the road anyhow. Links have been added below to help get you started. When asking question state your "use case" (what you are trying to accomplish); we are terrible guessers.
tire-kickers: yes, we've heard that "in a van down by the river" joke. It was hi-larious in 1993.

vandwellers vandwelling vanlife urbancarliving

founded 2 years ago

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fratermus

fratermus@piefed.social

Priced out of traditional housing, more Americans are living in RVs (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 4 months ago by fratermus to c/houseless

5 comments fedilink hide all child comments

As housing costs rise beyond what many families can afford, more people are looking for shelter outside the traditional housing market. About 486,000 people live full time in an RV, which appears to be more than twice as many as in 2021, according to survey data from the RV Industry Association. About a third have children, and a vast majority earn less than $75,000 a year. A separate survey by the Census Bureau found a similar trend: In 2023, the most recent data available, it estimated 342,000 people were living in an RV, boat or van, an increase of 41% from 2019.

It would be interesting to know what percentage consider their RV live voluntary vs involuntary (ie, no other option).

I planned my retirement this way, but I don't think I could afford traditional housing now even if I wanted to.

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[–] ashenone@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm living in a trailer voluntarily and have been for a bit over a year. I've met some people who are living in their vehicle/trailer/rv/tent because it was their last option, and while it was more than I expected when I left its a fairly small percentage. But I also try not to pry into people's lives out here so there's definitely the possibility I've met people who I'm assuming are living this way voluntarily when they are not. I'm also mostly staying in free dispersed camping areas wheres people have to move on after a few days/weeks so I don't have a lot of interaction with people in long term spaces