I posted last week about aquiring a new(er) 5th wheel.A 92 Fleetwood Terry executive 28 footer with a single slide. As with any transition from one RV to another is where to put everything, The so called lets get organized. Yea right,, thats worth at least 3 good chuckles, maybe throw in a snort.I transitioned from my tried and true built like a tank 24 footer to something bigger with a different layout due to heath reasons, That is,,,, I'm getting freaking OLD... Now if someone had told me 30 yrs ago that getting old sucks, I wouldnt have done it, But hind sight is 20/20 and we learn as we go,, even if its 30 yrs to late.

I have had the 24 footer forever and then some,,even rolled her down the highway beyond the million mile mark, excluding U-turns and fast food resturaunt drive thru's. Trust me,, full size RV's don't do well in drive thru's, just an F.Y.I.  Throughout the years, I have owned several different RV's, From the mini Toyota dolphin up to a full size 30 ft,motorcoach bus type, bumper pulls,5th wheels,goose necks and the class C's and Overheads.They all served their purpose. I worked as a fiber optics line tech and travel was part of that job with each contract.

Several times I would have to fly out to job site (city or rural town), and was expected to reside out of a run down hole in the wall motel, AINT gonna happen. 1st thing after arriving was to find a suitable RV to reside and make a temp home during the contracted period.Even a fixer upper,(not major restoration ones), I still had my regular job duties to tend to. I would get a rig that didnt leak, or least not to bad at first,,lol,, repair that within RV park rules,, get a new matress and linens and viola,, home sweet home in my own bed without the worries of stranger slobber on the matress or pillows. I know, it sounds gross, but thats how I look at motels,I would find a used RV for a decent price, set it up in local RV park and save the big bucks motels charge, and take the savings and put it in the bank.Other techs didnt mind paying the $250 to $300 a week motel rental and eating out everyday. I had my abode and fixed my own meals. My perdium went into my bank, not an inn keepers pocket, I'm tight that way.Several instances I owned a Class A or Class C and would park right at. the job sight location. Katrina in New Orleans was perfect example,, I could get in a good 12 to 18 hr day while other techs spent 4 to 6 hrs in drive time to show up to job sight and could only squeeze in 5 to 6 hrs of actual work,, and they wondered why my paycheck was a little beefier then theirs.Plus I could take my lunch break and go to my RV and have a home cooked lunch or dinner,, and not drive 2 hrs to find a place open that served food.

Ok, back on subject,,

When you go from a smaller RV to a bigger rig,, You don't realize how much STUFF you can pack into such a small space,Seriously,, You start taking stuff out and you think your getting it all,, you realize there is even MORE stuff,,, it seems to never end,, its like its multiplying.When you think you have it all and do a double check,, you find even MORE stuff and you think to yourself,, How in the heck can you pack the equivlent of a 5 bedroom 3 bath house with attached 2 car garage into a 24 foot RV? Not to mention you do find 3 extra crock pots, that George Foreman grill and that lost popular mechanics magazine.Who wouldda thunk it? Now with a smaller rig, everything,(well almost everything) had its place. Now your moving into a bigger Rig with tons of storage. So much storage, you start thinking what else can you pick up and hoard and store in there. You get everything moved and look over the arrangement and reaarange several times to get a routine of where cups and plates and dishes go, and then change your mind and reorganize at least 3 times,,sometimes 4 or 5 times. On the outside, you get everything tucked away and notice, you still have lots of room left,, Alrighty,,its a lets go shopping time adventure, cuz you have to buy MORE stuff to fill in all those open areas and spaces,,, cuz it just aint right unless you have every nook and craney stuffed full of STUFF, that you may or may not need. Its like buying tools,, you see that shiney new tool and even though you have no clue what it does,, you HAVE to have it, because it would look really good in your tool box.You can open your tool box and your friends and neighbors be all amazed at all those shiney tools and they will ask you what does that one do,, and you say, proudly,, I havent a clue, but it sure is shiney,,right? and the guys all stand there going OOOOOOOOOOO,, S H I N E Y. with their eyes all wide.Its kind of like *some wimmin and shoes. (common guys,, you know what I'm talking about). Guys are funny that way,, If Duct tape is on sale and he can save 20 cents, he will buy 6 or more rolls, cuz ya just can't beat a good sale like that.If the wimmin dont believe Duct tape is a nessesity, They have never been in a store and hear someone tear off a strip of duct tape,, Every guy in the store KNOWS that familiar sound and will drop what they are doing and RUN to go see whats being fixed, Seriously,,,, try it sometime,, tear off a piece of duct tape in Walmart and I garrantee within 15 seconds, guys will be comming around a corner to inspect.Its like a guys DOG whistle.

Thats how the wife would get my attention when dinner was ready,LOL. RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP,!!!!!!!  a 5 minute walk would be a 2.5 second run.

With having to get the new 5th registered legally and such, It needs to be re-inspected. (Even though it was just done a month ago from previous owner). Texas is funny like that. You have to have a RV inspection in order to get title transferred and tags, even though it was just done. Its only $14, but the State needs that multiple fee every chance they get.

So now that the counters are all organized and looking purdy,, I will have to pack the counter stuff in small boxes and set on the floor, and the coffee maker and toaster in the sinks,, take the shampoos and soap off the shower shelves and put them in the bathroom sink, Go outside and crank in the slide out, lift the stabalizer jacks, empty the tanks,unhook the crapper hose, water line,power cord and TV cable.

Crank up the nose and back the truck under the hitch, plug light cord in and secure the break away switch. retract the landing gear, wobble the truck and RV back and forth to get the wheel chocks unwedged. Pull the RV out, and drag it down to the inspection station for the 10 minute light check and walk around, Then, drag it back, and hopefully back it into the spot on the 1st try. Which by the way is at the very end of the RV park drive,, I have to swing around on another row to be able to BACK it down the long lane to my end spot, (its a premium spot) It has a huge side yard and privacy.BUT can be a real pain to manuver into,, but is sweet once ya get settled, Then, reverse the break down routine. Re hook up the power,water and crapper hoses and cant forget the TV cable..Drop the front landing gear, unhook from truck, pull truck foreward. Then lower the nose to level, then dropping the rear stabalizers and set the wheel chocks. Crank out the slide out, and start putting the bathroom stuff and kitchen stuff back on the counters and shelves. THEN when your all done,, Go back down to DMV and finish the paper work,, and if your lucky,, get to kick your feet up and relax for 3 or 4 minutes before getting back up to fix dinner. Just a side note,, While doing all the above,, if you have a dog, you will have to stop and let the little one go out and Read and Reply to their PEE Mails, and possibly update their Blogs. I still refuse to BUY my Smiley an I-phone or a tablet.Shes still to young to have those just yet, and I dont care what her friends say,

Thats it for now, and knowing my sporatic ways, especially when I PONDER, I will add to this at a later date.

Remember, Be safe, have fun and most important,,, HOME IS WHERE YOU PARK IT.

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Comment by Lakota Wolf on November 1, 2016 at 8:49pm

1/2 tons can pull a decent amount of weight,, its the suspension you have to be careful of. Does your bumper have a MAX tongue weight stamped into it? (I know your not pulling with the bumper).

With a 5th wheel hook up, add 1600 lbs to the rating, and then check the GVRW of the Alpenlite, and take 1/3 of that gvrw weight and apply it to the tongue weight. Rough ball park figure. The actual pulling isnt the problem,, its the stress on the suspension and springs. Air bags can carry the load when used with factory springs. But its a 50/50 using a 1/2 ton pulling 28 ft... I used my 3/4 ton to pull my 28 ft'r and you can feel the difference in weight from a 24 ft, to a 28 ft.

Comment by Rich Thomas on October 28, 2016 at 8:54pm

Awesome read Lakota. I was picturing that whole  pack unpack routine. very funny!

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