Car Problems

Hi friends. I find myself on GoFundMe in need of help. As some of you know, I’ve been traveling on a Sgraffito Tour this last year and continuing through spring of 2025. My FJ Cruiser that had been pulling my trailer home, two dogs, and myself had an incident going down a bad mountain pass that resulted in over $10k worth of damages, minimum. I had just paid off my $18k loan, and insurance wasn’t going to cover a dime.

Still on tour, needing to get to my next stop in Seattle and stranded in San Diego, I decided to purchase a Toyota Tacoma on May 14th quickly and took out a $20,000 loan to have peace of mind for a reliable vehicle.

Back on the road for a day, I stopped at a mechanic in Sacramento to get the a/c checked. Not only was the a/c not working, but my drive shaft and multiple other issues with the truck were concerning. They informed me this truck wasn’t safe to drive either, and it needed over $3k to get fixed. The dealership is throwing me to the curb, and won’t take back the vehicle. They also know I’m in a tight spot, and don’t live in California. Getting repairs for this truck is my only option, and to eat the costs of everything else on top of it.

In this past week, I’ve drained my entire savings and almost everything in my bank account to just get to a safe place to the home of someone I know. Everything has totaled well over $18k in the last week. I’ve never felt so alone or stranded. I’m not one to ask for help very often, but the generosity of folks on the Instagram community has given me courage to ask for the help I need.

If you feel so inclined to donate, I’m hoping to raise $10k toward paying off rental cars, extra gas expenses, mechanical work for both the FJ and new Toyota Tacoma. Thank you so much for your kindness, encouragement, and continued support. I literally could not be doing any of this without my community. Thank you.