"<i>With the extra weight, a charge will only last about 60 miles, rather than the standard ~300 it normally gets</i>"<p>A 5-fold difference?! Towing a trailer makes the Tesla use 5 times more energy per mile!? This can't be right... Author must have a trailer loaded with a literal ton of cargo.<p>Edit: a Tesla Model Y is 4200 lb. The trailer is about 3000 lb empty (thanks LukeShu), say worst case 4200 lb loaded with cargo, so at most the weight difference can account for a doubling of the energy per mile. It seems hard to believe drag alone can account for another 2.5x increase in energy per mile, which is why I think there must be even more cargo. If not, I guess for me this highlights how good the aerodynamic design of the Model Y must be. This also means the author could get a significant range increase simply by choosing a better trailer with a lower drag coefficient. Or my preference would actually be getting a vehicle designed for that lifestyle in the first place, an actual camper van. One could even use the comfortable driver seat as the office chair, instead of transporting an actual office chair. Swivel it toward your desk behind it and, bam!, instant office desk: <a href="https://www.thewaywardhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Swivel-Seat-Mobile-Office-768x1024.png" rel="nofollow">https://www.thewaywardhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sw...</a>
Feels like the Tesla is the weird part of this. I suppose that having an electric vehicle was important for philosophical reasons, or he just thought they were cool, but they aren't the most practical choice. Today, there would be a few more options for a vehicle you'd want to live out of even with the restriction that it had to be all-electric. The E-Transit, or even the F-150 Lightning come to mind, but I bet there are even better ones.
Very cool stuff. This type of life is why I originally got into tech. Few thoughts:<p>- I wish this guy had a personal blog that I could subscribe to. I like that post, but I could care less about the rest of the blog posts on his employers site.<p>- I'd be interested in why he has stuck with a Model Y, seems to not be a good fit. I'd love to see him switch to something better (probably an ICE even though I know tech people love EVs).<p>All in all kudos to this guy for all the work he has put in to make this life work, love the iterative approach.
Even the good old steppe nomads did not uproot their yurts all the time, usually just a few times per year or at the far end a dozen times a year.<p>This is rather more like full time traveling setups.
As much as I can’t stand full-size pickups, a Chevy Silverado EV has the towing range to make towing the trailer a lot more practical.<p>One potentially interesting option that the author hasn’t tried is a yacht. Anybody seen any accounts of a cruising digital nomad?
I am highly skeptical of this story, even if am all for the principles behind the lifestyle. Issues I did not see mentioned, that make me skeptical.<p>Lack of Permanent Address: Difficulty in receiving mail, opening bank accounts, or completing certain official documents.Lack of permanent address and the legal issues that come with it. If you do have a permanent address, then you are not a digital nomad just somebody who travels a lot.<p>Sleeping in a Vehicle in Cold Temperatures: Risk of hypothermia, vehicle battery drain, and legal issues in areas where it's prohibited( Most of them).
Sleeping in a common transport vehicle (Tesla or not Tesla), under negative temperatures sounds challenging.<p>Mechanical or Electrical Issues: I have heard of Tesla owners in Europe, having to wait sometimes for weeks for repairs, due to lack of spare parts. Due to increased stress on the vehicle any minor problem, will send you out of your "home".<p>Inconsistent Internet Access: Reliability and speed issues will cause work productivity and communication impact. It is already challenging when travelling
between business hotels.<p>Healthcare Access: Navigating healthcare provider support across large distant locations ?<p>Legal Issues with Remote Work: Withing the US some specific laws regarding remote work for non-residents in a certain state can impact your tax liabilities. Heck...New York can even create tax liabilities for you even if
do not live or work in the USA and just visited for a few days a year...<p>Security and Privacy: Out in the wild outside of camping parks? I see untold risks.<p>Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Blurring lines between work and personal time, would look like a load instead of a relief...<p>Equipment Safety and Maintenance: Risk of damage or theft to essential gadgets like laptops and cameras.<p>Accommodation Issues: Unreliable bookings, substandard living conditions, or scams.<p>Travel Burnout: Constant moving looks like physically and mentally exhausting.<p>Insurance Coverage: Ensuring adequate insurance for health, travel, and equipment.
Still car limited. I like doing work-cations but I have a similar issue with the working space. A real chair, external monitor, key board is really essential for work more than a week. Flying anywhere with that is unrealistic.<p>Ive never seen an airbnb or vrbo listing with office equipment in it. Would be cool and useful. It would probably get robbed though. My wife and I usually go through tons of listing photos looking for an somewhat adequate working space.<p>Im curious how other software people do it.
Spent three years as an AirBnB nomad with my wife. We are back in our house between tenants getting ready to start out as van life nomads. We’ve also spent months at a time overseas and will again but don’t want to do that full time. This article has very little depth but it does give a decent high level view.
OP should try a "truck camper"... basically a living quarters that sits in the bed of a pickup truck rather than towed. Seems like it would be a lot more functional than his current approach.<p>Though I found the article and evolving process very interesting!
Kapwing. Hm. Bing search for "Kapwing layoff" returns this, from Glassdoor:<p>"Kapwing Reviews: What Is It Like to Work At Kapwing?<p>Oct 18, 2023 · I joined a company in August, but soon after, they started big layoffs. My team was scattered, and my boss, who was supposed to find me a project, didn’t. Four …<p>But the link from Bing doesn't lead to that review. It shows only three reviews, two of which are from the CEO (!).
I've always wanted to do something like this but never quite been brave enough to do it.<p>Feeling quite stuck in my life where I am now and would love to get unstuck.
The issues of finding shower and basic amenities in / near work spaces is, I think, a growing issue for commuters as well as nomads - basically most of us will be doing some form of mixed remote / office work. And trying real hard to give up petrol cars. Just being able to cycle / run some of the way, train or otherwise some of the way is a real freeing option
I tried it with both a van and a trailer but ultimately I found I wanted 'too much stuff' around me to make it practical, like retrocomputing stuff.<p>If I was younger and truly had less stuff, no reason it wouldn't work.
I admire digital nomads who stay in higher income countries over ones who move to the lowest COL country they can find to live like artificial kings. There's a certain sociopathy to white dudes who move to Thailand so they can enjoy the disproportionate sway of their 160k remote job + sexual privilege.