How to live a mobile life out of a Toyota Echo

I don’t like to think of myself as an expert on anything, because there’s always more to learn on any subject, but I do like to think I know quite a lot about living out of a car, because I’ve done it now for over three months. So I thought I’d write a little about my experience of doing such a thing, highlighting the ups and downs and some of my tricks I have learned, for anyone else who is interested in also living in this way.

The Clamfish and The Clamshell - just before I left for
my cross-Canada trip at the beginning of October.

 Many people seem quite surprised when I tell them I live out of my Toyota Echo (which I have named The Clamshell). And I wouldn’t say it’s possible for everyone – I’m able to comfortably sleep in it because I am short, but anyone taller than 5’2” wouldn’t be able to lie down and stretch out like I am able to. So you say, how does one actually lie down and stretch out when they also have four trumpets, two accordions, two ukuleles, a glockenspiel, a melodica, a flute and a tambourine? Here, let me tell you! I folded the big backseat down, which creates a sort of step/ledge going into the trunk. In order to make this flat, my dad built me a platform that goes into the trunk. On top of the platform, we put down a foam mattress (which happened to be the perfect length) and put cozy sheets/bedding on top. So I crawl in through the back seat and put my legs into the trunk – my head just sort of touches the back of the driver’s seat and my feet just sort of touch the back walls of the trunk. It’s cramped for sure, and sometimes I wake up with a kink in my neck, but I’m able to lie down. Normally, I have stuff stored on the mattress and in the trunk, so when I pull over for the night, I move everything into the front seat and make a pile/wall of stuff in the seat next to me. I have curtains from our old trailer hung up for privacy, and once I close them, then it feels more like a very cozy bedroom instead of a vehicle. It’s like a transformer!

Where my legs go. This photo was taken at the beginning of the summer...during the BC Teachers' Strike...

Panoramic shot of my mobile bedroom

Camper curtain and patch, made by my friend Hannah Fairbrother (Harosef Designs)

For storage, I have a milk crate underneath the seat where my head goes, where I put things such as cans of soup, toilet paper, first aid, etc and other items I don't need to access very often. I can also store small things underneath the bed-platform (mostly emergency items) - it's quite the task to access them, but they are there if the need arises. For cooking, I have a Rubbermaid bin that I packed with all my cooking essentials – a cast iron pan, two small pots, a coffeemaker, an espresso maker, spatula/wooden spoon, plate, mug, small cutting board, good knife, etc. I keep my pantry items (dry-goods such as flour, oats, sugar, cereal, tea) in my pantry next to the mattress in the back of the trunk in another milk crate. I cook my food on the BioLite stove – a sort of rocket stove that uses paper and twigs/pinecones for fuel. There is a battery-operated fan that provides oxygen for the fire, which in turn powers the battery! The excess heat of the flame charges your phone through a USB port. But I’ve found the charging function doesn’t work that great, so I have an inverter that I use while driving to charge my laptop and my phone. Once you know how to get the fire going, it doesn’t take any longer than any other camping stove to get your food cooked and water boiled. The only thing missing from my car is a bathroom. I won’t get into details, but when it’s a hassle to get out of the car and go into the cold outside, then a Tupperware container (with a lid!!) will do the trick. For circulation at night, I (with much help from my dad) attached screens to the back windows with self-adhesive velcro, so I can roll the windows down and have fresh air and keep the bugs out at the same time.

Extra storage in the back seat.

Cooking eggs and coffee with twigs and pinecones on my BioLite.
I keep two ice cream buckets replenished with dry fuel at all times.

My portable kitchen! You can also see part of my library and instrument storage.

  So those are the basics of how to live out of an Echo! Here are some pros/cons of living this way:

Bonuses:

• Your only rent is the cost of gas, insurance and repairs (which anyone who owns a car has to pay anyway).
• You’re free to go wherever you want, whenever you want!
• Your home and all the stuff you need is with you wherever you go. I imagine this is how turtles feel, except you can go 120km/h.
• Theoretically, as long as you find a safe place to pull over and a place that allows overnight parking, you can sleep anywhere you like for free! 
• If you're too lazy to set up a tent (ie. you pull into a campsite late at night) or you've been to a party and have had a few too many beers - BAM! Instant place to sleep. 
• When you do have access to a proper bed to sleep in (or a couch, or even just floor space) and an actual kitchen/bathroom to use, you appreciate such things so much more, and will probably never take them for granted again.
• Most people will be very impressed that you are able to live out of your car!

Drawbacks:

• Everything must have its place, and be put back in said place everytime, else chaos will ensue. This sometimes makes it difficult to access things, such as snowboots, which are stored at the very back of the trunk, underneath the bed, behind a bunch of other stuff.
• As mentioned above, going to the bathroom can be quite the task.
• Sometimes there are spills (such as oats, quinoa or maple syrup) and this can be rather annoying to clean up, unless your French friend happens to have a dust-buster handy! Merci beaucoup, Dalhi!!
• As alluded to above, pulling over just anywhere to sleep isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. For example, sleeping on the side of a barren road in Minnesota is rather harrowing, but it makes for a stronger person.
• I haven’t figured out how to live this way year-round, when it starts to get cold. In fact, I’m writing this blog from a motel room in rural Quebec at the moment, because it’s just too cold and dark to continue. So I probably won’t do another car-sleep until the spring. The only alternative I can think of would be a VW van (or equivalent) with a space heater. 
• It's difficult to give more than one person a ride (even one is a bit of a stretch, especially if they have an instrument, as most of my friends do). This can be both a good or a bad thing. Really, this wouldn't be possible to do as a couple. Or if it was, that couple would have to be on VERY good terms and have a lot less stuff than me. 
• If my car gets broken into, then that means my home has been broken into, not just my car. Hopefully that won't ever happen!!
• Some people will refuse to believe you can live out of your car and will look down upon you as a homeless vagabond hippy who doesn’t have a job. Those people don’t matter though.

I am aware the number of drawbacks outweigh the bonuses, but I think it’s worth it. In fact, I’m already looking forward to the return of the sun so I can resume my car-sleeping. I’m not sick of it…yet! And if/when I do get sick of it, then I’m going to upgrade to a van or build a small house on a flatbed truck. I'll also admit I've spent a fair amount of nights couch-surfing or tenting and not sleeping in the car, but I still think I've done pretty well at being *mostly* self-sufficient!

I hope you enjoyed my post about how to live out of an Echo – if you have any advice or ideas yourself, please feel free to comment below!

A more luxurious and spacious option if you have the time to set up the tent.
Living out of the car as opposed to in.

Home Sweet Home!!

Happy minimalist-mobile-living!

Shelder the Electric Clamfish (and her Clamshell)