Ed Krech: On A Mission

 
Talking with Ed Krech inspired me look at truck campers in a new way. Many of us see the hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters on the news and feel helpless to do anything but send food, clothing, or money.  That's not good enough for Ed.  He gets in his truck camper and four-wheel drive truck and gets into the thick of it.  He separates his truck and camper and uses his truck to haul debris and supplies.  He shares his camper as a meeting and sleeping place for volunteers. 

In short, Ed is showing us how we can use our truck campers as disaster recovery vehicles.  No other RVs are as well suited to do this. Thank you Ed for helping the people of Mississippi and for inspiring us to follow in your dually tracks. You rock!

TCM: Before we get into your efforts to help Katrina victims, tell us how you got into truck camping.

Ed: I was one of those people who would pick up and go to Washington, Colorado, or Texas and bicycle ride for a couple of weeks. I would ride 100 miles a day, sometimes 200 miles a day if the wind was behind me and there were no hills. Well, my wife finally asked to go with me on a bicycle adventure. We started tent camping but we had a terrible rainstorm one night and we got drenched. She didn’t appreciate that. So we bought a Palomino pop-up. She got tired of the pop-up thing with the east-west sleeping and dampness. It was nothing serious, but it was to her. Then we bought an Alpenlite truck camper and really enjoyed it. Then in Louisville we saw an Alpenlite with a dinette slide-out. My wife really likes it. We have a blast.

TCM: Do you still go bike riding?

Ed: I had a really bad accident on my bicycle. If you ride enough, you’re going to fall or hit something. My doctor told me that if I fell on my knee again, that it could be a real problem to re-do it. My brain kept saying, “If you fall you could bust your knee.” Now that I’ve had my second knee replaced, there’s just no way. I’m going to start pole walking like cross country skiers.

TCM: Are you serious?

Ed: Yeah. It’s real popular in Europe. I’ll get into something. I’ve got to keep moving.

TCM: Tell us about your truck and camper.

Ed: I have an Alpenlite SanteFe 1150 with a slide-out. I used to carry it on a Ford F350 and tow a Jeep. Then one day in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, a car stopped in front of me and I told my wife, “This thing ain’t stopping.” I slammed into a car with four schoolteachers in it. No one was hurt. They were so sweet and nice. I looked at my wife and said, “We are so over weight.” I had weighed our rig at a Flying J and with just the camper on the truck we were 1000 pounds over weight. You can add tires and suspension to carry more weight but you can’t make the breaks bigger. So I bought a Ford F450. The breaks are 50% larger and that sucker will stop. I’ve got to be safe. After that wreck, I was very lucky to get out easy. We’re no longer overweight and we don’t tow the Jeep.

TCM: What happened to the Jeep?

Ed: My grandson was ten years old when we got it. He made a comment about how he liked it and I told him that when he turned sixteen I’d give it him. Well, he turned sixteen and held me to it. He’s an awesome kid.

TCM: What prompted you to go and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina?

Ed: I volunteered with Hospice until that tore my heart out. So I was looking for something else to do after I quit Hospice. After tornadoes, I would go and help. When Katrina hit, I commented to a bunch of guys at church that we should go hook up with a group and see what we could do. Everyone was silent. So I came home and told Sandra that I was going down to help somebody.

TCM: How did you find the group to hook up with?

Ed: I got on the web and found out about Disaster Corps. Then I headed down to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. I looked at where the eye came through and that’s where they needed the most help. My intention was to stay for a couple weeks. My wife packed my fridge since I didn’t think I’d see food for a while. The first night I stayed in a funky spot in the backside of a Waffle House parking lot. Every RV parking lot was full of RVs, campers, trailers, people trying to help, and contractors were everywhere. When I showed up I said, “My name is Ed Kretch,” and they said, “Park right there and let’s get going.”

TCM: What was it like when you got there?

Ed: We didn’t have much electric, but I was able to turn the electric heater on in October, November, and December. We used the camper for meetings and volunteers slept on the floor and dinette. I told them, “Don’t sleep in front of the bathroom. I’m old.” I didn’t need food because the hippy groups from California put together all kinds of food for us. They were an unbelievable organization. You say what you want about people like that; they did without to do for others. I would get shirts and pants from the used clothing that was brought in. Most of the clothing was going to waste because people didn’t want it. I kept telling my wife, that I’d be home next week, next week, next week. I just couldn’t believe how much there was to do. Finally I went home for Thanksgiving week and then went back. And I went home again at Christmas. Then the first part of February, I fell through a floor. It was the 800th house we had done.

TCM: What did you do when you went into a house?

Ed: We could get a 1500 square foot house down to bare floor and walls in two, maybe three days. First we would remove all the furniture and all the stuff on the floor. Then we would take the ceiling out and knock out all the cabinets and appliances. Then we would take out all the walls and bag the insulation. After that we would be down to the studs. And finally we would sweep and wash everything down. Other organizations would come in and treat the wood, put up new insulation and wallboard. And yet other organizations would come in with new appliances.

TCM: Did you run into any difficulties?

Ed: Well, freezers full of shrimp after two months of no electric can really smell. Another problem was the black mold and the field rats. They were big brown field rats that hid under houses everywhere. You’d be cleaning something and a rat would jump out! And snakes – uh! There were also odd jobs like cleaning animals out from under houses. Everyday was a reward. I saw people’s lives change by helping other people.

TCM: Were there any businesses open or services available?

Ed: There was only one restaurant open for the longest time. They didn’t take credit, just cash out of this little dumpy restaurant. You had to wait an hour for a sandwich but it was worth it. I found out about Cajun catfish sandwiches with Louisiana hot sauce. Yo mamma! Woo-hoo man! Then finally things began to open up. CVS opened and then Walmart. Then a Waffle House and a Sonic.

TCM: Did you have any issues with security being in an area where so many have so little?

Ed: No. I never locked the camper door. I never was concerned about anything. I always felt safe and comfortable. At night, we had camp fires, drank cokes, and ate M&Ms. Someone was always sending us Mars candy and everyone sent drinking water. Starbucks sent a ton of marble cake, which I finally got sick of. Some of the guys sat around and drank adult beverages and had a good time. We were always working everyday. The camaraderie was unbelievable. I really enjoyed it. If I hadn’t been hurt, I’d still be down there. Unfortunately, it did mess up the camper real bad. Alpenlite virtually fixed it for nothing because of what I’d been doing. I’m so pleased with Alpenlite.

TCM: What would other truck camper owners need to know before going into an area like Mississippi, New Orleans, or the tornado ravaged areas of Kansas to help?

Ed: What makes a truck camper so good for something like this is that you can get places not accessible by bigger units. If you have a generator and solar and access to water, you’ll be fine for a couple weeks. I can put my camper in places motor homes just can’t fit. Having a four-wheel drive truck let us get into places and situations that were awful. When I got there they didn’t have anything to haul with. We used the the truck to haul all sorts of things. Did it get scratches? Yes, but it’s all fixed up now. That truck pulled down sheds and chain link fences. We put 6,000 pounds of double sheet wall in the bed and carried wheelbarrows, shovels, brooms, and hoses.

TCM: What’s next for Ed Krech?

Ed: I’m getting ready to go on a Disney cruise to celebrate my son-in-law’s graduation with my whole family. Then we’re taking the camper to Michigan to have two fantastic fans put in. Then I’ll pick up my wife and go to Ogallala. After that we’ll head out and see friends in Utah, leave the camper at his house and then fly home to see the family. I love traveling Utah. Bob Mehrer invited us up to Snowriver, so we’ll go visit him. After that we’ll meander and wind up in Arizona. If I get well I’ll hike the rim of the Grand Canyon next year. When I get back I’ll start reading to the elementary school kids again. I wear outfits and get theatrical and carried away. I also work with the English as a second language kids. It keeps me out of trouble. I’m very fortunate and having a great time.

 To find out more about Disaster Corps, visit their web site at www.disastercorps.org.