Summer is running high-speed to make up for the rainy spring, useless winter skin is blushing at the very sight of UV and the sun is not setting until 21.00. I finally spend some love on the exterior, sealing cracks and touching up rust. My 150W solar panels are giving me more than I can even use, and just as the Phoenix my 85 Ah Battery it is revived each day. I am considering to buy a “Crock pot” and extending the kitchen in order to save money on gas (that obviously costs more than the sun) and a little fan for warm days. What other gadgets to hook up on a 12V system?
This far, nothing in the interior has been bought new, and my suppressed fetish for second-hand shops has finally bloomed. Some things I find in a container, others in my basement, and people I pass buy are sometimes glad to give me their dusty garage-treasures. All together the renovation has cost me around 600 EUR and I am still experimenting with my travelling budget. One step at the time, the Pearl is tuned into a wonderland. A 6m² mobile home, exploring the limits of self-sufficient and mobile living.
The edge between metal and fiberglas is one of the weak links, it became obvious as I ripped out the wallpapers. Brushing, scrubbing, sanding and re-sealing.
My little mobile garden is slowly growing. Who sais you cant grow food in nylonstockings? The cockpit is not that different from a greenhouse, though water is a challange. Finding micro-climates in the most unexpected places: Peppermint is happily drying, dark and warm with a swift breeze from the windows.
No true hippie-van without pennants! These ones made from old biology books.
My grandmother was using up all her lefover wool and made this incredible pelt that will cover up the worn-out passenger seats.
Washing up station: An old enema-container from “Kockum” with a matching cup, the ceramic “Mjöl” box is for ashes and washing up liquid. The sink underneath is emptied manually. Simple, but working just fine.
Storage going up the walls, almost 2m high, the roof and walls are the most efficent way to stack and store. In the back is the “bathroom” shelf with a first aid box. As much as decoration needs to be highly practical in these living conditions, I cannot help to put mybutterfly-wing-plate-thing on the wall. Grotesce and fashinating.
A happy mess, picture from the far back. Back of the seats are more storage, belonging to the kitchen, I am working on a safe way to store plates and cups here in pockets made from towels.
Old broken mirror and some silicon maked a wonderful little bathroom. I have no plans on a toilet, Hunterwasser was right when he said we should really do our buisness in the forest. A little metall bucket will do for late night/unconvinient occations.
Old linen towels sown into pockets for porslein.
I am fully aware that plastic is very useful and usually used in vans. But when it comes to eating, I cannot stand it. So I choose the fragile rode of old porslein, and this far: No breakages!
Rövardotter Rubbertramp 