I once lived for 6 months out of my car. It wasn’t bad once you get used to it. As you say, self contained, heat, air, electricity, internet from my phone.
I had a few different parking places to sleep to mix it up and move around. Picked safe, well lighted places where I didn’t bother anyone. And I never left a mess or peed or pooped outside. For showers I had a cheap gym membership.
I saved up w lot of money during that time and I gotta say part of me missed the simplicity and freefom of it.
There’s a growing vanlife/rv movement doing that now.
A lot are retirees out for an adventure, but many are those who cannot afford a sticks and bricks place to live so they live in their van/rv/even car. There is nothing wrong with it and to me it even evokes a spirit of the covered wagon era.
Many states and cities are devising ordinances against sleeping in your car/van overnight on a public street, so it may soon be a situation where instead of being in an rv/van/car, people will be forced to live in a tent and defecate on the sidewalk. Thanks, California.
Most places won’t let you sleep overnight on the street. Was this a long time ago?
I’ve always said being homeless in CA in summertime is very pleasant
I traveled the whole state in the sierras as a yout