I lived, dated, and had sex in a van for 4 years. Here are the answers to 6 questions people always ask me.

• When people learn I lived in a van for four years, they wonder how it affected my life.

• Sex in a van is the same as it is outside of a van, but there is less room.

• Tough and rewarding are some of the things that can happen in a van-life relationship. Clear boundaries are the key to success.

Regardless of where you live, love, sex, and relationships can be messy. When I lived in a van for four years, things got more difficult.

Some of the most common questions people ask me are about how living on the road affects my sex and love life, and how I learned from the relationships around me.

Is sex different in such a small space?

Sex in a van is the same as sex in any other vehicle.

There is a bed platform at the rear of most vans, and it can vary from 5 feet to 2 feet.

Whether or not both people can lie down in the same space is the limiting factor. They're going to have to come up with something.

What did you learn from having sex in a van?

I learned a lot about having a sex life on the road.

• Keeping things clean requires baby wipes.

• To reduce the chance of getting a urinary tract infection, always pee after sex. The pee jar should be near you.

• Cowgirl is less feasible if you don't have enough room to take things to the floor.

• You should position yourself and your partner in the van to reduce shaking. If you rock the vehicle side to side, it will shake more.

• Stick to forest service land if you want to be safe. Get some heavy duty curtains.

What's it like living in such close quarters with your partner? 

It's fun to live in a van. Living in a small space and managing road trip logistics can be hard if you have an adventure partner with you.

Two people are living in the same van. A lot of people decided to move out of a house and into a van together.

When you're in a relationship on the road, you have to deal with a lot of small details immediately. You have to figure out conflicts immediately because there is no place for either of you to go. You are always cleaning up after each other.

This dynamic can end a relationship quickly. It helps reinforce why they work well.

How does the relationship change when two people live in different vans?

Chances are you'll run into someone else if you're single and traveling around. It's normal for you to travel to the same places together.

Finding parking for two vans at campsites is more difficult than finding a spot for one van.

For traveling, two vans can be unwieldy. Most of your time is spent in whichever van has the bigger bed.

What's it like to date someone who lives in a house when you live in a van?

A lot of the people you meet when travelling in a van have houses.

Try not to move into their driveway immediately. It is possible to get used to a communal way of life when you live on the road. Most people don't think that way about their space. Don't be foolish.

If you treat your partner's home as a place to check off your to-do list, you will ruin the relationship. Most people don't like the idea of you coming in and sleeping in their driveway, using their shower, and then leaving.

What about when you live in a house and your partner lives on the road?

If you happen to be on the other side of this dynamic, and you meet a person who lives a nomadic lifestyle, be comfortable setting boundaries.

It can be difficult to set boundaries with a partner when they can't find other places to park. They are not paying rent or mortgage in your house.

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