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Pickups / Ute / box van or station wagons

If you have a ute (pickup for US readers) with a topper / top cover on the tray, a box van, or a station wagon you should find yourself to have some of the benefits of both a car and a van. Usually there will be enough room to lie out flat in the back. This is an immense improvement to laying cramped in car seats. You can usually lay a mattress down in the back of the vehicle to sleep on, even if yo may have to fold it over to lay on it. There will also usually be enough room in the back to store far more goods than you can store in a car. If you do have a ute you must have a cover over the back or you will be subject to the weather or having your stuff stolen.

Advantages:

A ute or station wagon can be brought for around the same price as a car in Australia.
It will have about the same fuel consumption as a car.
It won't look out of place except at night when it may be obvious that you are sleeping in it.
There is more space for storage than a car. However if you have a ute without a top cover, the storage will be outside which means it may be subject to theft.
You can lay out in the back. This will greatly improve your comfort

Disadvantages:

No stand up height inside. You may bump your head a lot.
Not much storage space compared to a van, but certainly better than a car.
Privacy will be an issue.
Going to the toilet or washing in one will be difficult.
Cooking in one will be difficult. But easier than a car.

Conclusion.

A station wagon or a ute with a top cover is a reasonable option to live in. Not as good as a can or a campervan, but better than most cars. If you can stretch out and lie down in the back then it is worth it. You have the same privacy and height issues as a car, but at least you can get a good night's sleep. It may stick out a bit if you try to sleep at night at shops etc. Definitely good fuel economy. I could imagine wanting more space though. Camping in a tent beside the car on week ends in the bush or a caravan park would definitely be an option for me.