That is a frequent line I hear when I say that I actually live in a van.

Pepole worry about the cold temperatures, the heating, the shower, the exhaust system, where do you sleep?

Here I will answer all these questions.

Shower? Any interior public pool can offer me year long free warm showers. Sometimes, I also shower at friends place but I mostly prefer to live by my own. I don’t want to be seen as an opportunist.

Heating? My van is equipped of what we call a “parking heater“. It is like a miniature oil furnace running on regular diesel fuel. Truckers use there to keep thier sleeper cab warm during the winter while keeping the main engine off during the night for comfort and fuel economy. These appliance are safe, efficient and used by the transport industry since more than 10 years now. Don’t worry about exhaust vapor, they all get outside and only the heat stays in.

Cold climate & comfort: The van itself has been insulated with polyurethane. Walls and floors has been shooted and padded with this wonderful and cheap stuff. It has also helped to reduce the noises from the road as well as any undesired city noise if I do sleep in town.

But where do I sleep? Well, that is an easier question you could believe it is. Any residential area with a calm spot between two car on the street is a perfect spot when I am in town. A parked truck and another parked truck, nobody can notice someone is sleeping in mine. From the outside, when I sleep, curtains and interior setup prevent anyone including police officers to see the bed. It’s just an empty parked truck.

When I am out of town, I usually prefer a calm and forgot spot where the view is just beautiful.