does living out of a van and doing a 9-5 job until I pay off

You'll smelle

File: ford-transit-2015-9.jpg.png (538KB, 1200x633px) Image search: [Google]

538KB, 1200x633px

Are you me? I just posted about this a little bit ago except I have no intention of going into debt.

I'd prefer a van I could stand up in to make a stealth RV out of but they're all damn expensive, even used.

>>2980775
Pirate wash, my man.

>>2980797
Luckily my debt isn't tremendous since I plan on graduating in 3 years from a state school and am already at a paid internship at 18 (bragging.). It just seems like theres a whole world waiting to be painted and to stay in one place is both limiting and expensive

>>2980798
If your goal is to just travel around and do paintings why are you in University?

>>2980800
Studying animation and I took a few art classes in high school and they really improved my ability. plus im surrounded by smart people my age which can't hurt. Most importantly my parents expected me to go and 4 year degrees are the difference between working at a gas station and working at an office (statistically)

File: your canvas.jpg (174KB, 1280x854px) Image search: [Google]

174KB, 1280x854px

>>2980798
Yeah apart from just being able to travel one of the things that kind of makes me lean towards the van living thing is that even a studio apartment barely any bigger than a fucking van can costs nearly $1000 a month after utilities. You could buy a brand new high-roof van and trick it out for like $40,000k and bounce between walmart parking lots and have paid it off within the scope of a few years' rent and utilities savings. Naturally van living comes with its own expenses though too, even if you use a lot of renewable energy strategies. That's not something that can be discounted.

One important development regarding this lifestyle is the fact that 5G cellphone internet is coming and I imagine unlimited data plans are going to become more ubiquitous as well. It really doesn't seem like too bad a life if you do it right.

>>2980812
most importantly I've never been super good with girls, so im done trying to impress them, ill just marry my one love of painting

>>2980773
Well, there's always a possibility that you crash into a ditch or get kidnapped by cannibal rednecks, but other than that, no. Your plan seems pretty fine.

>>2980773
There is a girl at my work who lives in a van. She really likes it. The van is super nice. She showers at the gym at work or at 24hr fitness. It's a little awkward when people ask where she lives, but she just says San Francisco since that's where she sometimes parks it.

She doesn't live in it for financial reasons, she just likes the lifestyle. By looking at her, you would never guess she's a van person. She spends most of her time in the office to do stuff like taxes or goofing off online.

>living in a van
>doing plein air oil paintings to survive
what could possibly go wrong?

>>2980805
But you don't want to work at an office. Judging from your dreamer-like aspirations you'd probably be happier later at the gas station.

Dream on, my man and don't even think about a safety net. Because you WILL let yourself fall into it. Parents naturally want their kids to never suffer any hardships. But those hard times are what make you stronger, and will feed your art.

I can confidently say that living that way, if that's what you want, will make you happier than the vast majority of people who are enslaved by their mortgage, car payment, credit card debt, and pointless materialistic dreams. You won't have security and health insurance and all that adult stuff, but I'd imagine being happy and free to live as you wish trumps those things.

With the Internet nowadays there are all types of ways to make a successful business while being free to have a nomadic life. Good luck, OP

Damn. Nice thread idea. I'd do this in a heart beat if my gf dumped me.

>>2980773
If you're going to be committed and you live in the US, get a planet fitness membership. Free showers and a membership is cheap (after the $70 sign-up fee)

>>2981664
Oh yeah, free wifi too. Don't watch porn tho, the'll ban you if they find out.

>>2981668
>Don't watch porn tho, the'll ban you if they find out.

Speaking from experience?

File: 1493301738861.gif (3MB, 300x237px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 300x237px

>>2980773
>mfw don't have college debt
Joke aside, not a bad dream, i prefer feeling "grounded" when drawing but traveling around sound fun too, more power to you bud.

>>2980773

I thought about this. Saving up $250k to buy an RV and just travel the states while drawing. Seems like fun.

Now I'll just need to find out a way to make $250,000 worth in crypto.

File: hat.jpg (106KB, 1300x866px) Image search: [Google]

106KB, 1300x866px

>>2980773
Just live at parents house and make sure to do all the chores and even clean up after your pappy and mammy. Being able to cook is a bonus as well.

>>2982107
$250k? LOL. No. That's pricing for the extreme high end custom everything rich person RV. The big ass ones average $150k, but they're overkill for living in, as the gas costs and heating and cooling it are too much.

Something like this is more applicable:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/rvs/6111340458.html

Van based, so parts are easy to get, cheaper to fuel/park/drive. 28K. Chinooks were good RVs, well built - most aren't, they use cheap parts and aren't intended for full time living. Back when I was thinking of taking a year off to travel and paint, I was looking at the newer Chinooks, which are REALLY nice, but they run 50k.

This one is only 18K, with 25k miles on it - it's 17 years old, but this is a deal.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/rvs/6127293832.html

Now, if you're talking 250 to buy, insure and pay the monthly for an RV - you're still paying too much. An RV is all about fuel - fuel to move it, and fuel to cook with, and run the generators to charge the batteries, unless you stay in an RV park with electric hook up and sewage. RV parks can be anywhere from $500 to $1500 for a full month, $30-$50 a day. You can use them once a week or so, and use truck stops and Walmart lots.

Insurance can be a huge factor, too - some states, you can pay thousands a year. Oregon has the cheapest, at about 1100 a year.

Honestly, when I penciled out the costs, without a payment for a new one, buying a used one and putting like a grand into it for a really good tune up and going over, it still had a monthly cost of $600-$800, not moving around a lot, for fuel, food, internet access with a hotspot, and tolls and miscellaneous ( I didn't include sat. TV). Driving a lot - double or triple, easy. RVs are not for saving money. Vans are.

>>2981664
Truck stops are cheaper. There are huge truck stops for cross country drivers with showers and all kind of shit.

>>2980773
Living in a van is extremely inconvenient and should be your last resort. Can't you live with your parents or something?

>>2980812
Using walmart bathrooms is going to get old real quick.

>>2982180
>https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/rvs/6111340458.html

Gee wiz your link made me remember a childhood memory that my dad had a van like that (or something similar). It had a TV with a nintendo system and a bed in the back and in the middle a place to sit with a table. Lights along a mini staircase to the side door. I wonder how I forgot. I want to say it had a toilet too but that'd probably would be falsifying my memory...not sure It feels like it was always clogged so nobody used it. The color of the van was an ugly green.

>>2982200
There are plenty of options for showering. Truck stops have them, and they're private. You can slip into the gym of any college, and use the showers - nobody asks for ID. You can get day passes for gyms, but a sub at a national chain of gyms would be better. Some recreational areas have showers.

And, if you buy a small van based RV, most of them have small showers and toilets - and a lot of people install outside showers to their rvs, go park in a remote area - no problem.

RV/van living, from what I see, is mostly problem solving.

do it

>>2980773
Don't go to the Southwest. I lived in van for about a year and had to quit when I moved to Arizona because it was like sleeping in an oven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wksm1xI1Ms0

look up the vandwelling thread on lainchain.

also dont work full time, its far too stressful and time consuming.

get a good second hand van, clean it, put a mattress in, small desk, lenovo thinkpad laptop. if you can, put a solar panel on the roof and get a battery, get a 4g antenna too. get a rice cooker and eat a bowl of rice a day (no fridge needed), then whatever else fills your nutritional requirements (basically just fruit and whey) cheaply. reinforce the doors for peace of mind and dont hang out in shady (nonwhite) areas. try and place yourself in aesthetic areas, rural neighborhoods or meadows near rivers etc. if you are muriccan, keep a gun. good luck anon, its a p good decision if you know what you are doing.

I lived out of a car last year. There's a lot of hidden costs. Some of which may be less in a vehicle meant for living in. Such as a kitchen for less takeout. But gas prices can be ridiculous for keeping a livable temperature.
Be prepared for walmarts to kick you out if you stay over a few days, or become too recognizable. I swapped between three in an area and was still asked to leave.

There's also a certain amount of stress associated with having a vehicle as a home that's hard to quantify. Worrying about leaving it parked, where to sleep, commuting to a job if necessary and the gas involved. Where to go to pee if you don't have a toilet in your vehicle. Finding places open 24hrs.

I don't think it's really doable at minimum wage. I had a lot of help and barely made it. Art is unpredictable, so I'd start with a sizable savings.

>>2982634
transit vans are expensive

You have a good game plan if you are young. Don't get too greedy about the price of your art, and you will do well at flea markets, comicon, etc.

Better to sell a 100 paintings at $20 apiece than try and sell 1 painting for $100.

I know I,d pay $20 for an anime oil painting in a second, but couldn't afford much more.

When you get fame, you can jack the price up.

I once had a van that I customized with a bed, icebox, and table. The hardest part was the heat, so spent a lot of time outside. Maybe think about a gas powered AC mounted on the roof.

Also had a good battery powered radio, TV, and CB. But nowadays a good cell phone can replace all that, and can be recharged with a cigarette lighter adapter.

Good luck with your venture. Sacrifice when young instead of wasting time on parties, and you will have a good future.

>Go to college
>Get a useless degree
>Get saddled with debt
>Want to live in a van and draw for a living while working a shitty job
Why not just skip the first three steps and live debt-free? You guys are fucking retarded I swear. You don't need to go to college to learn how to draw. YouTube exists. Google exists. If you're so hellbent on wasting money and being a disappointment to your friends and family, I'm sure you can find an art class or something that's tens of thousands of dollars less than going to college.

>>2983509
Not OP but I don't have any debt; living in a van and drawing just seems cool to me for some reason.

>>2983473
They are, but they're not much more expensive than living in an apartment or paying a mortgage + utilities for a couple years. You could hack it in a typical pedo van like a Chevy Astro for <10k but not having standing room (or even adequate sitting room, most likely) would be pretty tough.

Forget about those rich spoiled kid comments.

Buy a cargo van, lay some carpet, do the sides and roof with 1/2 inch styrofoam and paneling. Build the bed on a platform about 18 inches off the ground so you can sit up without smashing your head. (storage under bed) Put in a couple roof vents that can be cranked open for airflow.

No side windows, so put curtains on the back windows and behind the front seats. beanbag chair for guests.

BB gun for free meat, propane stove to cook with when you can't build a fire.

If you get a temporary job, ask the boss if he will let you park there at night.

Gas stations, rest stops, truck stops, creeks for washing dishes, and clothes. (and self)

Of course emergency supplies and first aid kit.
Concealed weapons permit to deal with the cannibal rednecks, but never tell anyone you are packing unless in danger.

Do it yourself, and learn skills that will save tons of money in the future.

>>2983509
Already did one year, so to drop out would be the dumbest thing, besides im only doing 3 years at state school so its not a ridiculous amount of debt, and I'll have a bachelor's to lean on in case this whole idea stays half-baked

NO, don't drop out. Education is one of the best gifts you can get in life. But if you want to live a little before you start the 9-5 job, then by all means do it while young.

>>2980773
In most states its illegal to live in your vehicle so I guess its cool as long as you don't get caught.

Wow, really stupid and ignorant reply. "illegal to live in your vehicle"

Guess all RV owners are instantly arrested once they pull into a campsite?

>>2982200
I work at walmart and shit there like every day, it gets easier over time not harder.

>>2984827
>wow, really stupid and ignorant reply
You could have easily googled Vagrancy Laws if you had doubts about what I said and yes, in many stares in America it is fucking illegal to live in your car. And living in an RV is not the same as living in your some rundown chevy or van dipshit.
Get fucked.

>>2983593
>1/2 inch styrofoam
Is shit. They sell insulation for campers by the roll, that's far more efficient. Styrofoam is a fucking fire trap, and will squeak constantly. I'd use standard pink wall insulation before I'd use styrofoam.

>BB gun for free meat
Is illegal in most places you'd be parked in.

>>2984827
It's not the vehicle that's illegal, it's living in it. Most cities and towns have ordinances that prohibit living in vehicles or any form of camping, except in suitable, allowed areas, or if you own the land - and even then, there's ordinances against that, in terms of how long you can stay somewhere.

Obviously, a campsite is one of the areas where camping is allowed. City streets often aren't. You can park an RV on some streets, but you can't be living in it. Depends on the area. In my area, no RVs are allowed to be parked on surface streets over a certain size, and you have to have special driveways for them, so a lot of people rent spots at the local storage place, where I have a storage locker - and they have strict rules of no overnights there.

But you keep knowing it all, it's working so well for you.

>>2984899
They're not gonna fucking arrest you for living in your car, you utter mongoloid. Worst case scenario, the cops will tell you to move your car.

>>2984935
If they catch you a lot they will. Some of them will think they're helping you in some weird way.

>>2983593
>BB gun for free meat
Congratulations you gave the cops that are most likely already spying on you, not one but two reasons to fuck you up.

>>2984935

check out vandweller breads at /o/ and /out/ there are some true horror stories there, the cops are the least of your problems, shitty overzealous suburbanites claiming sidewalks space, niggers and tweakers are a big hazard and a certain way to have your van vandalized or worse

>>2983593
The irony in your post palpable since you really don't understand how the real world works. Stop watching survival videos on youtube and get familiar with your state laws.
Or you know, stop trying to glorify homelessness.

Yup, millions of people living in their car, but surprising not in jail. No cop is going to arrest you if not causing trouble.

Because if they arrested you, they'd be forced to give you free showers and meals.

Love it how you try and twist reality. Nobody talking about parking in downtown NY, just finding places to sleep while traveling.

Cop once knocked on my door late at night. Told him I got drunk and was sleeping it off. He nodded and walked away. Gee. wonder why I wasn't arrested if it is so illegal?