Who did this before?

In the middle of Part 1 of Rome's Revolution, as Rei and Rome were about to take off on their training mission, they had this exchange. Rome said something odd which I have highlighted in bold:

     Rome led Rei up the tug’s ramp into the cargo compartment. Rei put his hand on her shoulder and drew her close. He pressed his helmet to hers and said, “I don’t get how this is going to work. We’re going to be stuck in this thing for over a year. Where are we going to sleep? Where are we going to eat, you know, stuff like that?
     Rome smiled at him and pointed to her right. “This ship will be outfitted in a fashion similar to our living quarters. It will have all the requisite equipment, galley, molecular sequencers, food synthesizers. There will be a refresher, what you call a bathroom and there will be…” She squeezed his hand through their gloves, “sleeping quarters.”
     She pointed to the far corner. “They will provide us with exercise equipment. It will be very comfortable. You will see.”
     “What about air, food, water, stuff like that?” Rei asked.
     “They will install a recycler that will provide all of that. Please do not worry about this. They have done this before.”
     “OK,” Rei said, a bit skeptically. “If you say so.”

What does that mean? Who has done this before? Does this mean this particular group of Vuduri have outfitted a space tug as a Flying House or that another group of Vuduri had to live within a space tug for a long time?

I don't know the answer. I do know that there is a whole universe out there. There are events and characters that have never been mentioned and even though it seems that way, the entire Vuduri civilization does not revolve around Rome and Rei.

I thought maybe Rome was referring to the Suduri when they left Earth for parts unknown. It may refer to when the Vuduri first settled Helome or even Deucado. Maybe it refers to the basic design of the Algol itself.

It is my hope that some day Rome shares with me her thinking on this matter.