It looks like I may be doing extensive car camping, that is, living out of my car for some or all of my transition to a hopefully better place and life. I am starting to puzzle through being "location independent" as at least a temporary lifestyle.

Cellphones and the Internet, for both email and faxes, are pieces that will work. Credit cards linked to accounts at national banks should be okay.

How can mail be handled while on the road for an extended time? Maybe RV folks have this one figured out? [Guess I just defined one of my next research projects.]

Laundromats are everywhere. The occasional motel stay fits in. Gas prices are scary. KOAs, and national and state parks seem to be most places.

Temporary jobs here and there could sure help the cash flow. Should I try to add job experience at a national chain business or two?

Your thoughts most welcome.

Thanks.

A lot of truckstops have showers, or if you can afford the dues a membership to the YMCA might be worth it for access to their facilities.

-Blast

There is no shame in taking a temporary job, and as far as your resume, it's not a bad thing either. Some temp jobs turn into fulltime jobs.

Is there someone you know, anywhere, that you trust to forward mail? If there is, you can change your address, use their address, and have them send mail to places you will get it. Someone who could scan some mail and send you copies via email might also be a big help. There would need to be a high level of trust.

Most RV'ers setup a P.O. box in wherever they are claining as their home state, usually a state with low cost RV registration.
Then most anything important you can setup paperless billing or statements. I get very little mail these days and the mojority of what I still get it junk.
Online banking and paperless statements, paperless billing from anything else, opting out of pre-screened credit offers, etc.

Sign up with two banks, open checking, savings and credit accounts then close the rest. I say two just in case you can't reach one or one wants to charge an atm fee or somehting you can just use the other. close all other credit card accounts so you can simply do all your banking from those two web sites.

"...How can mail be handled while on the road..."

We have a friend forward ours, we pay her a monthly amount for being the rental agent for our house, pay the postage for those flat rate boxes, and she does the rest. Lacking a trustworthy/willing friend, there are those mailbox stores ("Mailboxes r Us" types), that will give you a mailing address, and forward your mail for a fee. You can google "mailboxes" and get a lot of hits.

You will find that county, state, and federal campgrounds are much less expensive than the KOA's (which we never ever stay in). You can camp for free in national forests and on BLM land. Usually no facilities, but FREE. We have stayed in USFS campground that were free and had firerings, tables, and outhouses. Altho they are usually designed for people with RV's, you can subscribe to Workamper News (http://www.workamper.com/), you get a bi-monthly magazing and daily e-mails about jobs all over the country. Some are volunteer only, but many include pay. Most offer full hookups for the RV, but some have actual housing. We prefer to volunteer at state and federal facilities, but have done the workamper thing also.

My guess is that it couldn't hurt to have a national chain on your resume, many will allow transfers all over the country, which could come in handy...

UPS Stores turn out to handle the mail thing pretty well. 24/7 access, a street rather than post office box address, etc.

They handle mail forwarding, package receipt and forwarding, etc.

There ya go...

I had some experience with that many years ago.

1. Get a mailbox at a UPS store or even a mom and pop post box place. The mom and pop ones will often do a bit more for you. Mine would forward specific pieces of mail to me or even open them and fax them if I so requested.

2. Membership at a gym/health club with plenty of locations in the places you'll expect to be. YMCA's are usually everywhere and LA fitness is very common out west. Keeping fit and clean does wonders for your self-esteem when everything else is going down the tubes.

3. If you sleep in your car outside of a regular camp area, expect some harassment from LEO and security.

4. Public Libraries are your friend. Lots to do, climate controlled, internet access, and long hours. Even if you are working/looking for work full time, there are still many hours in a day that you need to fill.

That's the spirit. That goes along with my previous post.

Jeanette Isabelle

Excellent ideas, guys, thanks!

Highway rest areas, truck stops, some WalMart or other 24 hour superstore parking lots are generally hassle free places to park and sleep for free (if you sleep in your vehicle). County and state parks or forests are good, if you sleep during the day and have the proper sticker on your vehicle but you still can't put up a tent. The exception would be if you have a hammock like a Hennessy, then you can usually get away with guerrilla day-time camping and not worry about your vehicle being towed (make sure you're out of the park before closing time).

Truck stop showers can get pricey IMO ($6-$15) but in many areas, if you speak a little Spanish, you can ask maids at motels to allow you to use a room's shower before they clean it (free-$5). A basic free (hardship) membership is available at most YMCAs (just ask) and many times they'll allow stranded travelers to use a shower for free.

Temp work of all kinds is available in most cities and fast food places everywhere are usually looking for help regardless of experience. (Edited to add:) Any income is better than no income and a late shift gig at a fast food place doesn't interfere with the search for something more suitable. Although I don't advocate lying, there is no law that says you have to tell prospective employers that you are currently flipping burgers to keep body and soul together.

Stay clean and presentable, maintain a positive, friendly attitude and you'll be fine until you're back on your feet.

Remain in contact and let us know how you are doing.

Jeanette Isabelle

If you end up in a state where some of us are maybe we can help out getting you in touch with things/places/people. Use the PM to contact someone if you think you may be passing through their region. Maybe this community will be able to assist in some way.

More good, helpful ideas amd generosity of spirit. Thanks, folks!

Learning some new terminology related to living in your vehicle:

boondocking - free, dry camping

vancamping - living in your van

privatized vehicle - making your vehicle anonymous and inconspicuous so you can live out of it without attracting unwelcome attention

If you mean the Yahoo group, I have joined.

Consider getting a very small hard sided trailer like a Scamp. there are many very easy to tow, cheap used trailers available. this will give you a much higher life quality and more acceptability in campgrounds and NF/BLM areas. Overnight stays in Wal-Mart and similar are not a problem.

Living in a vehicle is difficult but I know many folks that live full time in very small trailers.

Let me know if you end up near Oklahoma City (voted most recession-proof city this year).

A-liners appear to be pretty neat also...

Check out Craigslist for temporary jobs

I would think, purposely moving to different areas would make it the most difficult to stay connected with your mail.
And since about the only thing you'd need mail for would be bills, then possibly by using an "on-line bank" you could eliminate the need for regular mail. I believe you can arrange to have most of your cummincations in that vein connect with you via the internet and e-mail...which you can get a hotmail or yahoo e-mail account.
Of course, then you'd need ot be diligent and get access to the internet on a regular basis. But pretty much all other things (magazines etc you'd have to just pick up at the store ...though some publications do have a way to subscribe on-line.
In my mind, clearly, planning ahead would be most beneficial as would educating yourself on how to maintain your connectino to the 'net in whatever area(s) you might chose to travel too.
Truck Stops are an obvious location (showers, food, internet etc) but the farther off the beaten path you are the less viable that option would become.
Should you go this way ...the vagabond route ... it would be interesting to follow your adventures and hear about the challenges.
Good Luck.

My new UPS Store mail address includes forwarding services, etc. My bank accounts already include online access and bill paying. Most of my recurring bills allow online payment either directly through their site or through the bank online, or offer pay by phone by debit / credit card.

I have yet to check out the truck stop options; I heard some membership options are available to save a few bucks.

Right now I am considering a strategy of day use at inexpensive parks [restrooms, showers, topping off water, and rv-style dump stations], plus free rest areas [restrooms, showers, topping off water, sleeping], plus boondocking [free dry camping, sleeping], plus night-shift jobs [legit parking at night with in-vehicle sleeping during the day which is apparently less-hassled].

I am resurrecting my old laptop for on-the-road use, but I fear it may need to be replaced.

D'oh! What a great idea!

-Blast

Maybe it's a little 'low end' for you, but if you get desperate for some cash...

In most cities there is an area on a main drag where people hang out as 'day labor'. I'm sure it's all under the table income. You just wait with the group of others and watch the vehicles.

If a truck/car slows, watch it closely. The 'language' used to be that the truck driver would wave a $20 bill and hold up the number of fingers of guys (usually) he wants. Then he leans across the seat to the open window and yells what the job is, and what it pays. I think most of it is manual labor: cleaning weeds off a vacant lot, chopping up a fallen tree, etc. Sometimes he will point at specific guys, probably because he's used them before and they did a good job.

In this as in all things, PAY ATTENTION. If you get a bad feeling about the guy or the job, just smile and back out, citing a bad leg, bad back, etc.

Sue

I quit stopping for those "labor" guys long ago. Stopped for several, only to learn that they were shocked to think that you actually wanted them to work. What they wanted was a handout, which apparently lots of folks are willing to give. I really have a hard time with those sitting there holding up their scrawled "I'm a Vet" signs. I'm a vet, as is my wife. If we were down on our luck, there are organizations established for the specific purpose of helping vets...

My brother just got a Teardrop trailer for traveling around the country. Its light and easily towed by almost all autos. It allows him to boondock easily and with a lower profile then a bigger trailer. He has one made by Little Guy (http://www.golittleguy.com/ )

It was several thousand dollars, but there are several web sites that go through step by step on how to build one for as little as $1300.00


Here is a site that goes through a build of one, it has lots of pictures of every step and he does a good job of explaining the build.

http://www.nfdc.net/home/cbdb/Teardrop%20Trailer.htm


Also here is a web site devoted to teardrop trailers.

http://www.tearjerkers.net/

I was looking into a small, easy to set up trailer a few years back and found these: http://www.chaletrv.com/

Apparently they increased their product line, but if you look for the pop up trailers (hard sided, tipi style). What I like about them, is that they are insulated (may or may not be important) and you can have enough room in them to live. Then in 30 seconds you can move if necessary.

That's a great site!!!

OBG, I'm not sure we're talking about the same people. I don't mean the guys at the bottom of the offramps with the cardboard signs (I don't think any of them mention 'work' anymore).

The group I mean tend to be in the inner city, in a specific spot. In Las Vegas, they were down the street from the Rescue Mission, about 20 guys. In Seattle, there are more, and they're out there at before dawn. They are willing to work. How well they do it, I don't know.

Just an idea.

Sue

Probably are talking about different people. I am talking about the off ramp types, the ones we have offered work to were not eager to actually work, no matter what their signs said, they just wanted a handout. Same with the ones asking for food. Offer them a meal and they turn it down, wanting the money instead. A woman once gave my wife a sob story about needing money for gas to take her mother to the dr. Wife offered to take both of them to the dr's office, waayyy across town, and return them. Offer declined. Having a pretty good idea what they intend to buy with the money, we usually decline...

Another shower addition. If you are traveling on the Ohio turnpike (I-80), all the service plazas have free showers for truckers. Never heard of anyone actually being asked to prove they were a trucker so everyone can use them.