Category: Advice
Can You Sleep In Your Car With It Running For People Who Live In It
Whether you’re a nomadic car dweller, someone stuck living out of their car temporarily, or just looking for a quick rest during a road trip, the idea of sleeping in your car with the engine running can be tempting to some of us. When it comes to the question of, ‘can you sleep in your car with it running?’, it’s actually a bit complicated and not really a simple yes or no answer. In this article, we’ll talk about the safety risks, legal considerations, and best practices related to sleeping in your car with the engine on, helping you become better informed on this topic.
Why Would You Sleep With the Car Running?
Before we talk about the actual risks of sleeping in your car with the engine running, it’d be useful to understand why someone might want to sleep in their running vehicle.
One reason that I’ve slept with my car running before was because of the extreme heat that wouldn’t dissipate even late at night. I’m not fond of sleeping with my windows down, I have done it before, but even then they’ll only be cracked a couple inches, not enough for someone to stick their arm through. But alas, with that and two portable fans blasting directly onto my face and chest with no shirt on, I was still lying in a puddle of my sweat unable to get a wink of sleep. So what did I do on multiple different days and occasions? I started the car and blasted the A/C when it got too bad, blissfully cooling down and enjoying the pure happiness that comes along with a cold A/C in the Florida summer. I’d sleep for thirty minutes with the A/C on, then wake up to an alarm I’d set to turn the car back off; I would do that about four times throughout the night. I didn’t want to sleep with a running vehicle for eight hours straight, but those thirty minute bursts of A/C were really all I needed to stay nice and cozy.
I think comfort must be the biggest factor when it comes to people wanting to sleep with their vehicle running. On the other side of wanting to sleep with the car running for the A/C, some of us might want their car running in order to use their heater. Both ends of the spectrum are pretty bad, whether you’re living out of your car in Antarctica or the Florida wastelands, it’s going to suck, especially when you’re trying to sleep. At least in cold environments, you can bundle up with layers upon layers of blankets and clothing, so I personally prefer extreme cold over heat.
There could be certain emergency situations where your car poops out and the only way to make sure your car will stay running is to leave the engine running. In addition to that, you might need to leave the vehicle running in this situation in order to keep your heater or A/C working due to the weather. It might have to stay running in this manner until you can get help or find a way to fix the problem. During all of this time, you could get tired and want to sleep like a normal human being, but you wonder if it is safe to do so with the car still running.
Some people might want to sleep with their engine running in order to keep certain electronics powered on or in a charging state while they sleep. There are times when I need to charge my phone, power bank, or laptop when I sleep for certain different reasons, so keeping my car’s engine running is often my personal solution. It definitely helps to invest in a portable power station that has more than one outlet for charging all of your devices; not to mention it helps you not having to run your vehicle which burns extra gas. Any chance I get to not run my vehicle, I take it, you’ll burn through gas more quickly than you expect when idling your vehicle.
The Dangers of Sleeping in Your Car with the Engine Running
Despite there being multiple different reasons as to why someone might want to sleep in their car with the engine running, the risks of doing so will pretty much outweigh the benefits; depending on whether or not you have an aversion to living. Let’s talk about the first danger of sleeping in your car with it running; that is carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, which is the most significant danger for you in this scenario.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
One of the worst things about carbon monoxide is that you cannot smell it, see it, or taste it, so identifying that it’s there without using tools is pretty much impossible. There is the possibility of carbon monoxide buildup in the cabin of your vehicle if you don’t have enough ventilation or your vehicle has a leak in the exhaust system; and if that happens, you can become fatally poisoned. One way that an accumulation of carbon monoxide in your vehicle’s cabin can occur is from a clogged tail pipe, such as being clogged by snow or other debris.
Don’t just brush away the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially because it’s very difficult to notice when you’re being affected. It happens quickly and very much under the radar where it’s difficult to notice, that’s why you should really have a carbon monoxide detector in your vehicle, even more so because your vehicle is your current home. There are many symptoms that you can look out for when it comes to carbon monoxide poisoning, including headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling weak, nausea, and loss of consciousness. If you lose consciousness because of it, that’s very bad and the last thing you want because that might be it for you; death from carbon monoxide poisoning can and does happen in your sleep.
Fire And Mechanical Malfunctions
Another reason that it can be unsafe to sleep in your running vehicle is that you run the risk of it catching on fire, possibly from a fuel leak or the engine overheating. There are certain malfunctions that can happen with vehicle engines that can cause a fire to start, and you definitely don’t want to be sleeping in there when it’s ablaze.
Excess Fuel Consumption
This goes without saying, that you will burn much more fuel than you normally would if you choose to sleep with your vehicle running. You’ll probably burn a few gallons of gas if you go for a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours) without turning the car off at all. When I’m sitting in my car idling in the parking lot, I usually burn about one third of a gallon of gas every hour, so it definitely adds up over time with gas being almost five bucks per gallon.
Unwanted Attention
One of the last things that we want to do as people who live out of their car is to attract unwanted attention, whether that be from criminals or law enforcement (to which some of you they may be one in the same). I’m of the opinion that not all cops are bad, in fact, I think that the majority of them aren’t compete pieces of crap, but there are definitely ones out there who will try to ruin your life for little to no reason at all.
Anyways, sleeping with your vehicle running will attract more attention than usual, and I think this applies more at night. Sometimes our windows fog up when we sleep, and a running vehicle with foggy windows in certain areas may come off as suspicious to some people.
If you’re sleeping at night with the vehicle running, it makes people think that there’s someone in there, which is not usually a good thing. You’ve got nosy people, bitter people, desperate people, all kinds of different people who may want to mess with someone in their vehicle. It’s better to stay as stealthy as possible if you can really help it. There are situations where it may be worth it to you to run your vehicle while you sleep, you just have to weigh the costs and benefits.
Best Practices When Sleeping in Running Vehicle
It’s definitely not advised to sleep in your running vehicle, as you may have been able to gather from all of the downsides and hazards of doing so. But for those of you who still insist sleeping in your car while it’s running (I know I’m still guilty of doing it), let’s talk about some of the best practices that you should keep in mind.
Have the windows cracked open to ventilate the vehicle. This is something that you should really do if you’re going to sleep in your vehicle with it running. Don’t open them enough to where someone could stick their whole arm inside, but just a couple fingers worth of crackage.
Limit the amount of time that you sleep with the engine running, that’s another good practice. Like I was saying earlier, to keep my car interior cool in the sweltering Florida heat, I’d sleep for thirty minute intervals with the A/C running and not let it go for longer than that because I was a little worried about something bad happening. You can also install carbon monoxide detectors in your vehicle for some extra protection against that specific hazard.
Another important thing when it comes to this subject is the location that you choose to sleep at. Picking bad sleeping spots is probably the biggest cause of problems to be had for car dwellers. Worries and trouble arises when other humans become involved in your car dwelling affairs, and limiting the interference of other people is the main goal when choosing a good place to sleep in your vehicle. I have another post that talks about how to find good places to sleep in your car if you want to read more about that.
Beware of running your vehicle in garages or underground parking. There are many underground parking garages that already contain alarming amounts of carbon monoxide, and it is simply not recommended to sleep in your car in one of them unless you have a method to detect carbon monoxide levels.
Final Verdict
So, can you sleep in your vehicle with the engine running? Yes. Is it recommended and a safe thing to do? Nah, not really. There are certain measures that you can take like we discussed above, to make things more safe, such as ventilation and carbon monoxide detectors.
Overall, it doesn’t seem worth it, at least in my opinion, to take the risk and sleep with your vehicle running. Waking up to your car being on fire doesn’t sound all that pleasant, or cops pulling up with their guns ready. There are other measures you can take if you truly think you need to run your vehicle as you sleep. If it’s a matter of heating or cooling, there are safer methods such as portable fans, ventilation, changing locations, etc.
How Much Does it Cost to Live In Your Car?
Let’s discuss the costs and expenses that come with living out of your car that you might not know of, especially if you haven’t yet begun the life of a car dweller. I thought I’d had enough savings to cover pretty much everything that I’d need before I started living in my car, but after a while, I found that I was sorely mistaken and brought back to the all too familiar overdraft fees and zero dollar balance bank accounts.
Today, we’re only going to cover the main expenses that most people can expect to encounter while being a car dweller. I want to conclude with a reasonable expectation of how much it costs overall to live out of your car, while considering inevitable emergencies that will occur, all while having the mindset of doing this on a budget.
I always prefer to take advantage of whatever situation that I’m in in order to reap the most benefits possible. I’m already living in my dang car, peeing in bottles in order to save money on paying rent, so I might as well go all the way live off peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal in order to tuck away the most money for the future.
Anyways, you might be wondering, how much does it really cost to live in your car if you live frugally and within your means? Is it really worth giving up the comfort of your bed and bathroom (assuming you’re doing this by choice) to skip the two grand rent or mortgage payment? Personally, I think that if you’re smart about it, it’s one hundred percent worth it to rough it in your car for a year or more to save money.
Even with all of the costs associated with car living, the cost of living these days is so high that it doesn’t even matter. Also, some of the expenses you’re paying when living out of your vehicle are things that you would pay for anyway, even if you were still living in an apartment. When it comes down to it, there really isn’t a crazy amount of expenses that arise because of car living itself, but it will do you well to not underestimate the financial requirements before going into it.
Let’s break it down into two levels of likelihood that you’ll have to pay for these things when you live in your car. We’ll first get an approximate guess as to how much you’ll have to spend no matter what, on the essentials. Then we’ll add in the things that are probably going to crop up. We will be able to see about how much we can expect to pay per month, not counting extraordinary expenses that are specific to your situation such as credit card debt or student loans.
The Expected Expenses That Come With Living in Your Car
One of the most obvious expenses that you’ll incur from living in your car is the fuel for your home; it would be very difficult to get by on not purchasing any gas. You’ll definitely have to change locations at some points due to different circumstances, and you’ll need to use gas to go purchase things at the store, or to drive to work for that matter. Some of us have to drive a lot more than others. If you have a work from home job then you’ll probably have a much lower gas expense than those who don’t.
I like to run my car too much for my own good, to be honest. It’s always so freaking nice to have my car running in the ungodly Florida heat so that I can use the A/C and not be lump of sweat. This can lead to me burning up to a gallon of extra gas per day just idling the car. This implies that I like to spend a lot of my free time in my car which is very true, I have a lot of hobbies that involve chilling at home.
Anyways, I try to keep my monthly gas expenditure under $200 per month, which is very doable for me on most months. I’d imagine that someone who has to put in more than twenty miles per day on just driving to and from work would end up spending a little more than that. But hopefully, you could get away with around $300 per month or less on gas.
I’d say that another required expense that comes along with the car dwelling life is car insurance. You have to keep that beautiful baby insured or you’ll run into all sorts of problems. Y’all most likely already know all of this, but I just want to add this to the list. Without car insurance, the piggies can and will take you to the jail, especially if your license becomes suspended due to lack of insurance, which it will be (happened to me before).
Then, you have to think about the scenario where your home (your car) gets totaled because of a freak accident where you’re left sleeping in a tent in the woods indefinitely because you weren’t covered by an insurance company. The average cost of minimum coverage car insurance in Florida and a few other states is about $100, so that’s where we’re at with that.
There are definitely maintenance costs that come with living in your car, just as there are expenses for upkeep on a house. You need to keep your vehicle in prime working condition so that you don’t randomly break down where at best, you have to take it to the mechanic and pay a few hundred bucks, or at worst, become truly homeless without the comfort of a vehicle.
There’s routine car maintenance that is good to do every month or every few months and there is the maintenance that comes with your car getting older and certain parts going bad or needing replacing. These costs crop up unexpectedly so you should assume that you’re going to be spending a certain amount of money per month just on upkeep for your vehicle.
Whether it’s topping off your oil once a month, paying for air to inflate your tires, going through a car wash, replacing a tail light bulb, new spark plugs, new belt, new battery, the list is pretty much endless. You can definitely expect for things to come at you when you least expect it when it comes to your vehicle’s health.
I’d say that a fair expectation is $20 a month on car maintenance, assuming that your vehicle doesn’t have 150k+ miles on it, and in that case it’d probably be more like $50 per month. There also WILL be that big thing that screws up that costs you a hell of a lot more than $50 bucks to fix, no matter how old your vehicle is. That’s why we have an emergency fund, which is essential for replacing that huge part that craps out, which it will.
Most of us will have to pay for food, lest you’re signed up for EBT (which I highly recommend if you’re eligible). There are ways to minimize you’re food costs, by hitting up food banks and knowing how to feed yourself on the cheap. Buying filling ingredients in bulk and making your own food is one thing that you can do to save on costs, even if you only do that for one of your meals per day.
Even though it’s tempting to do because you’re already in a poopy situation as someone who lives out of your car, purchasing fast food and pre-made meals all of the time will add up very quickly. Some people even spend up to $30 a day on food alone, which is a whopping $900 a month, just on food, insane! I keep my average food expenditure per day to $10 or less; because to pay any more than that would hurt my soul, unless it’s for a special occasion.
For one person, I think that a reasonable monthly expenditure for food is about $250 per month, if you’re intentionally keeping an eye on your spending.
Your Planet Fitness membership will run you about $15. The gym membership is for your hygiene, mental health, and physical health. Of course, no one is forcing you to actually use the gym equipment but you only live once so you might as well do it while fit.
You will probably want to do laundry at the laundromat a couple times a month which will run you another $15.
Most of us will want a cell phone which is going to cost another fifty bucks per month. This article is not aimed for those people who are in such dire straights that they cannot currently afford to have a phone. If you can’t afford to have a phone, you’re probably not going to have many of these expenses that we hoist upon ourselves as purposeful car livers or nomadic car dwellers. I have a Verizon phone plan that comes with a 100GB a month hotspot that runs me about $50 a month.
I was thinking if I should add a storage unit to the essential expenses list, but most of us don’t really need a storage unit, it’s really just one of those very nice things to have. There will be those people that do need to rent storage space for various reasons, which will run you another $80. I’m not going to include the cost of a storage unit as one of those essential expenses; because I don’t see it to be as important as having a phone, for example.
Expenses You’ll Probably Encounter But Aren’t Required
I always have to spend a certain amount per month on different hygiene products which include things like razors, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and a couple of other things. I wouldn’t say that these things are absolutely necessary, and some of them you can make last for a long time if really needed. There are also resources to receive these things for free, such as food banks. I spend on average about $10 a month on hygiene products.
As I said above, some people may definitely want or need storage, but it’s not really one of those expected costs that come with car living. We’ll categorize storage solutions as an expense that may occur, but not an essential one, because you may not want to pay for it. It’s about $75 a month for a 5×5 storage unit.
Entertainment is another expense that many of us indulge in because we’re all human and have a desire to be happy, and entertainment can bring us temporary happiness. I have a Netflix subscription which I think is extremely worth it, Netflix has a plethora of great anime and TV series. I purchase Steam games here and there as well. That’s about all I pay for in terms of entertainment, which runs me about $30 a month on average. You may spend more or less depending on your personality. Maybe you’re more of a social creature who needs a few outings a month, so you drop some cash at the bowling alley, or the strip club, and in that case your entertainment expenses will be a bit higher than mine.
We’re all going to have miscellaneous costs that add up every month. Whether that be batteries, new socks, or a phone charger, we have to set some money aside for that. Let’s say that if you’re really being mindful of your spending, then $100 is a good reasonable amount for miscellaneous. It may sound like a lot for random expenses, but don’t we still have to actually live a little?
Starting with the essential costs of living in your vehicle, we have fuel, car insurance, maintenance, and food, cell phone, and gym membership. These six important costs are things that you can’t really avoid, unless you’re on food stamps and can figure out other arrangements for keeping clean. All of these essential expenses add up to $635 per month. This is what I currently pay for these things, but I also have non essential expenses from the other listed items in the non essential category.
Other possible expenses for the car camping life are hygiene products, storage, entertainment, and miscellaneous. These expenses add up to $215 per month. So in total, for outbound cash every single month, you may be looking at about $850 every month if you think that you will need these things. This does not include savings or other individual specific bills. If you’re planning to put away $500 a month into savings or investments, that’s something else you’ll have to account for. You might also have a car payment, student loans, credit card payments, etc.
Conclusion
You may notice that there are more costs to the car dwelling life than you were aware of. I wouldn’t let this deter you from becoming someone who lives in there car, just be fully aware that you will still have to come up with a certain about of money per month in order to maintain this lifestyle. You will save money on the thousands you have to pay for an apartment or a house but you should still expect to need up to a thousand dollars or more every month.
Ask yourself if after being aware of the various costs related to living in your car, is still worth it for you to dive into this life? And I understand that some of us have no choice, living out of our car is the only option. This article is more for those people who haven’t been in this life yet and think that it may become their reality in the future.
I hope that y’all stay safe and taken care of out there, no one else is any better than you, we’re all human. Just keep doing your thing and grinding, if you need any tips on how to get beer money, aka extra spending money on the side, hit me up in one of the comments on these posts. There are ways to pretty easily make an extra ten to twenty bucks a day as long as you have a smartphone. See you on the next one, car livers.
Where to Park Overnight When Sleeping in Your Car
This was one of my biggest concerns before embarking on my fantastical and luxurious journey where I’d be sleeping in the back of my Hyundai Accent. What sort of five star accommodations would I be able to park in without any wierdos fondling my car, my home? My main worry while living out of my car, and rightfully so, is the cops. Let’s be honest, they seem to make most situations worse. Unless I need to call upon them because someone just robbed me at gunpoint, I prefer to leave them out of it; always. It’s technically against the law to park and sleep inside your car in some locations so that is a little worrisome. Common sense tells you that it’s unlikely to be arrested for camping out in your car. I mean, you could just make up a story about how you were driving somewhere and pulled over for a few hours to get some rest because you were about sleep behind the wheel.
Either way, it’s in your best interests to not attract the attention of law enforcement or to stand out in any way. As a person who lives inside of your car, you will be looked down upon by a nice chunk of law enforcement; you’re only on small level above the homeless in their eyes. These words are just from my experience so far, I’m not trying to bash on the police just for the sake of it. Then there’s some car dwellers who couldn’t care less about stealth and nestle themselves into the center of a Walmart parking lot with 3 tarps and 5 random things sticking out of their windows.
The point is, we want a good place to sleep at night so that we can feel as safe and secure as possible. Especially if you’re a woman, you’ll probably want to feel as secure as we can be under the circumstances. No matter what, there will be some risk involved, urban car living is entirely 10 times less safe than being inside four walls and under a roof. I’ve tried out many different varieties of spots and some are definitely better than others.
The spot that I prefer the most is the kind that is outside of town. Drive far enough to where you leave the town and then find somewhere to park where there are very little people. I’m honestly not sure why more people don’t do this, could be because their situation doesn’t really allow for them to do that. For example, you head out of town using the main road and then there is a gravel road that turns off of it heading into the woods. And even after you’re on that road, see if there’s another small road that turns off of that. This is the ideal spot for me because I’d rather there not be people in the first place. And even if there are a couple people who see my car, the chances are hopefully low they’ll stop. This sleeping spot is also less likely to deal with law enforcement, compared to a parking lot. The only downside that I experienced while sleeping out in the boonies was that sometimes you have to drive ten miles to reach your spot, which is an extra couple bucks in gas money; worth it for peace of mind in my opinion. Another example of this spot could be a gravel turn-off of the highway, not like a major freeway where you might get flattened by a semi in your sleep, but one in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully you understand what I mean.
The second best place to car camp in my experience are rest areas; especially ones with two sides. By two sides, I mean a rest stop for each direction of the freeway. That way you can swap rest areas every night without having to travel far; and help yourself remain unnoticed for longer periods of time. You will be recognized after a certain number of times staying at rest stops, but that is usually not a problem as long as you stay respectful and don’t leave trash everywhere. I’ve never been kicked out of a rest area or even talked to funny. I’ve stayed at the same rest area for two nights in a row but never three. At this point, I’ve probably stayed at fifty different rest stops and they’re great because of the vending machines, sense of security, and bathrooms. I’m sure I could have stayed for a week at one of them if needed. It probably helps that I don’t just stay there all day and I only come back during nighttime when it’s time to sleep. Rest areas are perfect for me because I’m always traveling, being a nomadic car camper and all. If you aren’t near any rest areas along the freeway or don’t travel then this spot might not work for you.
My next spot would be large parking lots. It is much preferred if the business is open 24/7 and has a medium amount of cars parked there overnight. If there’s too many, you will have people parking next to you and leaving repeatedly which makes you more likely to be noticed. If there’s too little people, you stick out too much and someone might check on you. Not all parking lots are created equal when it comes to urban car living. I’ve never had any trouble at the dozen or so Walmart parking lots that I’ve slept in but you might get unlucky and come into contact with a “Karen” manager. A lot of car campers recommend staying overnight at Planet Fitness parking lots because they’re open all night and are kind of our safe-haven as people who live out of their car. Funnily enough, the only time that I’ve ever received the “dreaded knock” on this adventure was when I was trying to sleep at a Planet Fitness! The cop wasn’t bad, he told me that I “can’t be doing this here and have to go to the Walmart across the street”; so I went over there and had a deep sleep. Other good options for parking lots to sleep in include: Cracker Barrel, truck stops, McDonald’s, the movie theater, grocery stores, hospitals, and churches.
The last place that I recommend for sleeping in your car overnight is BLM land. BLM land consists of about 1/8th of the entire country’s land mass. You can legally stay on any BLM managed land for something like two weeks. It’s usually located pretty far-off the beaten path but if you can find a good BLM site near you then you can stay there without any worries of waking up to a Macy’s manager angrily peeking through your window shades. You can checkout a map for help locating some BLM land on their website.
Your greatest asset in this lifestyle is your common sense, if you have some of that, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. I can guarantee you that small annoying things will happen to you here and there, but you can make it so that you can keep anything major from happening to you. It’s not hard to stay out of jail if you are always cautious and don’t push your luck. Hopefully you find a stealthy parking spot for the night and get all cozy underneath the covers with some Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone playing on your tablet. Stay rich out there fellow dwellers, peace.
-cross
