Version One Rhonda: The First Van Build
THE MOMENT I SAW HER, I KNEW SHE WAS MINE.
I can only explain the feeling as a complete rush of thrill. The second I scrolled across this van on the Bellingham Craigslist used automotive page, it was mine. Did I have $3,300 in the bank account to buy a van? Nope. But not buying it wasn’t an option.
The game plan: I decided I could get a cash advance from my credit card, a PayPal cash advance and hope to be able to talk the seller into dropping the price. The 20% interest fees for some reason didn't frighten me at the time. It was as though I became possessed by a spirit- the inner van addict within.
Arranged a meet up with the seller and took Rhonda on a test drive. After some good car buying advice, I beat the crap out of her - accelerating harshly up the steepest hills in town, slamming on the brakes, and so on. I was nervous that I was going to break something but Mike, my boyfriend at the time assured me that this is how you “properly” test ride a vehicle. We tried to find every single issue that we could confront the seller with and hope to get a lower price. It was almost joyous when we realize the transmission was slipping. Maybe I would get a deal!
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT A VAN WITH A BLOWN TRANSMISSION BUT I WAS DEAD SET ON BUYING RHONDA NO MATTER WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER.
The seller listened to our issues calmly: the tires were worn, brake pads needed to be replaced, the body was fairly dented and scratched, and biggest of all, the transmission was slipping in gears one through three. Mike and I were ready for war but without any hesitation, he said “Alright. Well, I will let it go for what I paid for it then. I don't feel like dealing with a transmission issue right now. How does $1,300 sound?” I responded by saying, “I’ll take it!”. I handed him the exact cash that I had on hand from my bank account. The universe was working in my favor that day.
The van was already loaded with many mandatory accessories. Limo lights around the ceiling, double curtains that pulled down for privacy, a bench seat that folded down flat- perfect for a bed, and of course, all of the off-roading accessories such as a brush guard, skid plate and roof rack. To make it my new home it still needed a little bit of work, and I quickly began the renovation process.
I ripped out the mauve interior seats and luscious shag carpeting and installed some bamboo flooring from Home Depot. The van was a little bit smelly inside so I made use of many deodorizers. The initial build was very simple. Lots of plastic storage totes bungee corded into place and a plywood cabinet and desk that I cooked on and kept a few things inside. I put a 2” memory foam mattress topper on the rear bench seat and that was my bed. It wasn't the most beautiful setup but it made do. Besides, I would have been happy if it was an empty shell. I had finally fulfilled the dream that I had had since middle school. To buy a van and live in it. That's the normal middle schooler’s dream, right?
From October until mid-November I lived in my van and took it on as many adventures as possible. It was cozy, functional, and an overall dream to drive. The transmission problem that gave us such a good deal turned out to be a sensor that had gone bad- a $15 fix.
After the first two months of vanlife in Rhonda, I moved around to many different places. From Mike's van for a two months ski trip, my parent’s garage, a root cellar in the basement of a college house, and a single wide trailer deep in the woods. However, for the past few months I have been living it up in Rhonda 2.0 now that her rebuild is complete and man, things are great!
