So What Happened Was....
A while back, I shared with friends that Michel and I might buy a bus that had been converted to a motorhome and live in it full time. We considered this option because, after looking at real estate all over Costa Rica, we discovered that homes with acreage in our price range (under $100,000 USD) were often impossible to insure. That meant Michel could not protect his investment and most of the money he spent on a property would be lost if a catastrophic event occurred.
Raw land, however, tends to hold its value, especially if purchased at the bottom end of the price spectrum and not for top dollar. So do recreational vehicles, and they can be insured. His priority in this case was not ROI (return on investment,) but securing a place for us to live that he could pay cash for, that could provide the footing for a sustainable lifestyle in the face of almost any global circumstance.
Although being disabled means I can't do a lot of physical work anymore, I have a head full of knowledge and experience about both gardening and keeping livestock. Michel himself is quite able-bodied. Therefore a plan started to emerge that would give us the acreage to raise most of our own food, purify our own drinking water, and generate our own power source using a combination of solar and wind energy. We knew this would be a gradual process, not something we could put into practice overnight, but with the current political stability in Costa Rica, we will most likely have enough time to develop an off-grid lifestyle that works perfectly for us for many years to come.
The first bus we seriously considered was perfect. A lovely couple in Cartago had offered it for sale despite much nostalgia because a career move to the Caribbean seemed imminent for them. Not only did we love the bus, we loved the couple. Michel and I both felt sad that they were leaving the country because they were people we connected with, had things in common with, and who seemed like a lot of fun to be around. We exchanged contact information and set about the process of learning what it took to purchase a motorhome in Costa Rica.
As it turned out, plans changed for this couple and their move to the Caribbean got sidelined. Therefore they had no further urgent need to sell their motorhome, and for about five seconds, it seemed as if Michel and I would be left out in the cold. But then Jorge and Pamela kept talking, and turned out, they knew of a second bus for sale that had been overhauled by the same renowned diesel mechanic in Cartago, and it was even more affordable and a bit bigger as well.
Oh boy! We planned an immediate trip to Cartago and fell in love with the bus instantly. Unlike the first bus, named "Raphaela" after Pamela's grandmother, this bus had not yet been converted and was a blank canvas for us to build our dream home. Even better, Jorge and Pamela offered to manage the conversion with the same high quality standards that went into building Raphaela. This was a deal Michel and I simply could not turn down.
Pricing for the bus? I won't disclose that, but please note that I am cognizant of the pricing for such vehicles because of my history as both a schoolbus driver and a long haul truck driver. Let's just say we negotiated at bit for better tires and a couple of minor tweaks, but beyond that I advised Michel to start shucking out the cash. It was a great deal for us, particularly given the bus's history of being owned and operated by one of the most well-respected diesel mechanics in the country.
Michel and I had been living in a rental house near La Fortuna, and since Cartago is several hours away, he left me in the rental house and traveled to Cartago to spend two weeks with Jorge and Pamela during the beginning stages of the build. This way he could observe the conversion from start to finish and gain a precise understanding of how both the plumbing and electrical systems will work. After spending some time with the bus, he agreed we should name her "Elise," after his grandmother just as "Raphaela" is named after Pamela's grandmother.
Construction Begins
The first order of business was construction of a fresh water tank. Jorge and Pamela's father had learned quite a bit from designing Raphaela's water tank and put all that experience to work building Elise's. This 400 liter tank, engineered with baffles and a specially crafted paint sealant, was custom made to fit underneath a king-sized bed in the rear of the bus. The work these guys are capable of is stunning. There is something magical about making something from nothing, and that's exactly what they did.
After completion of the tank, work on the bus itself commenced.
The water tank was installed and fit perfectly in the space it was made to occupy.
Michel has a think about what goes where.We all agreed on a basic floor plan for the bus. It is not to scale, so some things may have to be moved around or offset as things progress, but this is the goal our builders are working toward:
Steel framework supports the different structures being fabricated inside the bus, starting in the back with the bed.
Because I struggle with rheumatoid arthritis and mobility issues from lupus, some features of the bus will be modified to make life easier for me. One of these features is a platform consisting of one step up to help me (and the dogs) reach the bed, which is a bit taller than customary. Ever ingenious, the build crew placed hinges on the surface planes of the framework so we can access the underside for storage. Every horizontal surface doubles as a lid.
It's starting to come together! Eventually all of these surfaces will be covered with with flooring and fabrics and a king sized dog bed that the pups will grudgingly share with humans.
We had some discussion about how to configure the bathroom. It will contain a toilet, a sink, a shower, a laundry machine, and a specially designed cat sink that will replace litterboxes since all five of the cats we have show a strong preference for eliminating down drains. The cat sink has its own peculiar schematic in regard to water supply and waste disposal, which I won't go into here. But if it works, it will make cleanup a snap and eliminate odors. I'm sure I will post about that feature at some point so stay tuned.
Here is what that plan looks like as it's being implemented:
Well, Dang
The project has not unfolded without drama. Communication has been particularly difficult since ideas have to pass through three different languages, and initially, across more than a hundred miles. Hence the Debacle of the Electrical Panel--the photo below caused me much stress because the electrician installed the cirquit breaker box in one of the worst possible places and the build crew didn't catch the mistake in time to stop it. In addition, the sliding doors weren't installed to specs and due to this, the kitchen as prescribed by the above floor plan would be an impossible build.
After my meltdown ran its course, we put our heads together and came up with a solution. If the electrical panel is simply lowered about a meter, it will tuck in behind the bottom cabinetry in a way that will protect it from water contact in the event someone drops the kitchen faucet sprayer and soaks half the bus. The new placement will also free up the top section of the wall to accomodate cabinetry. Problem solved. The sliding doors will also be refitted to the inside of the bathroom as the specs indicate so all is well with the world.
Plans
We won't start on the kitchen and living space right away. As I type this, Michel is on his way back to the rental house to help me pack up all the animals and truck us the hundred miles to Cartago, where another rental house is waiting, courtesy of Jorge and Pamela. We'll stay there for the next two or three months while we all work together on the bus. Interestingly, the land Michel currently has under contract to purchase is also in the Cartago Province. Many of our projects have converged in that area, leading us to believe it's the part of Costa Rica we are meant to settle.
We also don't believe it's coincidence that we met Jorge and Pamela, or that their plans to move country for work didn't materialize. They both say they had hoped to find other people here in Costa Rica to enjoy the RV lifestyle with, and since our bus will not only be a tiny home but a fully functioning recreational vehicle, we foresee much adventure throughout many parts of Central America traveling as a caravan. It also has not been lost on us that the land Michel hopes to buy is perfect for installing multiple RV hookups and welcoming campers. Time will tell if that idea develops. In the meanwhile, Pura Vida! Life is good on the rich coast. Updates coming soon!
All photos courtesy of myself or the Dream Team, pictured above.
