Then I think your entire premise is really just a game. I see a lot of that, touting this or that (in the way of camp gear or know-how " for the homeless'. I was homeless for 3 years, and believe me, you are way ahead to buy an old junk car for $300, and live in town, than you are to spend 100's of $ on gear and live in the woods. :-) i lived at the mission until I could get enough craigslist and day labor money to buy the car, tossed out the rear and passendger seats, cut out the crossmembers blocking access to the trunk, installed a sheet of particle board and had a sleeping area. I got it running well enough to get a steady job, then bought a minivan and sold the old car to another homeless guy. He was a drunk and lost it to a towing company in less than a week. You have to move it, about 7 am and 10pm, or get into hassles. You only have to move it 1/2 mile or so, so it can have all kinds of horrible problems, and it will still serve the purpose. You can get food stamps, food from the food pantries, eat at the church and the mission. I mostly got around by bus (1/2 fare) and one my old bicycle. Once I got into jr college, got grants and loans, I got a 2 year degree that led to a decent job. The grants paid my actual expenses for college, selling my plasma covered most of my expenses. I used the school loan money to buy a house with a VA loan and now I rent out weekly rooms. It pays me pretty well.

I never once had to cook a meal in the vehicle. Only had to use the emergency kitty litter pan a couple of times in 3 years. Used jars for liquid waste. The acids destroy the lid's ability to seal liquids, so the jar has to be replaced about once a month. Ragu spaghetti sauce jars work pretty well. :-)

I mostly hung-out at the college library, but Planet Fitness gyms, $35 a month, are a godsend. They offer 24-7 access to a shower, toilet, electricity, a place out of the cold or heat, and the Wifi works in the parking lot, if you park close to the building (ie, late at night) You dont get hassled for parking there, either, since you're a member.