I just finished the book - it's called "Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom".

This Gen Y, 20-something recognized much earlier than most that debt is a restriction on freedom.  He surmises - and I agree - that student loan debt burdens new graduates and often forces them to be slaves to jobs that aren't fulfilling, and sometimes, even to jobs that compromise their own ethics and ideals.

Although the language is rough/vulgar in several places and he sprinkles in his political ideology (although what he says and does doesn't always match up with the ideology he espouses), it's a great read for 1) people like me that believe our societal "norms" should be challenged, 2) college students and parents of college students that believe thousands of dollars in student loan debt is inevitable for a good education, 3) those that believe opportunity is available to everyone in this country and hardships can be overcome with hard work, dedication, diligence, ambition, and discipline, 4) those that believe a life well-lived brings more happiness than stuff and status, and 5) those that are on the brink of discovering that a simpler, debt-free life can lead to much more freedom and independence in all aspects of life.

This young man went to extremes to pay off $32,000 in undergraduate student loan debt and to then complete a graduate degree without taking on any additional debt.  In fact, most of the book is about how he came to realize his undergraduate student loan debt was a burden, how he went about conquering it, and how he eventually came up with the idea of living in a van during graduate school.  For us RVers, the title of the book is a little misleading as he didn't take to the open road in his van.     

However, his approach does relate to RVing in that 1) he took seasonal jobs that included a place to stay (a cabin or dorm as opposed to an RV site) and a wage (akin to workamping), and 2) during his graduate school semesters he "full-timed" while living in a van.  Of course, his van wasn't a self-contained RV designed to be lived in, and he parked it in a student parking lot rather than and RV park, campground, or on public land, but he did "full-time" in a way that matched his resources.

I should note that living in his van in a student parking lot was not something that was condoned (it was prohibited once his story became public), and like some RVers that "squat" on private property without permission, we was in a constant state of anxiety about being caught.

A final note is that this self-described suburbanite, video-game-playing, slacker who had never been on a hike, in addition to learning the value of hard work, learned the power of nature and it changed his soul.  I love it when that happens.  :)

There are a couple parts of the book that rubbed me the wrong way, but for the most part I enjoyed the messages of 1) simplification/minimalism and the freedom that can result, 2) self-reliance, 3) the benefits of staying debt-free as a young person, 4) where there's a will, there's a way, 5) the influence nature can have on our lives, and 6) how following the standard paths our society teaches us from an early age may lead us into a trap that may be very difficult, if not impossible, to escape.

Since I just finished the book last night, I thought I'd throw in my two cents.  Sorry for the long-winded review/opinion.  :)  

I saw that article too, and I agree with Howard; debt is a trap into the system, and something the system makes it hard to avoid. For example, have you seen the prices of used trucks these days? $10,000+ for a 10 year old truck with 100,000 miles. Who has $10,000 cash? Not too many. So what do you do? Get financing. For 10 years. On a 10 year old truck, with 100,000 miles.

I had saved $9,000 towards my truck (the one that got totaled) but needed another $1,500, so I went into the bank to see about a small car loan. They insisted on a paycheck stub, signed by someone else from a job. I refused to produce one, and insisted on getting the loan on the merits of having my own home business. They were thrown into a tizzy! They poured over my income tax returns, and could hardly believe it; what do you make royalties from?! From books and CDs. As if, they never considered anyone could actually make royalties, except the "big stars". In the end, they had to offer me the loan, by their own rules, but I refused it, because, why should they hold the pink slip when I managed to save $9,000 on my own, from my own royalties? I ultimately put the last $1,500 on a line of credit, so I could hold the pink slip.

You can't afford health insurance unless you have a job, with a paycheck stub, working for someone else, you will find it difficult to get financing, or rent an apartment. It's like the American Dream has been outlawed. I even found it difficult to adopt a dog; you don't own your own home, with a 6 foot fenced yard? No "real" job?  You don't qualify to adopt a stray dog, that's gonna be put to sleep anyways!

Unfortunately, I am starting this adventure with plenty of debt.  Hard to avoid, unless you live in a van or a cave.