Uncle Phil -

John son of John has been to WVA a couple of times, but came in late and pretended to be a "virgin."¹ He lugged his banjo around the lakeside for several hours and then collapsed in his car and spent most of the night² with his head hanging out of the dooor so he wouldn't mess up the upholstery. Of course he claimed it was "that slop he ate at the last truck stop." (?)

The old truck actually got us home, with the trailer parked in the back yard; but I skipped the dump station due to the marginal capabilities. The replacement was on the lot at the Winfield dealer where I had the last emergency repairs done, so I made preliminary arrangements Monday and had to nurse the old hunk back on Thursday after the Seattle bank cut the check and got it to them for the new one. The worst part was that I had to unload the old one in only two days - including removing all the stuff like the brake control, CB, and other "add-ons," and putting the 5 seats back in (removed and stored for about 12 years). Two weeks is a more normal time for getting all the camping stuff out.

The old one had factory installed heavy trailer equipment, so it was actually quite adequate for our little trailer with a rated trailer capacity at 6,000 lb - and the dealer did all the hitch work when we bought the trailer. All the "new" Chevy trucks have "trailer wiring" pre-installed, but this one is a "farm truck" without fancy factory stuff, so I still have to get a hitch on it and get the brake control wiring done. It's rated to tow a paltry 4,300 lb, so it's "adequate" for our trailer if we don't go out often; but it was something of a puzzle as to how much I'll be able to put in the truck while towing our 3,600 lb (<4,200 lb loaded, I think) house.

I managed to measure an accurate "tongue load" with a bathroom scale and some blocks and boards yesterday, and found (after much searching) a "public scale³" where I got "curb weight" and axle loads measured on the new truck today, and it all looks workable. Truck payload (in the bed) with the trailer on will only be about 790 lb if I observe the axle load ratings (to keep the warranties good) but I could go 1,850 lb and be within GCWR to keep the ICC and NTHSC guys happy. It's the smallest "full-size" pick'emup Chevy sold for 2008, I think - 1500 Silverado WT. With the same little 6-banger engine as in the old truck, even with 14 years of "evolutionary improvements" I will not be "towing briskly."

Once I get the hitch on the truck, I'll intend to go back to the scale and get an accurate trailer weight, so if there are no unexpected delays in hitching up I'll leave it loaded until then. I've never bothered to do that, since the old van had fairly safe margins; but will feel guilty if I don't since the new truck is closer to limits. If my estimates turn out to be less accurate than I think they are, I suppose I'll just claim I don't know any better like most of the rest of the people who pull something.

The real point though is that I can't unload from Winfield until I get hitched up and in motion, and I'm already into the "loading" stage for next year.

¹ For those who haven't been there, "Winfield Virgins" - those there for the first time - are a sort of special tradition of the campgrounds. They are treated with very special (dis)respect, and are the victims beneficiaries of every lie bit of historical fact and advice more seasoned campers can invent. Lin says that "virginity grows back if you don't use it for six years." (She claimed to be one when I met her.) John s. o. John hadn't gone quite six years without a Winfield, but maybe that form grows back quicker.

² In the Winfield campgrounds, "night" usually begins sometime after 2 am, for those there to "enjoy." I think he made it to about 03:00.

³ Interestingly, the instructions at the public scale were to drive on the scale and push the "red button" to notify the people inside that you needed weighed. The "red button" was about 11 feet above ground level (window height on most semi tractors, I guess?) and far above what I could jump to from scale level. I had to find a three foot long board to whack the button in order to get weighed. Next time I'll be sure I take a ladder or at least a long walkin' stick.

John