California or Bust!

This was what I expected from California...

With the temperatures in Tucson climbing into the high 90s, it was time to leave! Solar is done, refrigerator in place, sound-deadening insulation attached, I am outta here! Time for some adventures! I longed for a beach walk and maybe even a swim! My friends invited me to visit and I planned for a two-three day stop. Initially I had planned to go to Mexico from there, but people talked me out of it saying do not go alone. OK. California here I come!

First stop on the westward expedition was Yuma, Arizona. For some reason I always pictured Yuma a small town. Maybe I've seen too many Wild West movies? It's a sprawling city with most of the neighborhoods looking like giant RV parks! I stayed at the BLM land on American Girl Mine Road northwest of the city. I thought I missed the exit off Highway 8, but it's just past Felicity. It was a desert, desolate in it's emptiness, quiet, and unpopulated with just a few RVs miles away.

Next stop was Holtville...they have a hot springs! It's free to anyone. Out in the desert. Oh, how I have longed to be immersed in water. I haven't had a bath of any kind for four months and this is really harsh after a lifetime of daily bathing. Yes, I have had showers, few and far between, but it's not the same thing! The exit off Highway 8 was the Van der Linden exit east of the town. 

My first dip upon arrival there was only one other person. The second immersion was later in the day and there were about ten visitors. I didn't feel comfortable taking photos of strangers so I don't have photos of the actual pools. The hot springs looks like two cement little kiddie pools with a shower overhead. The shower was HOT. Oh, hell, the pools were HOTTER! Most importantly, no one was naked...thank god. Call me prude but after a lifetime of sexual harassment I'm not hot springing with naked people. I was a little concerned about the cleanliness of the water, but I threw all caution to the wind, or rather into the water! I came out of that pool red like a lobster. It was wonderful. The strange thing about this hot springs is it's right next to the freeway. Literally. Look up and you can see semi-trucks whizzing by!

I was told the free BLM land was the first left turn as you leave, under the freeway, but then I encountered a LTVA (long term visitor area) sign stating the cost is $180 for six months. As I was reading the sign, a woman driving by (later I found out her name is Moonlight) stopped and asked if I was looking to stay the night. She said the sign is just for the first part. Drive to the back beyond the power lines and there is plenty of free camping. I did not want to park too close to power lines due to EMFs. The area was nearly empty and very quiet with tall bushes and trees for privacy. But it was still desert. Don't venture off the road too far or the sand can get deep. I was almost stuck unable to back up. Did I say this is an adventure??

The Starbucks in El Centro off the 4th Avenue exit was spectacular. Lovely employees. 

El Centro Starbucks at four in the morning...quiet and empty.

However, they were out of superpower water so I was forced into buying a Olipop Root Beer as an entrance fee. Later I bought some Haagen Daz Vanilla Ice Cream and had my first root beer float in twenty-five years. Traveling, living in a van, and out of body experiences make my willpower weak. Very weak. Oddly enough, I didn't have much of a reaction and that makes me want to indulge more. I can feel the weight gain already!

Onto San Diego, but took a detour off Hwy 8 north on Hwy 79 through the most gorgeous countryside filled with parks. I ended up in Julian, beautiful little town that I've heard specializes in homemade pies. Thankfully it was too early for any shop to be open. I continued driving the gorgeous landscapes filled with copious amounts of greenery and charming hobby farms to Ramona, Powy, and south to San Diego then Chula Vista where I was visiting friends. 

California...hmmm. Surprisingly, southern California is COLD! In the 60s with a thick dark gray cloud cover the whole time I was there. I can officially say I have climatized to the heat of Arizona! My solars also did not like the cold and clouds either. For the most part the freeways were nice, not crowded like Phoenix or Tucson. The first store I visited the grocery checker asked if I wanted a bag. I asked if they cost and she replied, "Honey, you are in California." No more free bags! Gas was at least $1.25 more per gallon (Tucson was about $3.09 when I left) and at one stop I paid $5.99 per gallon for plain ole unleaded! And, last but not least, San Diego Starbucks was a challenge. Most of them were drive through with no interior seating, but the bottled water was twenty cents cheaper!

By the second day I was definitely missing the warmth of Arizona! I went to Imperial Beach which was my goal for this trip. I just wanted to walk in sand, wade in ocean salt water, and maybe even swim. First, the whole town smelled of mold and mildew! Damp and wet. Second, it was FREEZING! I stood on the sand thinking this was way too cold for barefeet and against all common sense my head screamed, I don't care! Take off your shoes and walk in sand! So I did. Being "land locked" for months has taken it's toll. I'm surprised I didn't drink some root beer float at the same time! It was glorious, but my feet were numb in the first five seconds. There is no way I'd put my body in that freezing ocean water no matter how therapeutic I thought it would be! I met some young men later at my second visit to the hot springs who did go swimming anyway and lasted about ten minutes!

Look at the clouds...this can't be southern California!

I love visiting my friends, but they were staying in a house that belonged to her parents with 1970s shag carpeting, old crocheted blankets on all the old furniture, and copious amounts of dusty collections of all kinds. They weren't one to use air fresheners, but they did use Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and scented soaps. I was so thankful I had a safe place to sleep for the night. The city air wasn't a problem like I have experienced with Seattle or Phoenix probably due to its proximity to the ocean.

After two nights I thanked my hosts for their hospitality and hightailed it back to warmth. As soon as I got out of San Diego County, the sun started breaking through the clouds. By the time I reached the east side of the mountain range, it was total sun. I was so happy!! I headed straight for the Holtville Hot Springs to regain some body heat!

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KABOOM! KAPOW!

Van life can be dangerous especially if one (like me) has no idea what one (like me) is doing! Someone was telling me they saw the shell of a van on a highway totally incinerated. I wonder what happened? Did she drop the Bluetti which would explode? Was the wiring faulty or the wires used too small unable to handle the electrical currents? My solar guy told me I should not be using any kind of extension cord or power strips unless I want a fire. Who would have known? I've been using both for cooking for months!

My Ford Transit passenger van used to be...wait for it...a passenger van! I think it originally came with twelve seats. All but four seats I removed - two in the front and two in the back serving as a lounge or couch. Safety regulations requires air bags along the sides of the van to protect passengers. When I attempted to fast talk my insurance agent into believing it was no longer a passenger van, but a cargo van with no capacity for carrying passengers, she required I send photos. I assured her as someone who is chemically sensitive, no one would be along for the ride in my van and I wouldn't be picking up smelly hitchhikers.

When I gutted the van removing the horrid fiberglass interior shell that was shedding creepy fiber particles in the air making it hard to breathe, never mind the accumulated dirt and dust they harbored, it exposed the side curtain air bags. Fascinating, but ugly. A friend did ask, "Are those curtains?" Really? Do you think I'd hang curtains so ugly?

But check out the TORPEDOES! That doesn't even look safe!

I debated for a long time if I should remove the air bags. Lots of discussion online with people stating keep them for safety. It seems most vans in an accident are hit on the side and an air bag might save my life. I thought, Well, if I ever go over a cliff, I'd be happy for the air bags. Note to self: don't drive over a cliff.

Some people clearly had no confidence I would be able to do it correctly. Why? Because I'm a woman? Or just because they know I don't know what I'm doing most of the time. I admit the learning curve remains very steep.

Others said they are not needed in a cargo or camper van. Most who buy passenger vans to convert them as campers, remove them. Solar guy said he'd worry they'd deploy while I was sleeping. But WHY would they deploy when I'm sleeping and how would that be dangerous? The van would fill with air bags. Would it suffocate me? Knock me out? When they were covered by the fiberglass shell, I would think getting hit by that hard wall would be more hazardous! Solar guy said they just look dangerous, like bombs. Yep.

There was some discussion if they are removed, insurance wouldn't cover anything if in an accident. So I called my insurance agent with a "hypothetical" question. She said the insurance adjusters would see I removed them and deduct the cost of air bags from my loss. I looked online. Brand new they are about $500 and used people are trying to sell them for about $200. I read they don't sell that easily.

Personally, regardless of various reasons for safety, I thought they were ugly. The torpedoes look dangerous. The bags look like bad decorating. Wires, tape, screws all over. They aren't meant to be seen. I would like more metal exposed so I can use hanging magnets or cover the sides with fabric or real curtains.

So I searched for air bag removal instructions and viewed as many videos as I could find. Oddly enough, only one actually showed details on how to dismantle them. The rest were just like this post, "I did it, oops, I forgot to take a video!" I totally understand as when it comes time to put one's life on the line and dismantle what might explode, videoing was my last thought. I know this isn't the case for everyone as some live for the video!

Here's what I did: 

1) Order air bag simulators. You'll need four. You can find them online priced from $25 to $5 for four. I opted for the $5 price because I am cheap and at the time I was still waffling on whether to remove air bags or not. I figured I could lose $5 if I changed my mind.

2) You'll need a flat screwdriver and some kind of wrench. Don't ask me what size. It would have been easier with the proper tools, but I just used a plain old wrench. You'll also want some electrical tape to cover the exposed negative battery terminal and to tape the simulator to the component just to be sure it doesn't work it's way out.

3) Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and let the van sit disconnected with no power from ten minutes to one hour depending on which article you read. What this does is clear the electricity throughout the system so the air bags don't accidentally deploy. It also clears the dashboard air bag warning light. 

In my Ford Transit, the battery is under the driver's seat. Move the seat as far forward as possible. There is a fabric cover, lift it and tie it out of the way. Some videos show removing all the metal and plastic covers, but the right side of my battery was covered with a little plastic door easily removed. There is one bolt. Loosen and remove the bolt - it all stays together and just lift. Put electrical tape on the components so it doesn't connect from just sitting close by. Try turning ignition key. If it's dead, the van won't start and all the lights are off. I then let it sit for one hour just to be safe because I am neurotic or just conscientious. I don't want to die....

4) The scary part: On the end of each torpedo there is the wiring and a component. 

Pull the orange tab on the end out using a screwdriver. Then pull the whole part and wire out of the torpedo. Place a simulator into the component (on the opposite side of the orange tab where the component plugged into the torpedo) and replace the orange tab. I pushed them all together using the metal wall for leverage and it snaps loudly when connected. I used electrical tape and sealed the simulators onto the wired components and tucked them into a hole.

5) The hard part: Start removing the screws holding the whole air bag system to the wall of the van. The screws are tight! It took me about two hours. I very carefully moved the torpedoes. They are also being held in place with metal hinges (I don't know if I'm describing that correctly) so you can leave them in place until the very end, then lift up and out. I did not remove the headliner to get behind it and just cut off the air bag. (Maybe another day. Videos on removing the headliner with the electrical components looked way too complicated.) When totally detached, fold up the air bag with the torpedoes carefully and remove from van. I still wasn't sure they wouldn't explode.

Hooray! I didn't blow up anything and my van is not a post-fire shell of black burn.

A much cleaner look. The ugly is gone.

Van Life Has Changed Me...

Van life is challenging on a good day, although I can say now after three months it's getting better. I often wonder how it will affect my life in general. Will it be a positive influence overall or will it be one big regret? Will I eventually have nightmares and nightly ruminations about van dwelling much like I have been tormented about past jobs for most of my life? 

A friend of mine recently pondered about aging and as people get older they tend to migrate toward conservative, conventional thinking and become narrow minded, stuck in their ways while lacking in flexibility and opened-minds. I pondered back, maybe as we age we become wise, knowing what we like and what we don't? I think about this and wonder how van life will change me and how it already has. Here are some of the ways I feel I have changed from this experience in just three months (I may add to the list later):

10.) Buying in Bulk No More! I used to buy in bulk to get the best deals: cases of toilet paper and paper towels, packages of toothbrushes, etc. I still shop like that if I see a sale I want multiples. There is absolutely no extra room in a van. This forces me to rethink my spending habits and hopefully adjust my mindset. I still have three gallons of Ecos laundry detergent in my van. Eventually it'll get used freeing up more space, but now that each gallon is up to $30 (I bought them for $8 each!), they stay.

9.) I've become a non-toxic laundromat assessment expert. That is my new title. Impressive, eh? Prior to living in a van, I think I might have entered a laundromat twice in my life. I now know if the laundromat doesn't have top loading washers, don't even bother as other machines are too toxic to use since the detergent trays harbor the stink of Gain and other nasty poisons. They cannot be cleaned enough to be safe. I know this. I've tried. I'm thinking if van life ever ends I'll start a non-toxic laundromat business. There is definitely a need.

8.) I'm masquerading as a dog lover. To be clear, I don't hate dogs. I hate bad dog owners. My motto, "No such thing as a bad dog only bad dog owners." A majority of van dwellers have dogs: barking dogs, roaming dogs, shitting dogs, howling dogs, smelling dogs. There is no benefit to look like you hate the people you are camped next to and looking like you hate their dog is way worse. So I am friendly as fuck. I know all the dogs' names. I call them over to me. I snuggle and give them love. Recently, I house sat for some friends. Their son lives on the property and has FIVE barking dogs. FIVE!!?? My personal hell. But those dogs came up to the front door every morning and I dutifully went outside to greet them, talked baby talk, and gave them pets. I'm convinced I am possessed by some dog demon. Who would have ever thought?

7.) No-preparation food. I currently do not have a refrigerator, however, this is soon to be remedied. For many reasons, I now prefer no-cook, no-clean up meals. Cooking is a major endeavor that entails hauling out all the equipment from the back of the van, setting up, actual cooking, then clean up that utilizes a minimum of a gallon of water. Water is precious in van life. Bottom line, food preparation is a messy harassment. It's exhausting. My old rug is evidence sporting unsightly stains, general discoloration, and burn marks. I now avoid cooking inside the van, but bad weather sometimes requires it. My diet restricts processed food, restaurant food, leftovers, besides the long list of banned products which makes feeding myself a challenge anyway, but sometimes when the weather is bad or I'm just tired, I throw all caution to the wind and opt for a restaurant meal, or any non-cookable food out of the grocery store. After a lifetime of daily and elaborate healthy food preparation, this is so different!!

Before the rug was stained and burned...see it in the background?

6.) Exercise. I exercise now more than I ever have in my life! My Bluetti weighs 60 lbs and for a while before I acquired solar power, I used to have to lug it to the side or back of the van to charge it. I'm constantly crawling under the bed looking for things or curling up to fit into tight spaces. I am up and down the side steps, climbing my telescopic ladder to wash solar panels or the van, hoisting myself into the front seat, or catapulting myself into bed which is much like the bunk beds I had when I was a kid only without a ladder. I carry heavy glass jugs of water, move supplies, reorganize totes, crawl under the van, and transfer gallons of water to buckets. Today I lifted and transported a 40 lb. bag of pine pellets from the hardware store to my van. This is not uncommon and it's never-ending. Never mind the constant reorganization of my storage unit and I still try to walk everyday. I constantly think, I am way too old for these acrobats and deep knee bends (let alone any bends!). I worry about overexertion which will trigger autoimmune attacks, but it is what it is. I am feeling fine. My muscles are stronger, I haven't pulled anything out of place, and my stamina is increasing. 

5.) I'm working on a laptop after a lifetime of working on only a desktop. I swear a lot. It tends to do what it wants when it wants, and I'm constantly having to stop and correct the problems. It's a much slower process. Besides the screen is so damn small.

4.) Starfucks. I don't have internet in my van (yet) so I am required to find it out in the wild. Starfucks is one of those places. They used to allow people to walk in without buying anything to use their stores and bathrooms which I think is very good customer service. I could sit there all day and work for free which is outstanding marketing. This is a company that makes millions in profits overcharging people for drinks that might cost them 25 cents in supplies. I would think they can afford to allow people to use their facilities because a majority of their addicted caffeine-fiends will buy their overpriced products anyway to cover for the rest of us.

4:30am...the best time to visit. So quiet!

Unfortunately, the company decided they needed more money and imposed a purchasing "entrance fee" in order to sit in their store and use their bathroom. I don't drink caffeine or sugar, but I started buying a small cup of plain coffee if anything to avoid the stink eye of the counter peons. One of those peons yelled at me one morning, "IT'S NOT SMALL, IT'S TALL!" Oh, marketing bullshit. What a waste of $2.71. (Do the math times 30 that is how much it costs a month to use their internet almost more expensive than actual internet service!) A couple times I gave the cup of coffee to a homeless guy begging at the counter or someone sitting without a drink (oh! horrors!). Then I switched to a small (TALL!) glass of apple juice that within an hour would knock me on my butt from the sugar. I finally switched to water. $3.20 for a small (TALL!) bottle of water! What a rip! But at least I can use it and because I've started buying water every morning, the peons no longer glare at me.  I never used to patronize Starfucks. My favorite location claims to be the largest in the country. I find a corner to hide in and at 4:30am, there are few people in the store. They play good music. A few hours later when it starts getting crowded from all those caffeine-fiends needing their fix, I leave. It works for now. I look forward to getting internet in my van....

3.) I have become a plastic hoarder! I never used to buy plastic Ziplock bags. Plastic destroys the environment and pollutes the oceans. I am now addicted. Everything I own in the van is plasticized in a freezer bag. I buy them in different sizes. They keep everything contained and dry. Ziplock is the best brand. I also hoard plastic grocery bags and use them for a variety of bigger things that don't fit in a Ziplock such as document containment, garbage, and poop. They don't work well for urine as most are not water-tight, but when one needs to poop, using two bags, plus a Ziplock, plus a third bag works well. Sometimes I will go into a store, buy five items and  come out with each item in a plastic bag. Other times I just grab a handful as I'm ready to leave. I worry one day Walmart security will stop me and accuse me of theft. Although most stores utilize the thin, lightweight plastic bags, some stores have really thick, heavier plastic grocery bags. However, all plastic grocery bags are sturdy enough for carrying heavy groceries and are so handy for a variety of needs when living in a van.

2.) Walmart-ness. I boycotted Walmart for years, especially during the Bush and Dump presidencies because Walmart supports the Republican Party. I find in a van I'm less concerned about politics and truthfully, I just don't give a damn what a bunch of rich people who have overthrown the country do with their time. There is nothing I can control, nothing I can change, so why should I stress over this? Now I shop at Walmart everyday. This is the store with the cheapest water refills. They also sell high priced bathroom bags for camping, those Ziplocks I'm addicted to, vinegar, ammonia, and yogurt all at a cheaper price than other stores. I don't buy food at Walmart. I'm not that crazy, but they do have some gluten-free and organic products. Walmart is everywhere so I always have a place to get supplies and I'm usually shopping at 6am when there are no lines. Most Walmarts allow vans to park in their parking lots overnight. I have never done this, but if in a pinch late at night needing a place to stay, that's where I know I can go. As a van dweller, Walmart is now my friend.

1.) One of my greatest pet peeves are people who wear pajamas in public, usually flannel, printed pajama bottoms, but I have also seen a full set of pink printed outfits with matching bunny slippers walking right down the street. I've always considered these people failing miserable at fashion and just plain lazy. GET DRESSED, PEOPLE! I am now thinking maybe all this time I have missed the point!? Maybe pajama-wearing people are the free thinkers? Those not concerned about what others think? Only caring about being exceptionally comfortable? Are they the hippies of our current day and age? I am considering as a van dweller, I should be wearing pajamas!! I love my pajamas and it's not like I get to wear them "around the house" anymore! This thinking is SO RADICAL! I have not yet gone to the lingerie-wearing dark side although yesterday I was modeling my brightly striped pajama bottoms while I was sealing up holes in the bottom of the van only because they are old and I figured if I got oil and dirt all over them, it wouldn't matter. I had a visitor!! Did I flinch or run to hide? Nope. I proudly wore my PJ pants in public. I think about it all the time and I'm close to becoming a full-time free spirit. Soon....Maybe.

I think I've become a person that just doesn't give a rat's ass about things that used to bother me, less anal retentive and compulsive, less judgmental, and less stuck in my ways? I have become an ultra free thinker and doer! I think van life might be contradicting the ill effects of aging!!