A Tour of the Minivan I Live In (With my Cat!)

[@ellevanroamer487]

Sign: "watch my videos, it's less rude than peeking in" Love the blanket, wow! So creative! Good luck with all your endeavors!

[@fuzzywuzzythebackyardigans2283]

Very informative and very very very humorous!🤗🤗🤗

[@autisticnomad5421]

Fuzzy Wuzzy Thank you!

[@fuzzywuzzythebackyardigans2283]

AutisticNomad you're welcome

[@patriciataylor4226]

Thank you for reminding people not to look inside cars. Many folks live in their cars and vans, and we all deserve privacy and dignity!

[@autisticnomad5421]

Patricia Taylor Indeed! Last week I parked overnight in a new spot and by the next morning there were handprints all over my side and rear windows from people trying to peer in. So rude! I had my curtains up, so they couldn't see anything, but boy were they trying. They should be glad I am the gentle person I am. Putting your hands all over the wrong person's vehicle at 3am could lead to trouble. :-( I sure wouldn't be foolhardy enough to do it!

[@patriciataylor4226]

Sparrow so sorry that happened to you. People please let's try to show each other respect!

[@NomadicGearhead]

that is so creepy i had no idea people do that! when i see cars full of stuff i do get curious if summertime is vehicle dwelling but im too polite to ask much less PEER IN.

[@autisticnomad5421]

About a year and a half ago, I bagged up my trash, locked the car, went to the trash can to throw it out, and then headed back past my car to go into a store. As I walked past my car, I saw a white-haired man peeking in my side window, with his hands cupped around his face to try to see past my dark window tinting! I barked out, "hey! What are you doing!?" And he startled and RAN to his car and drove off. The compassionate side of me understands that people are very curious about things that seem unusual or different. He probably figured out I was living in there and maybe even had been thinking of making a similar life change himself and just wanted to see how I had my home set up. But the suspicious side of me (the side that has kept me alive for 50 years!) sees a potential burglar looking for valuables or a potential predator trying to figure out if I'm alone and unarmed or a dangerous busybody gathering evidence about the "illegal vagrant" to tell the police. People who would never dream of walking up to someone's house and peeking in their windows don't think twice about doing the same to a vehicle. I am a gentle and kind-hearted person by nature, but the times I have caught someone trying to peek through my tinted windows while I am inside, I have jabbed my fingers at the window from my side, as if poking them in the eyes. Of course it doesn't hurt them, because there is a pane of glass between us, but it always extremely startled them and they dramatically recoil from the visual shock. I hope it also jolts them awake as to the incredible rudeness of their behavior! Maybe I've even saved some of their lives by preventing them from doing that again, except to someone who might react in a violent, harmful way.

[@NomadicGearhead]

ughhhh! good for you to stand up for yourself!

[@lizzierich793]

Thanks for sharing! Cosy and bijoux!

[@jademcwilliams63]

How is it that I've never seen this video before!?!? The blanket is gorgeous! I just love it more and more! Can't wait to see it, you and Mr. Kitty again. 💜

[@autisticnomad5421]

Jade McWilliams we can't wait to see you again, too! Sadly, I might not make my usual fall trip out that way :-( But I am planning on coming through town TWICE in 2018!! Spring and fall, both!

[@BlackRose-xt2xu]

This is your home. Do as you do for you.

[@robertbidochon7949]

Cloth drawers are a great idea! light, durable and foldable !

[@stephaniecaranna]

good job on blanket

[@autisticnomad5421]

Stephanie Caranna Thank you! I finally gave it to Jade and they love it. :-)

[@brendabrown4172]

thank you for the tour of your little home. I love Mr. kitty, be safe out there.

[@autisticnomad5421]

Brenda Brown Thank you. Someone actually tried to push open the window I had slightly opened for ventilation last night. I think they were trying to force it down so they could reach in and unlock the door (which would have set my car alarm off, so not the brightest of ideas.) I woke up and started sitting up to see what the noise was and they ran off. First time anything like that has happened to me. Probably not the last. Good thing I've developed strong habits about setting the car alarm before bed!

[@charlesasher]

Sweet set up you've got going on. It inspires me to live the nomad life. Also, that blanket is awesome!

[@autisticnomad5421]

Thank you, it's a pretty cozy set-up and I'm happy. And thanks about the blanket! Wait until I show off the peacock I'm working on next.

[@ReineDeLaSeine14]

What a cute blanket! How do you exercise your cat while living in your van?

[@arlenep517]

Love the blanket...

[@autisticnomad5421]

Penny Drennen Thank you!

[@madforje]

Your kitty reminds me of my kitty. My guy is black and white too! Yours is a cutie!! :-)

[@supriyashanti9880]

Could you share about how u keep the van at a good temperature for your cat when the van isn’t running? Thank you!

[@johnrobertson9301]

Hey, I met you at Priscilla's kitchen table! :) Glad to see you're doing well. And I have a feeling Jade will be like Linus with that blanket. :)

[@autisticnomad5421]

John Robertson Jade's seen the work-in-progress and approves! :-) Can't wait to hand it over as I pass through town again this fall!

[@johnrobertson9301]

AutisticNomad Groovy! Sorry that I will miss you, but I will be living in my car in Colorado starting June 6th. Stay safe and have fun!

[@autisticnomad5421]

John Robertson oh, exciting! I originally planned to pass through Colorado around that time, but a change of plans has me down here in the Gulf region through June, then up through Utah to Idaho where I will be closing out a storage unit (SO much fun! Haha). Then it's wending my way back east from there.

[@autisticnomad5421]

John Robertson right on

[@howdydo7320]

I have a 12 yr old cat who has been traveling w me since 6 wks. Cat pan/litter always a mess. Hair all over. Just wanted to see how other nomads n a minivan deal w a cat. See what pointers they come up w. Ur minivan space is same as mine. Others have lots of space n minivan which doesnt seem normal n size like my van. Love ur blanket & enjoyed ur video.

[@kimbashae964]

I just stumbled across your channel because you live with a cat! I have a cat too and am looking to buy either another mini van (the one I have now wouldn't work for traveling in) or a regular sized van. I am concerned about leaving my cat in the car for any length of time in the summer and am researching those cooler air conditioners. Anyway, I wanted to say you are a talented knitter! What a great blanket! And also good luck on your transition. I have many trans friends and have seen how important that is for them 🙏🏻 I subscribed and am looking forward to more videos from you 😃

[@autisticnomad5421]

Kimba Shae Thank you. Next week a friend is helping me build a 5 gallon bucket ice-powered air cooler and I will be reporting on whether and how much it helps. We are about to start our third summer in the minivan and I am experimenting with everything we can come up with to try to keep things cool. I have a folding cat carrier duffel bag thing, and when things get outrageously hot, he goes in that and we wander around Walmart or whatever is nearby. So far no one has asked us to leave, but if they did I would just point out that I am shopping and can't really leave him out in the car. I see people in grocery stores and Walmarts with little dogs all the time so I don't see too much difference there. Best wishes to you in your travels! Very exciting!

[@The_Knight_Time]

How do you keep the van cool for the cat when it isn’t running. I want to live n my van but my cat is my biggest challenge making sure he doesn’t get hot when I am at work

[@TSunshineful]

I thought the Dodge Grand Caravan was the only one with stow n go seats so this was good for me to hear.

[@autisticnomad5421]

Moon Dancer the Caravan and the Town and Country (which are practically the same car in some ways. They are built on identical platforms but the Caravan is sculpted and accessorized to be more sporty, while the TnC is aimed toward the luxury market.) introduced the Stow n Go seats in the same year. (I looked it up just now and was wrong about 2006 being the first year. They introduced them in the 2005 models.) Luxury cars can be surprisingly affordable once they get a decade or more in age and they tend to be in good shape used because the owners took extra good care of the vehicle. My last car before this one was a Cadillac from the '80s...1986, if I recall correctly.

[@ShayTBD]

The early Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyessy/Isuzu Oasis all had a stow n go rear bench for years! Different year model combinations have them also some SUVs have a stow n go rear bench...

[@savedby_gracethrough_faith]

You are a very brave women for sleeping next to a litter box.

[@autisticnomad5421]

Freedom Seeker I am not a woman. And the litter box doesn't smell. Good litter. Good charcoal filter.

[@savedby_gracethrough_faith]

So sorry! Didn't mean to offend. I never heard of charcoal filter litter. That's awesome.

[@autisticnomad5421]

Freedom Seeker no offense taken! The covered boxes have a space on top for a charcoal filter in the vent. And the Feline Pine litter is amazing at absorbing and masking odors. I change his litter every time I empty my toilet, which is every day. And Feline Pine is only $3/bag so I end up spending around $10/month for litter.

[@joanmilano5302]

Hi! New subscriber here. I like your style of vlogging. Very down to earth - love it!

[@autisticnomad5421]

Joan Milano thank you!

[@alvaradacosta4111]

hello, hello... I an still trying to find a quick way for getting on the road.....I decided that I would buy a 24' up to a 26' RV motor home ....but it is taking very long to find...... I can't tell how much room you have in your van...Because, everything is a close up shot.... can you do a shot of the inside of the van...showing it from the outside....I need to make sure I will have enough room to fit the same kind of bed like yours...,can you fit creates under your bed? I want a section to put a long narrow kitchen area. across from the bed ( being able to cook while sitting on the bed...(( how much isle space do you have)

[@autisticnomad5421]

Alvara DaCosta It's a minivan, so about 15' long and maybe 5' wide? Those 4'x8' sheets of plywood almost exactly fit in the cargo area, so the living space behind the driver's seat is only about 32 square feet - extremely minimalist. I keep one milk crate under the bed. There is room for two, but the cot is low enough that a crate under my body would not be comfortable so I only keep one under my feet. Check out Robert Witham's KZbin channel, too. He lives in the same minivan as me, his is a grey 2003 and mine is a white 2006, but other than that they're identical. It will give you more idea of the size to see his videos as well.

[@alvaradacosta4111]

Ok, and thank you for responding

[@ancienthealinglight]

Love you too. I'm in a similar situation with 3 cats. Would love to chat if you like. I'm in Maine trying to solve my next move. We have a lot to chat about. I'm 63 and have not taken care of me till now. List my rental due to mold and got an RV that also has mold. Am an artist. I clyding writing. I want a conversion vehicle to be all I am and travel for the locw of life and freedom. Trying to decide to hang in here with help from a wonderful church or go asap. I'm deeply anazed,at how kind these people are. And my spirit calls to go too but not knowing vwhete.except for a few great ideas. Money is an issue. But I have a wonderful vision too.

[@jenniferashley99]

when it gets hot, what do you do with your cat?

[@autisticnomad5421]

Jenna X It depends. Sometimes our answer is to drive farther north and/or to a higher elevation. That's how we ended up spending most of July and August in Maine last year. Sometimes all we need is some shade. Or to go to the park or camping and play outside. If it's hot at night, we have a 12-volt fan that plugs in to the solar battery to keep us cool.

[@robertbidochon7949]

+AutisticNomad If you hate people to see in and you still want to see out, try out 5% tint on the rear section of your car. It works very well.

[@autisticnomad5421]

Robert Bidochon I've got tint. It works great until they walk up, cup their hands around their face and press their face up against the glass. Which is what annoys me so much. It's rude to do that to someone's vehicle. But there are a few mannerless people out there, spoiling things for everyone else.

[@robertbidochon7949]

+AutisticNomad Put a second layer of 5% tint over the existing one, during the day you see out, but nobody can see in, even with their hands cupped and their faces pressed against the glass... ; )

[@autisticnomad5421]

Won't that affect how much light I get? A big part of why I moved into my minivan was to be able to get enough bright sunlight to manage my hypernychthemeral syndrome.

[@robertbidochon7949]

+AutisticNomad Well, You already have dark tint on, which I believe is 5%. It lets in 5% of the visible light, if you stack a second layer of 5%, it will let in only 0.25%, it isn't much of a difference.

[@autisticnomad5421]

That's a huge difference. It's the difference between 6,000 lux, which is still in the therapeutic range, and 3,000 lux, which is wasting one's time as far as treating a malfunctioning suprachiasmatic nucleus goes.

[@kimbashae964]

Here is a link about the cooler ac I mentioned: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4XXnaugq7GEn9U

[@autisticnomad5421]

I have a version of that now and I've been trying to decide how to get rid of it because it's taking up valuable space in the minivan. It absolutely does not work in high humidity areas. And since my summer so far has been in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, etc. the cooler is just something to shuffle up to the driver seat when I sleep and back to the cot when I drive. It might help out in the desert, but there aren't so many places to buy ice on BLM land, so ...... it's going away soon.

[@fenraven]

@@autisticnomad5421 I know you have a mini-van, but are you aware that in a Prius, you can leave the engine running day and night at very little cost, set the temp for whatever you need, and you and the cat will be fine? Not as much room as what you have now, but if you removed the seats in the Prius, there's quite a lot of space.

[@ttinkers1062]

Hi. thats an adorable blanket. good work. i am in a minivan too. i keep changing my set up. i have a few videos up. check me out. i subbed to your channel. have a great day!

[@autisticnomad5421]

jan travels Thank you, I'll take a look. I love learning from fellow minivandwellers! Smooth roads to you.

[@18ormorexox]

I wouldn't be able to live with all this junk around me. I need cleanliness. I said junk bc that's the word you've used...

[@autisticnomad5421]

Trish Saint You should see what it was like when I set sail two years ago! People who shop at Goodwill must love me. :-) I keep paring life down and saving up for a van big enough to stand up straight in, but other than that, I'm so happy and never want to go back to what life was like for me before. At my current income level, every stick-and-brick place I can afford to live is dangerous and run-down. I have so much freedom now and my income has gone up in ways it never could have if I were stuck paying rent someplace. Now I can go places to read from my writing and sell books! And I get to visit beautiful places and meet interesting people. A lot of my life is *not* spent in the van, so it doesn't matter so much that it is so tiny. My "yard" is so huge and I spend a lot of time out there in it. :-) It's probably a good thing that you couldn't live like this because it only works for us if there are plenty of people staying put in one place and working on the infrastructure those of us who permanently travel need to be in place when we get there. Unlike those people who say that everyone should live this way, I don't want people to quit their jobs and pull up roots and live in their van because I need someone to sell me groceries when I roll into town and someone to keep the roads and bridges sound and someone to staff the local hospital if I get hurt. So I'm very happy that you couldn't live like me because I need you and millions of other people to keep living the way you do so I can keep living the way I do. ;-) You do you. Stay happy and follow your bliss. I love you; love yourself.

[@18ormorexox]

AutisticNomad Of course we all need one another. Doctors need garage owners , teachers need police officers, hairdressers need store owners just like I as a lawyer need clients etc. You get the point. We are all consumers and need one another. But that wasn't the point I was making... I can't live like that and I simply wanted to express my opinion on a public KZbin comment space. Glad you are happy living this way I certainly wouldn't but that's what makes our world beautiful. Your way of living although not for me is very fascinating. Peace ✌🏾

[@autisticnomad5421]

Trish Saint Thanks for clarifying. I had wondered why you were moved to make a comment about something you seemed to dislike so much. By the way, while I have a lot of "junk" or "stuff" in my van, I clean every day. There is a difference between clutter and dirt. My life is cluttered, but not dirty. I can't remember if I filmed before or after cleaning house that day -- probably before, since I was trying to take advantage of the sunshine -- but every day I pick up the gum wrappers and cat food and other stray stuff that has fallen to the floor. I change the cat litter and I use my little whisk broom to sweep all the carpets out. I wipe down surfaces with Clorox wipes or Lysol wipes. I open the windows while I drive to air everything out. So I have a lot of junk around me, but that doesn't mean it isn't clean. I take time every day to clean and regularly do laundry etc. Just thought you might want to know that since you're so interested in how I live! :-) Be well!

[@18ormorexox]

AutisticNomad no not disliking at all. It's very interesting because you guys are very resourceful. ✌🏾

[@autisticnomad5421]

Trish Saint I'm a survivor.

[@kuroneko7022]

Poor cat having to live in such a cramped space. :(

[@autisticnomad5421]

Kuro Neko Nah, he loves his life. He spends a lot of time outside in parks and forests. He especially loves to chase crickets. And every night he curls up in my arms like a teddy bear and we snuggle together. He’s a happy little hobo cat.