Greetings To All,

    Here's our little story, boring as it may be.

One fine Sunday afternoon, after having lunch, my wife said, "On the way home, why don't we just stop at Camping World and see what they have there............ (you may already see where this is going)  So, we did.  We spent hours there wandering the lot, avoiding sales people, and being amazed at what was available in campers nowdays.

Digressing for a moment...... Being an old "farm/country boy" camping to me now days was a stay at Motel 6.   I've slept on a blanket along a creek, I've endured an old pop-up camper that the bunks would ocassionally fall off during the night. (That will wake you up!)  So even remotely wanting a camper was not on my agenda. (silly me)

We left Camping World with a hand full of brochures and a kindling interest building in my wife.  i.e. Isn't it time WE started enjoying life while we still can?  Serious discussions ensued the following week.  My dreams were filled with the "should we" topics.  One point of discussion was if we bought a trailer we did have a truck already.  We have a 1998 F-150 with a NEW 4.6 v8 engine.  Two weeks later we left Camping World with a 260BL Zinger tag-a-long.  Completely excited about our new purchase we planned our VIRGIN trip.  We would head to Louisville, Ky to visit my kids and Grandchildren.   We purchased the "bunk" version just to be able to take Grandkids with us.(We have since learned that that is a mistake)  Off we go.......Louisville bound.  Now between Roanoke, VA and Louisville, KY lie some fairly significant mountains along I-64 / I-77.  Let's just say that my ol' F-150 struggled up these mtns at 20MPH as 18 Wheelers zoomed past us.  Time to rethink tow vehicle!   

Somewhere in this time warp my wife was deciding that maybe our trailer wasn't what we needed especially if we were ever going to think of living in it fulltime.  I don't remember being involved in all these discussions or decisions.  (She may have been talking in my bad ear).  Anyhow..... we decided to get a new truck.  I said...."OK  let's drive thru lot "A"(Ford) and see what's there.  Then we'll go to Lot "B"(Dodge) and see what's there and then we'll make a decision."  I must have been talking to her "bad ear".  We made it no further that lot "A", first row!  Salesman sold her on the F-150 King Ranch with, as he claimed a 11,300lb. tow capability. (WRONG)

We now had a shiny new truck, leather seats, weather radar, bells and whistles.  Now, we had to have a new trailer to go with it.......  She started her homework process.  While I was at work I would receive texts as to what she was finding.  Also to our disbelief we were finding that our shiny new truck would not pull much more than what we currently owned.

We? decided that we wanted a fith wheel but could not pull it with our current truck.  We had several discussions with the general Manager at the dealership about how we had been mis informed and product misrepresented by our salesman.  We were able to leave the dealership with a new F-250 Super Duty, Lariat, crew cab, 4x4, 6.7 Deisel.

Homework and towing charts in hand, we headed to the RV dealer to see what kind of trade-in we could get on a two month old Zinger trailer.  You all know how that went.  We took the hit.  We did however leave that day the new owners of an Open Range 393RLS, fifth wheel and a shiny new truck to pull it.

Beautiful new fifth wheel, shiny new truck and a happy wife wanting to go camping every week.  I keep waiting to come home one day and see a FOR SALE sign in the front yard.

I've got to get that hearing aid!  I worry about what else I might have missed.

We look forward to the opportunity to cross paths with some of you!

Blessings

Mike & Angie