Today proved to be an exciting day - it's the day we picked up the Cougar.
We got up early, packed the truck and headed out. We needed to drive to Durango to Tarpley RV and pick up our new pet. (Or does this thing own us? Haha). We had a 2pm meeting to sign the papers and get our intro lessons regarding the systems on the fifth wheel. Then, the RV dealership actually turned us loose to drive it around on the road. With the public. Gack!
(See the video below of Dave towing the thing!)
We arrived on time and were happy to see our salesperson Cathy was there. She had actually taken a leave about a week before so we figured she wouldn't be around. You may recall that while in Durango during our first trip (during the bike tour) she dropped us off in town at a restaurant she recommended (Mutus). It was very kind of her and the restaurant was fantastic.
After the formalities, Cathy took Dave and me to the Cougar to meet Chris. He'd go over the beast with us. He ended up spending three hours with us patiently answering our many questions even though we suspected it was past quitting time for him. In fact, he even got in the truck while Dave drove the Cougar for the first time.
I don't think either of us anticipated how spooky the thought of towing the trailer would be. Though 24' is the smallest fifth wheel made - it suddenly seemed ENORMOUS once it was attached to the back of the truck.
Our plan was to get the Cougar, then go across the street to Walmart to shop for food. We'd stock the Cougar, then head out. Our destination was Indian Creek. We didn't want to drive at night so we were going to go to a rest area about 35 miles away to stay. Here, we'd organize all the stuff we brought with us (sheets, towels, plates, rugs, etc.)
What were we thinking????
Pick up this huge trailer then and go to Walmart? I can't even stand going to Walmart in my little car. It's an automotive death zone! Still, Dave got the trailer in the parking lot, we got it parked and we got inside. No one was injured or killed while doing these stunts.
While in Walmart, we ran into Barney - another salesperson from Tarpley RV. He'd been helpful and friendly while we were at the dealership and was even more helpful in Walmart. (Shout out to Barney - thanks for helping me find the egg beaters!). Plus, he gave Dave great advice on towing that really proved very helpful.
While no one was physically injured, towing + Walmart led to Dave being pretty frazzled. So, before we were done, he headed out to the trailer to chill a bit while I braved the inside of Wally World alone. We both deserved a medal for these sacrifices.
Once stocked, we hit the highway. We were happy that we had only 35 miles to go. At the rest area, we leveled the trailer and organized/personalized the interior. This included removing lots of 'helpful' stickers such as the "EXIT" sticker located on the door. What is one suppose to do with such things? Hee hee! Dave found it later the next day. *snicker!*
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