Out with the old, in with the new (or how we are spending our children's inheritance)

January 15, 2011

I have not added any to our blog, as we have not done anything noteworthy.  After our trip to New Mexico, we got busy with everyday life and before we knew it, it was November.  We decided to make a quick trip to Grapevine, Texas, as there was a campground there recommended by a friend and fellow camper.  Grapevine is a quaint little town in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that has wineries, tasting rooms, etc.  Right up our alley.  We wanted to have one more camping experience before the holidays happened.  It was an easy 6 hour drive.  Stayed at the Vineyard RV resort.  Very easy to get to and campsite was right on a lake, though severely down because of the draught.
While we were there we drove down to Cameron, Texas to pick up the chrome pieces for the Nova that we had taken down to a shop about a year ago.  They were to be straightened and polished in preparation for putting them back on the Nova when it gets painted.
     On our way down we passed two huge RV dealers.  We looked wistfully at row after row of Class A RV's.
     Why, you might ask?  We had just purchased a very nice 5th wheel and big red 3/4 truck to pull it!  It only took one trip to see why all the "elder" people had these Class A's.   For us, upon arriving at the campsite, we get out look it over, he tells me where he wants to position the 5th wheel, we get our phones going (used as walkie talkies for this) and then the fun begins.
 I just pray the whole time that I am giving the right directions.  He does an amazing job of backing that thing up, but sometimes there are challenges.  We get it all nice and straight, then decide it is too close/not close enough to the service pole.  Too far back, too far forward.  etc, etc etc.  Then the whole leveling show starts.  This side needs to be raised by 2 or 4 or 6 inches.  So, he pulls forward, then I have to place blocks down so he can back over them and I have to be able to tell him to STOP! when he is right on them.  Wives should never have to do this job.  Finally, it is level enough.  Do we care if I am rolling out of bed all night?  Nah!  Keep in mind that this is quite a show for all our neighbors.  Then we have to unhook the 5th wheel, put jacks down, get hooked up to water, sewer, etc.  There is a lot of stress that goes along with all these items, but will not bore you with that.  Needless to say, I just want to get the door open and find the wine bottle. 
Here is how the Class A's arrive.  They pull into their spot, even if they have to back in, there is a nice camera on the back so the driver can see where he is going.  Ok, so now they are in their spot.  A button is pushed, the jacks go down and automatically level.  The door opens, steps come down, and the couple emerge with smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands.  This is living!
We kept thinking about those Class A's all lined up and thought "what would it hurt to go look at them?", so one morning we drove back there and looked around, never imagining that we would find one we could afford.  We just wanted to get ideas of the set up inside different models.  Yea, right. 

So for a month or so we keep thinking of that nice Class A.  In December we drove down again just to look it over as potential buyers to make sure it was what we were really wanting.

The upshot of all this, last week we drove the 5th wheel down there and traded it in for our 2011 Holiday Rambler Vacationer.

See our smiling faces?
We plan to head out the first of Feb. for Charleston, SC.