How to live in a van (in NYC)
I don’t always live in a van, but when I do, I prefer the Big Apple
duration
7 months
rent saved
$27,300
Skills acquired
Electrical, plumbing, automotive
Concepts grokked
Watts, volts, amps, alternators, inverters
My home for a year. A 2019 Ram ProMaster.
Why did I do this?
I was planning to move to NYC
After 3 years of being a covid refugee in Utah, I realized I prefer cities over mountains.
And my job was fully remote.
Then I lost my job
Rising interest rates hurt sales at the mortgage fintech company I was at, and we had massive layoffs.
NYC rents are high
Moving to an expensive city is not the best way to reduce your burn rate and extend your runway while looking for a new job.
But I owned a fancy camper van
I purchased the van during the pandemic to explore the outdoors in Utah.
So why not drive it to NYC?
I had already taken the van on multi-week trips into the wilderness, so it was ready for full-time living.
If I could live off-the-grid in the high desert, I was confident I could make it in a large city.
Research
PROBLEMS & solutions
Toilets & showers
Arguably the most important part of any van living situation.
Even though I have a shower and toilet in my van, I did not want to have to deal with disposing of gray and black water.
Finding a 24-hour climbing gym
My plan was to find a climbing gym and park nearby.
This would provide me with bathroom and shower access and a way to get exercise.
My main criteria were:
• parking availability
• plush amenities (co-working space, sauna, yoga, etc)
• parking availability
• plush amenities (co-working space, sauna, yoga, etc)
Parking
Parking is one of the most important factors when living in a city, as moving the van multiple times a week to avoid street-sweeping tickets is hugely disruptive.
Found gym in industrial area with no street sweeping
I confirmed with a police officer, said they do not ticket in this area.
Water
My van has a 30-gallon water tank and reverse-osmosis filtration system that I use for drinking, cooking and washing dishes. I needed to figure out a way to refill that tank (typically, every 2-3 weeks).
Found a local business that let me use their water spigot
After walking around the neighborhood looking for hoses/spigots, I found a business willing to leave their spigot turned on after hours and on the weekend, so I could use it whenever I needed.
I lived in a van for a year, after my divorce. I know how it is.
Business owner who let me use his water spigot
Power
I’ve got a battery bank that is charged by solar panels on the roof and by the van’s alternator (when the engine is running).
Solar panels are (usually) enough to power the lights, fridge, and appliances
As long as it’s sunny out, the solar panels will charge the batteries back up.
It’s only a problem when it’s cloudy or if I need to use a lot of power (like running an AC unit).
Air-conditioning
New York City is hot and humid in summer. It’s impossible to be in the van during the day without air-conditioning.
Even though I spend most of my day-time hours at a co-working space or the gym, I wanted the option to be in the van no matter how hot it got.
AC requires A LOT of power
Batteries are not strong enough to power an air-conditioner for more than an hour or so.
You need to plug the van into shore power (i.e. an electrical outlet) to get enough juice.
But I didn’t have an electrical outlet...
So I bought a generator
I locked it to the tow hitch at the front of the van.
Then I found a T-ball stand on the side of the road and used it as an umbrella stand to protect it from the rain.
Refueling the generator
Generator holds only 1 gallon of gas
This lasts for about 7 hours of runtime.
I had to refill the generator with gas every day.
This was a real inconvenience.
❌ Siphoning gas by hand from the van’s 40-gallon tank
This required unlocking and moving the generator to the side of the van.
And cleaning the hand pump after each use (to prevent corrosion).
✅ Installing an electric pump
I connected a fuel line from the van’s gas tank and ran it directly into the generator.
I could turn the pump on with a switch at the front of the van or from inside the van.
Refueling the diesel heater
My diesel-powered heater had a 5-gallon tank
The diesel heater keeps the van warm in winter.
Depending on how often I used the heater, 5 gallons would last me 2-3 weeks.
Used the Citi rental bike to fetch more diesel
The front rack was the perfect size to fit a jerry can.
Productivity
Co-working spaces at the gym
Most of my days were spent at the co-working space at my gym.
DIY standing desk in the van
I rarely worked in the van unless I was on the road.
Nevertheless, this setup worked quite well.
Hosting & entertaining
Fully stocked bar, proper glassware, and Bose speakers
It’s the little things that make all the difference.
Space for 3 seated guests
A reversible passenger seat and 2-person bench accommodate 3 seated guests.
A swivel table allows everyone to set their drinks down.
Other things I learned...
Living in a van is an amazing conversation starter
I avoided countless conversations about the weather and never had to rely on “How long have you been in NYC?” to keep a conversation going.
Everyone in NYC feels rent is too high, so they loved hearing about someone cheating the system.
7 out of 10 men dream to live in a van
It was shocking how many grown men said to me "That's always been my dream".
(Some) women will still date you
A larger dating pool is a big part of why I wanted to move to NYC. And I was worried living in a van would be a deal-breaker.
Much to my surprise, most women were actually intrigued when I told them I lived in a van. Of the 12 dates I went on while living in a van, I only had one overtly negative reaction to my living situation.
I’ll take those odds!