The conversion began with a practical compromise: Delia Isolina Torres removed the passenger seat to make room for a one-person bed, with storage underneath. At the back she fitted a small cooking area, with a burner and water containers; a portable chemical toilet went on the opposite side of the interior. The 1991 Renault 11 became «El Autohome de la Abu».
Her interest in camper vans grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, while she lived near Ruta 41 and watched motorhomes pass her home. She could not afford a conventional motorhome, so she imagined adapting the car she already owned. Her husband was unwilling to travel that way. After their separation in 2024, during a major personal crisis that led her to reconsider how she travelled, she chose to keep exploring Argentina. Argentine reports have also called her «la abu viajera».
The Renault 11 was named European Car of the Year in 1982. Production ran from 1981 to 1989, while its commercial life in Argentina continued until 1994. Delia’s budget conversion was a different kind of car project from an unfinished Ferrari restoration.
Her first trips came with the usual beginner’s fears. A 2021 gathering of “rodanteros” in General Belgrano introduced her to a community of recreational travellers who helped build her confidence. She went on to reach Iguazú Falls and the Moconá Falls during a 2023 journey from Chajarí, Entre Ríos, through Corrientes and Misiones. Another trip took about 15 days to reach Las Grutas in Río Negro from Navarro; a separate journey lasted around 40 days, included sections of Route 40 and ended in Iruya, Jujuy.
