ZoeFPV's RV Repairs

Friendly Greetings- and thank you for taking the time to read/watch this! My name is Zoe Stumbaugh, I am a drone pilot and engineer. Due largely to covid- and circumstances out of my control I lost my job in September and was laid off with outers.


I've recently realized with that moving back into my RV may be the best option going forward, and if all else my last option if I cannot figure out another way to work/live/survive here in San Diego.

When I first got the RV a couple years ago it needed a lot more TLC than it needed today, with the initial GoFundMe  set for $2000 and raised just shy of $3,200 - this was extremely helpful in getting the at the time, non running RV on the road again. 

Even with all those funds raised, it was more expensive than anticipated- costing nearly $7000 over 6 months to get it fully operational- but that was with the a fully functioning 1kw solar power system, and getting things mechanically sound for the most part. With the donations, and selling off extra gear it made things possible.

The RV still runs- but it has a few issues and needs some fixes/upgrades. the majority of it is in fixing the battery/solar system after a couple years of rough use, and getting hardware to allow me to tow my car behind the RV while traveling- those two alone take up the majority of the budget. 

I am thankful that a few different people have reached out to help install/fix things- but I still need help covering the initial cost in parts, and hopefully lunch for those that help. 

Full list of Parts needed to fix:
Master Cylinder: $50-150 Needed for brakes- without it there is a slow leak and requires the RV to be refilled with brake fluid every 100ish miles.

110v System: ??? I shorted the 110 system out, while parts connected to it still work solar and the generator produce power, but it's not distributed into the RV via the fuse box. I checked fuses, nothing is blown. This is a relatively new issue, and may have a friend locally who can fix it.

Battery Refurbishment:  $100-$1000? I ran the batteries hard during my first year on the road, especially with lead acid. The existing 12v battery bank of 8 car batteries works, but needs to be refilled- and may need to be replaced. If replaced the new battery option should last 5 years under warranty.

Solar Power System: ???  - Could be easy to fix, or expensive to fully fix. A panel ripped off mid drive, the wiring needs to be redone- which is easy, but multiple panels may need to be replaced to generate enough power to sustain power without running the generator.

Back Break Light: ?? It's been out for a while- not sure what it'll take to fix- hoping it's simple. Should have a friend capable of fixing it.

Car Towing System: $1000 This one is major- as I'll be traveling alone I'll need a way to bring my car with me. My goal if I hit the road, is to travel every few weeks to a new spot, having a car for local travel allows me to more easily take a job wherever I go.

Misc: 1000 Due to how my last budget was, adding this for cushioning and odds and ends just in case. 

RV Awning: $150-450 The RV awning got ripped, and a couple tabs ripped off the mechanism.

RV Stairs: $400? Offroading accident, weird angle while offroad bent them out of shape.  Doesn't need to be replaced, but it should be.

Thousand Trails Membership: $600 This gains me access to RV parks across the US, including one near me that could work for repairing the RV. Each park allows you to stay for 3 weeks, before needing to move out to another park/location.

RV Site for Repairs: $300 We need a location to repair the RV, right now my storage does not allow for repairs on site, so we'll need to rent a spot for a week or so.

If you can help with a place to work on the RV, or with help on any of these items please do reach out. Likewise if you're willing to offer me a place to park/live/work things out in the RV for a while, that would be amazing... annnd finally, if you have work in the drone industry avalible, please contact me :D

I really never expected to need to rely on another GoFundMe for the RV- and if my last paycheck/invoices are paid out along with getting my unemployment  I may not need to rely on it as much- but as of now I have access to neither and don't have any other options as I've spent my last bit of money for this months rent. Had  waited 2 weeks to see if something else would work out, and realize if I wait too long it may be too late to make things work with the RV.

Thank you for your help and support, it is extremely appreciated!