We all have those moments where we have to work with what we have, and I am far from being an exception. I wasn’t prepared to shell out any additional money besides my car payment and all I knew was that I wanted some adventure. The time of my build actually coincided with a two-year long process of finding oneself after a bad break-up that happened prior. I wasn’t looking for company, nor did I feel that I could share anything positive with the people around me.
I needed a chance to recoup… or should I say recoupe?
My build wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was stealthy as heck and I got it complete it less than a day. I spent more time pondering different options, drawing design ideas- ultimately landing with something totally different as I put the whole thing together.
The first step of my build was to remove the passenger seat. I was wary of unplugging my airbags, but at the end of the day, I didn’t have very much room to work with. I had to work with what I had.
The 38 MPG seemed pretty darn hard to pass up; ability to transport others or not.
Even though it didn’t make much sense, I wasn’t fearful of the SRS signal on the dashboard. I certainly wasn’t planning on getting into any sort of collision. I spent hours upon hours earlier before racking through forums trying to figure a way around the signal, but to no avail- it was there until I would decide to put my seat back. It was a matter of to do, or not to do.
I remember getting messages on Snapchat or Facebook messenger from peers around me wondering where my man was in the process of my build and why I was doing it instead. The misogyny was real and the short answer to that question was that I didn’t have a man to do it for me- nor did I want them too.
After giving it a nice cleaning, I stashed the seat safely away in the house and took a look at the wood I had to work with. I did a little measuring and just started building. Forty minutes of cutting later, with only a couple of paneling and a 2 by 4, I had all the pieces I needed to construct a frame.
With a box of screws, I got to drilling the pieces together in one, removable frame. I was about to do the slots when I had a stroke of genius and left them loose, giving me the ability to store and access under my bed frame with the lift of my mattress.
Finally, all that was left was to place it in my car. I had built it snug enough to stay put during travel, and it was light enough to not throw off the weight in my vehicle.
It gave me the ability to remove and replace at ease, whenever and wherever I wanted too without diminishing the value of the car itself.
I was incredibly proud of my work and started planning my rigs first trip back west since having been procured from North Platte, Nebraska. She wasn’t going home though. She was going to South Dakota, out towards the Badlands.
While my build only took a day, I created a lifetime of memories thinking outside of my little box. Limited power, and no fridge, it was all I needed.
My kitchen consisted of bins in the trunk, and my closet turned into a backpack behind the driver’s seat. It seemed to be absolute, total liberation.
When the day came to test my rig, whom I lovingly named Fresca, I was excited and almost intimidated. I almost felt like an imposter. The feeling faded to just excitement as towns that I knew turned into towns that I didn’t. She ended up being absolutely perfect for me.
The accumulative number of lessons that came with the process of this build was immense. I learned how to use tools, take initiative and be independent. I also learned to be confident in my actions, as it usually always works out in the end. Challenge brings innovation and endurance; you learn to be just a little more resilient to the harsh world around you.
If you’re thinking about doing the same, don’t wait on the advice or time of others. Do your research and take the chance. Safe travels, my friends- I hope you find your sunsets, even if it’s just a little cottage in the woods.
