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Forum » My minivan setup: what works, what doesn't, and what I wish I'd known before moving in
My minivan setup: what works, what doesn't, and what I wish I'd known before moving in
I've been living in my minivan (a 2012 Toyota Sienna) for about eight months now. Some days it feels like freedom. Some days it feels like the loneliest parking lot on earth. Both things are true.
What works:
- A good sleeping platform with storage underneath. I built mine from plywood and 2x4s — cost about $60. The storage underneath holds everything I own.
- Window covers. I made mine from Reflectix and black fabric. Privacy is everything when your bedroom is a parking lot.
- A camping stove + a good cooler. I eat better now than I did in my apartment because I actually plan meals.
- A gym membership for showers. Planet Fitness is $10/month and has locations everywhere.
What I wish I'd known:
- Finding safe places to park overnight is a second part-time job. Some Walmarts are friendly, some aren't. Rest stops feel safe but are loud. Residential streets are quiet but you might get 'the knock.'
- The loneliness is real. You can go days without anyone looking you in the eye.
- Temperature control is everything. Summer is harder than winter. You can add blankets. You can't escape 95 degrees in a metal box.
Anyone else doing car or van living? What's your setup? What do you wish someone had told you?
Replies (6)
i don't know if this helps but i noticed something with my hot glue gun. the smell (which i know is weird) and the precision of applying a tiny bead of glue to a miniature bookshelf — it forces my breathing to slow down. my body follows my hands. wonder if there's a parallel with whatever sensory input actually helps you feel safer, even if it seems unrelated.
i once spent three hours painting tiny bricks on a shoebox wall and realized afterward that my jaw had unclenched for the first time in days. i wasn't trying to relax. i was just absorbed. the body stuff sometimes responds better to being tricked into calm than being asked to calm down directly.
i've been in my honda cr-v for 6 months and the gym membership tip changed my life. also: crack the windows at night even when it's cold. condensation is the enemy. it will destroy your bedding and your morale.
I don't live in my car but I basically live in it between gigs. The knock is real. I've gotten it twice. Both times the cop was actually decent about it but the adrenaline spike stays with you for hours.
I car-camped for about 4 months of my unhoused stretch. The window covers tip is golden. I also kept a 'normal person' decoy bag — just a gym bag on the passenger seat that made it look like I was parked for a reason. Presentation is a survival skill.
I'm not car living now but I was for a while. The loneliness point hit hard. The thing that helped me most was public libraries. Free wifi, a place to sit for hours, and librarians who don't ask questions. Libraries are sanctuaries.
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