Big Blue Gets a Makeover

 

Glow of paradise shining down on The Blue! (Or it's just sunshine...)

When I bought Big Blue, I jumped all the hoops of rational purchasing...I asked the right questions, I took her in for an inspection at the local Ford Dealership, I studied the details and looked for signs of badness, I test drove (for over an hour) and she past every test. The previous owners did tell me there is a "scratch" on the roof to which I replied, "Does she leak?" I have a rational fear of mold since my last van started leaking, unbeknowst to me, and after a year it created a mold nightmare forcing me to sell.

When I took Big Blue into the Ford Dealership for the inspection, I asked if they could inspect the roof specifically because of this information. They told me they didn't have that kind of equipment. I found it odd no one in a company filled with men had a ladder? But I was desperate for an alternate living arrangement due to my horrifying rental experience with the psychopath. Desperation makes one stupid. How bad could a "scratch" be? I know how easy it is to underestimate the height of vans, especially a gigantic van such as Big Blue. How many branches have I already hit, how many bushes have I smacked? I have yet to drive into a too-low roof or tunnel. Thankfully. Big Blue is 8 feet tall. There is a reason I named her BIG Blue!

So when my new solar guy came to look with his handy ladder I said, "I heard there is a scratch up there, but I've never had an opportunity to see it." He climbed the ladder, hesitated, looked and said, "Scratch? You think this is a scratch? What the hell happened? There is a large dent from the front of the van all the way to the back!" OMG! I felt bamboozled. I climbed the ladder and saw it for myself. The sweet family who sold me the van were so lovely and seemingly trustworthy! You can't trust anyone these days especially when they are trying to sell a vehicle!

It looks like someone half-assed repaired it. I doubt if they claimed it on insurance or the title wouldn't have been clean. My insurance agency definitely has no inkling of the damage. And it doesn't look like it is rusted, nor does it leak. Solar guy suggested before he installs solar panels, I should Rustoleum the top just to protect it so it doesn't start rusting. It's not like anyone can see the top anyway (see top photo - I never had a clue) and with the solar panels over, it'll be totally camouflaged. 

Like a fool I said, "Sure! I love to paint!" LOL! The top is a bit sunbleached anyway so I figured it couldn't hurt. 

I've never even been able to wash up there because I didn't have a ladder. Anticipating my project and future cleanings of roof-inhabiting solar panels, I immediately purchased one of those awesome telescopic ladders that collapses very small so it would fit in the van without taking up too much room. I took Big Blue to the car wash. The ladder is scary especially with all the pink, smelly, slippery suds of the car washing scrub brush. I was convinced I'd slip right off and break my neck, but I fearlessly, or rather scared shitlessly, persisted.

Because Big Blue is a few years old and has spent her life in Arizona, the bright blue paint job is a bit faded, I couldn't really find a blue that matched. I also didn't trust I could do a decent job having no experience with spray paint. Solar guy kept assuring me it doesn't matter. No one sees the top. Hmmm...well, if that's the case then why not have some fun and do a wild, multi-colored pattern? Flowers? I love flowers. I visited several auto supply stores and Home Depot to ask questions about paint, process and durability. I ended up buying a whole lot of colorful Rustoleum paint from a Home Depot that had really knowledgeable workers!

I was psyched, but terrified. I kept reminding myself, no one can see the top of the roof and it'll be covered with solar panels so stop worrying! I couldn't help it. Even if it ended up looking OK, I still might fall off the roof or the ladder out in the middle of a desert.

Next step sand the whole thing. Eeeewww. Not fun. I did it early one morning. Then I took it back to the car wash to wash all the dust off.

Next tape off the windows. Home Depot guys said the spray paint will float to places unwanted...like the windows. If I get spray paint on the windows, there is no way to get it off! Be sure not to compromise the safety features of the van, namely the lights front and back. So I taped. This was the WORST job of all! How do people tape cars so perfectly when they are painting the whole thing? I have no idea! Then I ran out of plastic garbage bags and couldn't very well go to the store with my van half taped! I visited one of my boondocking neighbors and offered to pay. She graciously gave me a few to finish the job. I still didn't have enough and just used old towels on the windshield.

By the time I was ready to paint, it was noon. You'd think 75 degrees wouldn't feel that hot, but on a vehicle it was scorching. I tried a few flower designs, but the surface as so hot the paint just seemed to melt. The colors were beautiful though! I decided to stop and wait until late afternoon.

I painted huge flowers because I wanted to outline them in black and I didn't trust my ability to do details with a spray can. I did echinacea, camelia, tiger lily, sunflower, forget-me-knots, salvia and one really ugly tulip that doesn't really look like a tulip. I tried filling in the background with the bright blue. It was OK. Then I attempted the front slope of the roof which only made the paint drip. Oops. (I plan to paint the front-above-the windshield with blue to fix that.) Here is an aerial view taken by my camp neighbor's remote control drone before the outlines were added:

I love how they pop so I'm happy I made them so big! (The campground I am staying at is a big RC airport where people come and fly their airplanes and drones.)

Then I fell off the hood of the van and skinned both calves painfully. The only reason this happened is I stepped not on the bumper, but on the front license plate frame which came unhinged. OUCH! I never thought I'd walk away unscathed. I was just fortunate I survived day one!

By this time I was exhausted and didn't trust I could do the outlines after waiting 30 minutes. I opted to wait for 48 hours which is the instruction on doing a second layer. And I needed a rest.

The whole day I was cursing, "I'm too old for this! What was I thinking!?" I vowed when I moved out of my house no more construction, no more climbing ladders, and no more gardening. So I took a break, went out in the blazing afternoon sun, and clipped some of the evil needle trees that scratch up my van. I am masochistic.

I waited the mandatory 48 hours to add another layer, or the black outlines and white highlights that I always do with all my art. BUT how to make skinny lines? During the wait, I experimented. Spray painting does not produce skinny lines. I got online to do some research and graffiti artists use "skinny caps", little caps you can put over the spray paint can nozzle for skinny lines. I searched, found an art store in Tucson. I had no hope they would carry "skinny caps" as I've never seen them before in my life and I have patronized too many art stores in my life. 

They did! They had a whole wall of spray paint and skinny caps! Welcome to the city! So I bought a set for about $3.99.

Then I'm told they might not fit my Rustoleum spray paint cans. No, they don't. I bought one Montana brand spray paint in black. I get it all back to my camping spot and experiment on some old cardboard Home Depot guy donated to the cause. Hmmm...there are no skinny lines to be had. In fact, all six of these "skinny caps" produce spray painted lines that are much thicker than the normal Rustoleum nozzle!! What a waste of money! What do I do? I can't have flowers with thick, black, ugly lines! It would overpower the color.

I did ask the art store guy if I could paint with spray paint using a brush. He said no as it would dry too fast. Well, we'll see! That's exactly what I did. I had a little plastic container and a brush, sprayed a puddle of spray paint into the container and PAINTED! It was really hard to control. Spray paint is NOT my preferred art media...besides the stink! Not great, but it worked fine:

Wow! Can't even see the dents and scratches! Love it!

My next step is to seal it and paint the front-above-windshield area.

It feels like a secret. If I'm positioned right and far enough away, I can see some of the roof with the overhanging leaves or petals. I wonder if anyone else can see there might be something up there. I also feel like I've made my mark on Big Blue, she's mine, and this proves it. I like it she's a little beat up, too, so I can experiment without fear. Most importantly, the roof is now protected from rust and it's time to solarize!!

.

BAMBOOZLED! WTH?

 Look at this:

WTH? Just this morning as I was freezing my ass off I told someone, "When I was planning to move to Tucson, I imagined I'd be wearing sandals everyday for the rest of my life! I'm freezing!" I was wearing a turtleneck and a Norwegian wool sweater. I actually threw away most of my cold-weather clothing in celebration of this life-changing transition.

I moved to get away from this weather!

I've been putting my tent out to hold my camping spot so when I come back from errands I know I still have it. Poor tent! It used to be waterproof so we'll see. Inside I put a plastic tote filled with gallons of water and laundry detergent. I also gathered a couple large rocks from the desert. This way if we also get monsoon winds, the tent won't fly away to join the herd of javelinas roaming free.

Then it felt cold, the wind kept shifting. As I'm laying in bed writing letters I look up and THERE IS SNOW IN THOSE HILLS!!! WTF?

No. No. And No. Can I go to Mexico?

The nice thing about the rain besides my sinuses don't feel so dry is the desert smells so good in the rain!

My Monthly Luxury...and Planet

Today was the first day in over a month I had a shower! Yeah, sane or maybe civilized people would think that is crazy. I told my friend I was planning a shower and how long it had been and she said, "I could never live like that!" HA! At the Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous speakers at the "Personal Hygiene" presentation said not only do they get used to it, after a while they just don't care if they bath or not and they really don't care what others think (or smell!). I have found it doesn't bother me anymore. The first three weeks I thought I would crawl out of my skin as it felt so gummy and dirty. Now I don't even think about it.

But today, I spent an extraordinary amount of time under a nice, warm, clean-water shower! It was glorious. I was told about it from another van-dwelling woman. There are places like Pilot Truck Stop that have showers for $18.00. That's way out of my budget. Most van-dwellers have memberships at fitness clubs, but they are too smelly for me. I've heard aquatic centers (swimming pools) also have showers for the fee of a swim. About a month ago I visited City of Rocks in New Mexico and was surprised to find free showers there, too! They surmise if people hike around the "city", they might want to wash off the sweat. That shower was glorious, too.

This shower was at the Catalina State Park just north of Tucson. Pay the $7.00 day fee and the showers are located in the camping area. As I stood in awe of clean water pulsating on my body, I reminisced on how I used to take up to four baths at day when I had a house. I really took all that luxury for granted!

More importantly, since arriving in Tucson I have not been able to find Planet Dishwashing Liquid. If you've been reading my posts since the beginning of this blog, you know since becoming chemically sensitive, I have been using Planet Dishwashing Liquid for EVERYTHING: bathing, washing floors, washing cars, washing dishes (!) and most importantly, washing my hair. Several friends and relatives have wondered if it would damage my hair, but after twenty years, I don't see a problem.

What do I do without Planet? I bought ECO dishwashing liquid and it was horrifying leaving my hair stringy and dirty looking. I bought some bulk non-toxic shampoo at the co-op in New Mexico, but in a not so sealed container it was a mess. It also just made my hair feel saturated in some kind of film and flat.

After searching two states, I finally found Planet at the Food Conspiracy, Tucson's downtown food co-op! I washed my hair and OMG! it makes my hair feel so clean and healthy! It's no longer as flat as it was! I really hope Planet isn't going out of business...maybe they've just reduced distribution in Arizona? It has gotten really, really expensive, but for me, it's well worth it!

Energy Hogs

Van life is a whole different mindset! I've never in my life have I considered how many watts I use, or the voltage, or the amps. Honestly, although I sat in on a solar class at Quartzsite and these terms were explained, it all went right over my head! However, my life is now consumed by wattage!

Bluetti 

The Bluetti is Big Blue's power source and it gets its energy by one of three options: 1) being plugged into the cigarette lighter when Big Blue is running, 2) into a power outlet, or 3) solar-powered with portable solar panels. When I plug an electrical appliance, laptop, or cell phone (AC, DC or USB) into the Bluetti, I can see how many watts it is using. If the object uses too many watts, the Bluetti is drained in no time. The mantra of experienced van dwellers is "MAKE SURE IT IS 12 VOLTS! DO NOT GET 110!" I'm learning.

Heaters and air conditioners are problematic because they are energy hogs. The first one I bought was sucking about 800 watts. It was returned. The second one was given to me...1200 watts! The Bluetti was drained to only 20% in only 20 minutes! OK! Now I'm starting to understand. If my energy is drained, it's way more work to charge it back up and if I don't, I might have no access to power!  Most people get propane or butane-fueled heaters, but those are toxic to me so that is not an option. (I'm finding my only option to be warm might be Mexico....)

My standard, everyday lamp is low wattage and clocks in at about 30 watts. For a little ambient light, that's worth it. There are battery-operated and solar-powered lights, lanterns, and flashlights available, but I've been trying to use what I have to avoid spending too much money.

However, I've purchased strings of solar lights I call my "rat lights". For $9.99 at Harbor Freight they are well-worth the price. Two of the strands go under Big Blue at night to deter the destructive pack rats, but I had an extra strand that I use INSIDE the van. 

If I turn on their blinking function, it's like a disco! When the sun goes down, Big Blue becomes a disco van! 

My first cooking appliance was the rice cooker on the advice of a girl truck driver. "You can cook a ham in it!" I was sold. Not that I ever eat ham, but if it can cook a ham, its capabilities are endless! The rice cooker uses about 300 watts. Too much. A meal will delete the Bluetti about 30% which isn't bad. Again, most people prefer toxic propane or butane-fueled cooking appliances because the fuel is cheap, accessible and easy to use.

Then someone highly recommended an induction cooktop. They are not cheap, but I was craving real food. The Nuwave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop runs $108.68 with tax. I waffled (pun intended) when I was told it is an energy hog, but I threw all caution to the wind and bought one anyway. I didn't realize one needs special pro-induction pans or it won't work. I discovered cast iron pans are compatible! (I'm so glad I never got rid of my cast iron cookware!) OMG! This was a game changer! Here is my first meal on the induction cook top. It was the first time in months I felt like a real person eating real food!

Just as I was enjoying this tasty meal, sitting on the sidestep of my van, gazing upon the beautiful views of the Catalinas, a herd of javelinas came frolicking for my viewing pleasure. They (6?) were about fifty feet away, but still gave me a fright since I was told they can be vicious especially if they have babies. There were babies. They are definitely one of the ugliest creatures on the planet, big hairy hogs with fangs. (Is it any wonder the psychopathic landlady thought they were cute?) I was told normally one smells them first, but I received no stink warning. They stayed on the outskirts never crossing the cement. Had they started charging, I would have slammed my door shut faster than one could yell, "ENERGY HOG!" (You can barely see them in the center of the photo rummaging through some sticks. Sorry. My camera has a weak zoom in feature.) I had planned to go for a nice walk after dinner. Ah, no, not tonight!

Just as I was feeling a little disappointed the javelinas didn't charge across the cement and dive for my delicious dining experience, a loner javelina appeared not ten feet away from my van! Holy Mackerel!

He circled my van, always staying in the desert never walking on the cement, then disappeared off into the sunset. It was quite exciting. Yes, I closed my van door and worried he'd maul the towel I had drying outside.

The next night as I prepared another fabulous meal on my Nuwave with the door wide open, I constantly surveyed the desert behind me watching for big black blobs approaching in the night. 

The Adventures of Big Blue continue...

Quartzsite, Rubber Tramp Rendezvous for Everyone! 2025

The Rubber Tramp Rendezvous continued the day after the Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous ended. There was definitely a different vibe and a lot more people! I wanted to hear the presentations on Alaska which covered driving through Canada, Mexico, and "Solar Basics". 

I spent the morning volunteering only because I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't have much to do. First they assigned me in the coffee shack, but it seems I was just an extra person in the way even though I was the only one cleaning the counters. 

Then they assigned me to help with the name buttons. Now that is more my style! I got to write names on buttons and meet a lot of people. This went well for about two hours until a stinker pushed her way up along side me and demanded to stand where I was standing. I find people bathed in stink to be self-centered and obnoxiously thoughtless anyway, but this was also her personality. I refused to move so she slithered up to the other side of me way too close. I didn't want to give up my awesome volunteer position. At one point she screwed up the button using 2024 instead of 2025 and the button makers gave it back to me. I gave it back to her. She screamed at me, "It's done!" and proceeded to give it to the button makers. I retrieved it, handed it to her and said, "Look at the date." I'd had it with her and I was starting to feel lousy so I asked the lead to place me somewhere else. I went to the free table. Not as fun, but I did get first look at the freebies coming in. I got two new pairs of pants and two beautiful plates that would fit perfectly in my kitchen storage bin. I was sick for the rest of the day and all night. 

The next day they had another Open House and I saw all kinds of amazing van builds with the most intricate storage and organizational systems!

I realized I was out of food. I could drive to Parker for more substandard junky-type gluten-free food, but I decided to leave. I really wanted to see the Mexico presentation, but that would mean hanging around for four more days until it was scheduled. I was hungry.

Quartzsite, Women's RTR, 2025, Day 2 and 3

 

Day two at the Quartzsite Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (2025) had a glorious presentation on safety. I found out my stun gun is one of the best! To date I've never had an opportunity to test it so this is good to know. I also learned it's important to use a stun gun on bare skin for best effect and Canada doesn't allow stun guns over the border. What would I do with it? Hmmm...

That afternoon we were treated to an "Open House" of vans, cars, trucks and small living spaces less than 22 feet. It still amazes me the organization some women have to live in a car. One particular vehicle was owned by, Angie, a delightful Californian with a free-flowing positive energy. She has a small pickup truck and the back looks like a doll house! Again, incredibly organized, but her creative sensibilities make it look so inviting with a blue and aqua color scheme and her fiber art works. She uses magnets to hold everything down on the counters so they don't move during transportation. I crawled in there and felt right at home wanting to curl up and take a nap:

I asked Angie about not having a refridgerator and she explained she doesn't use one, she buys and eats mostly fresh foods, lives out of grocery stores, and she's lost 40 lbs in the last six months! This was inspirational to say the least. She also took a hula hooping class so she would have easy and fun exercise on the road and has lost several inches around her waist. She was happy to demonstrate her skills:

Then the wind began...I'd been warned about wind both online and my friends at the south camp. This clocked in at 24 mph throwing sand and dust all over everything. I wondered if my van would still be upright in the morning. It was really nasty and I vowed never to live in Quartzsite. It stopped by the next day, but this is normal for flat desert locations.

Day three included a presentation on Hygiene with a panel of experienced van-living women. After their talk audience members were welcomed to share their tips. There was a lot of laughter as they shared not-so-good experiences, mistakes, and a whole lot of embarrassment.

After one month living in my van, I felt pretty experienced on toilet procedures having learned the hard way in most cases. Many shared it is difficult to separate urine and feces especially for older women and some claimed you have to train yourself. I have not mastered this skill. It was shared pine pellets from feed stores are good to use. Since I have been unable to find small bags of pine chips at pet stores, and as we all know, they only come in large quantities (20-40lb bags), I was so grateful when one woman who had just bought a 40 lb. bag offered to share so I acquired a ziplock full of them. Several women shared they don't use toilet paper! Some used a cloth one can buy that can be washed. Hmmm...sounds messy, but perhaps once I evolve from a "newmad" into a more experienced van lifer, I'll consider this. It would be nice to eliminate the expense of toilet paper.

Showers. I have grown accustomed to not bathing which is odd since I used to take up to four baths a day when living in a house. First, I'm warm so I'm not in a situation where I'm so cold I have to regulate my body temperature constantly. Second, the thought of bathing in a communal space gives me the creeps! Most of these women said they don't shower and they don't care! I loved the attitude! However, if one really needs to clean, aquatic centers and state parks are good options.

Laundry. Not much was mentioned about laundry. I was tempted to contribute to the chemical sensitivity challenges with laundry, but as a "newmad" I didn't feel that brave. Maybe next year.

That was the last day of the Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous. It was a day of sunshine and no wind! Tomorrow the all-inclusive Rubber Tramp Rendezvous starts.

Quartzsite: The Women's Rubber Tramp Roundup 2025, Day 1

Just over three hours from Tucson through Phoenix...

Phoenix in all its polluted glory...

...is Quartzsite, a dusty little nondescript town that doesn't make much of an impact on most people driving Interstate 10 until the winter when vehicle dwellers ascend to attend The Rubber Tramp Roundup in January which was exactly where I was heading. It's also a mecca for van dwellers to live during the winter fulltime since the town basks in sunshine and is surrounded by free BLM land (maximum stay of 14 days) or for-pay at a "long term visitor area" (LTVA) which costs about $40 for 14 days or $180 for seven months or anytime between September 15th and April 15th.

I've been reading about this event for years knowing it's the place to go to meet like-minded people, get help, get information, and have a great time. I was looking forward to the experience!

I rolled into town not knowing anything...where to go, where things were, where to shop. I dragged up and down Main Street like a teenager looking at the buildings and trying to orientate myself. Lots of businesses, novelty shops, small grocery stores, and gas stations. 

Millions of RVs, trailers, and vans of all kinds parked all over. Lots of desert. Lots of sun! The temperature was about ten degrees above Tucson, or around 60-70 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night. However, there is wind that kicks up the desert dust and is relentless.

Not only am I a total newbie not only as a van dweller, but also as a RTR virgin. They call us "Newmads." I have been told it's a bit of a derogatory term as people are proud of their longevity. I am definitely a newmad and not afraid to admit it. I just met someone this morning who has been living in his van for thirty years.

The Women's RTR was first, and my goal on this first day in Quartzsite was to find the city park. This part of the RTR is just for women and takes place January 8th continuing through January 10th. Women ONLY! I love it. I arrived right when the volunteers were being oriented and met Susan. I asked her where she was planning to stay that night and she gave me GPS to the Dome Rock BLM which I found easily.

Dome Rock BLM with Big Blue

Dome Rock BLM 
View from the Bush

I texted my friends Michele and Pete who I met at the Tucson BLM. They were staying at one of the LTVA's and invited me for a visit. They paid for a six-month pass and with that comes some amenities: bathroom facilities, garbage disposal, and water, although some of these conveniences are located at other LTVA areas. Here are the views out my van windows at their LTVA...lots of space between RVs, campers, vans and cars, some foliage, and lots of rocky desert landscape.

I love how some created rock or stick walls, designs in the deserts, compasses, peace signs. My friends constructed a Christmas tree out of a branch using some ornaments they found. (They were here over Christmas.) The wind picked up blowing the dusty landscape all over. My friends informed me to keep my windows closed as their RV is covered in a thick layer of white dust. I was instructed not to park near bushes or trees as that is where the car-chomping pack rats live!

The other option for camping are the free BLM campgrounds scattered all over. To the far north up highway 95 is Plomosa located at Plomosa Road. It's farther away which could account for it being not very populated:

Hi Jolly is located also on highway 95, but closer to town. It was very populated:

Roadrunner BML is located about 6.9 miles south on 95. I didn't visit. As I mentioned above, I stayed at Dome Rock BLM.

I checked Quartzsite grocery stores for healthy food options. Nothing. Not one item deemed organic or gluten-free. I brought enough food for the Women's RTR, but when I noticed the schedule for the regular RTR included some workshops I wanted to attend extending my stay, I wondered where I could get supplies.

There is a McDonalds, a Pilot gas station and a library (opens at 7am!) for free wifi! However, I was warned in advance due to all the people logging on it, it's very weak and not dependable. It kicks off without warning.

Day One of the Women's Rubber Tramp Roundup. They have free tables where people can bring the items they no longer want for others to take. I wish I would have known about this as I could have donated a whole lot of things from my storage unit. Next year! I gleaned about five blouses, toothbrushes, and dental floss. 

Many booths for bonding opportunities: games, crafts and even a booth for sewing if you need something stitched. Booths for nonprofits, t-shirts, name buttons, coffee and snacks. 

It's a shame there is no consideration for chemically sensitive people since so many are forced to live in vehicles. There is a smokers' section right next to the entrance/exit which I find poor planning as people who are chemically sensitive don't need that kind of exposure. There are air-freshened porta-potties that aren't too toxic, but there is a regular park bathroom they reserved for volunteers. It is not air freshened. Again, no consideration for MCSers who can't be exposed. At least most of us can go to the bathroom in our vans or RVs. Coffee and snacks are all conventional. No dietary restrictive options.

A majority of the participants were older women and many of them are living in cars. CARS! I watched a few during lunch from my van get their kitchen supplies out of the back. These ladies are ultra organized! This Smart Car below was on display at the "Open House". Yes! You can live out of a Smart Car!

Orientation was at 10:00am which gave us lots of tips and rules. Followed by instruction on how to camp on public land which was very informative.

Outside Quartzsite, I dump my garbage every day at a gas station, store or where there might be a bin. I wondered how we do it here...if every vehicle dweller dumps their garbage in Quartzsite, the little town would be overflowing. There is a transfer station and a dump north on highway 95 that is FREE! I'm hoping I can get my van weighed there.

After the speakers, I drove to Parker to check out the stores. There is a Safeway that has limited organic and gluten-free food. Walmart is across the street. Gas is cheaper in Parker.

That night I stayed at Dome Rock BLM right next to a group of solo women travelers: Susan, Valerie and Angela and as the sun went down, we howled like coyotes!

To be continued...

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