9 Months with Rita

March 7 marks nine months since I agreed to buy Rita. Thought I would celebrate with an in-depth look at the more real-world, material aspects of this life so far.  Sort of a pros and cons list (spoiler alert: the pros win!)

Things I Love About Rita

Her LENGTH – 22 ft is short enough to go just about anywhere and plenty roomy inside.

Her LAYOUT – she is designed perfectly for me and how I live. She feels like a Tardis – she looks small from the outside, but feels huge on the inside. Most bus layouts I have seen include a small table with seats that convert to a couch or bed. I thought I wanted something like that, until I saw Rita. I don’t even like sitting at tables and never work at an actual desk, anyway.  The fact Rita doesn’t have any built-in table is perfect and gives me more comfy lounging space and seating to visit with guests.  I do have a cute folding table I use sometimes; it folds flat and stores on the inside of the closet.

I love the KITCHEN – there is plenty of workspace for prep work, and the stove and oven work great. I was so surprised I was able to fit my favorite roasting pan in the oven.  Beneath the oven is a storage space that is surprisingly huge. I can store all my cookware (10” fry pan, 12” deep fry pan, small double boiler, pressure cooker, as well as my waffle maker).  So far, there really is no system, that’s just where it all lives, in some configuration or another. As long as the door closes, I’m happy. I love that I have a large, deep sink (not divided in 2). When I am driving, I store my dish rack, water pitcher and any stray items from on the counter- into the sink, so things don’t fall all over the place.  It’s quick and easy. I can usually get road-ready in about 10 minutes.

I love my BED.  Part of it folds down to create the backrest for the couch. Flipping it up and locking it into place is super easy and gives me a queen size bed – which is perfect, as I like to starfish. There is also a bit of storage behind the backrest (I mostly have wine and cookies back there).  Making the bed, with fresh sheets and all, is a bit of a nightmare. But to be fair, making beds in general is one of my least favorite chores. I’d sooner clean a toilet, than make a bed. For real.  So, I don’t necessarily hate making this bed much more than any other. With all the climbing and tucking that has to happen, it’s a bit of a workout.

I love that there are STORAGE cabinets all around the top.  I have fit an unbelievable amount of stuff in here, and I still have spaces.  One downside of the nice, clean looking overhead cabinets, is that they often pop open while driving.  Things fall out. Messes are made.  I’ve considered options of putting some kind of latch or more secure closure on the outside, but I really love the clean look they have now. I’ve considered stronger magnets or different inside closure, but I’ve not been able to find a way to make the change without it becoming a huge project. So, I’ve resigned myself to occasionally having to clean up messes.  Luckily so far, nothing has broken!  Storage under /down below is ample for all my needs – same issues with a few of the doors that fall off while underway.  My “garage” accessible from the back is very roomy, I have everything I want there, and there’s still space (batteries, propane, diesel, tire, beach chairs, umbrellas,  bins  with camping gear, spare parts, etc.).

My Closet is perfect for me – It has 2 huge drawers at the bottom and hanging space at the top.  There is no floor, so the top draw is accessible from inside the closet. I rarely open the drawers. I keep the clothes I am not wearing (winter clothes right now) in the bottom drawer, and can reach most everything from the top drawer or have it organized in a hanging shelf system. This works great for my style of dealing with clothes.  The “in between” clothes get draped over the edge of the closet, and if I want it to look tidier, I can just shove them inside.  Dealing with clothes falls just after making beds, in the ‘list of chores I dislike’.   This system keeps all my clothes in one place, which makes the organizer in me happy, and is very low maintenance.  There is also a lot of space for other items – my yoga mat and several backpacks/bags are in there. As well as on either side of the drawers, there is space for a folding table and folding tray.

WINDOWS With 7 windows that open and 3 that do not (not including the front/windshield and door area) Rita has a wide open/spacious feeling that I love – especially when there’s a ocean/beach views all around.  The windows have tinted film so that you cannot see in during the daytime.  At night, she becomes a fishbowl.  The curtains that came already installed on the side windows really couldn’t be more perfect.  Aside from being my favorite color of dark purple, they are a very nice-looking blackout fabric.  There were a number of extra packages of panels as well, so I was able to string them across the back next to the bed. Many times, I have closed all the curtains and turned on all the lights, and gone outside to see what it looks like. For a giant turquoise bus with solar panels on top, she is as stealthy as can be. I also have a curtain in front that I can quickly hang across to block off the front part of the bus for more privacy from the outside and more homey-ness inside.

Screens have been a bit of a struggle that have improved greatly as of late, with more to come.  Rita came with several pieces of screen material, none of which seemed to make much sense as to correlating with window sizes, but I was able to open a few windows and tack up screen material with magnets.  I was always looking for/losing magnets behind cushions and whatnot, every time I opened windows or adjusted the screens.  I FINALLY decided to cut some material to the correct size and sew the magnets into them. I now have 2 perfect screens I can easily put up and take down (or just leave up, as I’ve been doing).  When I reach behind to open a window, they snap right back into place. It’s revolutionary! With the hot weather coming, I need to complete screens for the other 5 windows.  I recently bought a bunch of magnets and screen fabric – now I just need to find the motivation to get cutting and sewing again.

Lastly, I do love my skylight. Being able to cover it up, for darkness, and coolness -and warmth- has been important. I had a bunch of silver bubble insulation material that came with Rita. I’ve cut it to fit the back windows when the cold was coming through, and I cut a piece that fit into the skylight.  After sometime of looking at that, I decided to see if I could make it a little more attractive.  It turns out I had a piece of fabric one of my friends in Zihua made, the exact right size.  I duct-taped it on to see how it looked, with the intention of sewing it or something, but so far the duct tape is holding and I put it up every night.  The fabric did make it a bit heavier and it often falls out…my quick solution that has now become ‘the way’ is to put chopsticks across each corner, on the inside lip of the skylight frame.  Works like a charm.  Except the other night, after eating my stir fry, I had to be sure to wash the chopsticks before putting the shade up!

BATHROOM/SHOWER/WASTE REMOVAL set up is super simple and easy to use/maintain. I was unsure about it in the beginning, but the toilet set up that Craig built is just perfect.  While it is not ‘technically’ composting, because there’s simply not enough time, nor am I in one place long enough to actually compost anything.  It is a dry system, where pee is diverted to a container and poo goes into a lined bucket and covered with a handful of sawdust (which has it’s own holding bin built in next to the toilet).  There are never any foul smells – it really is a great system.  I empty the liquid jug a little more than once/week and twice per month, I put all the trash from my small household bin, into the toilet bin and I throw away one 5 gallon bag of trash which includes ALL my solid waste, if you know what I mean…  I also have a container I collect all my food waste in- to avoid trash smells, and I can usually dump that into a trash can somewhere, or also into the toilet on the day I empty that bin.   Rita is never stinky! And I swear it’s not because my shit don’t stink. A recent visitor comment on how wonderful she smells inside.  I must credit a lot of that to the fresh air she often gets, as well as my chemical-free/ natural scents lifestyle.

FAVORITE POSSESSIONS – Pretty much everything I own and love is in Rita.  When I left Mexico in 2023, my goal was to leave, carrying only my most favorite possessions -crammed into my RAV4.  So, I am surrounded by things I love all the time.  BUT when it comes to some useful, everyday items, specifically purchased with bus life in mind, I made a lot of assumptions, educated guesses, and hopeful shots in the dark.  I have to say I’m super happy with a number of those choices, and grateful for my foresight (much due to boat-living experience) or just plain luck in decision-making.

• Folding (instead of rolled) Yoga Mat – I purchased this when Rita was just a glimmer in my eye. It just felt like a yoga mat that could be folded would have better storage opportunities. It sure does, and I love it! It’s a big, long, thick one, too.

• Magnetic cup holder – I wish I had 2…this was a great purchase, I move it all over the place, even used it on the outside of Rita, when sitting next to her in my beach chair (which, sadly does NOT have a cupholder)

• Rechargeable Blender – This purchase did not hold high promise, but I was hoping at least it would get me across the country before I had all my ‘stuff’ in Maine. This little device is powerful, easy to clean, and runs a bunch before needing a quick recharge. It even has a cap you can screw on the bottom and drink right out of it – it’s just a bit weird and awkward to turn it upside down when full and take the motor part off to replace it with the cap. I don’t do it often as it’s really just an accident waiting to happen… I haven't even missed my big, metal, and glass Oster that I left with Mom.

• Food hammock – This one was a no brainer from sailing life. I’m glad I bought the nice cotton one, and it happens to hang perfectly on the little cleats that my shade strings attach to.
• LifeStraw Filter Pitcher – Made of seemingly unbreakable glass (it crashed to the floor, one bumpy day) and is able to make Mexican hose water safe to drink.
• For some unknown reason, I kept my drinking water pump for 20 liter bottles, that I had in Zihua.  I'm so glad to have it! It's rechargeable and having a garrafón of drinking water makes my water tanks last a bit longer.

• Epilator/razor - The amount of water this thing saves is priceless.  No more shaving anything in the shower ever again.  The epilator hurts like hell, but once you rip all your hairs out, they don’t grow back for a pretty long time.  There is also a regular razor head, which works quite well. It goes a long time between charges and gets ‘all the places’. I’m really impressed/happy with this gadget.

• Magnets /double sided mounting adhesive – Having a lot of metal inside means magnets can be used in a lot of places – mostly around windows. For all other adhesive needs, I really love this clear, squishy double sided mounting tape. I use it everywhere.  Everything stays on my dashboard on the roughest of roads.

I also FINALLY got my favorite hooks mounted (they have a long history) – on existing screws, but also used some of the mounting tape to keep the tails from rattling.

• Monitor Arm for 27” Monitor – I was skeptical about how this would hold up with all the bouncing and rattling of travel. So far it has been great. I bungy cord it to keep it from swinging wildly around on the road. I love having my 27” monitor for design work, video editing and watching movies!

Challenges and Things I Want to Improve

Not having a freezer is a little bit of a bummer, but so far it hasn’t been so bad. Embracing the reality that food is abundant and available, means I don’t really have to stockpile stuff. My fridge holds plenty.  I’ve been able to cook some meat or chicken and have leftovers for several days, and I also seem to go without for long stretches, too.  I am making it work, but I definitely feel better when I can have proper protein.  The fridge is always kind of chaotic, but there’s only so much to be done about that, with a top down, wide open situation. I’ve been just making peace with the fact that my “fridge organization” is mostly limited to “food that needs to be kept cold goes in this box” how it gets arranged in that box is a complete free-for-all.  Trying to keep drinks at the bottom and delicate things on top as much as possible is the best I can do.

The GREY WATER situation is definitely an area I would like to improve somehow, someday.  Right now, there’s a plastic jug that the sink drains into -it holds maybe 3 gallons.  When I first got Rita, the system was to empty the jug outside somewhere, every time it got full. That could certainly be a daily chore that would get old fast.  The first project complete in Fort Bragg, was to install a 20 gallon holding tank underneath, and I got a tiny pump that pumps the water from the jug under the sink into the holding tank. The tank has a hose underneath the back of the bus, and it can be emptied every 4-5 days. It also has an overflow valve, so I get a little heads up when it’s full.  The pump is on a manual switch, so I have to pay attention and empty it frequently.  I’ve definitely lost track and overflowed the jug more than once. It’s gross and annoying to clean up.  I also have to clean the pump frequently – it has a strainer on it (as does my sink drain), so it hasn’t gotten plugged up, but it does get pretty slimy.  Sometimes the line from the pump to the holding tank gets an airlock, and I have to remove the hose from the pump and blow into it as hard as I can.  That’s also a most unpleasant task.   Figuring all this stuff out has been quite a learning curve, but little by little, I’m getting a handle on everything.  I would love to somehow have a float switch that automatically empties the jug to the holding tank, or change the entire system somehow (that jug is also disgusting and impossible to get clean) but I have no idea how to fit all that in the small space under the sink at the moment. There may also be a better idea, but I haven’t really had the bandwidth to focus on that yet. It’s all working fine for now!

Getting in and out of the DRIVER’S SEAT is always a challenge.  I have to have the seat so far up to drive, that I am sort of locked in.  It is not all that adjustable, or comfortable. I have cushions, which help with comfort, but make the getting in and out even harder.  I definitely swear a lot when I’ve finally wedged myself into the driver’s seat and then realize I’ve left the keys on the counter.  Also, going out the driver door is a fairly easy jump, but to go back in and then inside the bus is really awkward and involves a lot of climbing.  I mostly try to use the front door. Because I have to keep that latched from the inside, so it won’t bounce open while driving – and if I go OUT the driver’s side door, I cannot get back in the front door from the outside.  It’s a whole thing… Also, kind of the number people who have tried to talk to me through the front door when I’m in the driver’s seat is pretty funny. I can’t hear anything from there and I can’t open a window or anything from the seat – and of course they can’t hear me telling them to come around to my window…

The Diesel Heater finally hit my last nerve.  When I first saw Rita’s ‘for sale’ ad, I noticed the diesel heater in the pictures and immediately thought “Well, I’ll be ripping that out, I don’t plan to be anywhere cold!!”    The entire second week of living in her, I ran that heater every night.  It is a Dickinson Newport Marine diesel heater.  This is a very popular choice for sailboats – aside from being very expensive, it is very safe to operate and very fuel-efficient while being powerful in very cold conditions.  It also had a cute little window so you can enjoy the blue and yellow flames (and keep an eye on how it is operating).  At first, I really loved it, because it made Rita so cozy inside.  I began learning all the ins and outs of it and have since been into every part of it – the fuel pump, the oil metering valve and the burner parts. I have at one time or another (or many times) had to take all of these things apart and learn how they work in detail.  Everything has to be in just-so working order for this thing to operate properly. I found that if you let it run out of fuel, and switch to a new tank, you will have to bleed the fuel pump to get all the air out, which means capturing a couple cups of diesel in a jar from the bleed line behind the driver’s seat. I have learned you need to periodically (as in, at least every few weeks when using daily) remove the brass npt fitting at the bottom of the unit, and clean out the soot that accumulates. If you don’t do this, the stove will appear to be running, but it won’t get hot, it just doesn’t get enough fuel.  This is the worst job ever, because it involves removing a steel plate from the bottom to access the nut. The plate has wires running through it, so you either need to disconnect those wires and then reconnect them after (this involves electrical tape), OR you can slide the plate over between the wires and copper fuel lines, giving just enough room to access the nut.  Due to the fuel lines and other stove body/non removeable parts, there is very little room to maneuver a wrench on the nut.  I have to lay on my back on the floor in order to see said nut, and struggle to get the wrench on the nut in just the right spot so I have about 2 inches to turn it, and then have to remove and reposition and try again.  I can’t even begin to describe how much I loathe this job.  A socket wrench would be far better for this, but my socket set doesn’t have one big enough and I’ve yet to acquire one.  I need to get one as soon as possible, because the nut, being brass, is very soft and all this wrenching struggle is starting to round out the corners and soon it will likely be un-removeable. That is a nightmare I never want to deal with.

The other, more frequent helltask, is cleaning out the burner area.  This involves opening the cute little window-door and reaching in to remove 3 burner parts, that get all sooty, as well as wiping out the soot inside the burner pot.  All the manuals and instructions just sort of gloss over this, making it sound like a simple task.  I’ve found it needs to be done at least every other time of using the stove.  It is a giant pain in the ass that involves making a big mess, getting my hands all black and sooty (and yes, even when I wear a glove, the mess is unavoidable) and then involves using a lot of water and paper towels to clean up said mess.  Side note: Back in the late 80s/early 90s I stopped buying paper towels, and stopped using disposable paper products in general (ok, except toilet paper. I’m not a monster).  Remember the whole ‘save the trees’ days? Before we realized plastic is really what is killing the planet? Yeah, I full-on went as paperless as possible. So, it’s been decades since I’ve bought paper towels.  But unless I had access to endless water and laundry, paper towels are the only reasonable way to clean out this ghastly burner pot.  In the last 4 months, I’ve used more paper towels than in the last 30 years of my life combined. So, on top of being a most unpleasant task, it pains me greatly to waste so many paper towels.

The fuel metering valve doesn’t require much attention. It does require a teeny, tiny allen wrench (which I have) to take it apart and adjust on occasion (which I only did a few times before I realized that was not the reason fuel wasn’t getting in, and again after I cleaned it the damn sooty NPT nut on the bottom, the real problem, and then had to turn down the fuel flow).  I also have taken that mechanism apart a couple of times to check /clean it.  It’s a delicate, tricky little process, kind of like one of those metal puzzles you have to get all the pieces in just so, to hold together with a little tension bar and tiny holes and a little pin that goes in a certain other hole.  Then you carefully put it back and hope it doesn’t fall apart in the process, or you’ll have to start all over again. And swear a lot.

In all the videos and instructions I’ve seen about this stove, no one ever really talks about massive amount of time and maintenance this thing requires.   Once all the parts are clean and working properly, it still takes at least an hour of your time to get the damn thing fired up and tweaked and adjusted just so, and you have to babysit until it is roaring just right, with the flames the right height and the blue flame and the yellow/orange flame (not TOO orange!) balanced just perfectly. THEN…THEN it will heat up the entire bus and purr right along.  I once had it running for 36 hours in near and below freezing temps, and Rita was just lovely and toasty inside and it only used 1.65 gallons of diesel that whole time.  But, it is not the sort of device where you can wake up cold, and flick it on to warm you up. No, it is a whole big process and you could potentially freeze to death before it gets up to speed to keep you warm.  I’ve looked and looked to see if I was doing something wrong, because how could something so beloved (and expensive) really require SO GODDAMNED MUCH TIME AND MAINTENANCE?!?!?!?  I cannot find any evidence I have been using it in any way incorrectly.  I can only conclude that the people who truly love this contraption have astronomical amounts of time, water and cleaning products on their hands and their favorite thing to do is tinker with tools and metal stuff.   I am 100% not that person.  Repetitive tasks are probably one of my least favorite things of all time.  And no, I don’t really have any photos of any of this process, because the last thing I want to do when I’m covered in soot and diesel, is touch my phone.

In more positive news:

The nighttime temps in northern Mexico have been just a bit too low to be comfortable for me. I have been running the heater every night.   I was having a recent catch-up chat with Jonny, and telling him my heater woes, after having bragged about how much battery power I have and how little I use.  He said “you have so much battery power, why don’t you just get a little electric space heater?”  After thinking about it, it really made a LOT of sense.  I was spending $70-80US on diesel per month on diesel for the heater. Not to mention paper towel costs…  I could buy a small space heater for $50-$60 – I could just turn it on for short bursts when I wanted to warm up quickly.  An hour before bedtime would make it nice and toasty and then when I wake up if I’m cold, I can flip it on while still under my blankets for some instant hot air.

So, the search was on. I looked at a bunch of stores. The only one I found was too big.  I came across a really great thrift shop full of home goods.  It seemed like exactly the place to find a used space heater.  Unfortunately, they did not have one.  A woman in the shop overheard me asking for one and told me she had one she was planning to sell for $500 ($25US).  We exchanged numbers and later that day Maribel sent me a picture of her space heater.  It was one of the tall kinds on wheels with fins. Definitely not what I want kicking around in the bus.  The search was to be continued. I was just about to ask someone if I could use their address so I could order one online.  I was out with Arturo and Mariana and telling them my space heater saga.  Arturo, the marine biologist, was in the process of moving to Baja for a new job – told me that he has one that he barely used and was getting ready to donate before his move!  He said he would bring it by for me to check out.  It turned out to be the perfect size! The wattage is a bit higher than I wanted, which means it really does draw the batteries down (I don’t know as I could run it all night without killing the batteries), but it is perfect for the short warm-ups.  The temps are slowly climbing here, so I don’t even need it at night right now.  But it is making the chilly mornings just right. I’m SO grateful to have it – and he wouldn’t even take any money for it!  It is 1100 watts, and my inverter is 2000.

My cute yin-yang RUG, that I purchased for $4 at a thrift store in Fort Bragg.  It fits perfectly and as much as I love it, I also hope someone will steal it when I having hanging out to dry, so I never have to deal with it again.  It is SO hard to keep clean.  I can shake it out usually, but when someone comes in with shoes on, or some other incident leaves marks on the white part, it drives me nuts!  Between laundry events, when I can’t take looking at it, I end up washing it in my shower water bin (after a shower, I won’t waste fresh water on that!). Then it is soaking wet and weighs 80 lbs. I hang it on the arm of Rita’s side mirror and it usually takes 2 full days to dry.  If someone steals it, I can mourn it, and then get something a little more practical.  Here’s hoping!

EVERYONE loves Rita’s wooden DOOR.  It is without a doubt the most commented on and admired feature.  It has been the bane of my existence many times.  Sure, it’s cute, but when you’re going 65 mph down the highway and it swings open, not so cute.  Even the inside safety latch will jiggle up and out.  In Tennessee I changed the handle out for a deadbolt.  When I can close it fully, it works – no more bungy cords needed while driving to keep the door shut.  It is still something that is going to need work at some point.  Depending on the weather/humidity, it can be nearly impossible to turn the deadbolt entirely in.  It’s working for now, so not too high up on the projects list!

OK I know this was a long one!!! I probably forgot some stuff, too. After 9 months of living in Rita, I feel like I have a lot of things worked out well, and I love that!  I’m sure there is still a lot of learning to be had and I definitely have an ongoing list of projects/improvements. I’m looking forward to seeing how we do in the extreme heat this is coming in a couple of months.  I have NO IDEA where we will be when we hit our one-year mark in June!  Stay tuned.