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BaroquenLarynx t1_irzgr89 wrote

Reply to comment by mangogetter in Is Vanlife safe in Springfield for a 21yoF? by [deleted]

Lived in my car for a bit when I first got to Springfield. Cops were hassling me every few hours, nightly. Made it very hard to keep my job, since I was always exhausted. Was awful on my girlfriend, who needed to have space that was ours to be able to be comfortable. Cannot recommend around here.

Car/Van living seems awesome until you need a gym membership to shower, and you're constantly looking for bathrooms and water sources. Not to mention, you need a way to eat hot food, which you didn't purchase from a vendor.

Is rent awful? Sure. But, having lived in my car, I'd never trade it for a roof over my head, a stove at my disposal, and a hot shower whenever I want.

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mangogetter t1_irzhz20 wrote

Beyond that, Vanlife Instagram tends to center itself around fairly temperate climates, like CA and the PNW. There's a reason for that.

Here in SGF, we have Real Winter and Hot AF Summer. The amount of (expensive) gas you're looking at to maintain safe and comfortable temps in a small, poorly-insulated (at least relative to basically any conventional dwelling) van is very, very high.

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BaroquenLarynx t1_irzigei wrote

100%. Around here, winter will be cold, and summer will be hot. You've got to make up for that somehow.

The easiest way is to ensure you have a dwelling which is well insulated. A vast majority of vehicles are not well insulated.

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mangogetter t1_irzj2yq wrote

It's just basic physics - you've got very inside air, and unless you're holding it at temperature, the retained heat/cold in the seats/bedding/everything is fighting against you constantly. And to make matters worse, you open a door and lose most of whatever hot/cold air you tried to create. And then of course, it's small, so you're constantly getting cold/heat conducted in through the outside walls/glass, which are never more than a foot or two from you. Compare that to an apartment, where the outside walls are thick and heavy/dense, and you've got other warm/cool airboxes on 2-5 sides of your air-box. Vanlife seems romantic, but unless you're doing it somewhere where living in an actual tent would be tolerable, it isn't.

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greenybeanybunny t1_is15cjr wrote

hi I wasn't asking about temperature lol, I appreciate the feedback tho

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mangogetter t1_is19cnx wrote

If you're not considering temperature as a safety risk, you're not ready to live in a van in Springfield MO.

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mangogetter t1_is19wd7 wrote

Consider: the best and cheapest way to keep your van cool and comfortable on a warm/hot night is to open windows while you sleep. Except now you're more vulnerable to assault/theft/whatnot than you were before.

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Low_Tourist t1_is1jdju wrote

Climate control IS a major safety issue. People die from exposure.

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greenybeanybunny t1_irzlezb wrote

I understand, I am asking specifically about safety in Springfield. (weird people, break ins, shootings)

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Wyldfire2112 t1_irzumwv wrote

Your biggest problem, as mentioned, is it's illegal and you're going to be constantly hassled by police if you park anywhere you can be found.

That means your biggest danger is going to frequent interaction with the police... which definitely has the possibility of you getting shot, and they're probably gonna be pretty weird as well.

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