Delia Isolina Torres, known as “La abu viajera” on Instagram, began a new chapter after separating from her partner. At 67, she set herself the goal of travelling across Argentina and discovering places she had not previously been able to visit. “I have already been a homemaker, companion, wife and support. Now it is my turn to fulfil my own plans,” she says.
Her project began during the pandemic lockdown, when she started looking for an affordable way to travel. She had often seen motorhomes and camper vans on the road near her home in Lobos, but could not afford one. Tutorials on YouTube gave her another option: converting her 1991 Renault 11 herself.
Delia removed the front passenger seat and installed a drawer unit in its place. On top of it, she fitted a mattress that also rested on the rear seats. She cut the mattress around the gear lever so that it could remain permanently in place, avoiding the need to assemble the bed every night.
The boot area became her kitchen, with a portable gas stove and several water containers. She also carried a chemical toilet and added a roof box to make up for the storage space lost inside the car. A removable awning allowed her to eat outside when she stopped.
She began testing the setup in 2021 with short trips near Lobos. Her first major journey took her to Las Grutas, in Río Negro, where she spent around 15 days travelling and living full-time in the Renault 11. Later trips included the Iguazú Falls and the Moconá Falls, both more than 1,300 kilometres from her home.
In 2024, she spent up to 40 days on the road and even tried rafting. Speaking to Ecos del Iguazú, she said the effort of building her mobile home and travelling alone was worthwhile.
After covering thousands of kilometres, the Renault 11’s engine finally failed in May of the previous year. Delia chose not to abandon her plans and bought a Citroën Berlingo, which she also converted herself. The newer camper provides more room: the bed no longer needs to be cut around the gear lever, while a kitchen unit with a sink and curtains for the windows improve the interior.
“The problem is when fear paralyses us. It is today, now, this moment, because in a while you do not know,” she says. For Delia, the next stage of her life still includes many more kilometres on the road.
Sources: Motorpasión.