Living in 5th Gen 4Runner during college?

[frosty_t4r]

I am a college student in Flagstaff and looking at alternative living opportunities. Has anyone lived in their vehicle during college with their partner to save on living expenses? I am considering it but definitely concerned because it would be a big change. Does anyone have any suggestions about this idea?

 

[cody92595]

I am a college student in Flagstaff and looking at alternative living opportunities. Has anyone lived in their vehicle during college with their partner to save on living expenses? I am considering it but definitely concerned because it would be a big change. Does anyone have any suggestions about this idea?

I think it would add a lot of unnecessary stress like sanitation, on top of getting school work done. A sprinter van would be easier since you actually have room to move around. But a SUV? There just isn’t enough space.

 

[P8trit]

You wouldn't make it very long in that tight an area and living even in an RV is tough on a person. The stress of where to park or bathrooms is very high.

 

[Mike W]

I'm just trying to think of how you would have an easy comfortable space to study. I guess you could always use a library or something but that would suck IMO.

 

[AggieOE]

Looking back at the ups and downs of college, you really need a space to stress and decompress, especially with someone else in the picture. An RV could be possible but an SUV sounds horrific.
I know many people who struggled through school and although they got through it, it didn’t sound good.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

It's gonna smell funny real quick.

 

[Indigoblue]

I lived in an Audi for 12 months. I had toxic mold poisoning and could not go back in my condo. It was safer to be outside. I actually parked in Flagstaff over the summer and slept in my front seat of a darn sports car. Pooped in the woods and all that. Honestly it wasn't bad but I'm tough as nails. I would have NO idea how u would do this in winter. Flagstaff is cold as can be. When it got cold I drove to Florida. There are groups of people called mold avoiders who sleep in vehicles in attempt to heal. However, winter would be crazy

 

[MMc]

I lived in a 10 ft trailer for a school year in college in CO. I had a free place to park it with power, water was filled with 5 gal jugs. The winter was cold but doable. I moved back to an apartment the next year.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

You’ve got a 5th Gen 4 runner (presumably). If $ is tight enough to consider living in it, sell it. With a reasonable place to live and a roommate, you should have 4 year’s worth of $ there, whether it’s in cash or saved payments.

I could see it being fun/practical for a month between leases, a summer, etc, but no way I’d want to do that while in school full time.

Student housing has gotten nuts here with luxury apartments, etc recently. I knew guys that lived in dumps of houses with a mattress in the corner of the living room and a sheet hung from the ceiling, they were paying $150-$200/month.

Knowing what I do now about building wealth, I would 100% go back and buy either a 2/2 duplex or 3 bedroom house, and get roommates. There are FHA loans, down payment assistance, etc. With interest rates being what they are right now, you probably won’t be able to live “for free” but at least you aren’t wasting money.

DON’T buy it with your girlfriend, and DON’T let her live there for free/groceries/utilities/etc. She will get tired of the roommates and want to “play house” with just the two of you.

Presumably, in 3-4 years interest rates will be a bit lower and you’ll have built up some equity in it. You can refinance, pull a little bit of cash out for a down payment on another house, and it becomes a full rental.

 

[K12]

Im finishing my masters and did not like having a house, which was forcing me to work full time. For the last year-ish ive been living out of my truck and Trailer (HQ19) and feel a lot better. The first few months where online finishing course work and the last 5ish months have been in person internships. I have been staying in an rv park which im not a fan of but I like it 100 times more than an apartment or a house. When I have time off I take my house and move to the mountains for a weekend to get away and decompress. If you are in resident school and your wife is working its much more afordable to pay for an rv and spot than an apartment, and add the freedom on top of that. If you are strictly online, as I was for the first 4 months, living in my setup I enjoyed traveling and getting school work done in the peace and quiet of the outdoors.

With all that being said everyone approaches school different and has needs that have to be fullfilled to do their best and get the most out of it. Living solely in an SUV imo would be miserable even if it was just me, couldnt imagine adding a second person or pets to the mix.

 

[orange01z28]

I think you would be absolutely miserable

 

[grubworm]

It's gonna smell funny real quick.

yeah...definitely NOT the kind of hot-boxing i'd want

hey @frosty_t4r...its been nearly a year since you posted this. what did you decide on?

 

[MOAK]

Ya, curious minds want to know- Our daughter rented an apartment in the barios of Houston while obtaining her doctorate. It was a poop hole of a place, but her neighbors looked out for her and she was quite comfortable with the efficiency apt.. living in an SUV with another person? If you did that, I’m curios to know if you’re still together?

 

[alanstens]

Well, I know that we all are different, but for me, living in such a place sounds hard. And if you're a student, you need a place to keep your things, a good internet connection, and some comfort.
I know that many students live in dormitories, where life can not be perfect, but living in a car is different.
For everything, it's hard. But I speak from my experience only. When I do my homework, sometimes it's hard to finish everything in a comfort. But it's good that there are different useful sites with information that helps. Here is one page https://papersowl.com/blog/chemistry-research-topics which helped me a lot some time ago, and there I found chemistry project topics which inspired me, and I managed to decide what to write about. And yes, if you have an internet connection, you can access such resources even from a car, but it's still not a place to live, especially for a student.