Good Karma Pays Off

I try never to get too “up” when things are going well, because as soon as you do, something happens to invert that smirk of smugness. You get slapped by your own stupidity, consequences, or perhaps just plain dumb luck.  Things had gone well and we were about to leave John Prince campground and move north to Lakes Wales.  We turned down the awnings and the jacks and were ready in record time to press rubber to the road. The trailer was in dry storage and we hitched that with much simplicity.  And then all hell broke loose.  As I backed out of the trees and Robin watched the trailer’s rear, neither of us was aware of the sandy soil beneath our wheels.  In a matter of five seconds my rear set of tires on the RV and impaled themselves into the earth until the body was literally on the ground.  To top this off the hitch, attaching the trailer was about six inches into the sand as well.  I got out from behind the drivers seat to assess the damage and couldn’t believe my eyes.  I didn’t know whether to cry, blame Robin for this, or take the blame myself.  Really, it was no one’s fault as neither of us were aware of the marshmellow underbelly of the terra firma.  Now was the time not to get too “down” when things aren’t going so well.  Get the phone, it’s time to call Good Sam Road Service.  In the meantime, I was gathering a troop of onlookers as I don’t think they had ever seen a 26,000 pound rig digging it’s ass end into the sand.  The towing service would be there in an hour as told to me by the dispatcher on the other end of the cell.  But it turned out to be my lucky day.  As the crowd gathered, the park manager came to assess the damage. He offered the county’s front end loader to the rescue.  As you will see in the slideshow, they unhooked our trailer and towed it out of the way. Then it was a chain on the butt end of the RV and pull, pull, pull. I had the rig in neutral and you can see that the front end loader was sinking into the sand as well.  It was only after I put it in reverse that I was able to assist the driver in pulling me out.  Slowly in reverse, he was able to get the damage undone. I pulled gingerly out of the area and set our RV on the side of the road.  Then it was back to the trailer with the loader, hooking it up to a chain and towing it to the rear of the RV.  Now you have to remember this trailer is loaded with our Jeep, the GoldWing and a myriad of “stuff”.  This young man did one helluva job jockeying around two rigs totalling 70 feet and several thousand pounds.  The photos don’t quite detail his expertise.  By now, I had an audience the size of a small battalion.  Inside there was embarrassment but I wouldn’t allow it to show, going about my business as if this was just another day in paradise.  I apologized to the camp manager for putting his people out.  He retorted that it could happen to anyone as this area has been backfilled with lake sand for years and is extremely soft, making me feel much better about myself. I asked if I could reimburse him and his entourage for their efforts.  There was no way he would accept that, nor would he engage my offer of a donation to the park.  All he asked for was that we pay homage and visit the park again next year.  I couldn’t have had a more pleasant experience in such a dire situation.  We were able to cancel the towing service call.  The only damage done in this fiasco was a broken coffee mug. I can’t say enough about the management, the staff and everyone involved at John Prince campground.  I wholeheartedly give them a “10” for serving their guests above and beyond anyone’s expectations.  I have to be one of the luckiest guys I know.