living in a truck or van?

[John H.]

Uncle Rico.

[jimcav]

I started this idea thinking about RV, but had no idea they cost so much. And for those who say "living" out of a van--i will basically just sleep in it. I will work a long day and then hit the gym/pool, or a hike, or a ride, or maybe the community center. After 3-4 days i will be driving home, 3 days later repeat. It may get old, but so do jobs i neither love nor feel particularly valued at...making a little more i can hopefully do it less.

Originally Posted by 11.4

This is Ridgecrest, i.e., China Lake? Ungodly freezing cold in the winter and 125 all afternoon in the summer. You might think about that. I spent a lot of time there a very few years ago.

My first reaction was ... don't do it. But military bases are different, folks, and all kinds of things go there that wouldn't be acceptable or safe elsewhere. So in principle I wouldn't advise you not to.

But, ... this is Ridgecrest: You really won't like the weather extremes, or the blowing dust storms, or the degree to which ants, scorpions, centipedes, and other things find their way into your car if you're living in it. Ridgecrest is very cheap and we had engineers getting half a house in Ridgecrest or Inyokern for under $200 a month. The post is gradually downsizing and most people have nowhere to go. You could probably, for six months, find someone with a house who would lease you a bedroom and even a bath. And for not much more than the RV park fees on the base.

Oddly enough, as cheap as housing is in the area, food isn't. It all has to be dragged up from Los Angeles or San Bernardino. And fast food is the same price as anywhere, or even a bit more. So having a kitchen can save you as much as you'd save by living in your van.

I've driven past the RV camp in the base. It's not crime prone and pretty secure, and a nice mix of people living there. In other words, not a slum per se. But most of the people there have RVs or trailers with air conditioning and heating and toilets and the other amenities you won't have in your van.

If you get the job, there are great MTB rides up the roads into the BLM lands into the Mojave mountains to the west. And the paved road rides aren't bad on a road bike either. Ridgecrest has a couple good bike shops. There's a sushi restaurant that's half good that does all you can eat for $19 as of 8 or 9 pm. Be sure to have arm and leg SPF sleeves and a cap under your helmet. It's virtually adjacent to Death Valley, if that gives you any idea.

Hope this helps. Actually been there. Local conditions prevail.

[PeregrineA1]

I know about this.....

I spent the better(?) part of two years in 22' trailer in the So Cal desert, Florida, and North Carolina. The adventure was fun for the first maybe 6-8 months. Really just OK for the next 3-4 and then it got cold in NC. I got an apartment.

This was all chasing Milcon work around the country. Except for Florida (2 months) I could escape to conventional housing on the weekend.

The desert portion was OK when Wx allowed for outdoor activities. Spring and Fall maybe 50% of the time. Wind limited generally. Summer = heat...too much. Winter brought cold and wind (more anon).

Currently we have projects at NAWSCL. We have had 4 productive days since 12-20 due to holidays and Wx. Wind and rain stop construction.

Our QC guy rents a decent house in town for $500/month.

I've done some road and MTB riding. Road is decent, but limited routes if you want ride without driving. MTB is good. Riding is at night June to Mid-September.

It is a unique place....


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[William]

Epic Surfers Camper Van With Dashboard Herb Garden:
This is an incredible camper van conversion that you need to see! What started as an ex-ambulance has turned into a stunning home on wheels, with room for the surf-boards and even a small herb garden in the dashboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQFkeSeWkzo



Epic 4x4 Survival Expedition Van / Home On Wheels:
This van is a wonderful example of great small space design! It's a comfortable space for living, but still can be taken to the most adventurous of locations!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaHayhsnJ0k









William

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by 11.4

This is Ridgecrest, i.e., China Lake?
...
Ridgecrest is very cheap and we had engineers getting half a house in Ridgecrest or Inyokern for under $200 a month. The post is gradually downsizing and most people have nowhere to go. You could probably, for six months, find someone with a house who would lease you a bedroom and even a bath. And for not much more than the RV park fees on the base.

Well, heck. If that's what the local rates are, I'd change my recommendation and try to find a room or other shared housing. Access to a full kitchen and a place to store stuff is valuable.

Shop for food in bigger cities. Make friends with others by bringing up Trader Joe's, etc.

And if I head out to DV, I'll try to drop you a line.

[carpediemracing]

I couldn't tell you what it's like. However there was a guy that worked at the shop back in the day that was definitely into doing whatever it took. When he was without a place to sleep for a while he slept in his van. Worked out every morning at the Y, showered, etc. He'd do stretches like 6 months at a time. If it was really bad out he just slept in the shop.

For the van he got a bunch of bike box ends (last 6" or so of the boxes), taped them together, and put them up by the window and across the front. Looked like a van full of bike boxes. Back then people didn't break your windows for that. Also he was parked in front of the shop so it looked like a shop truck/etc.

When the weather was nicer he'd sleep elsewhere. He tried to find interesting spots. There was a billboard just next to the shop - he slept up there a couple times, just to see what it was like. He said it was surprising how many people were out there.

When I was looking into making my trailer into a registration thing, I found a lot of "stealth" camper type of posts, where people converted 7x16 or so trailers into campers.

My understanding is that you can park in Walmart parking lots? Not sure if that's reality.

[11.4]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

Inyokern is, as 11.4 said, a place of extremes. I've been on long-ish shoots there and even in hotels it isn't the easiest, most pleasant place to be (except for the two hours a day when Magic Light is in full effect at the airstrip.) Love to shoot there, hate to be there.

On the one hand, I'd say go for van life. All sorts of smaller, alternative living situations are out there and can make sense. But on the other hand, be sure the location is workable for you. Inyokern has a tough climate. Whatever you decide, all the best.

The vistas of the Mojave mountains and the desert itself, plus the amazing lighting at sunrise and sunset, make for the best car ads ever. It's surprising how many of them are shot around here. Last time I was out here, about 2-1/2 years ago, Matthew McConaughey was there for almost a month shooting a series of car ads.

You're still a long way from Yosemite. The Mojave Mountains are very broad and the roads to get into the really pretty parts require a serious 4WD vehicle -- like a well-equipped Wrangler or more, not just an AWD sedan. We were blowing up pieces of desert and spent a lot of hours on those hills. Those are survival-oriented trips -- there was a very experienced ultra marathoner who went out for a run there every day and one day simply didn't come back; he was found a week later right on one of the BLM roads.

There's one decent hotel in Ridgecrest. They have photos of all the aircraft and missiles they've tested there -- gifts from the engineering teams from the various contractors who always stay there while working on the weapons. Legend is that many of the photos were actually classified at the time they went up on the wall, but nobody minded. Certainly I've had some very interesting and classified conversations in their coffee shop.

I'm not saying any of this to dissuade you from taking work there. You'll learn to drive to Palmdale to get to the nearest In-n-Out or Chipotle and to do your serious grocery shopping. I drove up from LA many times at night and it was a rare night that I didn't hit a rabbit on the highway. And you'd see swarms of snakes at night as they came out onto the asphalt to stay warm. Exciting place and truly God's country, as the saying goes. Bring bikes and ride a lot to stay sane and enjoy it. Remember there are few roads out of Ridgecrest and everybody drives at 30 mph over the speed limit on them, mostly drunk. Lots of cyclists have been hit at night there; someone told me to drive away if I hit a cyclist because the cyclist would have high blood alcohol and be a minority of one kind or another, and the police had so many hit and run cyclist fatalities that they didn't even investigate them. Just a warning.

Mostly, do think seriously about a nicer way to live than your van. The environment is not friendly.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by 11.4

There's one decent hotel in Ridgecrest.

One time we were in town it was completely full for the first two nights, so we had to stay in what was the 2nd worst hotel I've ever been in. (The absolute worst was an equally dingy room in Lexington Park MD, but that one got last prize because it was also a smoking room, and I am not a smoker - it was horrible.) Luckily the decent hotel opened up after two nights and we cleared out of the dump.

[jimcav]

I spent a month there TAD a few years back, but of course it was Feb! i hope to try it, and if it isn't fun i won't do it long. it isn't by necessity, just want to try, and wondered about the collective experiences here on the forum.
thanks again
jim

Originally Posted by 11.4

The vistas of the Mojave mountains and the desert itself, plus the amazing lighting at sunrise and sunset, make for the best car ads ever. It's surprising how many of them are shot around here. Last time I was out here, about 2-1/2 years ago, Matthew McConaughey was there for almost a month shooting a series of car ads.

You're still a long way from Yosemite. The Mojave Mountains are very broad and the roads to get into the really pretty parts require a serious 4WD vehicle -- like a well-equipped Wrangler or more, not just an AWD sedan. We were blowing up pieces of desert and spent a lot of hours on those hills. Those are survival-oriented trips -- there was a very experienced ultra marathoner who went out for a run there every day and one day simply didn't come back; he was found a week later right on one of the BLM roads.

There's one decent hotel in Ridgecrest. They have photos of all the aircraft and missiles they've tested there -- gifts from the engineering teams from the various contractors who always stay there while working on the weapons. Legend is that many of the photos were actually classified at the time they went up on the wall, but nobody minded. Certainly I've had some very interesting and classified conversations in their coffee shop.

I'm not saying any of this to dissuade you from taking work there. You'll learn to drive to Palmdale to get to the nearest In-n-Out or Chipotle and to do your serious grocery shopping. I drove up from LA many times at night and it was a rare night that I didn't hit a rabbit on the highway. And you'd see swarms of snakes at night as they came out onto the asphalt to stay warm. Exciting place and truly God's country, as the saying goes. Bring bikes and ride a lot to stay sane and enjoy it. Remember there are few roads out of Ridgecrest and everybody drives at 30 mph over the speed limit on them, mostly drunk. Lots of cyclists have been hit at night there; someone told me to drive away if I hit a cyclist because the cyclist would have high blood alcohol and be a minority of one kind or another, and the police had so many hit and run cyclist fatalities that they didn't even investigate them. Just a warning.

Mostly, do think seriously about a nicer way to live than your van. The environment is not friendly.

[HenryA]

A camper of some kind seems like it might be a business expense? Tax considerations might make buying something that you leave in a campground more appealing. Converting a box trailer to a camper is pretty popular these days. Or you could buy a big van (one that qualifies under the tax code and then build it out) and accelerate the depreciation under §179? I'd work all the legit angles on this.

[jimcav]

Originally Posted by HenryA

A camper of some kind seems like it might be a business expense? Tax considerations might make buying something that you leave in a campground more appealing. Converting a box trailer to a camper is pretty popular these days. Or you could buy a big van (one that qualifies under the tax code and then build it out) and accelerate the depreciation under §179? I'd work all the legit angles on this.

i don't know much about such deductions but will research it if i get the job!

[hokoman]

I have wanted a sprinter based rv forever - my cpa says it can be considered a second residence. I would get a used roadtrek agile (smallest one) set up the longest payment plan on it (cheapest) and if you hate it down the road, just sell it. They are expensive, but hold their value incredibly well. Bathroom, stove, kitchen, tv, tons of storage. Mpg is pretty good too if you have a light foot and hwy miles (20ish)...

For me, and you might be different, I think after a couple days of working, there might be a night you just want to unwind and relax in a comfortable space. I follow a ton of van conversion instagram accounts and belong to forums, and for a quick weekend camping outing they look great, but week after week, I think it would get old. Just my opinion... you only live once, be comfortable!

I know, you can prob rent a room for less than a sprinter conversion, but you can't take that room anywhere!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by jimcav

not that far from death valley. i have the 2 pads, very comfy and a great old down snow lion sleeping bag i've had since i was a kid. the summer heat worries me more

the base has nice facilities so i can work out and shower before work, so it would be far easier to sleep in the van or truck, vs drive off to some campground nightly. For a break i might tent camp now and then as there are some cool camp sites on the way to the kern river valley area...and trona pinnacles is near too

ChinaLake..flown in and around there many times when stationed at Pt Mugu(VX-4). Nice little town, high desert.

Who you working for? A squadron? Lots of USN test stuff there.

[stephenmarklay]

Originally Posted by azrider

My little sister and her boyfriend live out of a van roughly 4-5 months out of the year. They're just pissed they didn't start doing it earlier (she's 30)

They even started their own company so others could 'try it out'

I say do it and don't look back

http://www.roamrentals.com/

I am just the kind of guy that would do that. I bet I could even convince my wife for a few months out of the year but with a coupe of kids in the house I don’t think that is happening

[stephenmarklay]

Actually, I did this for a brief period. I think it was about 6 weeks or so. I too was working on a base that had a gym.

I found campground close by and road my bike to work. Nobody was the wiser.

I actually loved it