Living in a vehicle full time... serious replies please :)

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

If you're forced into the position of living in your car, I doubt the validity or otherwise of your insurance is a pressing concern.

You may be overlooking the fact that the police impound uninsured vehicles, always, it is not a theoretical power that they don't exercise.

As someone living in their car is quite likely to be drawn to their attention, sometimes by people who think that they are being helpful and social services will help, this makes it seem likely that the option of living in the car will disappear fairly soon after it being taken up.

Bye

Ian

 

[MontyVeda]

Thanks for all the replies people.

To make it clear, it's a Skoda estate, not a cushy little van with insulation and burner

His car will be insured but should he need to claim on his insurance, would that be invalidated if the insurers learn that he's also living in it? ...or they learn that he doesn't live at the address he's using for insurance purposes?

He not as vulnerable as many people who are forced to become homeless. It's only his dogged determination that's stopping him renting something made from bricks and mortar.

My main worry is it will go tits up in a matter of weeks or days, most likely due to the weather and being ill-prepared, at which point he'll be putting his friends in an awkward situation of bending or breaking lock down guidelines to ensure he's got somewhere warm to sleep.

If corvid hadn't happened or it was all over, I wouldn't be quite so concerned about it.

 

[Pale Rider]

In the 80s a bloke lived in an Astra van which was parked in a lay by off Whipps Cross Road in north east London.

He was opposite the Whipps Cross hotel and general hospital, which may have helped in accessing the basics.

He lasted at least a couple of years, the van going from being parked on four wheels to being on two axle stands at the front.

Officialdom evicted him in the end, although no one I spoke to knew the ins and outs of his departure.

I was aware of a local n'er do well who lived for a little while behind a large advertising hoarding on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton.

The space was long, but very narrow.

I suppose he should have been congratulated for embracing a car free lifestyle long before it became fashionable.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

His car will be insured but should he need to claim on his insurance, would that be invalidated if the insurers learn that he's also living in it? ...or they learn that he doesn't live at the address he's using for insurance purposes?

Why not ask your (sorry, your "mate's") insurance company?

 

[mudsticks]

Thanks for all the replies people.

To make it clear, it's a Skoda estate, not a cushy little van with insulation and burner

His car will be insured but should he need to claim on his insurance, would that be invalidated if the insurers learn that he's also living in it? ...or they learn that he doesn't live at the address he's using for insurance purposes?

He not as vulnerable as many people who are forced to become homeless. It's only his dogged determination that's stopping him renting something made from bricks and mortar.

My main worry is it will go tits up in a matter of weeks or days, most likely due to the weather and being ill-prepared, at which point he'll be putting his friends in an awkward situation of bending or breaking lock down guidelines to ensure he's got somewhere warm to sleep.

If corvid hadn't happened or it was all over, I wouldn't be quite so concerned about it.

In which case he's a grown up, he can try it, and it will be a useful learning experience for him.

He'll certainly have lots of sympathy for refugees, and the vulnerable housed afterwards.

He sounds pretty determined so he'll probs tough it out for a few weeks for prides sake if nothing else.

Then start asking round, or get a bigger vehicle.

So long as he's got insurance it should be fine.

When he's sleeping in his car he's not driving so not going to have a crash. .

***** However he does need to make sure he's never over the alcohol level ever while parked up on a public road - that still constitutes an offence afaik even if not intending to drive. ****

Also where's he keeping all his worldly goods whilst on this escapade ..??

I have a few friends who would claim to be super minamalist while living in their vans...

OK so that's just a bit easier while half of their cr@p is kept in my barn

 

[matticus]

I would imagine he plans to drive the car from time-to-time, so you can't rule out an incident; there's a good chance his InsCo would then dispute any claim he makes, due to lying about his usage and his address.[if that claim is for large 3rd-party damages, things could get unpleasant very quickly ]

From what I'm reading, the fellow sounds pretty law-abiding, so this might be a factor that helps influence him!

 

[Profpointy]

A mate of mine did it for maybe a year not long after university. He'd quarrelled with his landlord (over nothing much I suspect) so worked out how much money he'd save by not paying rent, and lived in his car, a mini. Just to be clear this was a proper mini in the early 80s. He was seriously into motorsport so this freed up funds to keep the mini competitive. He was utterly focussed on this so would put up with a lot, and in due course became British champion at "auto-testing". I think his work was fairly relaxed about or chose not to notice him keeping various belongings in cupboards and filling cabinets. He did it for a year or more as I recall. This was in west wales rather than a big city which likely made a difference

 

[Drago]

I've slept in some cold and uncomfortable places, but thats definitely a young persons game.

In a car? Overnight folliwing a breakdown perhaps, but as somewhere to reside I'd sooner tent it or bivvy.

 

[mudsticks]

A mate of mine did it for maybe a year not long after university. He'd quarrelled with his landlord (over nothing much I suspect) so worked out how much money he'd save by not paying rent, and lived in his car, a mini. Just to be clear this was a proper mini in the early 80s. He was seriously into motorsport so this freed up funds to keep the mini competitive. He was utterly focussed on this so would put up with a lot, and in due course became British champion at "auto-testing". I think his work was fairly relaxed about or chose not to notice him keeping various belongings in cupboards and filling cabinets. He did it for a year or more as I recall. This was in west wales rather than a big city which likely made a difference

I have a friend 6'7" whi managed to set up a very small hatchback for sleeping in purposes, to save a commute to his tree surgery jobs, if they're going on a few days.

The 'commute' was from a standard duzed transit though which he lived in full time for over ten years.
So it's all relative, size wise I guess.

I'm starting to wonder if I have slightly 'odd' friends

 

[byegad]

In 1970, a friend of mine in College, decided to live in his Morris Traveller, starting the new academic year. He did this so he could spend money on beer, drugs, chasing women etc. and not waste his cash on food and shelter.
By December he was grey, he had a severe gum infection and I 'dropped him in it' with the authorities after failing to persuade him to find proper accommodation. They found him digs and by Easter he looked a lot fitter! I never told him I'd done it, but I'm glad I did, He'd never have survived the whole winter.

 

[oldwheels]

An American wrote a book entitled "Walden on Wheels" about his experience living in a van while at a prestigious American college. The problems would be similar in the UK but he needed a fixed address for documentation such as insurance, tax, driving license etc. He had a friend who obliged with this. For showers etc he used the college and lived mostly undetected in the college car park.
I think a van would be a better bet than a car but nothing is impossible.
There is lots of advice on the internet about van living.
Two of us lived in a Transit Camper for 3 months stating in January but this was on a site with electrics.We could have gone on for longer with no problem but circumstances changed.

 

[BoldonLad]

A friend of mine, soon to be evicted due to landlord selling up, has decided that he's going to live in his estate car to save money... personally i think it's hare brained plan... especially in the middle of winter and in a national lockdown during a global pandemic. Not to mention the fact then he'll technically be homeless.

He's thought through all the stuff like, where to shower, launder his clothes and putting heat reflecting things to cover the windows so the car will be all nice and homely... but there's got to be more to it than that.

Back in the 80s some of my mates were travellers and I'm pretty certain that that lifestyle is practically impossible in England these days as the places left to park were so hard to find (they were all housed by '93).

Is it legal or illegal to live in a car (or motorhome) full time, parked wherever? eg. the prom, or at a service station.

Anything I can offer to make him think logically and realistically would be greatly appreciated.

Links to legislation, laws, etc would be ideal.

Not uncommon for people to live full time in a motorhome (or caravan), but, I would have thought living in a car would be a pretty miserable existence.

In a motorhome/caravan mainland Europe is probably more pleasant, at least you can migrate south in winter, like the birds. Not without its costs however. "Wild Camping", is becoming increasingly difficult in England, although in Mainland Europe, particularly France and Germany, there are numerous parking places, free, or small charge. Most have limits on how long you can stay, so, fairly constant movement is the order of the day.

Have not done it personally, but, those who I know who have/are doing this, tend to use a friend or relatives address for vehicle registration, driving licence address, etc. Insurance, is, I believe a little more difficult (to do it correctly that is).

As others have said, a visit to the Local Council seems a much wiser option.

 

[Notafettler]

I think the main problem will be not having an address for bank accounts etc and there's a lot of etc. The estate car suggest he has given no real thought to it. Stupid in fact. But Uber taxi drivers in Los Vegas do it. To many taxis and the cars are on lease from Uber.

 

[RichardB]

His car will be insured but should he need to claim on his insurance, would that be invalidated if the insurers learn that he's also living in it? ...or they learn that he doesn't live at the address he's using for insurance purposes?

Part of the T&Cs of the policy will be that he states where he is living, as that forms a material part of the calculation of the premium. If he states that incorrectly (OK, lies about it) then the Insco will take a very dim view. I'm not sure if they would be legally allowed to invalidate a policy on that basis, but he would end up on a blacklist somewhere and find getting insurance difficult and expensive for the rest of his life. Dishonesty offences are like that.

***** However he does need to make sure he's never over the alcohol level ever while parked up on a public road - that still constitutes an offence afaik even if not intending to drive. ****

This, x100. The offence is 'being in charge' of the vehicle, so even if he has the keys in his pocket with no intention to drive, the police could argue that he was 'in charge' and prosecute him. If I park my caravan on a legitimate site, leave the car keys in a drawer in the caravan and have a few drinks, I am technically still in charge of the vehicle and could be charged. Of course, common sense applies and this doesn't happen - to boring, middle-class folk enjoying a quiet break on a site well away from the road and doing no harm. But to a single, unshaven guy living in a car in a back street? I wouldn't bet on it.

In my first year at Uni, I had a mate who applied late and couldn't get accommodation for the first few weeks of the term. He lived in a van in the road where I had my digs. No one seemed to mind, and we even tested his legitimacy by sending him a postcard addressed to 'Rowland, The Grey Van, Mountain View'. The postman politely knocked at the driver's window (my mate was asleep) and passed the card in through the quarterlight. He was glad to get out of it and into a bedsit after a week or two, though.

 

[RichardB]

There are policies available for long term motor homing which have various permanent address requirements but they may also have have requirements for the vehicle that an estate car won't meet

I think you're right. I bought a home-converted Transit camper a few years ago and getting it insured was a bit of a performance. The company wanted x number of photos of the conversion, including a very specific list of things they needed to see in order for me to be able to insure it as a motorhome. I can remember two that stood out - the ability to cook (IIRC a minimum of one gas ring) and a sink with running cold water. Both of these had to be permanent installations, not (for example) a portable gas burner and a water container/bucket. They were all there already, so for me this was just an exercise in data gathering, but there is no way a car would have been acceptable without extensive modifications.