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  1. VanDweller Community Forums
  2. Choosing The Right Vehicle
  3. Car
  4. Living in a car at the beach?
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Living in a car at the beach?
LoupGarou
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#11
07-17-2019, 02:09 AM
Head on down into Baja Mexico. Lots of sandy beachs down there.
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  • Firewoman
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poot_traveller
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#12
07-17-2019, 06:12 AM
I plan to live near the beach as well, in my van. The main spot I chose is ten metres from the beach so when I wake up in the morning I can drink my coffee and have a great view.

Oh yeah, and I can do some kontiki fishing and not have to drive home afterwards.
(This post was last modified: 07-17-2019, 06:15 AM by poot_traveller.)
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slow2day
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#13
07-17-2019, 10:17 AM
Salty air near the ocean can be rough on your vehicle. Not just the finish and chrome but also the electrical connections.

1993 Ford E150 conversion


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Gypsy Freedom
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#14
07-17-2019, 06:39 PM
salty air is good for my soul. i would rather rust away a car at the beach than rust away from road salt in the snow country

millions of people live near beaches and cars from those areas have less issue with rust then the aptly named rust belt.

sure if you want your car to never rust you could live in the aird desert south west. but i value my serenity far more than the finsih on my car. i am just not materialistic enough
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highdesertranger
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#15
07-17-2019, 08:26 PM
around southern California there is a huge difference between the vehicles that are 10 miles and under from the coast and those that are 20 miles and over. after 10 years it's really obvious. when I was young and dumb I drove on beach sand, never again. highdesertranger
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Numpty
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#16
07-17-2019, 08:58 PM
I am living at the beach right now in a station wagon with black curtains.
I'm in Australia and have been staying at beaches South of Sydney. Coastal country beaches are more laid back.
You'd never get away with it at the popular city beaches.

One thing I look for when choosing a spot is a public boat ramp for launching boats.
It is quite normal for cars to be parked there overnight while people are out on their boats, they usually have toilets and fresh water.
Carparks at small local beaches are nicer. Try to find a carpark out of sight from residential houses, they are the ones that might complain.
My rule of thumb is 1. Everything stays in the car, I don't drag out coolers and storage tubs where I'm parked. If I need to reorganize the car I'll do it somewhere else and then drive in. And absolutely no litter, if I find litter near the car I'll clean it up so it looks better.
2. I don't cook, drink or socialize near the car, I do those things further away and then return to the car just to sleep.

The beach park I'm at now has free electric BBQ's and fresh running water.
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WanderingWillow57
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#17
08-14-2019, 12:26 PM
(07-17-2019, 10:17 AM)slow2day Wrote:  Salty air near the ocean can be rough on your vehicle. Not just the finish and chrome but also the electrical connections.
shouldn't be a problem if you do a complete car wash including undercarriage once a week....but as someone with COPD, the beach is the absolute BEST place to be for people like me
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WanderingRose
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#18
08-14-2019, 01:54 PM
You can camp on the beach for free at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas.

I was there in January.

The sand is smooth and packed, risk of getting stuck is minimal, and tho there are a fair number of people doing it there are so many miles that you don’t feel crowded.

The sand is hard on your vehicle, making it a great place to visit but not necessarily to live.

In my opinion.
(This post was last modified: 08-14-2019, 01:54 PM by WanderingRose.)

Spend less, do more. 
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INTJohn
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#19
08-18-2019, 07:22 AM
I hang in my truck on or very near beaches all over murahka. Frum Nov '18 to May '19 I prolly was at a hundred. Sometimes 2 or 3 a day; other times I'll stay at one for a week. Frum San Diego to Salton Sea to South Padre and then bounced along the entire Gulf Coast to Key West, then up the Atlantic coast to North Carolina's Outer Banks.......... Do this every winter.

Its not as difficult or expensive as many believe. As far as SPI & Padre Island Nat. Seashore; tiz 1 a my main places. Yeah, you'll get salt all over your vehicle from driving thru the water, wet sand and spray but you simply go to a self serv car wash & do ur thing. As soon as you go over the bridge leaving Padre Sea shore theres a self serv car wash that has an under carriage spray too........... The salt frum there is nowhere near what one drives thru during winter in Michigan, tho. Give the entire vehicle a shower once a week-good to go. Course my truck has been under coated too but I still hose it all off.

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and yes Florida too - entire Gulf Coast. I know many places across all these states where you can park all night right on the beach or so close to it it still counts and I've never been bothered by anyone..........

Jez sayin.........INTJohny Luzsha
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B and C
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#20
08-18-2019, 07:59 AM
(08-18-2019, 07:22 AM)INTJohn Wrote:  I hang in my truck on or very near beaches all over murahka. 
Where is this?  All I can find reference to is people.

Brian

2000 Roadtrek 200 Versatile "The Beast" (it has been tamed hopefully)  I feed it and it doesn't bite me.
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