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When people talk about retiring early (Fire Movement), I don’t believe they had this in mind.
There are a group of people, who choose to live as nomads. Most of them are technically homeless and live in a variety of vehicles, travelling from one BLM (Bureau of Land Management site) to another. They can park and camp for free for 14 days at a time. The facilities are very limited and generally non existent.
The vehicles they live in range from cars and simple tents to vans and full recreational vehicles.
If you go to Youtube and search CheapRvLiving, you will come up with a collection of videos and interviews to watch. Bob Wells produces these videos and runs the accompanying website. He also co-founded the “Homes on Wheels Alliance.” This is a non-profit group that helps people transition to the nomadic lifestyle.
Many of the nomads choose to live in vehicles due to economics. They are living on $1000 per month or less and feel that this is their best option. None are looking for pity or charity, but are grateful for this option. Many are older and to my surprise many are women.
As someone who has traveled in a camper and was an over the road truck driver, I appreciate the wandering spirit. I am also amazed at the ingenuity involved in converting just about any vehicle into a home.
If you want to know more, I encourage you to watch the videos. Some may consider the living conditions shocking, but I do not. I find the resourcefulness of this group inspiring and am grateful to live in a country with the resources to provide this as an option.
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I can imagine if you live on Social Security ($800-$2k a month) and did not pay off a home when you were younger, RV living would be an affordable option.
When I was in my 20’s, there were times I would camp in National Parks and would see these kinds of Nomads who moved from park to park.
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I have a couple of uncles who have lived like this most of their lives and they basically travel where the work is or visit relatives/people for extended periods. They’ve always been happy and never did it for early retirement or because they were broke. I’m considering it for myself in the next year or two, basically for the same reason. It always seems like nothing matches up. I find a reasonably decent job, a seasonal job, the housing/houses are unaffordable or there are no jobs and/or some combo. Not having a college degree might not help; I see people with bachelor’s degrees working at jobs that non-degree people used to have. Might just be my area though. I’ve found a few Youtubers inspirational. One couple that used to post lived in their van in Toronto (even in winter) until they saved enough for a house.
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My first few years as a truck driver, I lived in the truck. I spent so many days on the road that it didn’t make any sense not to. I miss the flexibility to pull over to take a nap, digest a meal or just to avoid rush hour traffic. Travelling with your bedroom does have it’s advantages.
I also traveled and lived in a small Toyota camper about 25 years ago. It was a pretty stress free life.
With the homeless situation, campers and RVs are restricted from parking on the streets in many cities. It’s really too bad, but alas, a few bad apples tend to ruin it for the rest of us. Many people leave their trash around and otherwise don’t show respect for the community.
If you have a place to shower, living in a vehicle becomes so much easier, but I’d think twice about living in an RV, unless you know parking won’t be an issue. A van seems to attract a lot less attention.
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