Flip This Camper #002: Nomad, No Signal, No Problem

Trail South
May 23
2 min read

Location: Deep, deep Oregon

Vibe: Sketchy. Suspicious. Sweet (literally — there were peaches).

Some flips start with a handshake. Some start with a Craigslist link and a gut feeling. This one started with a warning from the universe.

Mile after mile into the Oregon wilderness, the signs got sketchier.

Literally. Signs like:

“No Cell Service Ahead”
“Turn Back”
“You Sure About This?”
“End of Road… and Possibly Your Life”

But I was on a mission: To buy a 1995 Nomad for $700 — “no leaks,” allegedly.

I lose service. GPS freezes. Even Kala gives me a look like, “Bro… this ain’t it.”

I finally pull up to a property that looks like it was last cleaned when dial-up internet was king:

Rusted trucks
Broken windows
A camper swallowed by nature and shame

And out walks the seller…

Wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt with God shooting Allah...

Let me just say: I wasn't expecting that, but then again - what was I expecting.. Well definitely not what happened next.

I brace myself — praying to both sides of that shirt. But then…

“Howdy, partner! Long drive?”

He’s got half a leg, a full beard, and a dog that smells like 2020.

We walk to the Nomad.

It’s bad.

It’s real bad.

It’s so bad, it looked offended that I showed up.

But then something flips — not the camper. The vibe.

We start talking about my plans, the hustle, the rebuild.

Next thing I know he wobbling over and opening a hole in the ground (I was hoping he wan't going to put me in" and pulling out home-canned peaches, vacuum-sealed strawberries, jerky (??), and then MREs from a truck bed that doubles as an apocalypse pantry.

“I’m a prepper,” he says, like that explains everything.

And honestly… it kinda did.

He knocks the price down for the RV.

Throws in a “starter kit” of supplies.

We shake hands like we didn’t just spend 20 minutes trying not to get murdered.

I pull out of that forest/desert/war langd with a rat-infested rig, 10 pounds of fruit, and a story no one’s ever gonna believe — and that’s exactly how I like it.

Moral of the Story: Don’t judge a prepper by his wardrobe.

Also, maybe bring pepper spray, a snack, and a full tank when buying RVs without WiFi.

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