Bob Wells | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Wells 1955or1956(age 68–69) [1] |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | YouTuber, author |
Years active | 2005–present |
YouTube information | |
Channel | |
Years active | 2015–present |
Genre | Vandwelling |
Subscribers | 607 thousand [2] |
Total views | 123.64 million [2] |
Last updated: 20 Sep 2022 | |
Website | cheaprvliving |
Bob Wells (born 1955) is an American YouTuber and author, known for his advocacy of nomadic vandwelling as a form of affordable minimalist living.
Wells founded the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, an annual gathering of van dwellers in Quartzsite, Arizona, and the Homes on Wheels Alliance, which assists needy individuals in acquiring vehicles for habitation and travel.
I came into the van life kicking and screaming, but I fell in love with it.
— Bob Wells [1]
Wells's father worked as a union clerk at a Safeway in Anchorage, Alaska, and died two years after reaching retirement. Wells found himself employed in the same store, wanting to avoid his father's inability to enjoy retirement.
In 1995, feeling stuck [3] after working 20 years at the store, [4] and suffering a difficult divorce with two children, Wells found his finances constrained — and moved into a box van, purchased with his last $1,500. The experience left him crying himself to sleep most nights. [5] [6] After six years, he remarried, moved into a house, [1] and relocated with his wife to North Carolina, where the stress of the marriage with a mortgage became too much.
After he and his second wife divorced, Wells began living in a truck camper, followed by a work van, [7] and most recently, a four-wheel-drive ambulance. [8]
In 2005, after seeing a mother and her three children sleeping in a car, Wells created the website cheaprvliving.com, to provide tips, resources and strategies for living in a vehicle.
In January of each year, Wells organizes a get-together of vehicle dwellers in Quartzsite, Arizona, called the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR). The term "rubber tramp" refers to people who live in a vehicle, which use rubber tires. Attendees and other followers of the event are known as "The Tribe". [7] The gathering itself has been described as the Burning Man for retirees. [1]
In 2010, the first year of its existence, the RTR received 45 attendees. By 2018, it had attracted over 3,000 participants [1] and by 2019 it had attracted 10,000 — making it the largest gathering of its kind in the world. [3] Activities include seminars geared at vehicle dwelling, ranging from city and stealth-parking, [9] repair and improvement seminars (e.g., installing solar panels), [1] identifying resources such as inexpensive vision and dental care (e.g., in Los Algodones, or Baja California, Mexico) [7] to locating free second-hand items. [1]
In 2015, Wells started a YouTube channel called CheapRVliving to offer how-to videos, interviews with other vandwellers, and philosophical videos with inspiration by noted authors and thinkers. [1] In May 2019, the channel was approaching 50 million views. [10]
In October 2018, Wells announced the creation of Homes on Wheels Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charity of which he serves as president. The organization is dedicated to providing vehicles that have been converted into dwellings to individuals in need of financial assistance. [7]
Wells has been interviewed in documentaries and appeared on television news programs that focused on alternative lifestyles and simple living. He identifies politically with the far-left, [11] and sees van dwelling as a rejection of modern society's norms. [10] Wells was featured prominently in Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century , a nonfiction book following the exploits of different RV and vandwellers. He portrayed himself in the critically acclaimed 2020 film adaptation. [12]
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are pneumatically inflated structures, providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a contact patch, designed to match the vehicle's weight and the bearing on the surface that it rolls over by exerting a pressure that will avoid deforming the surface.
Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413.
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans, fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, and truck campers.
A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was offered in several versions over a period of 30 years. It is the second-most popular fibreglass car in history after the Chevrolet Corvette, with Reliant being the second-biggest British car manufacturer for a time.
RTR may refer to:
A road–rail vehicle or a rail–road vehicle is a dual-mode vehicle which can operate both on rail tracks and roads. They are also known as two-way vehicles, hi-rail, and rail and road vehicles.
Michael Trempenau, better known as Mike Tramp, is a Danish singer best known for his work with the pop-rock band White Lion, which he was the sole continuous member of the band until their disbandment in 2013. Since 1998, he has also released several solo albums. In 2012, Tramp went on a solo acoustic tour releasing acoustic albums in both 2013 and 2014. He returned with a full band lineup in 2015 and in 2017, released the album Maybe Tomorrow, which charted at number 1 in Denmark.
The Opel Combo is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle from the German automaker Opel. The Combo first appeared in 1993, a second generation model was introduced in 2001, and the third was manufactured from December 2011 to December 2017, based on the Fiat Doblò. The name "Combo" was previously applied as a suffix to a three-door panel van body style of Opel Kadett E from 1986 until 1993.
Automatic parking is an autonomous car-maneuvering system that moves a vehicle from a traffic lane into a parking spot to perform parallel, perpendicular, or angle parking. The automatic parking system aims to enhance the comfort and safety of driving in constrained environments where much attention and experience is required to steer the car. The parking maneuver is achieved by means of coordinated control of the steering angle and speed which takes into account the actual situation in the environment to ensure collision-free motion within the available space.
The M35 Mako is a fictional vehicle that appears in the Mass Effect video game franchise. A six-wheeled tank / utility vehicle, it appears in the original Mass Effect as a drivable transport vehicle which is also capable of providing combat support. The Mako was originally intended for inclusion in Mass Effect: Andromeda, though a similar vehicle known as the ND-1 Nomad was featured instead. The Mako was widely criticized for being awkward to control in the game's vehicle sections, which was also described as lacking in meaningful content, leading to its removal as a drivable vehicle from later titles due to the substantial negative feedback. However, retrospective opinions of the vehicle have recognized it as an iconic aspect of the series in spite of its gameplay flaws.
Fulltiming is a term used among motorhome individuals and families who live "full-time" in their motorhome or RV. Such mobile individuals are often called fulltimers. Fulltiming is a worldwide activity, and there are many bloggers who record their day-to-day life on the road. The term has been discussed in publications since around 1993.
"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" is a song by American singer and actress Cher from her 1971 seventh studio album Chér. Kapp Records, a division of MCA Records, released it as the album's lead single on September 1, 1971. The song was written by Bob Stone, and produced by Snuff Garrett. Since Sonny Bono's first attempts at reviving Cher's recording career had been unsuccessful, the record company recruited Garrett as her producer and he chose Stone to write a song specifically for Cher, in order to cater to an adult audience.
Van-dwelling or vanlife is an unconventional lifestyle of living in a car, van or other motor vehicle. A person who lives in such a manner, either on a full or part-time basis, is known as a van dweller, car dweller or vehicle dweller. People who live this way by choice are typically seeking a more self-sufficient lifestyle characterized by freedom and mobility. They may perceive it as being a less regulated form of housing, or one that offers a lower cost advantage over standard housing, especially in regions susceptible to housing shortages. Other van dwellers may be one step away from living on the street or in a shelter.
Nomad is the ninth solo album by former White Lion and Freak of Nature lead singer, Mike Tramp, released August 28, 2015 on Target Records.
Chloé Zhao is a Chinese-born filmmaker. She is known primarily for her work on independent films.
Nomadland is a 2020 American drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Chloé Zhao. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, it stars Frances McDormand as a widow who leaves her life in Nevada to travel around the United States in her van as a nomad. A number of real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells. David Strathairn also stars in a supporting role.
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century is a 2017 nonfiction book by American journalist Jessica Bruder about the phenomenon of older Americans who, following the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009, adopted transient lifestyles traveling around the United States in search of seasonal work (vandwelling).
One Night in Miami... is a 2020 American drama film directed by Regina King with a screenplay by Kemp Powers, based on his 2013 stage play of the same name. The film is a fictionalized account of a meeting on February 25, 1964, between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in a room at the Hampton House, celebrating Ali's surprise title win over Sonny Liston. It stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. in the lead roles, with Lance Reddick, Joaquina Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson, and Beau Bridges in supporting roles.
The Homes on Wheels Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps seniors, the working poor, and others dealing with homelessness to use vehicles such as vans and buses as homes. The organization's president, Bob Wells, a self-described nomad, came up with the idea several years after creating a web site about van-dwelling. Based in Pahrump, Nevada, west of Las Vegas, the organization was formed in October 2018 to help American nomads already living in wheeled vehicles. After incorporation as a nonprofit later that year, the Homes on Wheels Alliance began training volunteers to repair or improve homes on wheels. It sought donations, and it established an emergency fund for "nomads in need".