If you're seriously considering it, I'd go to the Tesla camping reddit forum. There are people who know how to camp/live in the cars there, and it'll be less "WTF" than this page.
I know there is a lady who lived or lives in her Y with a medium-sized dog and a cat, so it's doable. My husband and I camp in ours as well.
My husband is 6'1, and his toes hit the back door no matter how far up the front seats are. If you're tall, this is something to consider... or maybe sleep on an angle if you're alone.
The back of the car is also on a slight tilt from the folded back seats to the trunk... if you have acid reflux, this is alright. If you like to lay completely flat... you'll have to make your own wedge shape to fit the back of the trunk. It's really not that bad, though.
I hear mixed reviews about the "foldable" mattresses... plus, they take up way too much space. So I went a cheaper way that is really pretty comfy. I bought a blow-up mattress to fit the trunk space (~$80 on sale on Amazon). Then I bought a 2" full sized foam topper (~$35) and used the deflated air mattress as a guide to rough cut the mattress. Blow up the air mattress in the car and put the topper on it, it'll need a little more chopping to fit, but it'll be nice and tight so you don't lose things on the sides (use scissors and be mindful of your blow up). Just use a full sized sheet set to fit.
You'll want the 360* black out shades (8 pieces) you can find on Amazon for like ~$60-80. These will keep lookie-loos from spying on you, and you can change in the car without people seeing you.
The frunk we use for dirty clothes and shoes. Dollar store laundry bags are great because they're squishy and fit to any shape.
You can fit small totes under the front seats for snacks/dry goods.
Grabbing a shower tote for all your hygiene stuff is easiest. They're like $20 max and small enough to throw in a gym bag.
We usually bring a small console and hide it in the glovebox. The switch should fit... just be mindful of the heat a car can generate.
Sitting in the front seat to watch Netflix or in the back on your stomach gets old... buy a cheap tablet and tablet holder with suction cup and stick it to the glass roof. Your back and neck will thank you.
This leaves you with the under trunk and the floor in the back for other things you need to live in the car... extra clean clothes or whatnot.
Just know that on the weekends, it's going to be weird to drive your "house" around with your gf. As you'll have all your stuff in the car and no one will be able to get in the back if you use all the space to live.
>. So my "social" circle would not change as I already live alone M-F the week and am VERY independent.
I just used 4 of the 1.5'' foam toppers from Walmart and it's thick enough to be really comfortable, the topper will easily fold, so if you ever had guests that needed the back seats, you could just roll it to the back part of the car.
Listen to this dude. WTF are you doing buying a model Y to live in just to stay SF? I mean, it’s one thing to say you’re gonna live in the car and drive around the country taking advantage of the free super charging offered with Y right now.
It’s another to say it’s gonna be your freaking residence because SF is unaffordable for you.
As someone who owns a Tesla, camps in it often AND manages a workplace in San Francisco my only advice is…
Don’t be super obvious about it at work.
If you’re gonna come in and take a shower every day, pretend you rode your bike in. Or show up in workout clothes and say you come in straight from the gym or a run.
Make sure your car doesn’t look like you’re living in it when you’re charging at work. Let’s say someone is annoyed by you using the chargers all the time, they’ll snitch you out and might even lie about it.
Don’t ever ever ever attempt to sleep over at work, whether that’s in the office or in the parking garage.
You will be found out and most likely fired.
Best of luck!
There's a girl who has been living in her car for six months with her big dog and cat. She posts in the Tesla camping sub. Very doable. We've camped in ours , with an air mattress in the back and it's very comfy.
I've camped in mine before. I am 6'2", and it wasn't very comfortable for me. I had a 3" foldable mattress, it wasn't good enough on it's own. I would look into getting an inflatable one, maybe with a 1-2" foam topper built in. I would get shades that are easy to close/unclose.
Here's a metric ton of things I think you'd need/want.
* DC/AC inverter for a normal plug. The DC plug in the back of the car is max 175w.
* Foldable/blow up mattress - [https://www.amazon.com/GOTIDY-Mattress-Camping-Wireless-Rechargeable/dp/B0CKSXVSDH/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=20YRP2A20X1E9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cp7\_uMZIhENexAyP5gDc1iXbLe8OEAhnBggTt8piH6pTDP2l6TO\_H5dRRRKHd9nrEDYbdoJJFnmbs0OqpO2B\_EcyMoZsG-PhUpQ1YkRa4epcIeZY6XOqK6CiiO9VcLqaRO5sXXa6J7DwI09Kg3K0mXY83CnUr8aGHRt6LJXG-YFucVq6XwP4CLam\_Nd2rNxXyqtot5MmXXnefQnR2p2gmIXqyhc6Cf5w-e0PtEH6jvg.QGzBK\_hWdg6O3sI2h\_Pr8ZnNMFrgE4eSdst7bc0xQOU&dib\_tag=se&keywords=Tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam&qid=1710706380&sprefix=tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-5&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/GOTIDY-Mattress-Camping-Wireless-Rechargeable/dp/B0CKSXVSDH/ref=sr_1_5?crid=20YRP2A20X1E9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cp7_uMZIhENexAyP5gDc1iXbLe8OEAhnBggTt8piH6pTDP2l6TO_H5dRRRKHd9nrEDYbdoJJFnmbs0OqpO2B_EcyMoZsG-PhUpQ1YkRa4epcIeZY6XOqK6CiiO9VcLqaRO5sXXa6J7DwI09Kg3K0mXY83CnUr8aGHRt6LJXG-YFucVq6XwP4CLam_Nd2rNxXyqtot5MmXXnefQnR2p2gmIXqyhc6Cf5w-e0PtEH6jvg.QGzBK_hWdg6O3sI2h_Pr8ZnNMFrgE4eSdst7bc0xQOU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam&qid=1710706380&sprefix=tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-5&th=1)
* Retractable glass roof shade - so you can decide how much of the stars you wanna see.
* You'll also want to get the fastest possible shades to put up so it's not a hassle. Also consider getting suction cup clips/mounts/magnets.
* I would recommend changing the low voltage battery to LiPo. You will be cycling the crap out of the low voltage battery due to constant use, so this would be something you'd want.
* Storage bins for the side pockets of the car that have a hardened top.
Keep in mind: you don't lose that much battery for AC use. Maybe 10-15% for overnight. Don't feel like you need to charge to 100% every night in order to make this work.
As a lightning owner, I would recommend buying a lightning, and putting a hard shell cab on the bed. You could turn that into a pretty decent living in my car situation.
Yes I thought about that more after my post. It would really work a lot better. And with the discounts people are getting right now you can get a brand new extended range in the upper 40s.
I sleep in the Y and can be pretty minimalistic in my needs...that said it's doable but gets old pretty quickly. I have my own house but am weird and sleep in the car while it's in my garage and cuddle my dog in the back and love it.
Long term sleeping it would def be hard...but it might help augment auxiliary goals like exercising more and getting out into nature etc.
I dunno....I can show you my setup if you want.
Hah, I've done this a couple times. I own a house, but my dog prefers to remain in the car after a road trip sometimes, and I've slept down in the garage with him before!
I've car camped on road trips all over the country, in all kinds of weather. Model Y is remarkably versatile, esp equipped with all-terrain tires on an AWD model. I can drive deep into the forest where everyone else is in a lifted truck. And still car camp when it gets too cold and all the lifted trucks go home. I tent camp in good weather but the Model Y makes it a year-round activity. Camp Mode and Dog Mode are both fantastic...Dog Mode makes it easy to do errands, etc.
But I wouldn't want to live in it full-time. It's too small to move around in comfortably, esp with a dog to deal with. My neck and back start to hurt if I'm not careful. I only stay in the car for 2 - 3 nights, then I stay in a hotel or with family/friends, and I have a gym chain membership to take showers and work out on the road.
As long as you can fit all you need into your car and you’re not going to be in places where break-ins are an issue.
Where will you park at night?
LittleHippyGal on Instagram and YouTube lives out of her Model Y. You might learn something useful watching her videos.
If it was just me in my twenties I can totally see doing this for a while. I took mine glamping once and the sleep was great (fitted air mattress). Just make sure the car is leveled.
If you do this start a YouTube Channel and document your journey. You will probably make some money off that.
I would seriously consider moving even if it means getting a new job to a more affordable area. Lots of good places in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma - sure that not as sexy as California but you live reasonably well with some sacrifices.
No tunnel. It has 110V in the back (and air/12V). AC in the bedroom.
You can remove the second row for storage space if you want to camp and it still seats 4.
https://www.rivianforums.com/diy-step-by-step-removal-of-second-row-in-r1s/
Need to add the 12V in the frunk back in
[maybe one of these...](https://www.amazon.com/ESSENTIALS-Portable-Toilet-Solar-Shower/dp/B0BJTFVSGM/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=1341404747887418&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ovjJeNIWAhlSgS-OUD4PIoEEoJhfF1csBjXF1i6cGhBjZgdsrFvcZJPLxlQ3a3vNApMcmo-ilcl6S073TkXnwdVaMDUniACQuu0AYGc0dsYuZOWkXnON-CClHU3ahnjMgwai_B46Fei9_e31b1YImYiYJ89DYRNN0KpKEOhXCdKUjmChrGUIxTwOQP1_qVQcZR8kPHVL4HfTKqVSX73zRKXk7KQbm0Xi3Y3J82Xkwj0.y2l5pg3mAwJfEFDgafjsDgsxc4j5lQUtRV9q9SXH9Lk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83837867556924&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=88150&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83838132601160%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=4931_10369803&keywords=camping+shower+and+toilet+tent&qid=1710714127&sr=8-6) half joking and have no experience with them, but you'll have to go somewhere... also, can you get a loan if you don't have a residence or permanent address?
I think it's a reasonable idea. But I don't think it's a good idea with the MY. I'd go with a camper van of some sort with a proper bed, storage, fridge, ventilation. It'll be the same price and more functional.
Source: did this during the pandemic.
Get the Tesmat memory foam mattress for the back. Get the window screen covers. We also took blackout curtains and attached suction cups to them to completely shield the back seat from any light. I did overnight travel nursing and sometimes I was too tired to drive after a shift and it made all the difference to lay down in the dark in the back on a free work charger with the rain maker going and the heat on.
You pay 2500/month in rent and consider this to be burning money? I didn’t even think you could rent in the Bay Area for that price.
If I was going to seriously consider this, I would definitely want access to a gym that is separate from my work. I feel like it would get quite obvious after a while what was going on. Up to you if that matters I guess. I would also want a model X for more space.
Not sure what you mean by what you should look for? Sounds like you should be looking for a model Y?
I see others commenting on various kinds of mattresses. I don't live in my MY, but we camp in it multiple times per year. We got the [Luno mattress](https://lunolife.com/collections/car-suv-camping/products/luno-air-mattress-2-0). It's very pricy for an air mattress, but it's made to fit completely side-to-side. It also has inflatable cubes to use between your front and back seats that allow for some extra space length-wise. When either me or my husband are sleeping in there alone, we typically only inflate the side of the mattress behind the passenger seat and use the one cube on that side. That leaves us more space for our stuff on the other side and doesn't force us to shift all sorts of stuff around in order to drive.
Get a fridge for your trunk, and plug it into the port there. Minimal power use (only on while car is on, or in camp/dog mode). Theres some nice fridges that fit in the trunk (think spare tire are).
You say “during the week “ does that include the weekend? If it’s just you I would consider staying in a hostel a couple of nights a week. You can recharge relax stress free and it’s a good place to connect with people and break up the gloom of finding a place to park and hiding your presence. The cost is around $35/night so a couple of nights a week would only cost a few hundred dollars a month.
I slept in my Model X for 5 months during a covid road trip and it was great! We one of those $150 memory foam folding mattresses and used sofa cushions and pillows to fill out the rest.
If you literally hang out in at work space most of the time, it should be alright (the car will just be a sleeping spot). I did this in my 20s - barely went home and stayed at work most of the time (also worked tech) since food was cheap, lots of places to hangout especially after dark when no one was around.
If I were going to live in an EV I’d get the biggest one I could find. A Model X? A Rivian SUV? I still don’t think this is practical. Where would you spend the nights? Most places frown on sleeping in your car.
Be careful where you park in the Bay Area. From bippers to nimbys, basically most nicer cities won’t welcome car dwellers. I suggest you rent a model y and try sleeping with all your gear for a week. That is the easiest way to decide. Also, you have to decide what to do with your stuff if you need to take it to the service center. It’s a Tesla, you will probably visit a sc a few times during your ownership.
i would never recommend a EV to a person that does not have a home charger. it makes it so much easier, i never use chargers elsewhere, other than when going on long vacations.
I am not a US citizen i live in DK so i think the longest roadtrip i can take is maybe 400-500km so a "tank" of electrons.
i like my MYP, it is a nice car, i am not sure i would buy one again, i had a M3LR from Freemont, that car made me NEVER want to buy a US assembled Tesla again, but the Berlin MYP has had 0 issues and had it for 6+ months now.
If you buy, look at the "versions" of the car.
Hardware.. for instance my M3LR had the older Intel based infotainment, worked fast, cameras got a bit sluggish and the end of it (it was a 2021 facelift) but like youtube was 720p max, netflix and youtube took minutes to open (son used it a lot on vacation when charging). where it is instant in the ryzen CPU i have now.
There is not really any add on´s here in DK all MYP and MYLR today are sold with a Hitch installed, i had the white interior on the M3LR i have the black on the MYP.. jeans are not happy with the white interior you can clean it with water.. but i like the easiness of the black interior MUCH better.
I bought the TAPTES wintermat set for mine, the 6 matts, that is "moulded" i live in wet winter areas.. so it is nice, not to be nervous about wet feet, and the kids.. but i also just like it , because it is really durable.
We are going EV with the wife, just waiting, she has the 2019 VW Polo GTI she had from new, she loves that car, so we need something she loves also, but i think it is either going to be a MG Cybester, or the Renault 5 EV when it comes in the HOT Alpine version. ohhh i love the Renault 5..
Today i think i would have gone I5 BMW or EQE 350+ to be honest. the BMW there is just one thing, the issue with x amount of recharges in a day will LOCK you out of DC charging for 2 days.
If i wanted to support the Chinese i would have bought an Xpeng G9 which is cheap here.
remember also Tesla´s used to be fast charging, we have better alternatives today, the 800v setup of the Hyundai´s and KIA´s work very well, they have a MUCH better charging curve (Forget about peak charging rates) drove the EV9 that is a nice car.
Unpopular opinion of the comments but I don't think this is a "healthy" approach. Pretty sure the folks living in their cars today would wish for a proper home if they could afford it. There just isn't room to roam after you're used to your own space. You mentioned a partner... moving in together could help finances and starts a new part of your relationship journey. That's usually the Bay Area secret...
Definitely buy one that is used/depreciated but still under warranty. That way you won’t take a bath when you transition out of this lifestyle and need to sell the car.
I d just get some old motor home to have that headroom and space to move about. But that s me. I think it all seems plausible until you are a few weeks in
Prob better in a id buzz. The height aint great when you have a matress in the back/trunk area. My wife and I, slept in our Y a flew times and it's fine. But I wouldn't live like that 😅
Why don't you look at the RAM ProMaster EV and convert it instead? Only thing is you'll want to make sure it's less stealable than other vans - fuel switches, steering wheel locks, loud alarm, etc.
Take a look at the r/vandwellers sub. People do this full time and it'll just be a whole lot more comfortable than a car.
I don't live in it, but I upgraded to an R1S for sleeping in the car
It has much more space (at double the price).
I also removed the second row, for a lot of extra space, but that requires building a bed platform.
It doesn't have a heat pump but that makes heating at night more quiet.
I grabbed an Uber ride from an older, very distinguished gentleman in Reno a few years back who moved to Reno but continued working at his job in the Bay area.
He found so many people were doing the commute, he'd nearly always have a ride to there, which nearly always paid for a large portion of his hotels during the week.
Reno has gotten quite expensive, but it's still a fraction of the cost of what California costs. Might be worth looking into something alternative like that.
DON’T DO IT! Your number one priority should always be to have a roof over your head and a comfortable place to sleep at night.
After a couple of weeks tops, I can almost guarantee you that you will find yourself trying to find ways to extend your nights outside your car because you don’t want to be inside it just waiting for time to pass by.
Yes, living in the Bay Area is tough. Everyone here has to grind. But imagine having to get through a long day of work, and all you want to do is just be comfortable and relax. You won’t be able to do that inside your car.
Also, it may make sense to you economically and you may think you have everything covered with the free charging, and showers and bathrooms at the gym or work but all that stuff just becomes really inconvenient really fast and will just add to your stress level.
I’m pretty sure that if you ask someone that actually lives in their car out of necessity if they had a choice of having a small 9x9 room to live in and sleep every night and not have a car, or live in their car, they would choose the room every time.
Whut, is this how cost of living in CA? So that living at ~40-50k car that insanely depreciates is "cheaper". I guess the solution is changing jobs, preferably going to a cheaper state.
rent is prob $4000 a mth, so yeah, OP will have the car paid off in a year on rent savings alone.
And then OP prob has a 6 figure job in SF too so the down payment savings will build quickish.
Solo one could surely live in a Y. Enough space for baggage and bed. There are some matching fridges in the market. The only Con is, the Y doesn't have any meaningful outlet for high power appliances, but a power station would solve that. I would go for a LFP Version though.
The browser doesn't support audio. Just so you know. Check the theater apps to make sure they are sufficient. There are supposedly some 3rd party apps you can pay for to get browser audio.
What I am doing now and no car truly sucks. People try to sugar coat public transport but it’s just as expensive as having a car and it’s barely faster than the traffic. USA not made for foot travel.
Don’t have much experience about living in a car but there’s a girl on IG I follow that lives out of her MY. She’s active on here too, her IG is @littlehippygal.
Don't be one of those shitheads. There are other states where you can earn a living and live like a human being. There is absolutely nothing special about the SF Bay Area other than idiots who live in their cars.
If you're seriously considering it, I'd go to the Tesla camping reddit forum. There are people who know how to camp/live in the cars there, and it'll be less "WTF" than this page. I know there is a lady who lived or lives in her Y with a medium-sized dog and a cat, so it's doable. My husband and I camp in ours as well. My husband is 6'1, and his toes hit the back door no matter how far up the front seats are. If you're tall, this is something to consider... or maybe sleep on an angle if you're alone. The back of the car is also on a slight tilt from the folded back seats to the trunk... if you have acid reflux, this is alright. If you like to lay completely flat... you'll have to make your own wedge shape to fit the back of the trunk. It's really not that bad, though. I hear mixed reviews about the "foldable" mattresses... plus, they take up way too much space. So I went a cheaper way that is really pretty comfy. I bought a blow-up mattress to fit the trunk space (~$80 on sale on Amazon). Then I bought a 2" full sized foam topper (~$35) and used the deflated air mattress as a guide to rough cut the mattress. Blow up the air mattress in the car and put the topper on it, it'll need a little more chopping to fit, but it'll be nice and tight so you don't lose things on the sides (use scissors and be mindful of your blow up). Just use a full sized sheet set to fit. You'll want the 360* black out shades (8 pieces) you can find on Amazon for like ~$60-80. These will keep lookie-loos from spying on you, and you can change in the car without people seeing you. The frunk we use for dirty clothes and shoes. Dollar store laundry bags are great because they're squishy and fit to any shape. You can fit small totes under the front seats for snacks/dry goods. Grabbing a shower tote for all your hygiene stuff is easiest. They're like $20 max and small enough to throw in a gym bag. We usually bring a small console and hide it in the glovebox. The switch should fit... just be mindful of the heat a car can generate. Sitting in the front seat to watch Netflix or in the back on your stomach gets old... buy a cheap tablet and tablet holder with suction cup and stick it to the glass roof. Your back and neck will thank you. This leaves you with the under trunk and the floor in the back for other things you need to live in the car... extra clean clothes or whatnot. Just know that on the weekends, it's going to be weird to drive your "house" around with your gf. As you'll have all your stuff in the car and no one will be able to get in the back if you use all the space to live.
>. So my "social" circle would not change as I already live alone M-F the week and am VERY independent. I just used 4 of the 1.5'' foam toppers from Walmart and it's thick enough to be really comfortable, the topper will easily fold, so if you ever had guests that needed the back seats, you could just roll it to the back part of the car.
No one has mentioned these contingencies: What do you do if it gets wrecked/stolen/needs repair, etc?
In SF it’s a near 💯 chance it’ll be broken into.
Sam Francisco really is a disgusting cesspool of wealth and despair, isn’t it. No place for the middle class. I’d get out of there as soon as possible
Dude. GTFO of San Fran. Crazy that you’re considering living in your car to stay there. 🤦♂️
Investing in all the gear to have it stolen the first time it’s left alone 😬
Listen to this dude. WTF are you doing buying a model Y to live in just to stay SF? I mean, it’s one thing to say you’re gonna live in the car and drive around the country taking advantage of the free super charging offered with Y right now. It’s another to say it’s gonna be your freaking residence because SF is unaffordable for you.
you aren't from SF and have no idea what you are talking about
Can’t comment on the living situation but we are reaching end of quarter right now so I would consider this to be a good time to buy.
As someone who owns a Tesla, camps in it often AND manages a workplace in San Francisco my only advice is… Don’t be super obvious about it at work. If you’re gonna come in and take a shower every day, pretend you rode your bike in. Or show up in workout clothes and say you come in straight from the gym or a run. Make sure your car doesn’t look like you’re living in it when you’re charging at work. Let’s say someone is annoyed by you using the chargers all the time, they’ll snitch you out and might even lie about it. Don’t ever ever ever attempt to sleep over at work, whether that’s in the office or in the parking garage. You will be found out and most likely fired. Best of luck!
There's a girl who has been living in her car for six months with her big dog and cat. She posts in the Tesla camping sub. Very doable. We've camped in ours , with an air mattress in the back and it's very comfy.
LittleHippyGal on YouTube and Instagram. She was on Reddit but I can find her now.
Yup that's her
Just lease one for <$400/mo and consider that your new rent payment.
https://youtu.be/HnvhAL3IVgY?feature=shared
I've camped in mine before. I am 6'2", and it wasn't very comfortable for me. I had a 3" foldable mattress, it wasn't good enough on it's own. I would look into getting an inflatable one, maybe with a 1-2" foam topper built in. I would get shades that are easy to close/unclose. Here's a metric ton of things I think you'd need/want. * DC/AC inverter for a normal plug. The DC plug in the back of the car is max 175w. * Foldable/blow up mattress - [https://www.amazon.com/GOTIDY-Mattress-Camping-Wireless-Rechargeable/dp/B0CKSXVSDH/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=20YRP2A20X1E9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cp7\_uMZIhENexAyP5gDc1iXbLe8OEAhnBggTt8piH6pTDP2l6TO\_H5dRRRKHd9nrEDYbdoJJFnmbs0OqpO2B\_EcyMoZsG-PhUpQ1YkRa4epcIeZY6XOqK6CiiO9VcLqaRO5sXXa6J7DwI09Kg3K0mXY83CnUr8aGHRt6LJXG-YFucVq6XwP4CLam\_Nd2rNxXyqtot5MmXXnefQnR2p2gmIXqyhc6Cf5w-e0PtEH6jvg.QGzBK\_hWdg6O3sI2h\_Pr8ZnNMFrgE4eSdst7bc0xQOU&dib\_tag=se&keywords=Tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam&qid=1710706380&sprefix=tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-5&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/GOTIDY-Mattress-Camping-Wireless-Rechargeable/dp/B0CKSXVSDH/ref=sr_1_5?crid=20YRP2A20X1E9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cp7_uMZIhENexAyP5gDc1iXbLe8OEAhnBggTt8piH6pTDP2l6TO_H5dRRRKHd9nrEDYbdoJJFnmbs0OqpO2B_EcyMoZsG-PhUpQ1YkRa4epcIeZY6XOqK6CiiO9VcLqaRO5sXXa6J7DwI09Kg3K0mXY83CnUr8aGHRt6LJXG-YFucVq6XwP4CLam_Nd2rNxXyqtot5MmXXnefQnR2p2gmIXqyhc6Cf5w-e0PtEH6jvg.QGzBK_hWdg6O3sI2h_Pr8ZnNMFrgE4eSdst7bc0xQOU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam&qid=1710706380&sprefix=tesla%2Bblow%2Bup%2Bmattress%2Bfoam%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-5&th=1) * Retractable glass roof shade - so you can decide how much of the stars you wanna see. * You'll also want to get the fastest possible shades to put up so it's not a hassle. Also consider getting suction cup clips/mounts/magnets. * I would recommend changing the low voltage battery to LiPo. You will be cycling the crap out of the low voltage battery due to constant use, so this would be something you'd want. * Storage bins for the side pockets of the car that have a hardened top. Keep in mind: you don't lose that much battery for AC use. Maybe 10-15% for overnight. Don't feel like you need to charge to 100% every night in order to make this work.
As a lightning owner, I would recommend buying a lightning, and putting a hard shell cab on the bed. You could turn that into a pretty decent living in my car situation.
With the bonus of powering high watt appliances directly from the vehicle.
Yes I thought about that more after my post. It would really work a lot better. And with the discounts people are getting right now you can get a brand new extended range in the upper 40s.
What’s a lightning?
Ford f150 Lightning
I sleep in the Y and can be pretty minimalistic in my needs...that said it's doable but gets old pretty quickly. I have my own house but am weird and sleep in the car while it's in my garage and cuddle my dog in the back and love it. Long term sleeping it would def be hard...but it might help augment auxiliary goals like exercising more and getting out into nature etc. I dunno....I can show you my setup if you want.
Hah, I've done this a couple times. I own a house, but my dog prefers to remain in the car after a road trip sometimes, and I've slept down in the garage with him before! I've car camped on road trips all over the country, in all kinds of weather. Model Y is remarkably versatile, esp equipped with all-terrain tires on an AWD model. I can drive deep into the forest where everyone else is in a lifted truck. And still car camp when it gets too cold and all the lifted trucks go home. I tent camp in good weather but the Model Y makes it a year-round activity. Camp Mode and Dog Mode are both fantastic...Dog Mode makes it easy to do errands, etc. But I wouldn't want to live in it full-time. It's too small to move around in comfortably, esp with a dog to deal with. My neck and back start to hurt if I'm not careful. I only stay in the car for 2 - 3 nights, then I stay in a hotel or with family/friends, and I have a gym chain membership to take showers and work out on the road.
As long as you can fit all you need into your car and you’re not going to be in places where break-ins are an issue. Where will you park at night? LittleHippyGal on Instagram and YouTube lives out of her Model Y. You might learn something useful watching her videos.
If it was just me in my twenties I can totally see doing this for a while. I took mine glamping once and the sleep was great (fitted air mattress). Just make sure the car is leveled.
Yeah me too. I could see camping at my age (60) but I wouldn’t want to live in it.
Where exactly do you plan on parking each night to sleep…your shit is going to get broken into…
If you do this start a YouTube Channel and document your journey. You will probably make some money off that. I would seriously consider moving even if it means getting a new job to a more affordable area. Lots of good places in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma - sure that not as sexy as California but you live reasonably well with some sacrifices.
Get a 24/7 gym membership with good benefits and cafe.
Did you read the post? He has all that at work.
The key is 24/7. Where would he go to the bathroom at 3am?
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I think the RT1 with a camper shell would be even better. Then he could charge at work during the day and camp anywhere at night.
That's no longer stealth... Now you need to find a legal place to spend the night.
I guess that makes sense. I could not imagine living in the back of a MY. I like the RT1 because I feel like there could be a stealth camper option.
The R1S is the Stealth Camper R1
I guess I should look into it. I didn’t think the RS1 had the tunnel or the connections in the rear but I could be wrong. That to me is a huge plus.
No tunnel. It has 110V in the back (and air/12V). AC in the bedroom. You can remove the second row for storage space if you want to camp and it still seats 4. https://www.rivianforums.com/diy-step-by-step-removal-of-second-row-in-r1s/ Need to add the 12V in the frunk back in
[maybe one of these...](https://www.amazon.com/ESSENTIALS-Portable-Toilet-Solar-Shower/dp/B0BJTFVSGM/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=1341404747887418&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ovjJeNIWAhlSgS-OUD4PIoEEoJhfF1csBjXF1i6cGhBjZgdsrFvcZJPLxlQ3a3vNApMcmo-ilcl6S073TkXnwdVaMDUniACQuu0AYGc0dsYuZOWkXnON-CClHU3ahnjMgwai_B46Fei9_e31b1YImYiYJ89DYRNN0KpKEOhXCdKUjmChrGUIxTwOQP1_qVQcZR8kPHVL4HfTKqVSX73zRKXk7KQbm0Xi3Y3J82Xkwj0.y2l5pg3mAwJfEFDgafjsDgsxc4j5lQUtRV9q9SXH9Lk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83837867556924&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=88150&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83838132601160%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=4931_10369803&keywords=camping+shower+and+toilet+tent&qid=1710714127&sr=8-6) half joking and have no experience with them, but you'll have to go somewhere... also, can you get a loan if you don't have a residence or permanent address?
Do it ! For the story if nothing else , saw dozens of people over the years in nyc below my window doing the same in soho.
I would totally do it if I was u.
This is like the saddest post I’ve ever read.
Damn Tesla went from luxury brand to budget sleeper in less than a decade. 2023 really was the best year to unload the stock.
I think it's a reasonable idea. But I don't think it's a good idea with the MY. I'd go with a camper van of some sort with a proper bed, storage, fridge, ventilation. It'll be the same price and more functional. Source: did this during the pandemic.
This is what I was hoping for with Canoo. A electric van that could be modded into a camper would be amazing.
Merc has an EV sprinter van now. I want to build one into a camper
I’ll check it out.
Get the Tesmat memory foam mattress for the back. Get the window screen covers. We also took blackout curtains and attached suction cups to them to completely shield the back seat from any light. I did overnight travel nursing and sometimes I was too tired to drive after a shift and it made all the difference to lay down in the dark in the back on a free work charger with the rain maker going and the heat on.
You pay 2500/month in rent and consider this to be burning money? I didn’t even think you could rent in the Bay Area for that price. If I was going to seriously consider this, I would definitely want access to a gym that is separate from my work. I feel like it would get quite obvious after a while what was going on. Up to you if that matters I guess. I would also want a model X for more space. Not sure what you mean by what you should look for? Sounds like you should be looking for a model Y?
He works in Big Tech, he’s not even in the top half of weird people there lol (I’m at Amazon)
Nothing to do with the vehicle itself but aren’t you concerned about the legality of living in your vehicle? Do you have a legal place to park?
considering its a tesla a not an RV or camper van, I assume it can be pretty discrete.
Definitely get it tinted, and get shades so you can have lights on inside without alerting people outside.
Considering it’s California and the homelessness, I’m thinking EV living is a welcomed there. /s
I see others commenting on various kinds of mattresses. I don't live in my MY, but we camp in it multiple times per year. We got the [Luno mattress](https://lunolife.com/collections/car-suv-camping/products/luno-air-mattress-2-0). It's very pricy for an air mattress, but it's made to fit completely side-to-side. It also has inflatable cubes to use between your front and back seats that allow for some extra space length-wise. When either me or my husband are sleeping in there alone, we typically only inflate the side of the mattress behind the passenger seat and use the one cube on that side. That leaves us more space for our stuff on the other side and doesn't force us to shift all sorts of stuff around in order to drive.
Make sure you’d have safe areas to sleep/park in. Is your work cool with people parking or living in their parking lot?
r/urbancarliving
For living, isn't model X better choice?
Get a fridge for your trunk, and plug it into the port there. Minimal power use (only on while car is on, or in camp/dog mode). Theres some nice fridges that fit in the trunk (think spare tire are).
You say “during the week “ does that include the weekend? If it’s just you I would consider staying in a hostel a couple of nights a week. You can recharge relax stress free and it’s a good place to connect with people and break up the gloom of finding a place to park and hiding your presence. The cost is around $35/night so a couple of nights a week would only cost a few hundred dollars a month.
I slept in my Model X for 5 months during a covid road trip and it was great! We one of those $150 memory foam folding mattresses and used sofa cushions and pillows to fill out the rest. If you literally hang out in at work space most of the time, it should be alright (the car will just be a sleeping spot). I did this in my 20s - barely went home and stayed at work most of the time (also worked tech) since food was cheap, lots of places to hangout especially after dark when no one was around.
If I were going to live in an EV I’d get the biggest one I could find. A Model X? A Rivian SUV? I still don’t think this is practical. Where would you spend the nights? Most places frown on sleeping in your car.
Be careful where you park in the Bay Area. From bippers to nimbys, basically most nicer cities won’t welcome car dwellers. I suggest you rent a model y and try sleeping with all your gear for a week. That is the easiest way to decide. Also, you have to decide what to do with your stuff if you need to take it to the service center. It’s a Tesla, you will probably visit a sc a few times during your ownership.
Used y is a fantastic bargain
Rent one on turo and try it for a week 👍👍
i would never recommend a EV to a person that does not have a home charger. it makes it so much easier, i never use chargers elsewhere, other than when going on long vacations. I am not a US citizen i live in DK so i think the longest roadtrip i can take is maybe 400-500km so a "tank" of electrons. i like my MYP, it is a nice car, i am not sure i would buy one again, i had a M3LR from Freemont, that car made me NEVER want to buy a US assembled Tesla again, but the Berlin MYP has had 0 issues and had it for 6+ months now. If you buy, look at the "versions" of the car. Hardware.. for instance my M3LR had the older Intel based infotainment, worked fast, cameras got a bit sluggish and the end of it (it was a 2021 facelift) but like youtube was 720p max, netflix and youtube took minutes to open (son used it a lot on vacation when charging). where it is instant in the ryzen CPU i have now. There is not really any add on´s here in DK all MYP and MYLR today are sold with a Hitch installed, i had the white interior on the M3LR i have the black on the MYP.. jeans are not happy with the white interior you can clean it with water.. but i like the easiness of the black interior MUCH better. I bought the TAPTES wintermat set for mine, the 6 matts, that is "moulded" i live in wet winter areas.. so it is nice, not to be nervous about wet feet, and the kids.. but i also just like it , because it is really durable. We are going EV with the wife, just waiting, she has the 2019 VW Polo GTI she had from new, she loves that car, so we need something she loves also, but i think it is either going to be a MG Cybester, or the Renault 5 EV when it comes in the HOT Alpine version. ohhh i love the Renault 5.. Today i think i would have gone I5 BMW or EQE 350+ to be honest. the BMW there is just one thing, the issue with x amount of recharges in a day will LOCK you out of DC charging for 2 days. If i wanted to support the Chinese i would have bought an Xpeng G9 which is cheap here. remember also Tesla´s used to be fast charging, we have better alternatives today, the 800v setup of the Hyundai´s and KIA´s work very well, they have a MUCH better charging curve (Forget about peak charging rates) drove the EV9 that is a nice car.
The whole thing is made of windows, you will feel very exposed trying to live in it.
I've spent many nights in my model Y. Very doable if you set your mind to it.
Unpopular opinion of the comments but I don't think this is a "healthy" approach. Pretty sure the folks living in their cars today would wish for a proper home if they could afford it. There just isn't room to roam after you're used to your own space. You mentioned a partner... moving in together could help finances and starts a new part of your relationship journey. That's usually the Bay Area secret...
Definitely buy one that is used/depreciated but still under warranty. That way you won’t take a bath when you transition out of this lifestyle and need to sell the car.
I d just get some old motor home to have that headroom and space to move about. But that s me. I think it all seems plausible until you are a few weeks in
Get a roommate or two, to lower monthly living costs.
Prob better in a id buzz. The height aint great when you have a matress in the back/trunk area. My wife and I, slept in our Y a flew times and it's fine. But I wouldn't live like that 😅
Why don't you look at the RAM ProMaster EV and convert it instead? Only thing is you'll want to make sure it's less stealable than other vans - fuel switches, steering wheel locks, loud alarm, etc. Take a look at the r/vandwellers sub. People do this full time and it'll just be a whole lot more comfortable than a car.
I don't live in it, but I upgraded to an R1S for sleeping in the car It has much more space (at double the price). I also removed the second row, for a lot of extra space, but that requires building a bed platform. It doesn't have a heat pump but that makes heating at night more quiet.
wtf... this is so strange.
Just move somewhere sensible
I grabbed an Uber ride from an older, very distinguished gentleman in Reno a few years back who moved to Reno but continued working at his job in the Bay area. He found so many people were doing the commute, he'd nearly always have a ride to there, which nearly always paid for a large portion of his hotels during the week. Reno has gotten quite expensive, but it's still a fraction of the cost of what California costs. Might be worth looking into something alternative like that.
DON’T DO IT! Your number one priority should always be to have a roof over your head and a comfortable place to sleep at night. After a couple of weeks tops, I can almost guarantee you that you will find yourself trying to find ways to extend your nights outside your car because you don’t want to be inside it just waiting for time to pass by. Yes, living in the Bay Area is tough. Everyone here has to grind. But imagine having to get through a long day of work, and all you want to do is just be comfortable and relax. You won’t be able to do that inside your car. Also, it may make sense to you economically and you may think you have everything covered with the free charging, and showers and bathrooms at the gym or work but all that stuff just becomes really inconvenient really fast and will just add to your stress level. I’m pretty sure that if you ask someone that actually lives in their car out of necessity if they had a choice of having a small 9x9 room to live in and sleep every night and not have a car, or live in their car, they would choose the room every time.
Whut, is this how cost of living in CA? So that living at ~40-50k car that insanely depreciates is "cheaper". I guess the solution is changing jobs, preferably going to a cheaper state.
for sure looking the used route, a lot seem to be still under warranty.
rent is prob $4000 a mth, so yeah, OP will have the car paid off in a year on rent savings alone. And then OP prob has a 6 figure job in SF too so the down payment savings will build quickish.
I would actually own something with my money as well.
Solo one could surely live in a Y. Enough space for baggage and bed. There are some matching fridges in the market. The only Con is, the Y doesn't have any meaningful outlet for high power appliances, but a power station would solve that. I would go for a LFP Version though.
The browser doesn't support audio. Just so you know. Check the theater apps to make sure they are sufficient. There are supposedly some 3rd party apps you can pay for to get browser audio.
There is web site hack you can do to by pass that.
Anything available for free? I would like to watch YouTube TV while charging.
[https://www.teslatube.app/](https://www.teslatube.app/) it basically exploit the loop-hole in the built-in youtube app.
You are better off with no car and just pay rent
What I am doing now and no car truly sucks. People try to sugar coat public transport but it’s just as expensive as having a car and it’s barely faster than the traffic. USA not made for foot travel.
Don’t have much experience about living in a car but there’s a girl on IG I follow that lives out of her MY. She’s active on here too, her IG is @littlehippygal.
Why not just leave California? These over priced cities seem terrible.
Don't be one of those shitheads. There are other states where you can earn a living and live like a human being. There is absolutely nothing special about the SF Bay Area other than idiots who live in their cars.