Wednesday, July 08, 2009

A Change of Plans

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh...

A couple of days ago, I posted that I'd be away from the computer for a few days, without internet access. We had camping reservations, and were going to enjoy our new pop-up trailer for the first time. No internet at the state park, so I was leaving the computer at home. We spent most of the weekend outfitting the camper, buying and packing stuff, and preparing to head out of town.

Monday arrived. We packed the camper and the van, hooked the pop-up to the hitch, and stepped back to take a look.

Was that low, or was that my imagination?

Uh, no. The trailer we'd purchased based on the assurances of the RV dealership, the place that installed the tow package, and the car dealership that it was the right size and weight for our vehicle, was almost in a "V" formation -- front of trailer and back of van almost dragging on the ground, the front of the van and the back of the trailer hitched way up in the air.

Dubious, we headed down to the closest RV dealer to have it looked at. The guy at the dealership took one look and confirmed our suspicions. We couldn't take it camping without risking damage to the hitch, the trailer, the van, even the spare tire.

Home we drove, slowly, to unhitch the trailer, unpack it, put everything away, and cancel our reservation. All of us were bummed. Any future camping experiences will require either a new tow vehicle or some weight-distributing modifications on the one we currently have.

So no camping. Instead, we're taking some day trips with the kids. And except for this brief hop on the computer, I'm keeping the promise to my family and staying away from the internet. Hopefully, it will be a time we can still remember happily, whether at a campground or a waterslide park. I should be back online sometime next week. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying this season as well!

1 comment:

Maia Strong said...

Sorry your plans got derailed. But think of it this way--it's a great excuse to start shopping for a fabulous new hybrid SUV for the fam. ;)