It’s been quiet around here this past month because I’ve been too stressed to do anything beyond working, sleeping, and eating as my truck needs work to be able to tow it behind the rig so that I can get out of here before the weather turns. Needless to say, the window of opportunity is closing very fast.

The problem is that I’m about $4,500 short in my budget this summer because of the accident since I had to return to Alberta to get the truck. Maxing out credit cards and emptying the emergency fund wouldn’t close this gap or eliminate the stress.

I was patient with the third party adjuster, waiting until September to ask how the claim was going. I agreed to settle for $3,400 with payment to be made by October 1st. That deadline came and went without any further news, beyond my representative being in touch to let me know he was pushing for me.

October 18th came around and by this point I’ll admit I had cracked. I was terribly sick the Monday and Tuesday of that week. It was probably just a little stomach bug that compounded because of the sleepless nights brought on by stress.

At 3:07PM on the 18th, I sent my representative an email with the subject, “Final request for settlement.” I then reiterated my position, where things stand, what additional costs will be added up if I don’t get a cheque immediately, that I regret not having a lawyer speak for me from the start, and that the insurance company is mistaken in their belief that I won’t sue.

At 13:17, my representative let me know that he sent my email on to the third party insurer.

At 3:20, the third party insurers let my representative know that they were cutting me a cheque for $3,400 immediately. So that’s what it takes to get things moving with a U.S. insurance company.

It’s now the 30th and the cheque has arrived in Montreal!!!!!!! I will be picking it up tomorrow morning and it will take a full week to clear, although I will have access to part of the funds.

Last week, when I took my truck out for a test drive, I stopped at a nearby RV dealership to ask if they could install the base plate on my truck. Yes. And they felt that even if there was a delay with getting the part, they could get me on the road by November 14th at the latest. So I called back today to get the ball rolling. I’ll know tomorrow when the base plate will be incoming so we can set an appointment.

Now, the big hiccup is my tow bar. After doing a lot of research, I have decided on a Ready Brute Elite tow bar as it has a braking system integrated into it, which will save me nearly $1,000. It’s a well rated and proven system that is perfect for a manual Ford Ranger. The only hiccup is that I need to get it here from the States and I can’t order it till my cheque clears. Moreover, there is a part of it that needs to be installed by professionals. The dealership said they would be willing to install that part if the bar arrives in time.

So I am going to schedule my appointment at the last possible second and will be ready to pull out the day after. They dealership says that I would have to bring my truck in first thing, then pick it up in the afternoon with the motorhome. So I would leave the dealership with my vehicles properly hooked up together, park overnight on the street, and head south the next morning.

My deadline for the appointment is the 14th because as of the night of the 15th, I can’t park on the street anymore. My mother’s driveway isn’t big enough for my rig, my truck, and her SUV, so I have to be gone. Can all of this be done in just two weeks? I’ve seen bigger miracles…