Flex and the hitch drama

Since I am sending this to my whole family - it is in blue and I will make a couple of comments before the Stone starts. I realize that many of you could care less, but that doesn't matter to me. Here is the Stone.

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We bought a Ford Flex last month. Our plan is to pull it behind our motorhome and to use it as our everyday car. We sold our 2001 Explorer Sport. To pull it, we have to have a tow bar and brakes installed on the Flex. Where does one go but to Camping World.

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here is the Stone about the trailer hitch.

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By the numbers of course.

1. Bought the Flex

2. Drove the 50+ miles to Camping World in south Ft. Worth to select the proper tow bar and braking system.

3. Ordered same while we were there and set up the install date. A very nice young lady with tattoos handled the transaction.

4. One week later + plus a day, we drove the Flex back to Camping World followed by our Marauder. The Plan: Leave the Flex so it would be there for the 8 a.m. service on the next day. Drive Marauder home. Then, on the next day - late, drive the motorhome up there for the rest of the install - possibly driving behind in the Marauder.

5. Brenda's uncle Kent died in Lubbock.

6. New Plan: drive Flex up and leave it for the early morning installation followed by the Marauder. Next day drive motorhome up - followed by the Marauder - leave it there. Drive Marauder to Lubbock for the funeral returning that next day to pick up motorhome and Flex.

7. See #4 above. We arrived to leave Flex and key.

8. The young man, Shawn, I believe was his name, greeted us at the bar and

discovered that the tattooed lady had not ordered all the parts. She was "new." We re-selected what we wanted, and all was ordered "before 2 p.m."

9. Drove both cars home.

10. Left next morning for Lubbock in the Flex - first road trip - attended funeral, came home same day as funeral arriving about 12:30 - that would be the 12:30 in the nighttime.

11. One week later - less one day - drove Flex to Camping World followed by Marauder.

12. Dropped off Flex and key; drove home in Marauder. This time it would be one and a half days of working to fix the Flex.

13. On the very next day, I drove to Best Buy in Waxahachie and had a Sirius radio installed on motorhome. I was told that it was "Sirius Ready" which means nothing. it took over 6 hours to finish the job.

14. The installer had told me that If I just show up, he was never busy during the week. I showed up at 10 a.m. when the store opened. Installer didn't come in until 11. At least I was first on his list. About 2 hours later it was installed. I kissed him on both cheeks and left.

15. As I drove away, I stopped for gas at a nearby Walmart. It required me to turn and drive north. Sirius would not work facing north because he had installed the antenna when it was facing south.

16. Back to Best Buy and the repositioning of the antenna drama. Now you know why I spent 6 hours in Best Buy.

17. While I was waiting at Best buy, I received the call from Camping World. The selected braking system would not work on the Flex. We needed an alternate plan. I picked my 2nd choice. Nope, if we picked it, parts would have to be ordered and another week would pass us by. I went to the 3rd choice: Brake Buddy with proportionate braking. They seemed happy with that choice.

18. The next day we drove the motorhome - no Marauder - to Camping World. They said we would need to be there about 11 a.m. to match up the two vehicles for towing. We arrived at 10:30.

19. Now we are told it would take about another hour and a half to complete the installation on the Flex and the motorhome.

20. Give or Take: about 4 p.m. (that would be 5 hours later) we connected the two vehicles and pulled out after paying the bill.

21. Ate lunch.

22. Now home and reading the instructions. It says that the trailer hitch on the motorhome and the hitch connectors on the Flex should not be over 3 inches difference in height.

23. I drove into our storage space and measured. 4 inches it is. I need what is called a "hi-low" hitch adaptor. It makes up the difference. But, the nearest adaptor is 50+ miles away at Camping World. You might think they would have thought about this. They didn't.

24. I have ordered one online - when will it arrive?

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My wife's brother lives in New Hampshire. He plans to move to Florida next winter instead of wintering it again in New Hampshire. Florida has motorhome parks for snow birds. But, rightfully so, he would like to look at an RV park before he signs on the dotted line. Sometime later in the summer we may drive to Florida to share in his experience and, also,  look a "hysterical" places of historical interest. Nobody but me wants to go to Disneyworld.   August will be a good time to go - or maybe September when the kids are all back in school.   Hopefully, we won't still be waiting for the new hitch to arrive. The Pressure - Oh, the pressure.   Meanwhile we plan a few short trips around this part of the country.

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The stone endeth but the malady lingers on.....

m3