Well, this is a bittersweet post. We decided after much deliberation that it was time to move to a full-time coach. Heartland, our manufacturer of choice, finally made the right combination for us: a floorplan we like (additional 5 feet, great kitchen, seating opposite the tv, space for a desk, 2 entry bath, larger shower, King bed, etc.) decor we like (wood color, flooring, window treatments, furniture style, wall texture, light fixtures, knobs and faucet colors, etc.) features we like (beamed ceiling, convection microwave, induction cooktop, large 4-door fridge, level-up auto leveling, glossy sidewalls, etc.) at a price we like (Got a fair deal on the trade and the new rig price we can live with).
We've been looking at what our "next coach" would be for a long time, and we knew that it was very rare when all three things come together. The decor and features of a brand can change every three months in some cases!
So, January 29th, the day after my birthday, we took delivery of our new Heartland Big Country 4010RD.
It was quite an experience!
First, let me give some history.
As the previous post mentioned, we discovered this floorplan at the Ft.Worth RV show. We inquired about it, and soon hooked up with James Pearson, the regional rep for Heartland Big Country and ElkRidge, as well as Mark Stewart, the Sales manager at ExploreUSA in Mesquite, TX. We had spoken to Mark a few years ago when we happened to stop in to ExploreUSA just to look. We liked his easygoing style and no bickering approach. James was truly a salesman, selling us on all the features of the BC over the ElkRidge, which he coincidently helped us buy, nearly 6 years ago.
We walked away from the unit, but did some thinking while still at the show, and decided to see what they could do to make a sale happen. We put down a deposit on the unit and left, hoping that after the show was over they work on the deal and make the numbers work for us.
It took a week of some back and forth to get everything squared away, but they made us an offer we felt was fair. Note that they had no idea what our Mammoth's condition was! And as you know from this blog, she's seen a lot of action, as well as many mods and upgrades.
We decided to go and see the coach once again, to check things we couldn't recall seeing at the show and to sign some preliminary paperwork. We looked the unit over for a good while, then worked with Mark to get some final numbers. They initially offered to "throw some things in" for us, but ultimately they could only do one additional thing. We decided to have them move our Fifth Airborne kingpin from one unit to the other. Mark said this would be "no problem".
While we were waiting for the PDI date to be set, they were to be checking everything. During our review of the rig, we found that the cooktop was scratched or cracked, and would need to be replaced. There was a discrepancy in the reclining loveseat-- the invoice said heated, but it was not-- so we worked to get the right furniture. Also, there was some paint overspray on the front cap.
I had hoped these items would have been resolved before we took delivery, but they were not. We have to go back to take care of them when the ordered pieces get to ExploreUSA.
Whoops, let me give you a little more history:
Thursday, January 28th, 2016
Today is my birthday! And we loaded up Mammoth to take her to Terrell, so we'd be closer to the dealership for Friday's PDI. We stopped at Blue Beacon, to get her washed, and pulled into Bluebonnet Ridge RV Park about 8:30pm. I did some work, then went to cleaning and prepping for tomorrow. We had already done a number of pre-sale items, like getting rid of some of the extra stuff so we didn't move as much. Also removing all the personal decor, our Heartland plaque off the ladder and "Dorsey's Mammoth" decal. We also took out our remote thermometer sensors, and many of the command hooks and such that we added along the way. We also prepped the washer for moving by draining it and removing the water lines, drain and vent hoses.
Back to Friday, January 29th
Friday morning came quickly and we were out the door by 8:07, for our 9am PDI. Cats rode in the carrier, and were let loose in our rig while we did the PDI.
The PDI went fast, and we probably were not as thorough as we could have been. But we were struggling with the fact that to switch the kingpin, the dealership had to take both units offsite and have an RV Tech do the change, then return. The cats and I waited in the truck, while Tony wrapped up signing the PDI papers. I also went and grabbed us lunch. After these switch was made, then we had to move everything from our current home (ElkRidge) to our new home (Big Country), and be out by the end of the day! Did I mention it was nearly 80 degrees, and no electricity!? It was a little toasty.
It was after 2pm when we finally got to moving from one rig to another. We wanted to stop quite a few times, but kept plugging away. Kitties slept or watched patiently in their carrier, as we moved stuff. They did great! We did manage to get some help moving the W/D Combo from one rig to another. Yay!
The dealership closed at 6, and we were still a ways from being done. Mark offered to stay until we were done. He even helped us switch the RV Lock over from the old to new rig.
Finally, with it all moved, we were ready to hitch up. But the slides did not work! Mark helped us out again as he moved our old rig out of the way with a forklift so we could safely back to the building and get some power from the building to move the slides in.
We finally left the dealership about 8:30! We stopped at Buckees to grab a quick bite, then back to Bluebonnet Ridge. Whew! What a wild ride!!!
I hope Mammoth finds someone else to make as happy as she made us over the last 6 years. She is well prepared. We will miss her. :)
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