A grey nomad couple have been left with ‘only the clothes on their back’ after their caravan was destroyed by fire.
Graham and Colleen Sharp were reportedly driving near Oakey west of Toowoomba in Queensland when flames ripped through their van.
The fire service attended the scene but there was nothing they could save.
The pair’s granddaughter, Kaitlyn Smith, has started a GoFundMe page for the couple who have apparently been living and travelling in the caravan for many years.
“Mt Gran and Pop were driving when their caravan caught fire,” she wrote. “They now don’t have a home and only the clothes that were on their back.”
The Chronicle newspaper reports that the couple has volunteered in many Clermont community groups over the past two decades.
Clermont community member Ruth Brown said they had helped to make a difference.
“Most recently Graham has been a great teacher and friend at the Men’s Shed and Colleen at the CWA,” she wrote on the Clermont Community Facebook page.
The GoFundMe page has since raised $2933 to help the pair.
This is not the first caravan that has caught fire in recent days. On March 8, a caravan was destroyed by flames on the Ipswich Motorway near Brisbane, sparking traffic chaos.
No insurance??
If they had no insurance then they shouldn’t expect any hand outs everyone else has to insure just in case something happens I think these Go Fund Me is getting out of hand
Good Christian attitude.
What is out of hand is insurance costs.
Not everyone can afford it
I still work full time earn an excellent wage but do not insure
If you are wise spend and own assets you can replace you are not wasting money on insurance. Spending 2—4000:a year on various insurances adds up over the years.
A friend of mine was spending 7000 annually on insurance so he canned it too
Minimise your risks and you don’t have any problems and don’t have to have headaches with insurance companies that refuse to pay out
Why would you not have insurance, if you have an accident and your at fault you could lose everything, it only cost $1400 pa Car and Van, a small price to pay for peace of mind
Third Party insurance is not too expensive (a must have) unless you’re nuts.
Comprehensive insurance is sometimes exorbitant.
I have been paying into a funeral insurance policy now for years , most likely afford a gold plated cask now, but now if i stop it ,you know what will happen Much better off buying a pr-paid funeral for around the $4000 mark
I do not think they expected or asked for hand outs. Their granda daughter simply wants to help them.
I dont necessarily disagree with Barbara, however, we dont know their full circumstances, not everyone has had the opportunities in life that some others enjoy, so perhaps there is more to it …just saying that’s all. Be cautious about drawing conclusions is what I say. The world is always a better place if we have a kind heart and be careful about how we express opinions. But yes, there are some very inappropriate Gofundme causes…but this might not be one of them. I’d hate to loose my van, whilst it has third party insurance, but because its 55 years old most insurers wont insure it (and its in fantastic very well maintained condition) and its almost going to cost me more than its book value to get an “official valuation” certificate to get it comprehensively insured.
Who cares about go fund me
Yes there are some real genuine cases ie kids with illness and there are some silly go fund me ie generation millenia wanting a holiday
But it’s people’s choice how they spend their money is their choice. Spend on go fund me or a beer coffee or a book,, holiday a hat it’s individual choice
Very well put B..
Fire in the Van…every caravanners nightmare.
Some people cant see past the noses on their face.
There is always a “real” story about people and events that we never hear or see..
“So..always look on the bright side of life”….!
Wonder what caused it?
Wondering if they had their fridge running on gas?
We don,t have a gas fridge. Strictly 12 volt ,solar panels all over the roof, just to minimise any chance of fire. Still have a gas stove and Cooktop but we never leave the van when cooking , plenty of fire extinguishes on hand. I,ts my greatest fear.
We lost our 10 mtr bus 2 years ago 40kms sth of Karratha, lost everything but we did have insurance which wasn’t cheap but we were so glad to have it. I personally would not want to rely on the goodness of strangers to set me up again.
We never lave home without me spending a week inside, underneath and anywhere else Murphy is hiding.
Wheel bearings especially.
Been doing this for twenty years over four vans
and four tow vehicles, never even had a flat tyre, always good rubber on both tow vehicles and caravans
I feel so sorry for this couple.
Some comments I find abhorrent.
What would cause a fire while driving. Quite a scary thought. Hope they are OK.