CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #3

[IceIce9]

I know that. I've seen plenty of them. It's different from an RV is all I meant.

Exactly! I think most people think of an RV as a class A RV, and a 5th wheel camper as a 5th wheel camper.

For example, when I was growing up my family loved to camp.

We started with a used pop-up camper. After a few years dad traded it in and upgraded to a larger, brand new pop-up camper.

Next he upgraded to a 5th wheel camper.

A few years later, he traded in the 5th wheel and got a new class B RV.

Finally, he traded that in for a class A RV.


While ANY camper could technically be referred to as a Recreational Vehicle, I think most commonly people think of class A and Class B RVs when they hear “RV.”

 

[GoneGoldfishin']

I know that. I've seen plenty of them. It's different from an RV is all I meant.

It's not different from an RV because it IS an RV.

 

[Gardener1850]

This may help re RVs and terminology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recreational_vehicles.
Motorhomes, Class A, Class B, Class C, Travel trailers, and 5th Wheels or "5-ers" & more.

From ^ link: "Designed to be towed by a pickup or medium duty truck equipped with a special in-box hitch called a fifth wheel coupling. Part of the trailer body extends over the truck bed, shortening the total length of the vehicle and trailer combined."

On vid, RT was shown next to 5th wheel. LE rig on SAR site was a Class A motorhome.

ETA: Someone mentioned truck camper. From link:
"A truck camper is a living space unit that is temporarily mounted into the bed of a pickup truck and secured against any tipping or wobbling while the truck is in motion."

Yes, exactly. Here is a pic of their RV/5th-wheeler hooked up to their truck:

Husband of Woman Who Vanished During Mojave Desert Hike: 'I Just Want Her Back'

 

[PaulR]

Growing up we called them Winnebagos even if they were Airstreams. Like asking for a Coke and getting a Pepsi.

 

[cherrymeg]

I took it as she was feeling Happy at that moment and wanted to connect that moment with him”

It looks like it could be getting everyone in frame. If you are leaning in it can help to have someone to anchor you.

 

[artsy1]

Thank you for the helpful search hint, slowpoke.

On an unrelated topic, something we can discuss-- based on the info posted here by the VI we know Barb did not use social media and did not own her own cell phone. Family had to teach her how to use a loaner cell phone when she visited Hong Kong a few months ago. Her immediate and extended family does not seem to live close to her and her husband. For these reasons, she may not have called family very often on the phone. Perhaps she only called weekly or monthly or perhaps she mostly sent old fashioned letters, cards and email? Theoretically, Barb's son not hearing from her for 6 days would not raise any alarms. It doesn't really explain why RT neglected to call Barb's son, however I gather there could be a rift between RT and Barb's son. Just guessing. MOO.

I don't think the issue was the son not hearing from his mom for 6 days. I believe it was 6 days since his mom went missing before anyone even told him. Big difference.

 

[Gardener1850]

I don't think the issue was the son not hearing from his mom for 6 days. I believe it was 6 days since his mom went missing before anyone even told him. Big difference.

Yes, I understand that. I was looking at it in a reverse logic order from the question of-- well why didn't the son notice Barb hadn't called him in over 6 days? My theory is that there may not have been daily contact between mother and son. There also may not have been a close relationship (or any relationship) between son and stepfather RT. And the police having to make contact with Barb's son 6 days after she was missing may have been the result of that lack of close relationships/lack of daily contact. It's really unfortunate if that's what happened. MOO.

 

[leomoon]

Some people have closer relationships to their families than others. If you are in different time zones or just busy with life sometimes you don't talk to the person every day. Some people aren't phone people.

And of course there are as many dysfunctional as functional families too. I should know, we fall into one.

It happens when there are personality conflicts, disagreements. Life goes on. Hopefully, the son and if there is a daughter? (I don't think we know if there is, but we know there are grandchildren) and likely they are asking about grandma.

 

[Knox]

I don't think so. If there were mining shafts, they would likely be into the eastern mountain side. I only found a couple officially noted ones on a forest service map layer (see attached). I did not see anything like mines out there. The likelihood that she fell into a crack or shaft is extremely small IMO. Cracks and crevices out there are only found on the large rock formations, which would mean she would have had to circle around her husband (she was heading back to the truck. So he was west of her, and there were no rock formations between them and the trailer at that point, had they taken the main trail back to the trailer) and then climb the rock formations in order to fall down a crack (the cracks in the main rock formations were well searched by SAR). And it was broad daylight, with very good visibility. While there the vegetation is denser than lower desert basins, it is still very easy to see around you when you walk.

Sort of OT-Some interesting links on the subject of abandoned mines.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/abandonedminerallands/upload/OIG-DOI_AML_Audit-FINAL-2008-0717.pdf
Desert Mines & Mills

 

[sorrell skye]

Sort of OT-Some interesting links on the subject of abandoned mines.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/abandonedminerallands/upload/OIG-DOI_AML_Audit-FINAL-2008-0717.pdf
Desert Mines & Mills

Thank you Knox - I don't think we can rule out mines, or mine shafts, can we?

 

[squareandrabbet]

IMO, it's unlikely Barbara is trapped somewhere in the desert that searchers could not find, but then again, there is precedent...

Body of a Man Missing for 10 Years Found Behind Refrigerator at the Supermarket Where He Worked

And at least one other, where it took a family a week-plus to find this poor lady in her own house (RIP):

Missing woman found dead behind bookcase

They're few and far between, but they do exist.

 

[DancingMuse]

Sort of OT-Some interesting links on the subject of abandoned mines.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/abandonedminerallands/upload/OIG-DOI_AML_Audit-FINAL-2008-0717.pdf
Desert Mines & Mills

Wow! Thank you Knox and Sroad for this ongoing info!

I am hoping LE already thought about this danger and have eliminated it from their radar as a possibility for what might have happened to BT.

The unmarked vertical shafts mentioned on p. 2 onward .. still give me the heebie-jeebies more so, than they did 40 years ago!!​

p.13 of pdf:

"Mojave National Preserve: In April 2008, we visited several dangerous abandoned mine sites within the Mojave National Preserve. Although several dangerous shafts in the area had been covered or fences had been installed, there were still many dangerous mine openings easily accessible to the public. At two sites, we found mine shafts on roads that were large enough to easily swallow entire vehicles. In both cases, there were no fences or signs warning the public of the danger. At the Gold Cycle site in the preserve, a ladder going into the mine provided easy access to the mine shaft. At the Johnny Shaft site, we observed that the road led directly to a mine with a 400-ft deep shaft."

( JMO; MOO; From knowledge gleaned through continuing and varied Life Experiences; What a long strange trip it has been....)
eta: improved grammar​

 

[kay74]

Exactly! I think most people think of an RV as a class A RV, and a 5th wheel camper as a 5th wheel camper.

For example, when I was growing up my family loved to camp.

We started with a used pop-up camper. After a few years dad traded it in and upgraded to a larger, brand new pop-up camper.

Next he upgraded to a 5th wheel camper.

A few years later, he traded in the 5th wheel and got a new class B RV.

Finally, he traded that in for a class A RV.


While ANY camper could technically be referred to as a Recreational Vehicle, I think most commonly people think of class A and Class B RVs when they hear “RV.”

Thanks! That's exactly what I meant.

 

[sorrell skye]

Something that bothers me: Barbara's son should have been notified right away when she went missing.

Question: Why was her son not notified right away?

I'm struggling to understand this.

 

[sorrell skye]

Why did RT (or someone close to him) not notify BT's son that she was missing?

 

[Ajs1004]

Why did RT (or someone close to him) not notify BT's son that she was missing?

Maybe they aren’t close. Maybe rt thought someone else would contact the son? Families are weird...

 

[IceIce9]

Thanks! That's exactly what I meant.

I had been picturing an actual RV too when this had been discussed. I would have referred to a 5th wheel as a trailer.

An RV is something you drive, a trailer is something you pull.

My son, when he was around 9 or 10, had been used to camping with Grandpa in my dad’s RV. Some friends bought a new 5th wheel and invited us over to see it. When he went inside and looked around he said, “But how does it drive??? There’s no steering wheel!”

 

[1&2&3]

It bothers me immensely that RT did not contact Barbara’s son. To me, that is a huge red flag!

I don’t care what the relationship was between the son and RT, RT owed it to his wife’s son to notify him immediately.

RT may have been the reason son and mother weren’t as close as they would have liked to be. As an adult, the son accepted it; his mother was happy with RT, the son had his own family so that is the way it was. Who knows?

There is not an acceptable reason in not notifying the son. To me, guilt jumps out as the reason RT couldn’t make that call! I would like to say more, but don’t want time out.

Another question just came to mind. Why didn’t any of BTs family call the son? Wonder if they were nagging RT on why he hadn’t called?

 

[Knox]

Thank you Knox - I don't think we can rule out mines, or mine shafts, can we?

Personally sorrell, I have ruled open shafts out. I supplied the links because they make for interesting reading