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I lived out of a minivan and then a larger fan for 2.5 years while writing software and loved it.

It was one of the most freeing and enriching experiences of my life, and was so much better than living in a stationary building.

I traveled all around the country and was still able to remain productive. In fact, I was more productive and motivated, because my life was actually interesting and different day-to-day.

It was sometimes uncomfortable, especially in the beginning when I learned the ropes, but nothing too bad. (This is in the U.S., where it's safe to do in majority of places.)

In my gradual cutting of monthly upkeep expenditures I had to give it up in favor of more detached living, but it was great, and I would do it again if I didn't have to do paid work to accomplish it.



So, something that always seems to be missing from these blog posts: what do you do about showering / bathroom? What happens when it gets into cold wintery weather?


A video linked to the post answers both questions, in a pretty elegant setup, for an 6m single-occupant van:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-DgMYB6L0c

Bathing:

- Sponge bath, external shower hookup, or an internal shower, are common. Using gym / campground / community centre facilities is also frequent, loss of these a major fallout of Covid. Taking a "navy shower" minimises water use. There are recirculating showers (with filters) used by some, and instant-on-demand hot water heaters (used by most). The video shows a bathroom built into cabinets which opens for use, shower curtail is pulled up. Fixed-wall stalls exist but really chew into space, often double as closet space.

- Cassette or composting toilets latter w/ urine diverter, are common. Again, using available facilities is often preferred.

- Winter is easy: a small heater and insulation. Condensation is a bigger worry than cold, especially against the front windshield. Summer heat is generally worse --- keeping a metal box under full sun cool is a challenge. Especially where solar exposure is needed.


I'll blog about this next. Add yourself to the newsletter at https://ghuntley.com/signup to get it in your inbox.


i signed up for your newsletter and look forward to your post eagerly.


for bathrooms, i can usually find one. for showering, i used to find them too... but more recently showers are just something i gave up. i live indoors atm and i have access to a shower pretty much 24/7, and i,m just not interested.

i don,t think it is missing, it is one of the most frequently asked questions, and also one of the most frequently answered.


Could you please share your monthly expenses. I found this fascinating.


I try to avoid them.




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