Bahr Travel Assistance
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. A cross-country road trip to celebrate a family wedding, and to see all the sights the north half of the United States has to offer on the way back. A beautiful, relaxing time to recover from the unhealthy stress of the last 2 years. We saved up, rented an RV from a private owner through RVShare, spent a month planning each day, and made all necessary reservations. The big day arrived and we were very excited to start our RV adventure.
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The first week was excellent. We only had 4 days to reach Washington from New York, so mostly we just drove and slept. Aside from a few minor hiccups, the RV was awesome and we were having a great time. The wedding was beautiful, our time in Spokane concluded, and on Monday we headed out, beginning the "RV vacation" part of the trip.
At our very first stop, Mt. St. Helens, disaster struck. As we came down from the mountaintop, strange gauge readings followed by an engine stall told us things were very wrong. I was able to start the RV but it sounded terrible as I nursed it at 10 MPH down the mountain. This is a road with no houses and few buildings - it is an active volcano, after all - and no cell phone service at all. We made it to the first building... it was under construction and unoccupied. Back on the road, sputtering, trying to make it to anyone who might be able to help. We remembered there had been a tourist attraction about halfway down, and prayed that we would make it. About a mile before the attraction, the engine stalled for the final time. I managed to preserve enough momentum on the downhill sections that we continued going on the flat/uphill parts, and then we saw the sign in front of us. Using the last of the momentum, the RV went up into the parking lot and stopped without needing brakes. We would be stuck there with no cell service for the next 20 hours.
Thankfully, God provided help for us in the family who runs the "Bigfoot and the Buried A-Frame" attraction in Kid Valley, Washington. They let us have their phone (keep it overnight and the next day), searched internet things for us, and eventually GAVE US A RIDE TO PORTLAND (2+ hours) when RVShare's insurance refused to transport us. The family wouldn't accept any compensation. Truly good people.
We had the RV towed to the nearest service shop in Portland, OR and got a hotel to await the verdict. Two days later, the diagnosis came back: the engine was blown, with faults on two cylinders. No idea why. The entire engine needed to be replaced, and this would take more than 2 weeks. We were now across the country with no transportation, food, or lodging, and an RV filled with our belongings.
We considered abandoning ship and flying home. Eventually we decided that wasn't a viable option and we needed to drive back. We rented a minivan, scrounged for hotel rooms, and began a shortened trip home, salvaging whatever we could of the tattered remains of our vacation.
When we budgeted for this vacation, we included an emergency fund. Unfortunately, the expenses we've had to cover have gone far above the balance in this fund. The minivan rental alone was $2,800. We've spent another $2,469 on hotel lodging so far - last minute hotel reservations in July for a family of 5 can be surprisingly pricey. For reference, the original RV Park budget - for the entire trip - was $1,100, of which $449 has been spent (on the first week and on non-refunded cancellation fees). Originally, we had a freezer, refrigerator, and kitchen. Those are now gone, and all the frozen food we bought is wasted as well. Now restaurant expenses add up quickly. All of this on top of what we've already spent.
We trust in God's provision and we are still blessed. We'll get home with lots of memories and a big story to tell. The RV owner is working on refunding us for unused days, even as he faces expenses of his own. But accounts are running low and we're dipping deeply into savings that have been set aside for other needs. Meanwhile, many friends have asked to help. So, we're putting this page out there with a soft "goal" of the estimated amount of the extra expenses. If you would like to help us salvage this trip with some of my hair still remaining, we'd be very grateful. If you'd rather not or you're not in a position to do so, no worries. We have faith that things will work out. We are NOT stuck - not anymore, anyway. Please don't feel any pressure to assist, but if you can, thank you.