Shelter & Home Security
Living in your vehicle.
Practical guides for the weeks or months when a car, truck, or van is where you sleep. Staying warm, staying fed, keeping power, keeping a dog, keeping the car running, and keeping your dignity. Written for real budgets.
Start with sleeping warmBy Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
Who this is for
A car can be a home. It needs a different playbook.
People end up sleeping in their vehicles for many reasons. Rent outpaces a fixed income. A job ends. A storm or fire forces an evacuation and the car is the warmest room left. Some people choose it on purpose, for travel or to save money.
Whatever brought you here, the practical problems are the same: no fridge, no stove, little space, wide swings in temperature, and power that has to come from somewhere. The guides in this section take those problems one at a time. Cold is the first one: CDC lists people who stay outdoors for long periods, including people without homes, among those at highest risk for hypothermia.
Every guide in this section is reviewed by Cheryl, who lives in her car with her dog Scooby. Her notes appear on each page under Life with Scooby. Safety facts still come from federal agencies and are cited on every page. Her job is to tell us whether the advice works in real life.
If you need help tonight
- Call or text 211 for shelter, warming centers, and food in your area.
- Read the four carbon monoxide rules in Sleeping warm before your next cold night.
- For shelters, replacing ID, and the path back to housing, see our displacement guide.
Guides in this section
One problem at a time.
Start with sleeping warm. Power, food, dogs, parking, hygiene, car upkeep, and what people get wrong are ready too. The rest of the section is being written and reviewed now, one guide at a time.
Sleeping warm, safely
The four carbon monoxide rules for a vehicle, staying warm without the engine, how long a battery-powered blanket lasts, and the early signs of hypothermia.
Read the guide →
Power for car living
Sizing a battery power station, recharging it without a home outlet, keeping the battery safe in a hot or cold car, and why a gas generator stays away.
Read the guide →
No-fridge food on a tight budget
Eating well on about $8 a day with no kitchen, keeping food safe from heat, cold, and mice, and making a cooler pay for itself.
Read the guide →
Living in a car with a dog
The parked-car rule from veterinarians, signs of heat and cold stress, routine and gear, and parking lot hazards.
Read the guide →
Choosing a safe place to park
Where overnight parking is allowed, safe parking programs, what makes a spot feel safe, and keeping a low profile.
Read the guide →
Hygiene and laundry
Staying clean without a home bathroom: showers, wipes, and a clothing rotation that works.
Read the guide →
Keeping your car running
Preventive maintenance on a budget, when the car is also the place you sleep.
Read the guide →
What people get wrong
The assumptions people make about anyone living in a car, and what the life is actually like.
Read the guide →
Finding help that helps
Mail, showers, food pantries, and safe-parking programs, plus how to tell real help from offers to be wary of.
Guide coming
Start here
Three things to do this week.
None of these cost much. Each one makes the next cold night easier.
Learn the four rules
No flame while you sleep, no engine in a garage, a clear tailpipe, and short warm-ups while awake. Read them here.
Time: 5 minutes · Cost: $0
Pack a dry set
One base layer, one pair of socks, and a hat in a sealed bag, kept for sleeping only. Damp clothes are one of the fastest ways to get cold.
Time: 10 minutes · Cost: what you already own
Save 211 in your phone
It is the number to call or text for local shelter, warming centers, and food. Knowing it before a hard night beats looking for it during one.
Time: 1 minute · Cost: $0
Connected guides
Related guides worth knowing.
Displacement
When you cannot stay where you live: shelters, ID, benefits, and the steps back to stable housing.
Your Vehicle as a Power Source
Charging phones and small devices from the car without draining the battery.
Portable Power Stations
How battery power stations work, what size you need, and what they can and cannot run.
Winter Driving
Snow, ice, and cold on the road, including what to do if you are stuck in a storm.
Vehicle Emergency Kit
The short list of supplies worth keeping in any car, from jumper cables to a blanket.
Household Situations
Guides for families, seniors, people living alone, and pets. Every household starts somewhere different.