So I am actually a regular poster on this forum but for this post I have set up a different user name just well to protect myself.
I am the owner of a 97 Jeep Cherokee and due to divorce this Cherokee is about to be my home for a while. Kind of happens when the good woman takes 80% of your paycheck. In any case I am limited on funds right now and have a lot of debt to tackle. Basically I can get a rent a room and take on all that or well I can live in the Jeep. Not my first choice but its the cheapest and that's how the ball bounces.
So who out there has actually camped out in their Jeep or even better lived out of theirs? I have been researching online so I know what o expect. Hopefully this will only last a year but who knows. So any ideas, pointers, feed back anyone can provide would be appreciated. One thing...I will be staying in a apartment parking lot about a mile from my job. Few years ago when I had my Silverado I had a similar situation where I lived ifhr next to much job so in the mornings I would start up my truck, drive it two miles to work and two miles home...the engine would never really get a chance to heat up and hence form what I understood the moisture in the engine never burned off and it gave my oil a orange tint. Does anyone know if this is harmful to a engine and if so how to prevent other than driving? Also since we are in the topic of moisture any ideas ifhow to prevent the windows of the Jeep from fogging up if I am asleep inside at night? Looking to prevent detection from bypassers, cops, etc. Thanks for any help guys.

 

Good luck man, keep your powder dry.

 

Leave a window slightly cracked, preferably a rear one.

You could also put your climate control on "vent" before shutting off engine.

 

Depending on the laws in your state, I'd say keep a handgun where you can reach it in an emergency, if you have one. Sorry I can't really give you anything useful here, stay strong and at least be glad she didn't get the XJ, I'm sure you can pull out of this one.

 

Generally only happens that way if little critters are involved. Perhaps Utah is different???

For me a pickup with a popup camper would be a better alternative. I even have one for a compact P/U that I'd donate to the cause. Of course you'd have to come up with a long bed compact, use mine a a wood hauler, may not be possible with the 80%.

At least you have a realistic attitude about all this. Best of Luck.

 

Remember that if you snore, even a little, you risk exposing yourself if you leave a window cracked. I would definitely recommend pre-scouting another location in case you're asked to leave. Having a handgun is a double-edged sword. The likelihood of law enforcement interaction is much higher when you're sleeping in your car and guns complicate that. You'll have to decide if the security is worth the risk.

Tinting your windows will disguise any condensation. You can also use anti-fogging products like Z'Fogless. Condensation will depend a lot on the temperature and humidity.

Good luck, man.

 

Definitely recommend tinted windows. Crack the back windows a little, especially if you got sun visor things on the doors, keep the doors locked, park near a street light.

I'm guessing your work has a shower and lunch room? Could always take "bird baths" in a sink.

 

This advice would have been better much, much sooner...LOL



Seriously though, sorry for your hard times. I would suggest keeping the window slightly cracked, or maybe some good dark tint to keep those prying eyes from looking inside. Keep a low profile where you decide to lay your head, i.e. don't get out of the car and avoid being seen outside your car. You may want to move to different areas from time to time, park in one area for a week, then another, rotate 'em out. Better yet, have some friends or fam that are sympathetic to your situation that know you'll be around, and for the love of pete, stay showered....

 

Sorry about you problem! I do know for a fact that Walmart allows camping in there parking lots plus they normally have security guards on patrol at night. So, I would suggest finding a Walmart close to your work and park there at night. Also I would also recommend the window tint and if you can't afford that right away get some Rain-X anti fog that seems to work pretty good.
Good Luck!

 

X2 on Walmart camping. I would definitely have a couple places in mind before doing this. Good luck point break.

 

Sorry to hear about your situation, man. If you are in Salt Lake stay away from Pioneer Park, the fuzz go through there every night. I would scout out some of the side streets off of 300 West, plenty of lighting, close to civilization, but people likely won't bother you as long as you don't park in front of someone's house.

Can you afford a gym membership? You could use their showers (and stay in shape!)

 

I second this also so on 1300s 300w is a walmart.

 

All I can say is wow.
Keep your head up.
Check with homeless shelters for possibility of showering. Or maybe camp grounds or "no tell motel" might get a cut rate for just using shower. Look for a second part time job, especially one that pays cash.

As to "camping" lots of blankets or a good sleeping bag. DO NOT run the engine to keep warm. I think the Wally world idea is good. Be careful about the apartment lot camping, could be considered tresspass.

 

Thanks for all the advice thus far guys, keep it coming. I live in a Northern state so witha permit that I actually do have I could have a weapon....could is operative word. Even with a permit there is still the hassle of the law. My soon to be ex brother in law is a cop, knows of the issue and he advised that even with permit, the weapon will put law at unease and basically I dont want to be hassled....he said just keep cool, explain the situation, and do what they say. He said 9/10 they will just say ok or they may ask me to move on so yes I have several locations scouted out....8 in fact including 2 Walmarts and a 24 hour CVS. The apartment complexes I have scouted out are upper crust and lots of cars to hide in...quite a few of these places also have car owned by people who car cover them nightly. I have a cover for the Jeep so I plan to use that until I can get the tinting done. I dont have rain guards for the windows...they look eh, so I kind of figured I would have at least 1 window slightly cracked. Using a piece of wood I cut a lenght that I can put window down, place wood in, then put window back up to hold in place. I drilled 6 holes in the wood...nothing to big. Cut the wood in half lenght wise, layed some window screen in, then glued the wood back together and painted it black. Wala...I have air coming in and the screen helps keep out the mosiqitos later on in the year. As I have said I dont have tint yet so I cut pieces of black poster board into templates to go over the back door windows, the rear quater windows, and the hatch window...these will be held in place via velcro and look like legit tint. On the inside I have modified to have the ciggarette lighter "Hot" at all times even when engine turned off. This will allow me a place to keep my cell charged at night...I extanded it to the back of the rear console so people who look in will not see my phone sitting there. As for security, I rigged up a fun security system. If I am in the Jeep and someone besides the law comes knocking or tries to get in I have a panic button. One push and all the lights come on and via the marine speaker I have now installed under the music blasts...someone will probally **** their pants when "Park Rock Anthem" comes at them without warning. Anyway that is a creative set up I found online using a MP3 player and a few other items. If the music doesnt work then they get a blood curling scream of a woman and the horn goes off. My job does allow me to have access to a 24 hour gym so I have a place to shower. Again thanks for all the good advice...keep it coming. Yes I will pull out of this (nice joke btw Popcorn and Fako)...yes 1 little one is involved along with a wife who took all the money to afford a lawyer and me who cant. And yes thankful she didnt take the Jeep. In any case it is what it is....I could stay miserable or I could make a stand. Making a stand feels awesome and I will never go back. And yeah sleeping in the Jeep is what it is, but in the past 2 weeks I have had a blast coming up with ideas of how to make this work and make it fun. You can cry about it or embrace it, make goals and move forword.
~My name is Johnny Utah!

 

Keep you chin up. You will get past it all. I did! At least you don't have kids with you. I had my son with me when it happened with me. I was lucky because I also had my pick up truck with a camper. My son and I lived in that for 3 weeks. The bad was I wasn't working because I broke my back for the second time. Then we decided to move out of Calif. to Tx. where we could afford. It is so much cheaper here we were able to buy 1 1/2 archers of land and a mobile home and we live pretty darn comfortable now. So, just keep thinking positive and it will all fall into place.