The Drooly Duelly

We started this adventure in hopes of running a short bed, single rear wheel truck. Primarily for the ease of driving when not towing, and ability to fit it in RV parks next to the camper. When we picked up Roadhaus, our 2024 Alliance Valor 36v11 fifth wheel RV, we even hit the Cat Scales to make sure we were safe. We stopped for a weigh before, full tank of fuel, both dogs and us... alright we have our unloaded weight! We go through the inspection, do all the paperwork and head out... right back to the Cat Scales. Numbers still look good, we should be able to put 2,000# into the RV and not exceed pin weight or trailer GVWR. Well, let's fast forward 5 months... Anna and I have packed our lives into the RV and 2 storage units. We sold, gave away, and trashed more than we imagined. On a side note... we gratefully thank all those that accepted our hand-me-downs and "donations" into their lives. The farm sale closed, and we had to be out the next day. Hooked up and ready... we depart for North Carolina to visit friends for the first stop. In route, I plotted course for the nearest Cat Scale again, to see how much girth the home on wheels had been saddled with. Pulling smoothly and ner a concern, I drive onto the scales. Let's preface this with, we have zero fuel in the generator tank, zero fresh water, and maybe 5% in the holding tanks. I pull up the app on my phone... and sink into my seat. I look at Anna "We either need to shed a LOT of weight, or get a bigger truck." We were 800# over GVWR of the truck, with no fluids. Well, can't fix it right now... so on we go. The F350 pulled the big girl through the mountains of West Virginia without a care, I understood why so many people felt running overweight was no big deal now. I'd have never known, we weren't squatting in the rear, and braking and control was excellent the entire 6 hour drive. But... I love my wife and our dogs... and want everyone around us to be safe on the highways. So the search began. Search after search, I cam to the conclusion my affinity for Ford was going to have to go. Ford, you my friends have an issue... there is no reason a 4 year old truck should still cost $80-$95,000. I glumly changed my search parameters and even included... gulp dare I say? RAM. After multiple dealer visits, a few new truck test drives, and a plethora of low ball trade-in offers... my search yielded a result I wasn't sure was right. A beautiful 2022 Chevy 3500HD, High Country trim no less with only 17k miles. Pitter patter went my heart as I looked at the listing several times. Nothing like this came across my radar without clocking in at $90k or having 100k miles. I ring the dealer, make sure it's there and how late they're open. Off I go... 2 hour drive half way across the state of North Carolina. The team at HBI Auto in Mocksville, NC were not what I expected. I pull into a parking lot full to the brim of Porches, G Wagons, Audi, Mercedes... way back in the corner sat a black beast sticking out like a sore thumb in this sea of performance machines. My concerns of "Oh crap, we don't have a home address... we don't even own a home... how is this going to work on credit?" slipped away. I didn't care... this truck was mine. Fortunately, all those things were of little consequence, with my well established credit. They even offered $4k more on trade than any other dealership I'd visited. Relief was had... and home she came.