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Bob Wells (vandweller)
American vandweller, YouTuber and writer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bob Wells (born 1955) is an American YouTuber and author. Known for his advocacy of nomadic vandwelling as a form of affordable minimalist living, he founded the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, an annual gathering of van dwellers in Quartzsite, Arizona, and the Homes on Wheels Alliance, a charity which converts vehicles for needy individuals to live and travel in.
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Early life
Wells's father, who worked as a union clerk at a Safeway in Anchorage, Alaska, died two years after reaching retirement. Finding himself employed in the same store—and wanting to avoid his father's inability to enjoy retirement—Wells moved into a box van in 1995[3] purchased with his last $1,500 after working for 20 years at the store.[4] The experience, which occurred during the aftermath of a difficult divorce with two children,[1] left Wells crying himself to sleep.[5][6] After six years, he remarried, moved into a house,[1] and relocated with his wife to North Carolina, but eventually went back to living in a vehicle full-time.[6] After he and his second wife divorced, Wells began living in a truck camper, followed by a work van[6] and a four-wheel-drive ambulance.[7]
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Advocacy
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Perspective
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. He portrayed himself in the 2020 film adaptation of the book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.[7][8]
Rubber Tramp Rendezvous
As of 2024[update],[9] Wells organized a get-together of vehicle dwellers in Quartzsite, Arizona each January known as the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR).[a] Attendees and other followers of the event are known as "The Tribe".[6] The gathering itself has been described as the Burning Man for retirees.[1] During its first year of existence in 2010, 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,[10] 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)[6] to locating free second-hand items.[1]
YouTube
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.[11]
Homes on Wheels Alliance
In October 2018, Wells announced the creation of Homes on Wheels Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charity of which he is the president. Based in Pahrump, Nevada, the organization helps those with housing insecurity by acquiring vehicles and having volunteers convert them into a habitable space.[12]
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Works
- How to Live In a Car, Van or RV: And Get Out of Debt, Travel, and Find True Freedom, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014 ISBN 1479215899
Notes
References
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