# "Stealth" type van living **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299 "2019-09-16T03:28:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/41 "2019-09-17T16:37:15Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I could envision living like that being fun for a while, but using Chicago winters as my guide, I could also see it being very cold. Like, cold enough to kill you cold. I’ve seen videos on little heating stoves and all but they need ventilation. As I mentioned above, having your plumbing freeze would cause problems. I would also worry about being in a parking lot and here comes a snow plow. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/42 "2019-09-17T16:57:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I saw that in my job. In the NY prison system, new employees started out working at prisons in downstate New York. They’d typically be down there for a year or two before they had enough seniority to transfer back to their upstate hometown. My BIL works in the NY prison system, and he’s from upstate. When he was assigned to Rykers he lived in the dorms provided for the year or so until he was able to move back upstate. His description of the employee dorms wasn’t that bad, but I could understand the appeal of a comfortable RV. Winter would still be an issue. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/43 "2019-09-17T17:04:08Z")
It’s scary that everything a person owns is in a van. A car jacking could leave someone homeless with no resources. That’s not a risk I want to take. Maybe an occasional overnight in a roadside park would be ok. It’s still risky because armed robbery is still a concern. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/44 "2019-09-17T17:25:29Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Couldnt your employer allow you to park/leave/campout with one of these in their parking lot? If anything they would know your not going to be late for work because of traffic issues. Probably not explicitly legally. Like, I doubt that the employer’s parking lot is zoned as an RV park for overnight stays. Tacitly, as long as not too many people do it, I bet many won’t care. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/45 "2019-09-17T17:29:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s scary that everything a person owns is in a van. A car jacking could leave someone homeless with no resources. > > That’s not a risk I want to take. > > Maybe an occasional overnight in a roadside park would be ok. It’s still risky because armed robbery is still a concern. You wouldn’t load a van up with expensive possessions. A laptop or 4k TV or the solar system would be the most expensive part. And insurance is a thing. Just get it insured for the price of the stuff in it. People doing this are often doing it so the most expensive thing they own is the shares of stock in their investment account. Which cannot be taken from someone very easily. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/46 "2019-09-17T17:31:56Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Probably not explicitly legally. Like, I doubt that the employer’s parking lot is zoned as an RV park for overnight stays. > > Tacitly, as long as not too many people do it, I bet many won’t care. Right. The company can’t officially condone it but their parking lot security staff will pretend to not know about it at many of these companies. I have heard that Google decided to disallow it and told employees not to do it in a memo, but many other companies still don’t have a policy against it. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/47 "2019-09-17T20:33:23Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > For some reason Youtube suggested a video about living out of a van to me, and I found myself watching several of them in fascination. > > Ordinary vans. That are supposed to still look like ordinary vans from the outside, so you can just park it on a street and sleep wherever without being ‘hassled’ by cops or the residents in areas where sleeping in your car is illegal. The video’s may cover that, at least for some areas, but where I live (in NJ right across from Manhattan) finding places to park overnight as non-resident, for free, would be a serious issue. Most store parking lots are posted as not legal to park overnight, street spaces generally require a resident sticker to park more than a few hours for free, the limited number of offices with parking lots you’d probably be checked out by security being there overnight. Around here is probably a relative extreme, but I imagine that would be a challenge in more than a few places. Even if it’s legal, doesn’t necessarily mean the cops won’t knock on your window or some resident call it in, I mean it’s not _that_ clever that it’s a ‘normal’ van, they can figure out people are living there. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/48 "2019-09-17T21:17:26Z")
In the UK, there’s apparently a whole organisation of rural pubs which actively encourage people to stay in self contained vans/campervans in their parking area for one or two nights. They publish guides. It’s basically on the thought that people who do it will buy food and probably a few drinks from the pub in the evening, and it doesn’t cost much to allow use of the toilets in the morning if the pub opens early anyway, which many do (and if they’re open for breakfasts as well, that’s likely another meal sold). That’s what my parents usually do when they go away. Zoning isn’t really a thing here in the same way it apparently is in the US, so as long as they’re not charging people, in which case they might need a campsite permit, proper showers and 24hr bathroom access, there’s no rules against it. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/49 "2019-09-17T22:20:45Z")
I have one and use it as an RV. I’ve thought about starting a thread about it but you know… I bought a used (7900 miles) 2017 Ford 15 passenger van last year. Pulled all of the seats from the rear and put a queen bed and some storage in. I haven’t done the kitchen area yet. That will probably have to wait till next summer. My wife’s family had a VW camper when she was growing up and she was wanting something similar. I’m not a great mechanic and didn’t want to mess with something old with a lot of miles. This van still has the original warranty. It is actually great to travel in. I have been pleasantly surprised. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/50 "2019-09-17T22:41:59Z")
Stealth use of an office is also done. I did it occasionally when I was on call in Computing Services. I kept a cot and sheets in my office. It was very convenient when my beeper went off. I could walk over to Operations and look at print outs and the console log. Fix the problem and get back to my cot very quickly. Housekeeping was a minor problem. They were in there by 4:30 AM and were very noisy. Fortunately the SU cafeteria started serving breakfast by 6. I’d enjoy my coffee & eggs, clean up in the restroom, and get back to the office by 7:30. Other employees had arrived by then starting the days work. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/51 "2019-09-17T23:24:54Z")
I recently happened to read [this article](https://www.outsideonline.com/2399404/van-life-difficulties)about a couple who decided to try the **#vanlife** , and it didn’t exactly go spectacularly. They seemed to enter into the venture with some unrealistic expactations, and they bought an old, broken-down van and had zero mechanical skills in case something needed fixing. So one could ague that their troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Still, it’s a good read for anybody who thinks they might want to do this, as it pokes a lot of holes in the imagined romanticism of it all. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/52 "2019-09-18T00:34:13Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I recently happened to read [this article](https://www.outsideonline.com/2399404/van-life-difficulties)about a couple who decided to try the **#vanlife** , and it didn’t exactly go spectacularly. > > They seemed to enter into the venture with some unrealistic expactations, and they bought an old, broken-down van and had zero mechanical skills in case something needed fixing. So one could ague that their troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Still, it’s a good read for anybody who thinks they might want to do this, as it pokes a lot of holes in the imagined romanticism of it all. Well, also, living by yourself in a van, fine. Living with another human in such a tiny space? Not a smooth move. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/53 "2019-09-18T01:54:05Z")
I’ve wondered if this lifestyle would work for a struggling college student? It wouldn’t require much time in the van. Most students are in class, studying at the library, or working a part-time job. They just need a place to sleep and maybe eat early in the morning. School break would be a problem if they can’t go to their parents. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/54 "2019-09-18T20:59:48Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I recently happened to read [this article](https://www.outsideonline.com/2399404/van-life-difficulties)about a couple who decided to try the **#vanlife** , and it didn’t exactly go spectacularly. > > They seemed to enter into the venture with some unrealistic expactations, and they bought an old, broken-down van and had zero mechanical skills in case something needed fixing. So one could ague that their troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Still, it’s a good read for anybody who thinks they might want to do this, as it pokes a lot of holes in the imagined romanticism of it all. I read the article and I think that very few of their troubles had much to do with the van. They basically boiled down to 1. Stress due to living too close to the financial edge 2. Long-term travel being a major life disruption that they struggled to deal with The couple in the article apparently sunk their last $2000 into an old vehicle planning to put 10,000+ miles on it with zero margin for error. And as a result were constantly nervous about it. I’ve also driven an old van long distances (not that long or that old, but we put almost 4,000 miles on a 14-year-old van this summer). But I didn’t stress about it breaking down because I knew I could afford to fix it if it broke. Long term travel when you’ve never done it can be a shock to the system. But that doesn’t have much to do with living in a van. If they’d gone on a long trip backpacking or by chauffeur it might not make a big difference. There’s nothing in the article about getting on each others nerves due to being in a small space or needing privacy or personal time. It’s worth pointing out that a solid majority of humans live in as close proximity to others as two people living in a van do. Obviously, it’s an adjustment if you’re used to having 1,000 square foot all to yourself, but it’s not impossible. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/55 "2019-09-20T03:15:23Z")
Based on the RVs and vans around where I work, my biggest hope is that vanners don’t use the street as a toilet. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > Down by the river, under a bridge… …eating government cheese? ---
**Author:** ![sjankis630](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@sjankis630](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjankis630)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/56 "2019-09-21T02:56:34Z")
> [@](#): > > At the GM plant you have some guys who lived more than 50 miles away so they had a camper in the parking lot and only went home on weekends. Here in Northern Va we call living 50 + miles from home our daily commute. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/57 "2019-09-21T03:40:07Z")
I had a good friend, albeit a few decades ago, who lived in a Toyota pickup with a large camper shell. He acquired contracts of 3-12 months to do technical development, software and/or hardware, and part of his contract was the provision that he could park in the company’s lot and connect to their electricity. His living expenses were minimal, and his income, substantial. Then he got married. Time to settle down and live in a house or apartment? But no, his new wife moved in to the camper with him. Some people seem to enjoy the cramped quarters that others would find too confining. When my friend came to visit me once, he parked his camper next to my house, connected to my electric feed, shared meals with me (in my house), but declined to use my spare bedroom. Oddly, his lifestyle worked to advantage on one occasion. One fall, he rented a house close to me, and that October, we had a severe storm, perhaps the worse I ever experienced. Our power was out for several days, and the rented house was without heat, refrigerator or stove. For me, that meant using a fireplace, blankets, and eating crackers, but my friend merely moved back into his camper, where he had heat, light, and cooking facilities (generator, propane). He was better off than the rest of the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/58 "2019-09-21T03:50:27Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > My BIL works in the NY prison system, and he’s from upstate. When he was assigned to Rykers he lived in the dorms provided for the year or so until he was able to move back upstate. His description of the employee dorms wasn’t that bad, but I could understand the appeal of a comfortable RV. Winter would still be an issue. I’m confused. Rikers Island is a New York City jail. All of the upstate prisons are run by the state (or by federal or upstate counties). A person doesn’t normally transfer from a city job to a state job; it’s starting all over again. Are you sure it was Rikers Island and not a state prison in New York City like Arthurkill or Queensboro? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/59 "2019-09-21T09:02:26Z")
Have you seen the movie _The Lady in the Van_?: > **[The Lady in the Van (2015) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3722070/)** > > The Lady in the Van: Directed by Nicholas Hytner. With Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Clare Hammond, George Fenton. A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her van that's parked in his driveway. > **[The Lady in the Van](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_in_the_Van)** > > The Lady in the Van is a 2015 British comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings, based on the memoir of the same name created by Alan Bennett. It was written by Bennett, and it tells the (mostly) true story of his interactions with Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on his driveway in London for 15 years.\[citation needed\] He had previously published the story as a 1989 essay, 1990 book, 1999 stage play, and 2009 ra Hy... ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299/60 "2019-09-21T10:57:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m confused. Rikers Island is a New York City jail. Of course you’re right. I’m not sure what prison he was in but it was just outside of New York City. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealth-type-van-living/840299.md?page=4)