Where is Gone Camping?

[4Campers]

Checking up on you Cliff. Haven't heard from you in a while.
Assume you're up the coast by now?

[toomanytents]

I like hearing his stories, but haven't seen him in a while.  The east coast has had brutal weather recently.

[4Campers]

Cliff has never been away this long, Hope he is OK.

[GoneCamping]

Well folks, here I am!!!

Left TTO April 9th, and had a seemingly great trip. But then it happened! Heading up I-95 in Georgia at mile marker 88 (town of Richmond Hill Ga) I blew the right rear tire on the truck. At that moment things got crazy, the truck was all over the road, and even off the road, by the time I got it back onto the pavement the wheel with the flat came off, I saw it roll on ahead of me. Right after that, the truck and trailer laid down on it's passenger side and slid up the highway for a bit before coming to a stop.

I was stunned, hanging there by the seat belt, yet had the presence of mind to turn off the trucks ignition. Unbuckled myself and I dropped down onto the passenger door, and right on top of the dog. I was still standing there stunned when someone ran up, climbed up the underside of my truck and opened the driver door, telling me to get out because the truck was smoking. Well, with bad knee's and nothing to really climb on I couldn't do it. Next thing I knew this guy dropped himself down into the cab of the truck behind me, wrapped his arms around my waiste, and lifted me half way out the door, where other people had already gathered and pulled me from the truck. No sooner was a standing upright, that guy also lifted out my Dog Zeus.

Someone found something to leash the dog with. and I basically sat there on the guard rail watching as police & EMS showed up, then the wrecker company came with 2 big rigs and a roll back for my truck. Took about 3 hours for them to get the think flipped back upright and loaded up to haul it away.

I walked away with a bruise from the seat belt, the dog was seemingly uninjured. But I walked away with just the clothes on my back, and what ever junk fell out of the trailer as it slid up the highway, which was mostly tools and stuff from the lower storage compartment.

Bottom line, the Dog and I were NOT injured, and since everything I own was in that trailer, and the tow company wouldn't let me it, I basically lost everything.

There is a lot more to this story and I'll fill it in tomorrow, it's 11pm right now. So I'll let this sink in for a day or so, then fill in the rest.

[4Campers]

Holy Shit Cliff! All I can say is thank goodness you and the dog walked away with just bruises. I feel bad all your stuff was in the trailer leaving you with nothing.
So where did you end up? Did you get any insurance money to start over? Questions, questions.
Bless the guy who jumped in your truck and helped you out!
Let us know if there is anything we can do.

[GoneCamping]

There has been a lot of help going on.

First, let me back this up a little, a month before I left Florida I had both (two) bank accounts hacked, lost an entire months Social Security and both my tax refunds. I wound up having to borrow $1,000 from an old friend that just happens to be rather wealthy, and another $600 from my brother. This was just to get food & bills paid for that month. I was also supposed to upgrade my truck insurance that month, it only had Liability on it and I wanted full coverage for the trip north. Due to lack of funds, that plan got put on hold. This little tid-bit of info plays into the rest of the picture.

So when I finally got April's Social Security check and could afford to by fuel, I left Florida and was supposed to arrive in Yemassee SC that first night. Of course I never made it there. After the wreck the cops asked me where I wanted to go. Just by happenstance I once stayed at the Days Inn in Richmond Hill Ga, so I had them take me there with what little I could carry. I had managed to gather a lot of tools and stuff off the highway but the Police cruiser was limited in space.



Sitting there in the motel wondering "what next" I called my wealthy friend and explained what had happened, and told him him I needed his help again. Loaning out money is not something he does lightly, and his wife controls those purse strings. His thoughts were the first thing I needed to do was arrainge some transportation. The next morning he called me and said he rented a Penske Van/box truck (he owns a trucking company and had a corporate account). It was a one way rental to Worcester Mass. I had to take an Uber to get the truck, but it was helpful that I at least had transportation. I drove to the tow yard where my stuff had been taken, but they wouldn't let me into the trailer as it was still sitting on top of their trailer, and it was dangerous. They had no intention of letting me into it while it was on their property. They did let me grab whatever I could get my hands on without entering the unit, and I got to go through the entire truck and get my stuff from there.





I went back the next day to try again, and the tow company just wouldn't let me access the trailer. I had only a 6 day rental on the truck and now on my 2nd day. I made the decision to roll north, and made straight for Virginia (where I had lived for 45 years & had lot of friends there too). My friend Cindy paid for a motel room for me, and started a "Go Fund Me Page" to start raising money. I wound up spending 2 days there as many friends were donating money directly to me, I probably got close to $2,000 in cash, and one friend gave me his credit card and told me to go buy clothing, what ever I needed.



After 2 days there, I headed to Massachusetts to my wealthy friends trucking company, he had one of his employees set his camper up (he's got a 50amp hook-up on the side of the building), and I spend 2 nights there in that camper. My friend also decided the next MUST HAVE for me was to get a roof over my head, so for those 2 days he and another friend searched the internet for something dirt cheap yet suitable. We found a Cardinal 5th wheel with double slides for only $4,000 that was a little older and 6' shorter than my old one, but actually in better shape. He haggled with the seller and bought it for me to $2,500. He also had a truck with a 5th wheel, and towed it back to his shop for me.



Next day he and his wife brought me down the the basement of their house, he had totaled his motor home earlier that year and they decided not to get another RV, that they would motel it or rent cabins. They showed me the giant pile of "Stuff" they took out of their camper, and dontated everything there that I wanted (plates, pots, pans, silverware, towels, pillows, blankets, toaster oven, air fryer, crock pot, and even a pair of camping mat's). All this just about made me whole again.

A few days later he towed my camper to Maine where I am working this summer. The other mutual friend came along too to help set it up. I've been here now for going on 4 weeks. I don't yet have a truck, but my brother lives 20 minutes away and we both have the same 2 days off, and he's been playing taxi for me on those days.

So on the trip up to Maine, the insurance company called and offered me a settlement on my trailer. They offered me $10,000 for the trailer, $3,000 for the contents (max for this plan), and $750 trip interuption. Considering I paid $8,000 for the trailer 5 years ago and had lived in it full time, it's book value now only $4,000 it seemed acceptable to me. They Venmo's me the content & trip money, but had to wait on the the $10k until they got the title (which happened to be inside the trailer). But I got that money a few days ago, so now on the hunt for a decent truck for $10k. Most of what I can find for that money is pretty much rotted out. But the mutual friend has a F350 (V10) he's going to make available for $8,000. Was hoping to find a diesel dually, but at this point I just need a truck that is not half junk.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cliff-lost-his-home-and-truck?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

And that's where I'm at right now. It's been a hell of a couple of months, but I'm back on my feet!

PS... on that Go Fund Me page, you'll see a donor named Bill King, that is "Trailblazer" from the old put/pux forum, we catch up with each other every winter down at TTO...

[GoneCamping]

As a foot note, I've already paid my friend back for the original $1k loan the month before, and also paid him back for the trailer. He essentially donated the rental truck so I didn't have to pay him that $600, and my brother told me not to worry about the $600 he lent me as well.

Also, the bank had paid me most of the money lost, got a check for $1,120 today which more or less complete's their refunds (I still say they owe me another $1,000 but I'm not likely to ever see that money!

Trailer insurance will pay for a truck, so that should more or less complete things.

[GoneCamping]

You want to see something Interesting? Bill King (Trailblazer) sent me this Youtube link, if you skip everything to about the 23 minute mark, it pertains to my wreck...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=IJZtYyiDErx-VmGh&v=XGwOLMnvlAc&feature=youtu.be

[toomanytents]

Holey Moley Cliff!!!!  You are one lucky guy!  You can replace stuff.  I'm glad you and your dog weren't hurt.  That's not replaceable.

What an amazing coincidence that a couple filming their trip drives by your wreck.   You caused one amazing traffic backup too.

[GoneCamping]

Yeah, I must have pissed of an awful lot of people that day! I even commented on the page of that video too.

Just FYI, that's me in the red circle....