We Didn't Want to Do It

What, you ask?  We didn't want a truck with dual real wheels.  This spring, when we began thinking about buying a new truck and a new Mobile Suites 5th wheel trailer, we did our due diligence.  We researched the dry weight and pin weight of several models of MS RVs and chose the shortest, lightest one they make.  Granted, it is heavier than our Montana, but that is why we upgraded from a 3/4 ton 2500 HD to a 1 ton 3500 HD Chevy Silverado.  We could see that there was enough additional carrying and towing capacity to accommodate the RV we wanted.  So, we bought the truck.  Then, we bought the trailer.

On our way from the dealer in Kansas to our site here in Arizona, we pulled into the Pilot truck stop in Amarillo and had our truck and trailer weighed.  Then we began looking at the numbers.  Oops!  We were overweight on the rear axle and exceeded the GCWR--gross combined weight rating of the truck.  In both cases, we were overweight by 800 pounds.

We have spent the last two and a half weeks trying to figure out how to loose some weight.  Absolutely nothing seemed to work.  We think we could removed the Reese 5th wheel hitch and the bed saver and the truck tool box and it contents-- and neither of us could get in the truck.  Somehow, those didn't seem to be good solutions.  And we knew we wanted to be both safe and in compliance with the listed weight ratings.

It turned out our own only solution would be a different trailer or a different truck.  Trading in the truck was the better option.  So yesterday, we traded this



for this.



Plus, the new truck is one and a half feet longer--duallys only come with a long bed. So, we have to learn new ways to negotiate corners and park, especially in parking lots.

I guess the good news is, we will get more exercise walking from the south 40 of the parking lots. And, the new truck color matches one shade on our Mobile Suites!

We didn't want to do it....we didn't want to do it...but we did.

It Works!

The TV, that is.  Five years ago, when we bought our last new 5th wheel trailer, we had a technician come out to where we were parked at Chatfield State Park to help us install our Dish Network satellite service in the RV.  He did get that working, sort of, to the main TV but not to the set in the bedroom.  When we got to Mesa, we had another technician come and he fixed it so we could see the Dish service on both TVs.  He also showed us how to change the connections and use the roof-top antenna.  We were never able to hook up to cable TV, which is available in most RV parks. And in the past year, the antenna signal also failed to work.

With this new RV, we have had excellent reception with both the antenna and cable.  However, the rig is wired to use a roof-top Direct TV satellite antenna and we have a Winegard carry-out Dish antenna. So, we called around Mesa until we found someone who would come to the RV and install the system for us. That wasn't easy.  Dish wanted to guide us over the phone to set it up ourselves.  I called the technician recommended by Dish and never received a call back.  The local Radio Shack couldn't recommend anyone.  Finally, we found someone willing to help us. Were we ever lucky!

Doug of Components Electronics in nearby Gilbert came.  They install home theater systems, among other things.  Doug is very thorough and a perfectionist.  He had never seen a system like ours.  That big TV I showed in a previous post is on an electronic lift and raises and lowers from a cabinet.  There is virtually no access to the back of the TV.  There is an electronic box in the cabinet where each component of the system is wired to so it communicates to the TV.  He knew what all the parts were, but it took him a while to figure how to integrate our Dish receiver into the system.

John explained the problems we had in the past and asked that he please not take apart anything that was already working.  It took him two hours, but he got everything working!  That means satellite, cable, antenna, CD player in the bedroom and Blue-ray player in the living room.  Wow!  We are delighted.  When we told him how hard it was to find someone to do this job, he said lots of people won't come out on a job that is less than $1,000.  As much as we like our TV, it certainly isn't worth that!

After Doug left, we headed to the Container Store in Scottsdale. Many of the cupboards in this new RV are large but don't have any shelves. We needed lots of stuff to make those spaces more useful and to keep items in place, especially when we travel. Look at what we came home with.



Once installed in several different places, our storage space is much more useful. Maybe in another week or two, we will finally feel like we have a place for everything and everything in its place. Right now, we are always looking around, asking where did I put the "________" last time (fill in the blank).

YES!!!

Finally, we know what our new home will look like.  We are certain that it is being built.  And we like it.  Why is this so important?  We purchased our last three 5th-wheel trailers after walking through numerous models and deciding what we wanted.  We knew what we were getting and what it looked like.  This time, we read good things about Mobile Suites RVs and we briefly looked at a couple in Mesa last winter.  We like the fact we could get one that was only 34 feet long.  Our Montana is 36 feet long and Montana doesn't have anything even that short in their line today.  Plus, with Mobile Suites, we could order a unit with whatever modifications we wanted--changes in floor covering, refrigerator, window shades;  extra electrical outlets and an extra window, to name a few.  But we had never seen a trailer with the floor plan we were ordering.  We only had a brochure of the 2012 models and we were ordering a 2014.  So, today was very important.

Here it is.



Note, it still has to be painted. It is inside the factory, with workers, tools and equipment all over. Lots of details and parts are missing. But we know what it looks like. These are photos of the kitchen and dining area.






I am especially excited about the pantry.



Here is the living room area. We will not have the couch. We are replacing it with two recliners. We don't know, yet, if we will use our Laz-y-boys or use the chairs that Mobile Suites provides.





The front closet it very large. And the corner shower is different from what we have now.




The storage area under the bed is large.



We can't forget the basement. There is a large storage compartment and a built-in reel for the electric cord. All water lines are labeled and each line can be individually shut off, if needed.





Our time at the factory today was very important.

A Good Day, But...

Since over a month ago (August 12, to be exact), we have been moving toward this day. We got up this morning with one purpose in mind, to tour the DRV factory in Howe, Indiana, and see our partially-built, new RV. At a few minutes after 8, I called to confirm the time of the factory tour, leaving a message with the switchboard. About an hour later, we received a call from Kyle of DRV. He was in nearby Elkhart, setting up for a dealer show of their new models. He said there was no salesman at the factory to give us the tour. I reminded him that we set up this appointment with him over a month ago. After a few fits and starts and phone calls, and several apologies from him, we arranged to meet with the chief engineer tomorrow to see our rig (and maybe a factory tour?).

Needless to say, we have been disappointed and frustrated today. We are glad we didn't just fly out here for one day. Since we now have all the time in the world, we made the best of it and spent the day browsing around nearby Shipshewana. It is an Amish/Mennonite community with lats of local artisan shops. Typical of Amish areas, we saw folks on bicycles and driving horse-drawn carts. Highway signs warn you of their presence.




There were lots of interesting shops. The first one we went into was The Sign of the Boot Leather Shop, which also houses the Center for Traditional Arts. The boot maker told us about many interesting wood carvings and explained that they host demonstrations of traditional arts from time to time.



We saw a small cafe that looked like a Coca Cola collector's heaven.



Nearby we saw an interesting music instrument shop. Look at the brightly colored violins.



These interesting-looking quash were on sale fro 25 cents each or 5 for $1.



There was this neat carousel.



A large grain mill, right in the center of the shopping district.



Great Amish-made toys.



And wonderful flowers and decorations all through the shopping area.

One street even had a water pump in the sidewalk. (I don't think it works anymore. Maybe it was to water the horses?)



All in all, it wasn't the day we planned, but it was an interesting one.

We're Almost Done

And that is true in more than one way. Late last month I blogged about the work we have been doing on signs here at Mueller State Park. We only have a couple of hours more work on that project. We finished putting back all the hiking trail signs almost 2 weeks ago, right after we finished hiking all the trails in the park. Here I am, sprucing up the brown paint on the edge and back of the last sign we put in place.

The last trail we hiked was the Wapiti Nature Trail. The trail guide has 17 numbered posts so you know what part of the guide to read. This is what those signs looked like.

But what number is that on the post? They are in really bad shape. So our next project is to fix them up so they are readable. John paints the numbers and I paint the poles.

Now I think the large numbers of people who hike this trail will find it easier to follow the guide. Doesn't this look better?

It will take an hour or two for John to put a second coat of paint on the numbers, then that project will be complete.

I said we are almost done in more ways than one. We will leave here on September 9, three weeks from tomorrow. We had planned to stay through the end of September, but we learned our new 5th-wheel trailer will be built Sept. 9-17 in Indiana and we will be able to go see it before it is complete, so we know how it is constructed and can learn how everything works. We are so excited!

We will then travel for 2 to 3 weeks while the trailer is completed and shipped to the dealer in Kansas. Then we will be off to Arizona for the winter.