Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 12, 2025 ...

Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

October 12, 2018, 03:26:04 pm

The destruction in Mexico Beach and Panama City is so horrific to see and hear about....  we are considering " donating" our 86 RV.. in excellent condition ( tires, generator, plumbing, appliances) to an active service member or another vetted family in need to use for shelter.....  would you do it if you could ?    Should be find another way to be involved, donate money or other value to the hurricane reflief effort... ?  We are close to winter storage for our coach... it would be locked away till next spring here in Colorado....  thinking it would be a great temp shelter ... running water, toilet.. appliances with propane... etc.. 

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #1 – October 12, 2018, 04:00:28 pm

There are other ways to help that I myself would feel better doing.

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #2 – October 12, 2018, 04:12:29 pm

I let a close friend use our coach after Harvey here in Houston after his house flooded.  Key phrase: "close friend", who is a former motorhome owner and knows how to take care of a coach.  There is absolutely NO WAY I'd lend my coach to just anyone.  Lord only knows what would happen to it.  It's a noble idea, but there are better ways to help. 

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #3 – October 12, 2018, 04:30:31 pm

Having recently been through this, here are some things you might consider:

FEMA will be handing out substantial sums of cash to homeowners and renters alike to keep them housed in rental quarters for at least 6 months.

For folks in flattened areas, it will likely be many weeks before potable water,gas, sewage, electricity is available.  Even if folks want to stay in their destroyed town it's probably not feasible.  Most likely it will be impossible to drive into town as well.  Volunteers will be organized, screened and managed by various groups.  Some level of marital law will be in effect, and the residents will be glad of it.  The many troopers patrolling Port Aransas kept shenanigans to a minimum, and their spotlight hitting the windows at night was a welcome event.

RV parks are unlikely to exist in any usable form. 

At least these folks are spared the brunt of summer, the mosquitoes.  Sad to say they've got a long haul of depressing, hard work surrounded by mountains of garbage that used to be their homes. 

I do hope that they experience some of the outrageously uplifting examples of shining humanity we did.....the many volunteers who helped pile trash, tarp roofs, home repairs.  The restaurants who moved what's left of their kitchens into ballpark tents, and served months of free meals to residents and volunteers alike, one and all.  The musicians who made music in the wreckage, and the residents who pulled together to keep one another going.

I think, if you have the physical capabilities, volunteering to help with cleanup will probably have more impact than almost anything else.  These folks were a godsend, as were the many Texans and others who sent truckloads of tarps, garbage bags, diapers, ice, building materials, bug spray, sunscreen, food.......

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #4 – October 12, 2018, 05:25:32 pm

And you think you have problems with your coach now?

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #5 – October 12, 2018, 06:10:01 pm

The military will take of it's own relatively quickly. Tyndall AFB will be
 minimum essential personnel for quite a while.

I'm retired USAF, 27.5 years active duty.

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #6 – October 12, 2018, 06:34:40 pm

No! It will Be trashed when and if you ever got it back. Make a donation to the Salvation Army or Red Cross One of the groups where the money goes to the cause and not the pockets!

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #7 – October 12, 2018, 06:51:48 pm

AND, very few of those "truly in need" would have any idea of how to "care and feed/keep even basic systems"alive on  a 32 year old gas coach.

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Re: Thinking of donating our 86GV to disaster victims for 6 months...

Reply #8 – October 12, 2018, 07:17:26 pm

You chose a good word when you said "donating", cause that's what it would be donated then good for scrap. A monetary donation our volunteering would help more folks.

Roland

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