Meet Rita (short for Chaparrita) - 2000 Ford E450 Skoolie
I (Jenn) adopted Rita from her creator, Craig, in June of 2024, in Sausalito, CA. She's been converted for full time off-grid living. Craig put a lot of love, thought, effort and countless hours into building her. She's 22 feet long, so she's considered a shorty - like me (5'1").
This blog will document our time together...for however long it is and wherever we roam. The good, the awesome, the bad, the ugly and the hysterical.
Rita and I were built for adventures, risk-taking, saying YES to the unknown and spreading smiles wherever we go.
That's just how we roll.
Latest News
New Mexico to Arizona
When I arrived in Silver City, I was immediately enamored with it. It was adorable, filled with cute historic buildings and funky shops. I couldn’t wait to check it out. I had hoped to get there several hours before my massage appointment, but… that is not how Rita rolls…between the stops to walk around, and buying a bag of rocks at a trading post, and the fact we just go so damn slow…I had barely an hour and I was starving. I got some food that was so-so, from a diner where the waitress was super friendly. Afterwards, I stopped...
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Texas, Texas and More Texas
I left Mission, TX and headed north in search of the 'free for as long as you want' campground. Ifound it easily enough, and it was as advertised. It wasn’t exactly a beautiful area, but it was right next to a state park, which was probably more interesting. It was chilly and grey and the rain was catching up to me, so I was not exploring much. I found a nice level spot to call my own and settled in a bit. I went out for a walkabout to be sure I had the best spot, and see the area. ...
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Louisiana Beaches and Into Texas
It was only a couple hours’ drive to Rutherford Beach – as Pearly recommended. It really was way out in the middle of nowhere – long, empty roads and not really towns. All the houses are up on stilts. I passed by some nature preserves and the road out to the beach was one lane and through a wetlands area, with alligators (I saw one on the side of the road!) and all kinds of birds. The beach is hardpacked sand and no problem to drive out on it. It is almost like a road on the inland side. There...
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Happy Six Month-aversary to Rita and I !
Six months ago today, Rita became mine! It went by fast and there had been a lot of knowledge going in and money going out and adventures all around. In that time, we have traveled over 10,000 miles through 26 states. Rita is about ready for another oil change. At 286,xxx miles, her motor is just breaking in – this particular motor is known for going well over 500,000 miles. We may be a couple of old gals, but we got a lot of life left in us yet, and many more places to go and adventures to have. ...
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