This video really lays out all of the potential issues and is great. One of the things that jumped out immediately in my mind about van life is, sure your rent is gone, but typically most people live near work so this gas fees a month are pretty low. Now that your house is your car, you've got to move it ALL THE TIME, so your gas expenditures are going to double if not triple. And with Starling (for dependable internet) and constant car maintenance going up, youre almost going to break even if not being just slightly cheaper than living in house. UNLESS you go the actual rustic/minimalist van life route. Most TH-cam van lifers live pretty lush in their decked out sprinter vans etc.
People get too “over prepared” when they start this life. They invest in a huge van and not take into consideration of maintenance, gas, and how much they bring attention to themselves . I started off in a prius so it was fairly easy to understand what my needs were. I had an issue with storage so i bought a thule(cargo roof rack) thats where i put my clothes in plastic bins and also where I put my camper stove and colaspable talbe to set up to cook anywhere. So that way my car inside dosent feel like a hoarders car filled to brim with only room for me to sit. Also it’s easier to break a window than it is to break into a thule cargo top, so I can put my valuables like my electric generator or other things when i visit a big city and explore without worries my expensive things could be stolen. I aslo took out my front passenger seat and bought a yeti cooler that fits perfectly giving me more open room and a place to keep sandwich stuff and anything else i need to preserve for cooking. which with the yeti i only need to buy ice every 4 days. So if you are good at problem solving this is actually fun to figure what your needs are, and how to make it economical. And mainly how to make the inconvenience of car life convenient! if there is a will there is a way.
I'm super grateful to have the job I have. I work a a paper mill that never closes. So I can Shower and use the bathroom there and i get free ice for my cooler!Plus, they have a ton of parking lots so I always sleep in my car at work. This also let's me pick up extra days since I'm always there!
Being a tall guy, living in a car is not an option for me. I know one guy who restored a 68 Dodge Van. Has a real shower, toilet, comfortable bed area, nice kitchen with refrigerator etc. It cost him about $9,000 to do it himself. Has an extremely great sneaky solar system that folds out. He has air-conditioning and insulated properly. Here in Houston is gets extremely hot and humid. He has no issues parking in the city. He now travels to the northwest for summers. I think people over think the lifestyle and let things get in their heads too much. If your vehicle looks like a homeless hobo, you'll get messed with. But if you make it difficult to figure out, you'll be safe for the night. Don't stay in the same spot day after day. If you're staying in one city. Create a really good rotation list of parking spots. There's no reason to be isolated. There's free things to do everywhere and you can interact with people. Just roll with it and have fun!
The goal with this lifestyle should be earning annual buffer payments of rent that can't be paid. 5 years of this lifestyle should fix any problem of affording an apartment.
Sometimes i want to go living in the car but sometimes not very big detition with your videos learning little more better , thanks 🙏 you are so nice be safe
I do cook in my car. I now even make soups and cook beans from scratch now that I have a Stanley thermal cooker. You just boil whatever you are going to cook for 5 minutes, put it in the cooker which takes no heat or electricity, time it and forget it. If you put the beans in the cooker in the morning they are ready by dinner time. Soups take much less time.
When I lived in my car, what I liked most about it...... was I liked the freedom (or atleast feeling of being free) more than the comfort of a house / apartment. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time alone, and got used to the idea of entertaining myself / inventing things to do. It could be going to the library to read / use their computers, ride a bike, play video games. I worked an entry level IT job at the time. One day they catered pizza. I took 2 slices to my desk, one I ate there and the other I saved. Then I took the pizza with me to go ( to eater for dinner that night). The way I saw it was, I was going to find some place to park my car, listen to a podcast on my cell phone and eat a free dinner. But this means, not having my own dining table to eat at, nor would I have my own tv in my own living room to sit in. The thing is.... to Prefer the nomadic life style over the comfort of a typical, living in an apartment life style
My friend lives in his Scion xB and pays 200 a month to park in a parking garage in the downtown area. He said he got tired of hunting for a place to park every night. it’s crazy how much money that guy has saved living that life. If I wasn’t happily married I would totally do it.
Good video. Love listening to your perspective and experience. I was curious about your comment on where to find a kitchen. I’m wondering if you meant at a friends or family home or if you meant a kitchen that you rent?
Great video Ava! You're really collected! The only two times I got the knock was at a hospital because my dog was moving around and at the Asheville Walmart. Thanks again for the video!
I love how it's working for you. I might be there one day but now every time I go on a trip all I can think about is coming home. I do love my van though
I would stay mobile when you choose to sleep at at least 5 different places switch it up also. Actually don't keep a routine when choosing a place to sleep. Keep it moving. It will also keep you safe. If you stay at same place people will recognize your car and get nosey. Actually people sometimes get jealous of you because they know your not paying high rent yes they get jealous.
If u don’t mind me asking, what do u do for work and how much do u make? Also how long do u plan on living out of your car? I’m very impressed by your ability to do this 👍🏻
I live in my prius full time. For me it's space. I get tired of going to my storage unit every night after work to get clothes. I have the 35 can Yeti tundra and I wish so bad I could get by without a cooler but that would mean even more trips to the store. It's nice to reach back and get a cold soda. The ice thing too gets to be a burden
I live in my 2021 Highlander Hybrid and travel around the country. I have a small fridge that's plugged into my power station, which I can charge from my car as I'm driving.
Where do you urinate when your car camping??? I mean, most people have to go during the night or first thing upon waking up. If I was car camping I would have to go at least 3 times throughout the night.
You seem like such a sweet girl. Your family or closest friends probably think a lot about you staying as safe as possible, I would imagine. I'm sure you're as smart and capable as one would need to be to make it work. Just be careful.
Well....I don't know about the car life vs. home life, but I sure can tell you this lady is ADORABLE and pretty sharp as a tack!!!!....."SHE'S SLICK!!!!" LOL! 👍😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
I will he living in my car next spring. I'm doing it for 3 years so I can travel and work on my photography. The plus is I'm in Minnesota and here there are alot of places to park and nobody cares what your doing.
I travel through Europe camping in my car, and the biggest downside for me is to not have a full kitchen, especially when it rains and I don't feel like eating cold dishes (again)
What an interesting lifestyle! Congratulations to you for making it work so well. Do you stay overnight in different spots every night or rotate? This lifestyle is so very interesting.
I do rotate around so that I don’t draw attention to myself in any particular place! But I like to plan it out a little bit so I don’t have to overthink where I’m going to go each night. Thanks for checking out my videos!
@Ava Carl I been doing video interview with people who been in there car if you don’t mind if I can collaborate with/together /interview you if that fine with you
The downside from my perspective is long term goals. If you don't have any ok..cool. But a young person can do this and be down with this lifestyle. Do you want to do it at 50? Maybe you do. I bought my house at 27. Yeah..maintenance and everything associated with home ownership. That was in the late 80s. Paid it off when I was 47. No house payment since 2008. Taxes..insurance...but you will have nominal expenses still in a van/car. Different strokes ...but investing in something early on does have its long term rewards. My house has increased in value 5x what I paid for it. Chances are that wouldnt happen with a vehicle. But...your videos are intriguing and interesting nonetheless.
Ya but the money u can save living in your car u could invest it into stocks that could way more than 5 x over the course of 20 plus years. That said no one does it for 20 years. Ppl do this for may a few months to at best a few years so they can save 1000’s every month on things like rent.
Ava, why don't you come and live with me in Upstate New York. I live alone and have 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and plenty of other rooms where you can play your music.
Waz sup car dweller, so we meet again I've been living in my car for 7 years now. It started out by accident. Well actually, I'm a party boy so I would frequently sleep in my car when I'm driving tired. Waking up in the morning when the Sun hits your car n melt your face is the worse. My face would be so oily and waking up looking around to not noticing to where you are at. It is the same feeling as if you had taken a nap on a car ride n wakes up suddenly but you are in a delirium state, looking around to see where you are as you mind is trying to putting things into places. I wouldn't sleep twice in a night though. So yeah, I ad experiences even b4 I decided to live in my car. I considered myself as an operation manager because that is what we are, we managed our situation. I am like a bird, I have time table to what I do on a daily basis. A bird will not one day day that it decides not to wake up n eat for the day. The sun does not decides one day that it will not rise. We are robots, we just go with the flow. My routine fits me well n it goes something like this. Monday morning is job 1 Off 6:30pm. I then go look for food. My entertainment is social media n TH-cam on my fon. By 9pm, I take a nap, charging my fon so my alarm goes off at 11:45pm to start the midnight shift. Off 8am n it is time to freshen up then breakfast then nap then 9:30am day shift again. This is my mon to Fri lifestyle once I'm off Friday, I'll drive 2 hours back to where my parents are where I live in my garage. COVID 19 protocol so I've been living in my man cave since the pandemic n it grew on me so I'm stuck there. I fish to kill time. I get invited to my friend houses for parties. I still live a normal weekend life. By Sunday night, it is prep time, I would hit up Walmart to buy around $30 or so worth of groceries for the week n the cycle repeats itself. My car now just hits 400k miles. I make $120k a year on my two jobs. I could add Uber into the mix but that's pushing it. The money just stacks n stacks in my bank n I'm still feeling poor lol I'm never poor as I get payed weekly for one job n bi weekly for the other. So one week is 1 check n the other is 2 checks. With hardly any bills, what am I going to do with all of my money? I'm a hustler undercover. No one, Friends, coworker, boss, parents, dates do not know what I do or how I'm living. My car doesn't look like a guy who's living in his car. I carry what I need n whatever fits in my trunk. Living a double life is kinda cool. Makes me feel like a superhero sorta. I'm only 45 years old but I'm planning to cut everything down once I'm settled down with a wife n kid n play house. I have enough to pay off a house right now. My daily hustle is too good of a cash cow to give it up. I do have a life. It just that I tend to learn how to hide it well. I just got back from Vegas. Reno was the week b4 n Minnesota was last month. If you living in your car because you are poor, I feel for you. It is a necessary means to come by till your next big break.
You sound level headed. Many have unrealistic expectations abut living in a car or van. You still work, know where to go for things you need and are confident in yourself so you will make it work. That is one trait that if you give up easily or expect others to pay your way, it will fail, as you tube in not a big income for many channels.
*Newly Updated Safety Suggestions; I just happened to see your channel, and others similar channels recently, and I think that you, and others sharing their actual reality, and some have expressed some of the up, and down sides to van, RV, or vehicle living. Although, I just noticed your TH-cam channel, and other similar channels, displaying van living. I just wanted to remind everyone to Aware Be of your surroundings and Alert, I just posted this anyway to help anyone who may benefit from these suggestions I believe that it is very helpful, and beneficial to others who may be thinking about this type of living without actually thinking through, about the some of the realistic problems that could occur with vehicle or van living etc... People need to know what up sides there are, as well as some of the down sides of vehicle living. I believe this channel, and other channels have been informative to others, including myself. Although, I am NOT living in a vehicle or anything like this. I feel that you , and others TH-camrs sharing this with your viewers will be very helpful. I wish you ALL the Best with your traveling endeavors. I shared this with several other travelers, as I watched their TH-cam channel for the first time, as yours, and I shared with them this information that may be helpful to you as well to others. Therefore, I would also like to suggest a few Safety tips, and items that may help you, or others in your viewing audience. Although, you may have knowledge of this already, I am not sure, so I hope this will be helpful to you, others or someone. *Keep a Extra working cellphone with you or in your vehicle. You can purchase inexpensive phone with a very low monthly price between 25, 35, 45, dollars a month with unlimited data and text, and some have Nationwide coverage Do your research for the best fit for you Consider Carrying Several Extra portable cellphone phone chargers, and cables. Consider theses items: *Mini portable power charging station. I have also seen outdoor portable solar powered power stations, that can be recharged from sunlight this may be very useful to have, to power your devices. *Invest in a Cellular signal booster for outdoor use, and camping situations to boost or amplify your cell signal and reception. Consider also the purchase of a WiFi signal booster to also boost your WiFi signal. Research to see what you prefer. *Very Inportant: Invest in a SOS distress electronic signal device, this a kind of device can send out a distress signal with your exact location. There are various types of these devices, and including devices that can be used when boating, or camping situations. *Some have emergency Strobe lights SOS signaling with location alerts, and location updates that can be sent to your family, and emergency first responders. Some can be synchronized with your smart watch or phone. There are some satellite SOS texting messaging, locator devices that will send messages with your phone even if there isn’t any cellular signal, or WiFi. With this device your can still text, and communicate with others in a emergency satellite transmission. Check online, for various emergency SOS products, some are small to fit in the palm of your hand. You can check online, and on Amazon, research what SOS devices will be a good fit for you. *Mini portable vehicle battery jumper charger *vehicle battery jumper cables *Vehicle Jumper cables PLEASE BE AWARE that in the WINTER vehicle Batteries fail many times in very cold weather conditions. Vehicle batteries drain more often in the winter months. Please Keep a vehicle battery portable jumper pack, this is a device that can jumper or boost your vehicles battery yourself without another vehicle. If you have a older battery in your vehicle, Please have it tested or replace it, and consider the purchase a new vehicle battery with higher Cold Cranking Amps rating. *Keep a Fire extinguisher handy *Smoke detectors, and Carbon monoxide detectors can be helpful *Mounted Dashboard camera front and rear possibly. Exterior vehicle cameras Interior vehicle cameras *Flashlights or pluggin spotlights *Portable spotlights, and lanterns Keep a few whistles around with you, and in your vehicle possibly in your vehicle’s center console *A set of long range 2 way radios, walkie talkies, to communicate with others during trips, some have 100 mile radius keep for emergencies. Use your own discretion regarding the use of any weapons. Don’t forget to bring Bear Spray Pepper spray Where is allowed Purchase a couple canisters just in case and keep it with you If you own a drone you can use it to survey your area for animals etc. However, Please Be Safe and Beware of your Surroundings. Stay Alert, and Be Safe even when stopping at Rest stops, Truck Stops, and conducting your various tasks. Keep in often contact with your family, friends etc. Keep up with the latest Weather Updates, beware and prepare for unexpected Weather events and conditions. I would suggest *NOT* to travel to locations without internet, cellular service in the Winter, the reason is that weather conditions can change quickly, and you absolutely DO NOT want a vehicle break down, or malfunction, and not have the availability to contact your family, and or emergency road assistance or emergency services. Safety is Paramount. Keep your vehicle gas filled Don’t chance your Safety by running your vehicle fuel or gas too close to Empty. Fill it up anyway, it will save you alot of time, and headache later on. Remember to keep up on routine maintenance, check your tires for wear, keep up with your fluids for your vehicle, like oil levels, antifreeze coolant, Please carry extra (oil)(washer fluid), (brake fluid), (antifreeze). You will need extra Winshield Washer fluid because of the ever changing Weather conditions, especially in slushy wet roads. Because you will Be driving more often in dusty, dirty windy, varying weather conditions. Your windshield will gather dust and debris from long term driving. Also, Remember Because you are on the road riding for sometimes very long distances, and long periods of time, I would suggest investing in 2 sets of tires, and a spare, the extra set to rotate. Check the mileage ratings on your tires they all very. Conduct visual inspections of your tires often, check for damage, wearing, air pressure, etc Keep a pressure gauge to check your tires pressure and a tire pump. Electric, Portable tire pump. Keep towing insurance to Be Safe if you ever need it. It Doesn’t cost much try to get National coverage if available, or where you will be traveling. Keep Extra financing, and savings for any unexpected issues, vehicle repairs, and overnight stays, in a emergency or if you need to rest indoors. Keep Enjoying Yourself, Keep Enjoying the outdoors, and Nature Just..Please continue to Be Positive, Safe, and Alert.. Wishing Success, Well-being and Happiness You All. God Bless You, and everyone Traveling, or living in their vehicles, Vans, RVs, etc. Please Be Safe..... God Be With You... Author Advocate for Humanity, Safety Advocate Jason Sandifer, Michigan 10/06/2022, 10/02/2022 10/08/2022, 10/10/2022, 10/16/2022, 10/23/2022 11/07/2022
@@AvaCarl99 lol I commented that on your last video. Your awesome and Thanks for keeping me company as I live in my dodge grand caravan in north Seattle
Yeah, I highly recommend an EV. Not only you get the climate control, but you also get free place to park and sleep. I've plugged into a free charger overnight many times and slept while charging. Or in a parking spot next to Tesla chargers. Nobody will bat an eye at an EV in a charging station. You can also use appliances like fridge, microwaves, electric blanket and instant pot in an EV. It is basically a 60kwh Jackery on wheels. Bolt EUV can be had for less than gas cars after EV incentives. And Tesla Model 3 base model is now about the same price as Mazda 3 after incentives. Some EVs and hybrids come with AC sockets, so you don't have to install an inverter. Good luck!
I saw your videos months ago, I am elderly and forced to live n my car a camper van 100,00 more or less so that is not a option. Could u plz tell me what it was u have as far as a battery to charge everything. Thanks n advance, hope u respond. Desperate here.
She uses a portable power station. There are many brands available on Amazon and can cost as low as $130 from what I’ve seen. The brand she uses is flashfish but Jackery is also a popular brand
I've watched several of these type video's from TH-camrs. I'm somewhat confused on the why are they doing it. Are they just wanting to do this temporarily for whatever reason? Such as they want to travel and this is the cheapest way to do it. Or are they living in a car for what I would think would be the actual reason. Financial reasons. They have been forced into the car because housing costs, are so out of sync with reality in this country. So high that they really could not afford a place to live, utilities, food, taxes etc etc. So really what is going on with this living in the car lifestyle? Could someone explain this to me please. I'm curious is there still an address in these people's life, that they can go back to when this lifestyle is to emotionally draining for them.
Everything needs a permanent address for taxes and snail mail. Some people, like myself, use a relative's address in a tax free state. Others use a mail box service who will open and scan your mail for you for a fee. As for the why, it varies from person to person. For myself, it's freedom to travel and not worry about a house that's mostly empty.
I live in my car mon-fri and man these recent heatwaves were rough!!! I would wake up drenched or not sleep at all! There were nights were i would turn on the car to keep AC on cause i could NOT deal lol
I would say you’re less free living in a car. Every day is a new challenge of where to sleep. If her car breaks that means her house is out of commission. Living in a car is not freedom. People do it out of desperation for a reason.
@@annsmith7196 This is the biggest fallacy of living in your car. Personal finance is not taught in the schools. Much of what they say is trivially untrue. A mortgage is literally saving money. But they don't think of it that way. Cars depreciate. Houses appreciate. These are grave lifetime decisions, amounting to the choice of being poor when you are old. But hey, it's a free country.
Thanks for sharing your experiences ❤
This video really lays out all of the potential issues and is great. One of the things that jumped out immediately in my mind about van life is, sure your rent is gone, but typically most people live near work so this gas fees a month are pretty low. Now that your house is your car, you've got to move it ALL THE TIME, so your gas expenditures are going to double if not triple. And with Starling (for dependable internet) and constant car maintenance going up, youre almost going to break even if not being just slightly cheaper than living in house. UNLESS you go the actual rustic/minimalist van life route. Most TH-cam van lifers live pretty lush in their decked out sprinter vans etc.
Depends on where you are. In some places rent is huge. Do most people really live that close to their jobs? Especially the suburbaners
Rent if a rundown apartment is currently $2600 per month. It’s entire salary of many working folks. It’s insane, America needs a revolution.
Very enjoyed & good idea.
I don’t live in a vehicle but I do enjoy watching your videos and hearing about your experience. ☺️
People get too “over prepared” when they start this life. They invest in a huge van and not take into consideration of maintenance, gas, and how much they bring attention to themselves . I started off in a prius so it was fairly easy to understand what my needs were. I had an issue with storage so i bought a thule(cargo roof rack) thats where i put my clothes in plastic bins and also where I put my camper stove and colaspable talbe to set up to cook anywhere. So that way my car inside dosent feel like a hoarders car filled to brim with only room for me to sit. Also it’s easier to break a window than it is to break into a thule cargo top, so I can put my valuables like my electric generator or other things when i visit a big city and explore without worries my expensive things could be stolen. I aslo took out my front passenger seat and bought a yeti cooler that fits perfectly giving me more open room and a place to keep sandwich stuff and anything else i need to preserve for cooking. which with the yeti i only need to buy ice every 4 days. So if you are good at problem solving this is actually fun to figure what your needs are, and how to make it economical. And mainly how to make the inconvenience of car life convenient! if there is a will there is a way.
With the Thule, you're no longer stealth. Do you have any room for a solar panel on top?
@@larryc1616 Solar panels are even less stealth than Thule
I'm super grateful to have the job I have. I work a a paper mill that never closes. So I can Shower and use the bathroom there and i get free ice for my cooler!Plus, they have a ton of parking lots so I always sleep in my car at work. This also let's me pick up extra days since I'm always there!
Being a tall guy, living in a car is not an option for me. I know one guy who restored a 68 Dodge Van. Has a real shower, toilet, comfortable bed area, nice kitchen with refrigerator etc. It cost him about $9,000 to do it himself. Has an extremely great sneaky solar system that folds out. He has air-conditioning and insulated properly. Here in Houston is gets extremely hot and humid. He has no issues parking in the city. He now travels to the northwest for summers. I think people over think the lifestyle and let things get in their heads too much. If your vehicle looks like a homeless hobo, you'll get messed with. But if you make it difficult to figure out, you'll be safe for the night. Don't stay in the same spot day after day. If you're staying in one city. Create a really good rotation list of parking spots. There's no reason to be isolated. There's free things to do everywhere and you can interact with people. Just roll with it and have fun!
I’m surprised nobody found out about his lifestyle and got caught. I personally couldn’t be as stealthy.
The goal with this lifestyle should be earning annual buffer payments of rent that can't be paid. 5 years of this lifestyle should fix any problem of affording an apartment.
Sometimes i want to go living in the car but sometimes not very big detition with your videos learning little more better , thanks 🙏 you are so nice be safe
I believe living in your Car 🚗 or Truck 🛻, is very very very easy to live more than a Van 🚐 and all, my Brothers and Sisters, and Ava.
I do cook in my car. I now even make soups and cook beans from scratch now that I have a Stanley thermal cooker. You just boil whatever you are going to cook for 5 minutes, put it in the cooker which takes no heat or electricity, time it and forget it. If you put the beans in the cooker in the morning they are ready by dinner time. Soups take much less time.
When I lived in my car, what I liked most about it...... was I liked the freedom (or atleast feeling of being free) more than the comfort of a house / apartment.
When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time alone, and got used to the idea of entertaining myself / inventing things to do. It could be going to the library to read / use their computers, ride a bike, play video games.
I worked an entry level IT job at the time. One day they catered pizza. I took 2 slices to my desk, one I ate there and the other I saved. Then I took the pizza with me to go ( to eater for dinner that night). The way I saw it was, I was going to find some place to park my car, listen to a podcast on my cell phone and eat a free dinner.
But this means, not having my own dining table to eat at, nor would I have my own tv in my own living room to sit in. The thing is.... to Prefer the nomadic life style over the comfort of a typical, living in an apartment life style
My friend lives in his Scion xB and pays 200 a month to park in a parking garage in the downtown area. He said he got tired of hunting for a place to park every night. it’s crazy how much money that guy has saved living that life. If I wasn’t happily married I would totally do it.
Good video. Love listening to your perspective and experience. I was curious about your comment on where to find a kitchen. I’m wondering if you meant at a friends or family home or if you meant a kitchen that you rent?
Great video Ava! You're really collected! The only two times I got the knock was at a hospital because my dog was moving around and at the Asheville Walmart. Thanks again for the video!
I love how it's working for you. I might be there one day but now every time I go on a trip all I can think about is coming home. I do love my van though
I would stay mobile when you choose to sleep at at least 5 different places switch it up also. Actually don't keep a routine when choosing a place to sleep. Keep it moving. It will also keep you safe. If you stay at same place people will recognize your car and get nosey. Actually people sometimes get jealous of you because they know your not paying high rent yes they get jealous.
If u don’t mind me asking, what do u do for work and how much do u make? Also how long do u plan on living out of your car? I’m very impressed by your ability to do this 👍🏻
Be Safe..And watch out for the junkies and thieves prowling the night..
Glad you haven’t had any trouble 😈 yet with living in your car 🚙. You are really smart to strategize in advance!
I live in my prius full time. For me it's space. I get tired of going to my storage unit every night after work to get clothes. I have the 35 can Yeti tundra and I wish so bad I could get by without a cooler but that would mean even more trips to the store. It's nice to reach back and get a cold soda. The ice thing too gets to be a burden
How do you prevent your water reserves from freezing in the winter?
I live in my 2021 Highlander Hybrid and travel around the country. I have a small fridge that's plugged into my power station, which I can charge from my car as I'm driving.
I had someone on my dead end street unusual at 10;30 I didn't knock on her window I yelled to make sure she was alright
Beautiful Woman of God THANK YOU 🙏🏽 Darling for this very REAL video 💓🤗🔥🔥🔥🔥💯You’re Awesome 🥰. Stay Safe My Dear🙏🏽
Hey like this video been catch up on your TH-cam video you are busy a lot here to support you have a nice day
Very nice video 👍
Love and Blessings to You and Yours
u go girl 👧.
Stay simple and do what you would do if you were not living in your car.
Where do you urinate when your car camping??? I mean, most people have to go during the night or first thing upon waking up. If I was car camping I would have to go at least 3 times throughout the night.
Slider freezer bags. Use them in the morning like water balloons and throw them at any home with a maga trumptard flag 😁
You seem like such a sweet girl. Your family or closest friends probably think a lot about you staying as safe as possible, I would imagine. I'm sure you're as smart and capable as one would need to be to make it work. Just be careful.
Living in a box truck you park at truck road house next to a big rig.
Well....I don't know about the car life vs. home life, but I sure can tell you this lady is ADORABLE and pretty sharp as a tack!!!!....."SHE'S SLICK!!!!" LOL! 👍😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
Can you talk about where you park at night? You said neighborhoods.. do you park in apartment complexes?
It takes a special, open minded person to live in a vehicle! I love traveling as well!
And I have to say, my wallet loves it!
I will he living in my car next spring. I'm doing it for 3 years so I can travel and work on my photography. The plus is I'm in Minnesota and here there are alot of places to park and nobody cares what your doing.
I travel through Europe camping in my car, and the biggest downside for me is to not have a full kitchen, especially when it rains and I don't feel like eating cold dishes (again)
The whole point of the lifestyle is to be out more then in
What an interesting lifestyle! Congratulations to you for making it work so well. Do you stay overnight in different spots every night or rotate? This lifestyle is so very interesting.
I do rotate around so that I don’t draw attention to myself in any particular place! But I like to plan it out a little bit so I don’t have to overthink where I’m going to go each night. Thanks for checking out my videos!
@Ava Carl I been doing video interview with people who been in there car if you don’t mind if I can collaborate with/together /interview you if that fine with you
The downside from my perspective is long term goals. If you don't have any ok..cool. But a young person can do this and be down with this lifestyle. Do you want to do it at 50? Maybe you do.
I bought my house at 27. Yeah..maintenance and everything associated with home ownership. That was in the late 80s. Paid it off when I was 47. No house payment since 2008. Taxes..insurance...but you will have nominal expenses still in a van/car.
Different strokes ...but investing in something early on does have its long term rewards. My house has increased in value 5x what I paid for it. Chances are that wouldnt happen with a vehicle.
But...your videos are intriguing and interesting nonetheless.
Ya but the money u can save living in your car u could invest it into stocks that could way more than 5 x over the course of 20 plus years. That said no one does it for 20 years. Ppl do this for may a few months to at best a few years so they can save 1000’s every month on things like rent.
Ava, u explained the lifestyle really well
Ava, why don't you come and live with me in Upstate New York. I live alone and have 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and plenty of other rooms where you can play your music.
Can I come too ?
@Tavari I live in the home in Upstate New York about 70 miles north of New York City. I am not wealthy, but don't rent rooms.
@@fishingrightnow2369 Looks like your out having fun fishing. Lol.
@Supernova Nah.
Yeah, a van does stand out in an urban environment, perhaps drawing hostility from locals.
Waz sup car dweller, so we meet again
I've been living in my car for 7 years now. It started out by accident. Well actually, I'm a party boy so I would frequently sleep in my car when I'm driving tired. Waking up in the morning when the Sun hits your car n melt your face is the worse. My face would be so oily and waking up looking around to not noticing to where you are at. It is the same feeling as if you had taken a nap on a car ride n wakes up suddenly but you are in a delirium state, looking around to see where you are as you mind is trying to putting things into places.
I wouldn't sleep twice in a night though. So yeah, I ad experiences even b4 I decided to live in my car. I considered myself as an operation manager because that is what we are, we managed our situation. I am like a bird, I have time table to what I do on a daily basis. A bird will not one day day that it decides not to wake up n eat for the day. The sun does not decides one day that it will not rise. We are robots, we just go with the flow. My routine fits me well n it goes something like this.
Monday morning is job 1
Off 6:30pm. I then go look for food. My entertainment is social media n TH-cam on my fon. By 9pm, I take a nap, charging my fon so my alarm goes off at 11:45pm to start the midnight shift. Off 8am n it is time to freshen up then breakfast then nap then 9:30am day shift again. This is my mon to Fri lifestyle once I'm off Friday, I'll drive 2 hours back to where my parents are where I live in my garage. COVID 19 protocol so I've been living in my man cave since the pandemic n it grew on me so I'm stuck there. I fish to kill time. I get invited to my friend houses for parties. I still live a normal weekend life. By Sunday night, it is prep time, I would hit up Walmart to buy around $30 or so worth of groceries for the week n the cycle repeats itself. My car now just hits 400k miles. I make $120k a year on my two jobs. I could add Uber into the mix but that's pushing it. The money just stacks n stacks in my bank n I'm still feeling poor lol
I'm never poor as I get payed weekly for one job n bi weekly for the other. So one week is 1 check n the other is 2 checks. With hardly any bills, what am I going to do with all of my money?
I'm a hustler undercover. No one, Friends, coworker, boss, parents, dates do not know what I do or how I'm living. My car doesn't look like a guy who's living in his car. I carry what I need n whatever fits in my trunk. Living a double life is kinda cool. Makes me feel like a superhero sorta. I'm only 45 years old but I'm planning to cut everything down once I'm settled down with a wife n kid n play house. I have enough to pay off a house right now. My daily hustle is too good of a cash cow to give it up. I do have a life. It just that I tend to learn how to hide it well. I just got back from Vegas. Reno was the week b4 n Minnesota was last month. If you living in your car because you are poor, I feel for you. It is a necessary means to come by till your next big break.
Curious where you use the bathroom? Especially at night?
Hobo Ahle mentions she uses a plastic coffee can, it works well.
She does not talk about that, I can't just go to Planet Fitness to 💩, lol. Let's b real here. They are not always convenien.
@@victorialynnstewart9668 There are bathrooms everywhere 24/7. There is a convenience store open 24/7 where I'm at on every corner.
@@lionandthelamb9379 I’ve took a shit in the van while working amazon prime, leaning over some boxes right onto a plastic bag, that worked
@@fishingrightnow2369 eww. You should have gone to Maverick instead.
You sound level headed. Many have unrealistic expectations abut living in a car or van. You still work, know where to go for things you need and are confident in yourself so you will make it work. That is one trait that if you give up easily or expect others to pay your way, it will fail, as you tube in not a big income for many channels.
The only thing that would scare me is the dreaded knock om the window, especially at night 😳
The knock is horrible Empowering to the knocker. You are asleep, disoriented, and someone is scaring you to death.
Winter is coming! I car camped all summer last year, it was amazing. But then it got cold. So cold. How do you handle the change of season?
You appear to be an introvert. It's not a bad thing, I am also. Mixing and socializing with others has it's time limits.
*Newly Updated Safety Suggestions;
I just happened to see your channel, and others similar channels recently, and I think that you, and others sharing their actual reality, and some have expressed some of the up, and down sides to van, RV, or vehicle living.
Although, I just noticed your TH-cam channel, and other similar channels, displaying van living.
I just wanted to remind everyone to Aware Be of your surroundings and Alert, I just posted this anyway to help anyone who may benefit from these suggestions
I believe that it is very helpful, and beneficial to others who may be thinking about this type of living without actually thinking through, about the some of the realistic problems that could occur with vehicle or van living etc...
People need to know what up sides there are, as well as some of the down sides of vehicle living.
I believe this channel, and other channels have been informative to others, including myself.
Although, I am NOT living in a vehicle or anything like this.
I feel that you , and others TH-camrs sharing this with your viewers will be very helpful.
I wish you ALL the Best with your traveling endeavors.
I shared this with several other travelers, as I watched their TH-cam channel for the first time, as yours, and I shared with them this information that may be helpful to you as well to others.
Therefore, I would also like to suggest a few Safety tips, and items that may help you, or others in your viewing audience.
Although, you may have knowledge of this already,
I am not sure, so I hope this will be helpful to you, others or someone.
*Keep a Extra working cellphone with you or in your vehicle.
You can purchase inexpensive phone with a very low monthly price between 25, 35, 45, dollars a month with unlimited data and text, and some have Nationwide coverage
Do your research for the best fit for you
Consider Carrying Several Extra portable cellphone phone chargers, and cables.
Consider theses items:
*Mini portable power charging station.
I have also seen outdoor portable solar powered power stations, that can be recharged from sunlight this may be very useful to have, to power your devices.
*Invest in a Cellular signal booster for outdoor use, and camping situations to boost or amplify your cell signal and reception.
Consider also the purchase of a WiFi signal booster to also boost your WiFi signal.
Research to see what you prefer.
*Very Inportant:
Invest in a SOS distress electronic signal device, this a kind of device can send out a distress signal with your exact location.
There are various types of these devices, and including devices that can be used when boating, or camping situations.
*Some have emergency Strobe lights SOS signaling with location alerts, and location updates that can be sent to your family, and emergency first responders.
Some can be synchronized with your smart watch or phone.
There are some satellite SOS texting messaging, locator devices that will send messages with your phone even if there isn’t any cellular signal, or WiFi. With this device your can still text, and communicate with others in a emergency satellite transmission.
Check online, for various emergency SOS products, some are small to fit in the palm of your hand.
You can check online, and on Amazon, research what SOS devices will be a good fit for you.
*Mini portable vehicle battery jumper charger
*vehicle battery jumper cables
*Vehicle Jumper cables
PLEASE BE AWARE that in the WINTER vehicle Batteries fail many times in very cold weather conditions.
Vehicle batteries drain more often in the winter months.
Please Keep a vehicle battery portable jumper pack, this is a device that can jumper or boost your vehicles battery yourself without another vehicle.
If you have a older battery in your vehicle, Please have it tested or replace it, and consider the purchase a new vehicle battery with higher Cold Cranking Amps rating.
*Keep a Fire extinguisher handy
*Smoke detectors, and Carbon monoxide detectors can be helpful
*Mounted Dashboard camera front and rear possibly.
Exterior vehicle cameras
Interior vehicle cameras
*Flashlights or pluggin spotlights
*Portable spotlights, and lanterns
Keep a few whistles around with you, and in your vehicle possibly in your vehicle’s center console
*A set of long range 2 way radios, walkie talkies, to communicate with others during trips, some have 100 mile radius keep for emergencies.
Use your own discretion regarding the use of any weapons.
Don’t forget to bring
Bear Spray
Pepper spray
Where is allowed
Purchase a couple canisters just in case and keep it with you
If you own a drone you can use it to survey your area for animals etc.
However, Please Be Safe and Beware of your Surroundings.
Stay Alert, and Be Safe even when stopping at Rest stops, Truck Stops, and conducting your various tasks.
Keep in often contact with your family, friends etc.
Keep up with the latest Weather Updates, beware and prepare for unexpected Weather events and conditions.
I would suggest *NOT* to travel to locations without internet, cellular service in the Winter, the reason is that weather conditions can change quickly, and you absolutely DO NOT want a vehicle break down, or malfunction, and not have the availability to contact your family, and or emergency road assistance or emergency services.
Safety is Paramount.
Keep your vehicle gas filled
Don’t chance your Safety by running your vehicle fuel or gas too close to Empty.
Fill it up anyway, it will save you alot of time, and headache later on.
Remember to keep up on routine maintenance, check your tires for wear, keep up with your fluids for your vehicle, like oil levels, antifreeze coolant,
Please carry extra (oil)(washer fluid), (brake fluid), (antifreeze).
You will need extra Winshield Washer fluid because of the ever changing Weather conditions, especially in slushy wet roads.
Because you will Be driving more often in dusty, dirty windy, varying weather conditions.
Your windshield will gather dust and debris from long term driving.
Also, Remember Because you are on the road riding for sometimes very long distances, and long periods of time, I would suggest investing in 2 sets of tires, and a spare, the extra set to rotate.
Check the mileage ratings on your tires they all very.
Conduct visual inspections of your tires often, check for damage, wearing, air pressure, etc
Keep a pressure gauge to check your tires pressure and a tire pump. Electric, Portable tire pump.
Keep towing insurance to Be Safe if you ever need it.
It Doesn’t cost much try to get National coverage if available, or where you will be traveling.
Keep Extra financing, and savings for any unexpected issues, vehicle repairs, and overnight stays, in a emergency or if you need to rest indoors.
Keep Enjoying Yourself,
Keep Enjoying the outdoors, and Nature
Just..Please continue to
Be Positive, Safe, and Alert..
Wishing Success, Well-being and Happiness You All.
God Bless You, and everyone
Traveling, or living in their vehicles, Vans, RVs, etc.
Please Be Safe.....
God Be With You...
Author Advocate for Humanity,
Safety Advocate
Jason Sandifer,
Michigan
10/06/2022,
10/02/2022
10/08/2022,
10/10/2022,
10/16/2022, 10/23/2022
11/07/2022
Thanks for sharing! Does anyone nickname/call you Ava-cado ? Ha!
haha not irl, but I think I've been asked that before on this channel!
@@AvaCarl99 lol I commented that on your last video.
Your awesome and Thanks for keeping me company as I live in my dodge grand caravan in north Seattle
😍
So do you work at the office by yourself. What your job say?
Tell a farmer you'll park-guard his land at night.
Yeah, I highly recommend an EV. Not only you get the climate control, but you also get free place to park and sleep. I've plugged into a free charger overnight many times and slept while charging. Or in a parking spot next to Tesla chargers. Nobody will bat an eye at an EV in a charging station. You can also use appliances like fridge, microwaves, electric blanket and instant pot in an EV. It is basically a 60kwh Jackery on wheels. Bolt EUV can be had for less than gas cars after EV incentives. And Tesla Model 3 base model is now about the same price as Mazda 3 after incentives. Some EVs and hybrids come with AC sockets, so you don't have to install an inverter. Good luck!
Hi 💞 Ava where do you live?
I saw your videos months ago, I am elderly and forced to live n my car a camper van 100,00 more or less so that is not a option. Could u plz tell me what it was u have as far as a battery to charge everything. Thanks n advance, hope u respond. Desperate here.
She uses a portable power station. There are many brands available on Amazon and can cost as low as $130 from what I’ve seen. The brand she uses is flashfish but Jackery is also a popular brand
Buy bluetti or Ecoflow power stations
Ava if you're ever in Michigan I would like to take you out for a chicken dinner
❤️
Those eyes tho 😍😍😍
Not trying to be mean kinda sounded like you were having a panic attack here. Hope your good thanks for the videos!
Car insurance,gas, extra money for maintenance. Food clothes
I've watched several of these type video's from TH-camrs. I'm somewhat confused on the why are they doing it. Are they just wanting to do this temporarily for whatever reason? Such as they want to travel and this is the cheapest way to do it. Or are they living in a car for what I would think would be the actual reason. Financial reasons. They have been forced into the car because housing costs, are so out of sync with reality in this country. So high that they really could not afford a place to live, utilities, food, taxes etc etc. So really what is going on with this living in the car lifestyle? Could someone explain this to me please. I'm curious is there still an address in these people's life, that they can go back to when this lifestyle is to emotionally draining for them.
Everything needs a permanent address for taxes and snail mail. Some people, like myself, use a relative's address in a tax free state. Others use a mail box service who will open and scan your mail for you for a fee. As for the why, it varies from person to person. For myself, it's freedom to travel and not worry about a house that's mostly empty.
I live in my car mon-fri and man these recent heatwaves were rough!!! I would wake up drenched or not sleep at all! There were nights were i would turn on the car to keep AC on cause i could NOT deal lol
Like she said ideally an electric car or I would say tiny manufactured house.
Do u have fan? I lived in pickup w/cap on it in Florida. It was really warm summer but rechargeable fan helped alot
Hello in what city are you?
What are your hobbies?
Ava Carl.....is that just a play on words? As in "I (h)ava car"?
Number one pee number two 💩 number three shower number 4 pee number 5 pee number 6 pee number 7 pee
U have to look at it ur more free from those attachments even though u have things to pay for
I would say you’re less free living in a car. Every day is a new challenge of where to sleep. If her car breaks that means her house is out of commission. Living in a car is not freedom. People do it out of desperation for a reason.
@@annsmith7196 This is the biggest fallacy of living in your car. Personal finance is not taught in the schools. Much of what they say is trivially untrue. A mortgage is literally saving money. But they don't think of it that way. Cars depreciate. Houses appreciate. These are grave lifetime decisions, amounting to the choice of being poor when you are old.
But hey, it's a free country.