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This wiki is aimed primarily at vandwellers but much of the information is usable by cardwellers. Below are some topics that may differ between car- and van-dwelling
Note: if you are new to cardwelling or doing it out of necessity, see this article on involuntary vehicle-dwelling.
Cargo cans and similar will usually have much more “living space” inside than cars; after all they were designed to haul cargo.
Car-dwellers will probably not be able to use the typical vandweller bucket toilet inside the car.
Electrical power can be extremely challenging for cardwellers. Power generation and storage components as found in campervans tend to be physically too large/heavy, overpowered, or otherwise impractical for car used. There are no solutions that are simultaneously easy, inexpensive, and size-appropriate for cars.
The most common way to access alternator power is through the cigarette lighter, sometimes called an accessory power port.
Cigarette lighters outlets are typically fused at 10A, so it's safest to assume you will only be able to pull 120w total from them without popping a fuse.
You can run 12v (DC) devices that have a male cigarette connector from the outlet.
You can also run a small inverter off the port. Caveats:
Larger inverter loads can be run if one bypasses the cigarette lighter and connects to the battery directly with alligator clips or by adding wiring.
Many inverters in the 300w+ range come with alligator clips to connect directly to the starter battery. Example: Aims Aims 300w PSW and Bestek 500 MSW models. Their usefulness is somewhat limited because you can only use them with the hood up and car idling.
Running wire (with appropriate fuse) from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment will allow you to run larger loads while driving. Example: cooking with excess power while on a road trip or long commute.
Newer vehicles may also have USB ports.