Hello,
My name is Robert Matthews, and I live full-time in an older 30A travel trailer with my girlfriend who is also my full-time caregiver, and our cats in Stockton, California. We’ve been living in this trailer out of necessity, not choice. If not for it, we would have been completely homeless. But now, even this trailer is becoming unsafe for me to live in due to my serious medical conditions.
I’m a former IT technician who became disabled after years of worsening respiratory illness. I have had asthma since birth, was diagnosed with COPD at 28, and live with Sleep Apnea, and other respiratory issues. Today, I now rely on supplemental oxygen 24/7. In 2020, I had surgery for an umbilical hernia, and in 2022, I underwent open-heart surgery to replace a failing bicuspid valve with a mechanical one. Recovery took many months and involved a PICC line and six months of IV antibiotics. I still experience chest pain, especially when the weather shifts or temperatures drop.
My mobility is limited, and I’m allowed only six portable oxygen tanks per week. At my prescribed flow rate of 4 LPM each tank only lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes at most. I also use a stationary oxygen concentrator at home, but it plugs in and isn’t portable. That means I’m essentially stuck in the trailer, and that trailer needs to be safe and livable for me to survive.
The problem is that it’s not as safe for me in the heat. The air conditioner can’t keep up in the summer. When it’s 100°F outside, it can reach 115°F or more inside the trailer even with a small air conditioner running in the back room. That kind of heat puts my life at risk. On top of that, the trailer’s layout isn’t designed for full-time living or my medical needs. The space is tight, there’s very little storage, and the airflow is terrible to non existent.
My girlfriend does everything she can to help, she manages my oxygen, helps with my daily routines, and supports me physically and emotionally. But she’s overwhelmed, and I worry constantly about what happens if the trailer fails during a heatwave.
We are humbly asking for help to upgrade our current RV air conditioning to something that’s better suited to our needs. Eventually we would like to get a different trailer with a walk around bed that is more suitable for full-time living with more room for my medical equipment, such as a toy hauler, park model trailer, 5th wheel or other modest but livable RV or Mobile/Tiny Home/House. We are not seeking luxury we just need a safe, dependable space to live, breathe, and get through each day.
Any amount of help, financial assistance, help locating a suitable RV/Mobile Home, or even just sharing our story would mean everything to us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading and caring.
With gratitude,
Robert M.
Stockton, California
Everything we raise will be used towards a New Mini Split or our main goal of a larger Used RV/Mobile Home.