I’ll be adding to this page as I go, but here’s some questions I’ve gotten about my car and living in it. If you have anything you’d like to know email me at jessica (at) ayearinacar (dot) com.

Where is the curtain located? Immediately behind the front seats?

- Yes, the main curtain is right behind the front seats. It’s a piece of black fabric draped over a curtain rod that bent on both ends and shoved into a gap in the paneling.

Since you had to take out the passenger seat for your bed, does that mean your head or feet sticks out past the curtain when you sleep?

- The front seat is out, and the wooden board extends out into the front area, but the “mattress” is fully behind the curtain and no part of me is in the front seat. If I were any taller though I’d have to figure something else out or either my head or my feet would. I sleep with my feet in the back because the shape of the prius’s hatch back is curved so much there.

Do you have separate curtains for all back windows, or do you simply have a tint?

- I’m a big believer in having both curtains and tinted windows in the back. The tinting keeps the outside from noticing you, the curtains keep the outside from bothering you. Also, they both help keep in cool and the I think the curtains help keep it a little warmer at night.

If you have side window curtains do you take them down each morning, or leave them up?

- I usually take the curtains down each day. At least front half of them, or otherwise I can’t see out of them while I’m driving.

What grade is your tint?

- My windows are tinted to the maximum allowed in California. This is different for different states. California (and most states with a lot of sun) allows a pretty high tint.

How much do you spend on food? How often do you cook?

- I took a look at my accountings from when I’m on the road and I seem to average about $300 a month on food. I probably average eating at a restaurant once every two days or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Depends on where I am. I don’t do much cooking-cooking (that’s to say, with the campstove), but there’s a lot you can get at a grocery store that doesn’t involve doing much. I could certainly spend less on food if I did more cooking, but $10 a day is fine for me. I enjoy checking out new restaurants while I’m traveling. When I’m in LA working I spend about half as much on food for the month. No time for going out, I mostly just buy groceries and eat at work. I am well known for my tomatoes, blue cheese and avocado salads. They are very tasty.

How many days of clothing do you take with you?

- Clothing depends on if I’m in LA working or if I’m traveling. I end up doing laundry every two-three weeks, so that’s one measure of how many clothes I have. If I’m working then I have more because I have “office” clothes as well, but it still ends up meaning laundry every couple weeks.

Do you ever have the need to give the car a good cleaning? Like, rug doctor(carpet cleaner) style?

- I have a weird work schedule where I work for 1.5-2 months and then I have about the same amount of time off. I work in LA and my parents live in San Diego, so I’m in San Diego every couple months and I keep most of my ’stuff’ at their place. I tend to keep different things in the car when I’m working versus when I’m traveling so when I get down here I empty it out, wash and vacuum, and then fill it back up again. No rug doctor cleaning necessary. I’m not sure what I would do in the car that would ever make that kind of cleaning necessary. Maybe for a spill or something, but certainly not on a regular basis.

Do you ever have passengers in your car? From what i can tell you have no legal seats to have them in anymore.

- I still have the bottom half of the back seats in the car, and a person can (and a couple have) sit in the seat behind the driver. I think it would still be considered legal since they can still buckle their seatbelt. There is no backrest to the seat, but I have a pair of drawers right behind it and if you put the pillow between you and the drawers it’s fine. I have debated taking out the backseat altogether, but I like being able to sit there myself. If I take it out I wouldn’t have anywhere to sit normally in the backseat.

Do you find that missing a front seat attracts attention?

- The missing front seat might attract attention. I’ve never had anyone ask me about it or noticed anyone looking at it strange.

What kind of pad are you using for your bed?

- The “mattress” is a three inch thick foam pad bought at a fabric store and cut to shape for about $30. On top of that is a piece of sheepskin. I sort of appropriated it from my dad so I don’t know where you can get one or how much they cost. A lot more than $30. I haven’t gotten around to making a covering for the foam and I probably won’t get around to it.

What kind of gear do you have with you besides your clothes?
Stove? Cooler? Backpacks? Ear plugs? Laptop lock? Etc.

- As far as other “gear” that I carry. I have a camping stove though I don’t use it often. Occasionally, I take a cooler, but generally I don’t bother. I had a SmartMug for a while, but I found it took forever to heat up and in less than a year broke on me.

I have a pot that plugs into the cigarette lighter and that worked pretty well for a while, but maybe broken now as well. The last time I used it, it never got hot as normal. I haven’t used it since so I don’t know if it’s a one time occurrence or if it’s fully broken.

That’s really all I can think of as far as “gear” for living in the car. Generally I think it’s something you have to sort out for yourself and figure out what you need/want. I also have my laptop and other various electronics. One thing that has been very nice is having a Treo for a cell phone and a plan that lets me check my email and surf the web (albeit slowly).