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rv:build:minimal [2020/01/05 16:29] frater_secessus [the mental preparation] |
rv:build:minimal [2021/06/01 16:07] frater_secessus [the mental preparation] |
Vandwelling is a mental challenge more than anything else. You will be living in a way that [[lifestyle:faq_objections|onlookers probably will not understand]] and may be hostile to. You will no longer be surrounded by comforting/distressing amounts of material possessions. You will no longer have a single fixed place to call home; lacking a fixed home will confuse governments, employers, businesses, and pretty much everyone else other than RV and van dwellers. | Vandwelling is a mental challenge more than anything else. You will be living in a way that [[lifestyle:faq_objections|onlookers probably will not understand]] and may be hostile to. You will no longer be surrounded by comforting/distressing amounts of material possessions. You will no longer have a single fixed place to call home; lacking a fixed home will confuse governments, employers, businesses, and pretty much everyone else other than RV and van dwellers. |
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If you are doing **voluntarily vandwelling** you are probably adventurous and chomping at the bit. These pages are designed to help you learn from the mistakes of others so you can make mistakes never seen before! :-) | If you are doing **voluntarily vandwelling** you are probably adventurous and chomping at the bit. These pages are designed to help you learn from the [[opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes|mistakes]] of others so you can make mistakes never seen before! :-) |
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If you are **involuntarily vandwelling** you may feel shame, fear, or embarrassment. There are two things for involuntary 'dwellers to remember: | If you are [[lifestyle:involuntary|involuntarily vandwelling]] you may feel shame, fear, or embarrassment. There are two things for involuntary 'dwellers to remember: |
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- **a van is shelter** when you need it (right now!). Humans have taken opportunistic shelter in places as long as we've been around. Caves, tents, trees, whatever. It's what our species does. We survive. //You// will survive. | - **a van is shelter** when you need it (right now!). Humans have taken opportunistic shelter in places as long as we've been around. Caves, tents, trees, whatever. It's what our species does. We survive. //You// will survive. |
- a vandwelling life is **a better way of life** for many people than living in a "sticks and bricks" house. Bob from Cheap RV Living, for example, started out in a van as emergency shelter after his divorce. Now he thrives in his van and [[https://homesonwheelsalliance.org/|has helped thousands of others]] to thrive, too. | - a vandwelling life is **a better way of life** for many people than living in a "sticks and bricks" house. Bob from Cheap RV Living, for example, started out in a van as emergency shelter after his divorce. Now he thrives in his van and [[https://homesonwheelsalliance.org/|has helped thousands of others]] to thrive, too. |
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| ==== stuff ==== |
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| Vandwelling will force you to confront your relationship to //stuff//, and by extension to consumer culture. You simply [[rv:build:steps#downsizing|will not have room for stuff]]. It sounds scary but can be freeing. |
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===== the build ===== | ===== the build ===== |
It doesn't take much to get started. There are a few reasons for this: | It doesn't take much to get started. There are a few reasons for this: |
If you want to charge a laptop or run a CPAP, you can pick up [[https://amzn.to/2Lemg6j|a lithium "power station"]] and charge it when you stop for a sit-down meal, coffee, or anywhere else with an electrical recepticle. This type of unit charges very well from an outlet, ok from solar, and poorly from a ciggy lighter socket unless you are driving. The [[lifestyle:faq_solar_generator|fancier units]] get expensive quickly and are heavily driven by marketing. At some point it will be cheaper to build [[electrical:12v:intro|a "real" power system]]. | If you want to charge a laptop or run a CPAP, you can pick up [[https://amzn.to/2Lemg6j|a lithium "power station"]] and charge it when you stop for a sit-down meal, coffee, or anywhere else with an electrical recepticle. This type of unit charges very well from an outlet, ok from solar, and poorly from a ciggy lighter socket unless you are driving. The [[lifestyle:faq_solar_generator|fancier units]] get expensive quickly and are heavily driven by marketing. At some point it will be cheaper to build [[electrical:12v:intro|a "real" power system]]. |
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A backpack and extension cord come in handy for recharging the power stations; you can put the battery in the backpack and run the extension plug to the wall. No one needs to know you are charging a pack. The key is to //charge every time you have the opportunity//. Be relentless about power - you are responsible for every watt that goes in and out. | A **backpack and extension cord** come in handy for recharging the power stations; you can put the battery in the backpack and run the extension plug to the wall. No one needs to know you are charging a pack. The key is to //charge every time you have the opportunity//. Be relentless about power - you are responsible for every watt that goes in and out. |
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==== minimal build ==== | ==== minimal build ==== |
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* a flashlight or area light, USB rechargeable if possible | * a flashlight or area light, USB rechargeable if possible |
* an upgraded bed, like a cot or maybe simple bed frame | * an upgraded bed, like a cot or maybe simple bed frame. Cots can be leveled over uneven flooring [[https://youtu.be/25VBk8AOqRQ?t=290|using PVC sleeves]]. |
* a camp stove or some other way to [[food:cooking|cook]], lighter | * a camp stove or some other way to [[food:cooking|cook]], lighter |
* a [[toilet:bucket|bucket toilet]] | * a [[toilet:bucket|bucket toilet]] |