Sprinter/Van Wrap Idea

[wrcsixeight]

I happen to be living in my van right now, and have done so for many years, and I think there are some factors you have not considered on the urban boondocking thing.

1. It sucks. You are breaking the law in most places.
2. Trying to sleep inside with cars going by constantly, or even sporadically significantly reduces the quality of sleep.
3. You are always expecting 'The Knock' of either law enforcement, or an angry homeowner telling you to move on, or a criminal with sinister motives.
4. Unlevel parking. It affects ease of movement and quality of sleep
5. Constantly searching for a new spot, and trying to remain stealthy once there. Not moving around inside so that street lights, or your antenna do not reflect light, and wobble and give you away.
6. Remaining silent. Phone calls? Forget it.
7. Bathroom activities. The best and biggest Pee bottle still needs to be dumped, and the smell can knock you out in an enclosed space. I've never used a porta potty, but do not imagine emptying one is fun or convenient. Using public facilities is a last but necessary resort at times.
8. Climate control. An exhaust fan on the roof reduces the stealth factor, and fresh air has to be allowed to enter somewhere for there to be any recirculation. This equates to more noise transferring inside and out, and less security. In the winter, you sleep under a ton of blankets fully clothed, or keep your clothes under the sheets with you. The inside air gets very stale, and you can wake up with a headache.
9. Vanxiety. Even with all your stuff locked up, and hidden, whenever you are away from your home, there is the worry factor. I constantly have nightmares that I can't find my Van, or that it has been broken into, or I'm watching tattooed gang members driving it away while drinking my beer and laughing.
10. 'Down by the river' Jokes. People and friends might say they admire your lifestyle and freedom, but you become the guy who lives in his van. It is how people will refer to you. It does not matter if you have twice the intelligence, and prospects as someone else. The stigma of being the Guy who lives in his Van, will lead to bitterness, anger, self imposed isolation, and a general hatred of humanity, despite awareness of it and attempts to mitigate it.
11. Give up any prospects of a meaningful relationship with a woman. She could never impress her friends with you, will never think about staying with you while burbdocking. If you do find one granola enough to accept your lifestyle, can you accept hers?

The only reason I still live like this is because I have a level parking spot on private property in a safe neighborhood. I have access to my own shower and bathroom, and this negates most of the inconveniences of this lifestyle.
But there is still the social stigma, and Vanxiety when parking elsewhere.

If you are to remain in any one area, I urge you to seek a private secure parking spot. It makes a Huge difference. If You are just passing through an area, then it is easier to get away with this lifestyle, but you are still considered an undesirable, no matter your motives and education.

[tylerdurden]

Dude great response. One I am largely a singular social person anyways. I spend most of my time out photographing or at home in room on internet with headphones on.I also am not really to worried about the van guy stigma, I would feel worse being called "the guy who spent 900 dollars on a studio apartment and had nothing to show for it after two years" guy. Two I have considered the sound situation and believe the acoustics can be dealt with rather easily with sound dampening/insulation. I have and currently do live on one of the busiest streets in Chicago, if you have an intimate conversation within 40 feet of my front door I can hear what you're saying. Its loud 24/7 I have actually grown fond of it. Three I will most likely have more permanent parking places for the longer lengths of stay with power hook ups ect. I also plan on bringing a bike and a secondary vehicle like a small scooter to get around town on. I often bike around 5-15 miles a day as is.

Okay enough with the numbers. As far as the uneven parking thing goes I cant imagine with the ridiculous wheelbase of the sprinter that there should be too much extra movement. I also am going to be living in a large industrail space later this year in which I hope to build a near scale space to work out my movement and routines within such a space. I never thought of the paint or antenna or lights being reflective. Perhaps a nice flat paint job or if I do the wrap making it have a non reflective element will help. At the risk of sounding odd I frequently pee in bottles now due to my living situation. Having one bathroom with 3 other people makes for desperate times!

Oh I forgot to note, I already have a strong distaste for humanity! This is why I plan to further alienate myself by living in a van! A relationship?! Dear god man what do you think I am made of money? Haha I will have plenty of time to worry about women once I have an established career in photography, until then they can just fantasize about me. To be honest I think once all this gets started and I being to work abroad I may end up finding a sweet *** job somewhere and finding an apartment there. I mean I can always keep the van and get a place elsewhere, its not like I would be forbidden to have a normal home.

Thanks for your reply. I can only learn from others until I do.

[wrcsixeight]

I mean I can always keep the van and get a place elsewhere, its not like I would be forbidden to have a normal home.

Myself, being a nihilistic misanthrope, really cannot concern myself with the opinions of others.

But,

A problem lies within the fact that the longer one isolates oneself, the longer one lives outside the norm, these others might just decide, if they are in a position to do so, to negatively effect your pursuits.

For example, I have not rented anything on the books for over 12 years.

If I do decide to rent again, what can I put on an application? Try explaining that you've been travelling from a Van for over a decade and see where that gets you. At best your labeled a free spirit, most likely you are labeled an undesirable, unstable vagrant.

It's not too hard to dismiss the Stigma of being the' Down by the river' guy yourself, until one is forced into a position where others can sneer and judge from their High Horse Prisons.

Ducking Fouchbags!!
Now where's that river.

[hinoranger]

I happen to be living in my van right now, and have done so for many years, and I think there are some factors you have not considered on the urban boondocking thing.

1. It sucks. You are breaking the law in most places.
2. Trying to sleep inside with cars going by constantly, or even sporadically significantly reduces the quality of sleep.
3. You are always expecting 'The Knock' of either law enforcement, or an angry homeowner telling you to move on, or a criminal with sinister motives.
4. Unlevel parking. It affects ease of movement and quality of sleep
5. Constantly searching for a new spot, and trying to remain stealthy once there. Not moving around inside so that street lights, or your antenna do not reflect light, and wobble and give you away.
6. Remaining silent. Phone calls? Forget it.
7. Bathroom activities. The best and biggest Pee bottle still needs to be dumped, and the smell can knock you out in an enclosed space. I've never used a porta potty, but do not imagine emptying one is fun or convenient. Using public facilities is a last but necessary resort at times.
8. Climate control. An exhaust fan on the roof reduces the stealth factor, and fresh air has to be allowed to enter somewhere for there to be any recirculation. This equates to more noise transferring inside and out, and less security. In the winter, you sleep under a ton of blankets fully clothed, or keep your clothes under the sheets with you. The inside air gets very stale, and you can wake up with a headache.
9. Vanxiety. Even with all your stuff locked up, and hidden, whenever you are away from your home, there is the worry factor. I constantly have nightmares that I can't find my Van, or that it has been broken into, or I'm watching tattooed gang members driving it away while drinking my beer and laughing.
10. 'Down by the river' Jokes. People and friends might say they admire your lifestyle and freedom, but you become the guy who lives in his van. It is how people will refer to you. It does not matter if you have twice the intelligence, and prospects as someone else. The stigma of being the Guy who lives in his Van, will lead to bitterness, anger, self imposed isolation, and a general hatred of humanity, despite awareness of it and attempts to mitigate it.
11. Give up any prospects of a meaningful relationship with a woman. She could never impress her friends with you, will never think about staying with you while burbdocking. If you do find one granola enough to accept your lifestyle, can you accept hers?

The only reason I still live like this is because I have a level parking spot on private property in a safe neighborhood. I have access to my own shower and bathroom, and this negates most of the inconveniences of this lifestyle.
But there is still the social stigma, and Vanxiety when parking elsewhere.

If you are to remain in any one area, I urge you to seek a private secure parking spot. It makes a Huge difference. If You are just passing through an area, then it is easier to get away with this lifestyle, but you are still considered an undesirable, no matter your motives and education.

99% accurate, in my opinion, yet I would say it can be worthwhile. just takes the right attitude & people skills. Getting a ministorage locker in the place your'e living can be a huge help- even the smallest have almost as much room as the interior of a van and leases are usually month to month.
The ministorage especially helps keep valuables (tools, etc.) in a less vulnerable place.

A good battery bank is a must, usually not too hard to rotate the batteries out one at a time to charge them at work or a friend's house and/or solar.


The part about it being illegal in most places does really truly suck.
I've had my van tagged by graffiti "artists" while I was inside (unknown to them). Hard to justify the risk of confronting a bunch of probably-harmless but scruffy kids by yourself, and hard to come up with a explanation for the circumstances after calling the police. 4 out of the 5 times I've had to deal with the police they were annoyed but ultimately indifferent; then there was the time they came back the next day when I was gone and got me on a trumped-up "Abandoned Vehicle" ticket.
$225 to get truck back from impound. Cost of doing business, I guess.

[UHAULER]

I don't see a problem with a plain white sprinter in an urban area, in fact most people wouldn't give them a second look. If you wanted to you might put a ficticious buisiness name on the side with a phone # that goes straight to a voicemail.

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

I happen to be living in my van right now, and have done so for many years, and I think there are some factors you have not considered on the urban boondocking thing.

1. It sucks. You are breaking the law in most places.
2. Trying to sleep inside with cars going by constantly, or even sporadically significantly reduces the quality of sleep.
3. You are always expecting 'The Knock' of either law enforcement, or an angry homeowner telling you to move on, or a criminal with sinister motives.
4. Unlevel parking. It affects ease of movement and quality of sleep
5. Constantly searching for a new spot, and trying to remain stealthy once there. Not moving around inside so that street lights, or your antenna do not reflect light, and wobble and give you away.
6. Remaining silent. Phone calls? Forget it.
7. Bathroom activities. The best and biggest Pee bottle still needs to be dumped, and the smell can knock you out in an enclosed space. I've never used a porta potty, but do not imagine emptying one is fun or convenient. Using public facilities is a last but necessary resort at times.
8. Climate control. An exhaust fan on the roof reduces the stealth factor, and fresh air has to be allowed to enter somewhere for there to be any recirculation. This equates to more noise transferring inside and out, and less security. In the winter, you sleep under a ton of blankets fully clothed, or keep your clothes under the sheets with you. The inside air gets very stale, and you can wake up with a headache.
9. Vanxiety. Even with all your stuff locked up, and hidden, whenever you are away from your home, there is the worry factor. I constantly have nightmares that I can't find my Van, or that it has been broken into, or I'm watching tattooed gang members driving it away while drinking my beer and laughing.
10. 'Down by the river' Jokes. People and friends might say they admire your lifestyle and freedom, but you become the guy who lives in his van. It is how people will refer to you. It does not matter if you have twice the intelligence, and prospects as someone else. The stigma of being the Guy who lives in his Van, will lead to bitterness, anger, self imposed isolation, and a general hatred of humanity, despite awareness of it and attempts to mitigate it.
11. Give up any prospects of a meaningful relationship with a woman. She could never impress her friends with you, will never think about staying with you while burbdocking. If you do find one granola enough to accept your lifestyle, can you accept hers?

The only reason I still live like this is because I have a level parking spot on private property in a safe neighborhood. I have access to my own shower and bathroom, and this negates most of the inconveniences of this lifestyle.
But there is still the social stigma, and Vanxiety when parking elsewhere.

If you are to remain in any one area, I urge you to seek a private secure parking spot. It makes a Huge difference. If You are just passing through an area, then it is easier to get away with this lifestyle, but you are still considered an undesirable, no matter your motives and education.

Solid! That is effen hilarious, if not only for the truths that are written.

By the time I got to 11, I was almost in tears.

[ihatemybike]

Contractor/Business/Sprinter van scream I have tools that can be sold for crack. I'd want something that looks like a passenger van and wouldn't go bigger than an Express van.

As far as no rent history for a couple years, you say your were living with family or friends. Helps to have a number to call where someone will verify this. Sure they'll be lying, but that's what people that care for you will do.

I'm not too far from you. Might be able to offer a safe haven for maintenance/repairs.

[Momrocks]

Off topic but related since it was in your link to the artist...I LOVE the camper cart!

[tylerdurden]

yea he actually built that camper. its functional. pretty rad idea if you could make it for cheap for homeless people.

i agree that having a contractor style van makes you a target. but like i said space is a big issue with my equipment.

i used to work in elgin at Feeny. I also went to UCLA for about a year. I may ask for your services when it comes time to build if you are available. thanks man!

[r_w]

Do you like hammocks? Best thing I did when working from a van or cargo trailer was put hooks front and rear to hang a hammock on the diagonal. I could sleep over the top of my tools and junk on the floor and unlevel didn't matter. Barely enough room in a normal van, but should be no problem in a Sprinter.