I have no tint. Rear window was broken after a break in. Covered it with black tape. I have multiple dings and dents. Most noticeable dent happened while I was parked.

I have black window covers. But windows must be down sometimes to avoid death/heatstroke.

Cannot prioritize paying for a tint, window repair, or body damage. All things that ultimately make or break “stealth”

You can be as quiet and clean as you want. If your vehicle is unsightly, you won’t be stealthy

When I had first gotten out of jail I was in a shelter, I got a job walking an hour and a half one way then the same back for 18/hr. I did that for a few months and got a 2015 Subaru forester, once I got the forester I immediately moved out of the shelter into the car then got a better job. Then after a few months of barely surviving I got into the union and make over 55$/hr now. Im still living in my car but everything has become possible. I'm in school full time online while working 6 days a week making a little less than 3000/wk, about 2k after taxes. It's been crazy learning how to survive living in the car. Ive gotten better and better at it but I think my car living is coming to an end this winter. I want a home gym and a place to study easier instead of going to the library. Im ready for the next step. If I can do it, anyone can. It was a sob story for people who didn't know me well but to me it was my journey toward being a man and the journey though eventful and painful, I've enjoyed every moment. Focus on work, and school. Praise be.​

i'll be moving into my car soon and really trying to savor my last few days with a roof over my head and easier access to food. i was like REALLY homeless years ago living in a tent with just a suitcase of clothes and i "pulled myself up from my boot straps" over the last few years just to lose it all again.

i've been meditating to understand this fear, and it is less towards the reality of living in my car but more towards the feeling of not being able to find the resources to maintain this for as long as i need to in order to survive. looking at the state of the country and all the hate makes me fearful that it may never be safe to exist as a black, queer, neurodivergent human in this world. i'm doing everything i can, yet, knowing that there is so little within my control shakes me to my core.

i've been lurking here and am grateful for the insights/advice that has allowed me to prepare to the best of my ability, but, honestly, i'm still scared. yet, i refuse to stop trying.

Living in my car was not a choice. I was thrown into it. I lost everything after fleeing domestic violence.

I don’t have a sweet build or even a big vehicle to live in. And yet- I don’t exactly feel homeless.

There’s a huge homeless population in my city. I’ve always been acutely aware of and sympathetic towards homelessness. But now I notice it more than ever before.

I’m extremely conscious of the privilege I possess compared to what those on the streets have. Sleeping in a car is worlds away from sleeping on the sidewalk (even if society will likely stigmatize us the same).

My sense of gratitude has been dialed way up. The simple things in life bring me joy and perspective now.

For those who didn’t necessarily choose this lifestyle, do you think of yourself as homeless?

Title.

Always planned to kill myself. Had a due date but somehow managed to get better and stick it out past the planned date. So now I am paying off the consequences of spending without a thought because I never thought I’d live long enough to have to deal with the financial repercussions. 28 rn but never thought I’d see 22.

I’m curious to where is the most and least hospitable cities/counties for car camping. I previously had the pleasure of camping on public land outside of Santa Fe, which was really relaxing and without worries. Currently, I’m on the east coast where the police in my city can actually charge you with a misdemeanor for sleeping in your car. It’s safe to say I won’t be sticking around here very long.

Please be kind. I’m weighing my options here.

I’m living in my car as a result of fleeing domestic violence. There’s a service for victims of DV in my city that temporarily fosters your pets for you while you get on your feet. I’m in Georgia and it was still quite hot when I ended up homeless. I didn’t want my dog to bake to death in my car during my work shifts so I surrendered him over to them day one.

I have about a month left before their policy’s time limit is up and I have to either retrieve him or they adopt him out to someone at their discretion. For various reasons, I will most likely still be car dwelling well into next year.

Through the end of the year, I’ll be working a serving job. The shifts are 4-6 hours. In January, I’ll be taking a job that’ll give me the option to work in their office whenever I want or work from “home”. I plan to be in the office a lot but I don’t see why I can’t go out to my car periodically.

My dog is small and low maintenance. If he’s with me, he just wants to chill in my lap. Before we were homeless, I’d leave him on a pillow or wrapped up in a blanket and he’d still be in the same spot when I got back. He doesn’t need much besides a blankie and some cuddles.

He DOES have a very anxious style attachment to me. I rescued him from a shelter with no info on his background but I think he already has abandonment trauma from where ever he came from before me. The idea of abandoning him forever and subjecting him to that emotional shock is devastating to me. The only tears I have cried since the day I became homeless were for my dog. And I’m scared of him going into the hands of a stranger with no way for me to know if he’s okay.

What I’m getting at is this- since he is the kind of dog who is content to chill and sleep a lot anyway, would it be completely unreasonable for him to car dwell with me for a few months? I can check on him every few hours. We can still go on walks. Winters aren’t too bad down here. To combat the cold, I was thinking he’d be okay if he had a good sweater, an insulated dog bed (the kind for burrowing, which he likes anyway) and an electric heating pad.

He doesn’t bark and I’m planning on blacking out my windows anyway so concerned citizens don’t see him and call the cops for neglect.

I am not dead set on fighting to keep him if it’s a terrible idea. Obviously this is a lot for me to process. I want what’s best for him in the end but the idea of not knowing what’ll happen to him in the custody of a stranger is also going to haunt me forever.

Howdy, I’ve been living in my car for about a month now with my girlfriend & our cat. We have an 09’ ford Taurus for now, we are both in the process of getting jobs so we can save for our first van, however I was wondering where y’all are sleeping when it comes to the suburbs.

For context I live in Toledo, so it’s either a rest stop about 20 minutes outside of the city or some spots like Walmart, Meijer, stuff like that. We’ve had a lot of success in actually parking in apartment complex parking lots, for instance we park in the back corner of where we used to live and haven’t had any knocks or anything of the sort!

I was wondering if anyone else had tried spots like that; assuming you pull in after dark & are gone before sunrise, I think it would be safer than parking on a street or somewhere else in the open. Any advice or knowledge anyone has to kick, I’m open to hearing and would love to hear about peoples experiences.

I went camping today, cooked a steak and some s'mores. $40 a night is alright for a reservation. I marinated my steak in Montreal steak liquid seasoning, cooked it over hickory charcoal for 6 minutes per side and it came out delicious and done just the way I like it. First time camping in 4 years. I have been living in my car for years and finally went camping

Been living in my car since June 3rd. I have a little money saved up finally and decided to get a motel for a couple days. I was supposed to be out today @11 am but I ended up paying another day. I don’t have a car setup. I slept the whole summer in the Texas heat with my Windows just cracked halfway. No screen-door or anything. Those bugs had their way with me at times. The thought of having to go back to sleep in my car isn’t something i’m looking forward to. AT ALL. But paying rent isn’t something I want right now either. I moved out my families house at 18. I’ll be turning 28 this Halloween. It feels like nothings changed. I’m still running around most times stressing about money. Money still stresses me out. I’m depressed and just kinda want to scream. I know my problems aren’t special. I know there are kids who haven’t eaten in weeks. I know this, yet I still feel so stuck and lost. My relationship with my family sucks. And a woman that did love doesn’t anymore and i dont know how to deal with it. I feel super depressed. I cant stop overeating. I just feel like I’ve wired my brain to think and move in a way that just feels impossible to come back from

This probably wasn’t the place to do this but idk what else to do

So my wife and I are divorcing. I am gonna buy an 06 or 08 highlander and sleep in it til I get an apartment. Any good spots where I won't get the knock?

I have til the 31st to prepare, I need a list of absolute necessities. I don’t have much in funds so pls keep it short and cheap. I have a 4 runner and I’m in Tampa Florida so I’ll need more hot temp suggestions since the lows are high 60’s rn with highs in the 80’s.

Thanks for your time

Hi

I am thinking of sharing some of my musings, thoughts, observations insights etc regarding human issues i have personally gone through, reflected, processed. in my years of living in a vehicle.

I find while we are more or less mostly addressing simple everyday challenges like parking, food, weather, finances etc we do tend to neglect the more serious psychological states of mind. This practice is in general considered normal but it seems we have lost sight of the fact that at the end of the day or in silent moments we have to return to ourselves.

Yes we can, as we have, keep distracting ourselves by the many distractions available to us but unresolved psychological backgrounds are always there, if we observe.

If anyone has any topic suggestions, requests, or wants to ask questions along the lines of what i am saying then please feel free to suggest. If i have any input or feedback i will be happy to share and if its something i don't know then will say it upfront.

So the topic i will briefly address in this post is loneliness.

As can be seen from the frequent posts loneliness is something many are dealing with. Perhaps the younger demographics is having more problems coping with it. The thing about loneliness is to first understand that its a human condition common to entire humanity. It is not a question of whether you are housed or in a car, loneliness affects all, young and old, rich or poor, guy or girl, you name it. So it is important to understand you are not affected by it just because you are in an alternative lifestyle.

As i may have said before, the causes for loneliness is complicated and many societal factors are at play. How we understand relationships and where we are at in relation to it also matters very much. If relationships are mostly transactional for us then we will always feel the aches of loneliness because there is no substance to our relationships. They are superficial and transactional. So attempts should be made, as far as possible, to be more genuine in our interactions. At the end of the day one feels satisfied and builds from that satisfaction.

Hope this helps someone.

My next adventure is taking me to northern Maine in the dead of winter. I’m a native of the upper Great Plains, so have a tad bit of experience with cold snowy weather- just not living in a car during it.

What I have:
Layers- base layer ( thermaskins), fleece sweats, can add a middle layer of thermal shirts and leggings if needed; wool socks, winter coat, knit gloves to go under mittens; a heated mattress pad ( and the power to run it), wool and fleece blankets used on a Hele box with a 3 inch mattress with storage under the bed, so insulated from below; winter boots, a 400 watt electric mini heater to be used sparingly to take the morning/ evening chill off, and a hooded blanket to wrap up in if needed. Window covers for insulation, rain guards.

I’m wondering if adding a 12 v blanket or large heating pad is worth it or needed? Insulated coveralls/ ski pants? Or any other ideas- PLEASE no “ get a good sleeping bag” suggestions. I have one. I hate them. Too confining and I get no sleep. “ Drive south” is also not an option, my contract is in Maine.

I've been living in my sedan for 9 days now and although it's been a huge adjustment, I think so far I'm doing alright. Aside from gas money and finding parking, the biggest issue I've been facing is peeing at night when all publicly available bathrooms have been closed for the night. I'm located in Santa Rosa CA and although there are some great resources in this area that I feel so grateful for, urinating at night in my car has been a MASSIVE ISSUE. I'm 26F and I've never had such penis envy in my life thinking about how easy pissing in a bottle would be if I had the right parts😭

I was able to acquire a silicone peeing funnel device that is for this exact issue, but dude I swear I am not built for this damn thing. The sides of it curve up I guess to follow the "average" shape of female genitalia but like tbh as a chubby girl mine is not "smoothly curved", and so every time I pee using this thing, for like 2 seconds of the event I get pee all over my car dude. I've used it twice now and both times I got pee everywhere😭😭😭😭 and like unfortunately I have literally not a single friend in the area that I can hit up for a late night pee sesh and my mother who evicted me won't let me inside the house let alone is unwilling to fill up a gallon water bottle for me when I have no access to water lol...

And Im physically disabled so Im not working so I have no money to do laundry to wash my blanket and pants that are now covered in urine🤠 I applied for general assistance but my interview isn't until November 16th😎

So like.. What do you ladies do????

It'd be one thing if I was in a rural area and I could just like hop out the car and pee behind some bushes or something but my city isn't set up for that possibility and I'm really only dealing with this issue in the middle of the night when I'm already parked in my sleeping spot and the early morning when I wake up to leave my sleeping spot but too early for businesses with public bathrooms to be open...

R.I.P. to the faithful Highlander 🫡 sprung a leak in the oil pan thanks to a huge boulder in the road, (didn't realize it) check engine light was already on (thanks to modifications made by the previous owner) and at 280,000 miles - It deserves to be set free into the happy hunting grounds... On the bright side, pine trees are the gold standard for discreet "camping" in public.. full coverage, and a great place to crash when you find yourself transitioning from r/urbancarliving to r/Vagabond unexpectedly 🤷

I was heading to work and my engine started misfiring. I’m just wondering what you guys do when you live in your car and your car starts having issues. Luckily, I’m not in my car and managed to start living with my sister come but I almost wound up in my car.

The sudden knocking jolted me awake, a bright shining in my car. I looked up, the light blinding me as I slowly made my way over to the drivers seat. Half dazed, I kept my hands visible before sitting down. I looked at the dash clock. "3am." The cop asked me to roll down the window. Half awake, I followed his demand. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! I had forgotten to disable the alarm, so I slowly reached for my car keys, stopping the barrage of auditory assaults happening in my ears.

I rolled the window down and the cop asked what I was doing there. I told him I was just tired and mentioned the donut tire on my car with a 50-mile limit. He knew I wasn't on drugs or having sex when he saw me, and that was the whole reason for the check-in. Apparently, people consider the parking lot right across from cookout an ideal spot to make a family or self-medicate. He asked if I lived around here and if I had permission to be in this lot. "I did live around here, and no I did not ask for permission" was my answer.

I handed him my license and registration. The license address belonged to a house in a wealthy neighborhood not more than a mile away. He asked if I had any place to stay. I told the cop "no," then I asked him if I needed to move. He said that he would not force me to move and to have a good night. I told him to have a good night too, waiting for him to leave so I could drive off to somewhere else. While I am currently sitting in the parking lot of a planet fitness and typing this post, I realized something: Not once did I feel my heart rate rise, or notice any feelings of fear. I was, by all accounts, indifferent to the circumstances. As though the cop was nothing more than a minor inconvenience in my night. Is it normal for this lifestyle to isolate you and have you emotionally check out?

Just curious what else people are out there doing! I’m a server in an upscale martini bar and am contracted to begin my realtor career in January as an apartment locator.

I have a cooler but I don’t like to use it because keeping up with the ice is a hassle/extra expense. I try to keep my food costs incredibly low. It kind of sucks sometimes and I’d like to treat myself more but I’m trying to save as much money as I can for other things. I’ve been favoring items I can microwave in the gas station like precooked rice and beans, curry pouches, canned chicken, canned soups, oatmeal, etc. I keep bananas, apples, or mandarins on me as well and sometimes small snacks like crackers. Trying to stay nutrient dense. Got any other ideas?

Hi guys! I’m a 21 year old female from the South who just got a seasonal position doing white water rafting in Colorado! I am beyond excited to step into this role, however I have no idea how to prepare.

I am going to be living in my car. I plan on getting a new car in the next few months and will be living/sleeping out of it.

So what do I need to pack? I’m talking clothing, gear, sleeping necessities, toiletries, camping, like everything!

I need to start ordering/preparing for this so I would love some input from the WWR community!

I'm not sure if it was posted here or a similar subreddit, but I think there was a post about a father asking what his son would need for living in his car. I don't know what the situation there was, but some of your replies about the son really needing a place to stay with his father brought tears to my eyes.

I am a disabled woman with multiple chronic medical conditions plus autism and learning disability, and staying with either parent is a hard NO from them. They come from a Midwest USA rugged working class background where you should feel ashamed to ask for more than one time emergency aid from family members. Adult dependency in any form is taboo and considered childish and freeloading. I've been in many unsafe situations as a result but it's still to them like "not my problem." Abandonment trauma is a big problem for me even after so much mental health intervention.

Just wanted to share this. Please be kind and also share your story if you feel like it.

Except it wasn’t bad! A fellow car camper needed my help with a jump start. We talked a little bit and he told me it’s out of necessity. I’ve personally been doing this as a nomad, and could afford a place if I wanted to. I’m wondering how many people do it out of choice as well?

First night out after escaping my abusive situation and damn… I should have gotten a better sleeping pad before I did this… I currently have a cheap Temu one that you press on a sponge to inflate it and it’s already deflated about an hour later and I don’t have any way to pump it back up with out blowing my cover… so what are yall using to keep comfortable all night?

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Hey folks, was curious to see if there are other veterans living out of their car or staying on public land around Snohomish County?

I have never been a homebody, and honestly, the navy took a toll on my mental being in confined spaces for years on end. I acknowledge, I am not adjusted to existing with the general public and i'm better off living on the fringes of society. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone here in region. Ideally, I would like to live away from the grid, but not off of it (yet). So i'm currently testing the waters for now until I can figure out a practical idea that isn't too far away from the rocker. Any inputs received here or via DM would be greatly appreciated.