Grand Design / Epic Trip

What do you get when you mix one truck, two states, three friends, four wheel drive, and a fifth wheel? An epic trip! We finally did it! She & Me now own an RV. Dennis, Larry & Me drove 8 hours to Dothan, Alabama on Monday in “Tuggs” (2014 Sliverado 2500HD) to pick up “Diggs” a 2019 Grand Design 295RL. It was everything the owner said it was so a bill of sale was signed, a cashiers check was handed over, and the deal was sealed. Diggs was hauled to the Dothan Best Western Inn and Suites for her first night out.

Like most epic trips it was not without incident. Tuesday morning started with a hotel COVID continental breakfast of microwaved sausage biscuits, peel-and-drink OJ, and decent coffee. Unbeknownst to the three friends, the emergency breakaway cable had gotten tangled in the fifth wheel hitch and pulled out halfway through our first 60-degree turn in the hotel parking lot thus stopping all trailer movement. It only took the very bright friends a few minutes to discover the cause and render the solution and we were on our way thankful this did not happen on the expressway.

After 11 hours, 3 food/fuel stops, 65 MPH, and 550 miles on Florida’s I-10, I-75, and Turnpike we pulled into Diggs’ first home base. Dennis has been a friend and encourager to Me for 28 years. Larry is a retired 30-year Publix truck driver whose experience was invaluable to the journey. These guys made the 2-day, 1,100-mile journey a blast!

BTW, Jesus was with us at our very first Rest Area stop with Tuggs & Diggs.

Where was She? She stayed home to continue getting rid of EVERYTHING we own so we can shoehorn into Diggs next week.

Putting new Goodyear rubber on Diggs tomorrow and visiting the local RV supply house to pick up the little extras like water, sewer, and electrical umbilicals as well as a TPMS, teflon lube plate, etc.

Here are some more images from the trip…