NathanDwelling In A Sprinter Van
Engineers at Tesla do not just work on technology and automobiles. Even their housing can be a source of innovation and creativity. Jason Roesslein who works as an engineer at Tesla, was able to pay off $14,000 in student loans by residing in a Dodge Sprinter van. Roesslein had it by shelling out $1,250 in rent every month that too living with a roommate.
Just A Temporary Plan
“That was supposed to be a temporary situation until I figured out where I really wanted to live,” he revealed to interviewers, “As I got further and further along in my thinking, I decided that I would try to live in a van, and I eventually pulled the trigger on it.” It must have turned out beneficial for him because he did not seem to have trouble with this lifestyle.
Inspired By A Co-Worker
Roesslein’s initial plan was something completely different. He actually wanted to invest in a box truck but was not actually comfortable with the idea of living in a vehicle that big. He, by chance, met a fellow Tesla employee who had been living in a Subaru Forester. This was the moment he began contemplating on whether he should do it too or not…
Realizing His Coworkers Idea
This coworker had been residing in his Subaru for a year and had been thinking about upgrading to a Sprinter. Roesslein took this idea his and worked on it himself. He ended up purchasing a 2006 Dodge Sprinter off eBay for $13,000. He had to go all the way to Texas and had to drove it home too. As you can already imagine, there was a lot of work to do…
$1,000 Makeover
Roesslein had to spend about $1,000 to revamp the Sprinter that he had purchased into a tiny house. At first he had to sleep in a sleeping bag on top of a sleeping pad. If the weather was cold he would have to make use of a propane heater. It was fortunate for him as he was quite comfortable living in a cold ambiance. He could save a lot too…
A Unique Lifestyle
His monthly bills became very less now that he was living in a van. He had to pay about $100 a month on car insurance and $75 a month for his cell phone bill. He had to bathe at Tesla’s corporate gym and ate breakfast and lunch there at work. He had dinner after work outside and that would amount to about $150 a month. He did not need to cook.