On Thursday, February 10,2011 we drove to Dickinson, North Dakota to pick up our new 5th wheel, a 2011 Heartland Landmark Augusta. We got to RoughRider RV about 10:00 and they started putting in the new 5th wheel hitch, and Shane started walking us through the RV, explaining how everything worked. The temperature was in the 20s, but Gustow was inside.
Shane showed us how you push a button and, like magic, each slide goes in/out separately, explained how the microwave was also a half time oven, tvs, by then it was time for lunch. Darrell and I had our first meal in what is to be our new home. It was warm and cozy. Darrell started coughing during the day and we both wondered if he was geting a cold, within a few hours the wondering was over, he had a full blown cough and was starting to feel sick.
We relaxed in the RV for a while and then it was time to learn about the 4 point leveling system. Steve, a technician, explained the procedure to us. We thought we understood everything (we just hoped we remembered it all) and then the training was over. We paid for her and said we would be back at 8:00 the next morning to pick her up.
We left there and went right to Walmart to pick up cough drops and whatever else we could find that would make Darrell feel better. We checked into our motel, the Holiday Inn Express and enjoyed the hot tub and pool for a while. We walked over to Sanford's for supper and went to bed early, anxious for the morning to come so we get on the road. Darrell didn't feel 100%, but he was able to sleep some, the coughing had subsided.
We got to RoughRider RV at 8:00, as we had promised, and there she sat all buttoned up, ready for us to take her home.
It was a very nice day for Dickinson, 27 degrees, the sun would come out ever now and then and then go back behind the clouds. The guys there told us the Interstate was very icy, it had snowed a little overnight and snow had blown onto the highway. They advised us to wait for it to get warmer and hopefully the ice would melt off. We left there and drove out the Interstate, it was very icy, and we were glad we were waiting. We went to Walmart for more cold medicine and walked around there for a while, I found the flannel sheets I had wanted in Rapid, but by the time I went to buy them, they were sold out, so I was happy. We drove around Dickinson, drove to the college, and then decided we should eat an early lunch so when and if we got to go we wouldn't have to stop.
We got back to RoughRider at 11:00 and the Interstate looked clear and dry. Steve helped get her hooked up and we were ready to go.
With wishes for a safe journey, we were off! Nothing but sunshine and blue skys, smooth sailing!!
The Interstate was dry, we drove on it about 17 miles, and then made the turn onto a two lane road to go to Bowman, as soon as we made the turn, there were cars and semis in the ditches. The road looked dry, so we assumed it had happened earlier when everything was so icy and continued on our way. There were several places that snow had blown across the highway overnight and it was snowpacked and slippery, but we just took it easy and Dually pulled her like a dream! We were very glad we had bought an RV only 4 hours away from home! We had no problems, and when Darrell looked at the speedometer once, he was going 70 and didn't even realize it. We had her unhooked by 5:30, and were glad to be home, it was in the 50's here, it felt great! We were tired, and Darrell didn't feel the best, but we felt like we had accomplished something major, another step on our journey to become fulltime RVers.
