4 ms·

I think a more accurate term for people who have a living arrangement that isn't within the confines of most people's idea of "home", but is a stable home to th

I think a more accurate term for people who have a living arrangement that isn't within the confines of most people's idea of "home", but is a stable home to them nonetheless is "houseless". Full-time RV'ers, for instance, would be houseless. A person who has given up their house or lease, and disposed of or stored their possessions to take a long-term trip (gap year, thru-hike, etc) would be houseless. Hashtag vanlifers? Houseless. Similarly, I'd call somebody living the lifestyle presented in the article houseless, not homeless.

chaseha 8y ago
That's an important distinction to make. "Homeless" carries a large negative connotation and lumping in relatively affluent people like this dilutes the large issue of homelessness [not by choice] faced by so many
Balgair 8y ago
Jessica Bruder's Nomadland: Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century is a very good look into the RV'ers and their lives[0, 1]. Though at first, many people profess to love the freedom of the RV life, upon further inspection, most are very unhappy with it. Financial crises typically nucleate the move into the RV and that lifestyle. Per a recent NPR interview: "And then maybe four days later, a week later, if I'm still hanging around as a reporter, that's when I hear about the foreclosure or the 401(k) that got wiped out, those other details. So people are eager to tell you that they chose this, but their options have narrowed quite a bit in recent years. So, you know, on the one hand, there is the I'm out there and I'm having an adventure. And on the other hand, this is sometimes the result of few options." In the end, people are involved in complicated choices in their complicated lives. Still, it seems that most people would rather not be RV-ing their way through life, but make the best of it and put on a smile despite their situations. A similar effect may be occurring with the OP. [0] https://www.npr.org/2017/09/25/553532591/nomadland-tracks-rising-number-of-americans-living-on-the-road https://www.npr.org/2017/09/25/553532591/nomadland-tracks-ri... [1] https://www.amazon.com/Nomadland-Surviving-America-Twenty-First-Century/dp/039324931X https://www.amazon.com/Nomadland-Surviving-America-Twenty-Fi...
- driverdan 8y ago
  Full timers range from being forced to live in a broken down car to having a successful exit and buying a million dollar class A. It depends on who you talk to. Some people choose it, some don't. Many who don't are making the best of their situation so they're trying to be positive about it. I live in a bus. I choose this life. I know many others who also made this choice. I could afford a decent mortgage if I wanted to. Instead I'm exploring the country while I put that money towards paying off other debt and into savings. At some point I'll buy real estate but not today.
  - Balgair 8y ago
    Thank you very much for the additional viewpoint! Is there a good resource available for others to see this flip-side better? Do you have a blog or other book that you could recommend? Again, thanks!
    - driverdan 8y ago
      There are many depending on which segment you want to look at. Most RV clubs (eg Escapees[1]) cater to retired people who have sold their houses to travel in RVs. Vanlife / vandweller[2] type sites mostly cater to 20-40 somethings choosing the lifestyle. Some, like Cheap RV Living[3], cater to a wide range including those forced into it. There are also forums dedicated to people building their own vehicles. Cheap RV Living has one. Skoolie.net[4] focuses on buses. Then there's a whole segment of adventure / overlanding vehicles such as Expedition Portal[5]. 1: https://www.escapees.com/ https://www.escapees.com/ 2: http://reddit.com/r/vandwellers/ http://reddit.com/r/vandwellers/ 3: https://www.cheaprvliving.com/ https://www.cheaprvliving.com/ 4: http://www.skoolie.net/forums/ http://www.skoolie.net/forums/ 5: https://www.expeditionportal.com/ https://www.expeditionportal.com/

chaseha 8y ago

That's an important distinction to make. "Homeless" carries a large negative connotation and lumping in relatively affluent people like this dilutes the large issue of homelessness [not by choice] faced by so many

Balgair 8y ago

Jessica Bruder's Nomadland: Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century is a very good look into the RV'ers and their lives[0, 1]. Though at first, many people profess to love the freedom of the RV life, upon further inspection, most are very unhappy with it. Financial crises typically nucleate the move into the RV and that lifestyle. Per a recent NPR interview: "And then maybe four days later, a week later, if I'm still hanging around as a reporter, that's when I hear about the foreclosure or the 401(k) that got wiped out, those other details. So people are eager to tell you that they chose this, but their options have narrowed quite a bit in recent years. So, you know, on the one hand, there is the I'm out there and I'm having an adventure. And on the other hand, this is sometimes the result of few options." In the end, people are involved in complicated choices in their complicated lives. Still, it seems that most people would rather not be RV-ing their way through life, but make the best of it and put on a smile despite their situations. A similar effect may be occurring with the OP. [0] https://www.npr.org/2017/09/25/553532591/nomadland-tracks-rising-number-of-americans-living-on-the-road https://www.npr.org/2017/09/25/553532591/nomadland-tracks-ri... [1] https://www.amazon.com/Nomadland-Surviving-America-Twenty-First-Century/dp/039324931X https://www.amazon.com/Nomadland-Surviving-America-Twenty-Fi...

driverdan 8y ago
Full timers range from being forced to live in a broken down car to having a successful exit and buying a million dollar class A. It depends on who you talk to. Some people choose it, some don't. Many who don't are making the best of their situation so they're trying to be positive about it. I live in a bus. I choose this life. I know many others who also made this choice. I could afford a decent mortgage if I wanted to. Instead I'm exploring the country while I put that money towards paying off other debt and into savings. At some point I'll buy real estate but not today.
- Balgair 8y ago
  Thank you very much for the additional viewpoint! Is there a good resource available for others to see this flip-side better? Do you have a blog or other book that you could recommend? Again, thanks!
  - driverdan 8y ago
    There are many depending on which segment you want to look at. Most RV clubs (eg Escapees[1]) cater to retired people who have sold their houses to travel in RVs. Vanlife / vandweller[2] type sites mostly cater to 20-40 somethings choosing the lifestyle. Some, like Cheap RV Living[3], cater to a wide range including those forced into it. There are also forums dedicated to people building their own vehicles. Cheap RV Living has one. Skoolie.net[4] focuses on buses. Then there's a whole segment of adventure / overlanding vehicles such as Expedition Portal[5]. 1: https://www.escapees.com/ https://www.escapees.com/ 2: http://reddit.com/r/vandwellers/ http://reddit.com/r/vandwellers/ 3: https://www.cheaprvliving.com/ https://www.cheaprvliving.com/ 4: http://www.skoolie.net/forums/ http://www.skoolie.net/forums/ 5: https://www.expeditionportal.com/ https://www.expeditionportal.com/