15 Mar 2020
Doreen and I hope this finds everyone well and hope you are surviving the impact of the COVID-19 panic. We are of course closely watching this as it has already impacted travel, "social engagement", etc. Along with many others we are trying to sort out how this may impact our planned trip this summer, which is actually just a month away. We've heard a couple states have closed some of their campgrounds (New Mexico, Pennsylvania) . We stay on military bases in their campgrounds as much as we can, and the military has halted both CONUS and OCONUS travel, so we are watching this closely also. Time will tell.
Back in February Doreen and I decided to start seriously looking for a new RV. We bought our 2013 Jayco Pinnacle new in May 2013 along with our pickup, and the Pinnacle has served us well but it has a LOT of miles on it and we would like to move into something a bit smaller. The Pinnacle is a 38FLFS (Front Livingroom, Five Slideouts), considered a 38 ft RV but actually measures 41' 11". It's nice but it is huge and it limits us on where we camp.
There is a new up-start RV manufacturer in Elkhart Indiana called "Alliance". This company was created by a handful of people with decades of RV manufacturing experience. They all got together and said, "We can do this better.", and they are! They have created some great fifth wheel RV's and we got our first look at one at an RV show at the state fairgrounds. The factory sales manager was there so we got first hand information from one of the founders. We told him of our upcoming trip and he assured us if we placed our order by the end of the following week they would deliver by mid-March. This would give us time to get it equipped and ready in time for a 20 April departure.
A few days later we put in our order for a 310RL, considered a 31 ft RV but actually measures 34' 11", seven feet shorter than our Pinnacle. Good Life RV out of Bevington IA is the Iowa dealer for the Alliance RV's. They gave us good trade-in for our Pinnacle and they have a good reputation for their customer service.
So we are anxiously awaiting it's arrival. We were told the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) at the manufacturer is complete. After building it, they clean it thoroughly, fill all the tanks, test for leaks, run all the systems and then take it out on a rough road course and tow it. Then they bring it back in and check for anything that might be loose, clean it again and then release it to the transport company. Once it arrives at the dealership they also complete a PDI and then we complete the final paperwork. They go through it from top to bottom, and then they go through it with us, explaining the operation of each system.
Once we own it we will be taking it directly to a local campground (that is open) so we can work on it to get it equipped. Most of the modifications I did to the Pinnacle we would get no credit for on trade-in, so we removed them (roof-mounted satellite dish, WiFi system, surge suppressor, etc). Doreen will spend a lot of time inside getting things all set.
Then on 15 April our local Corps of Engineers campground, Cherry Glen, opens for the season. It is very close to our house and we planned to spend then next few days loading food, clothing, etc before our departure on 20 April. Of course our departure hinges on what happens with the Corona Virus in the next month. We will evaluate the situation and always lean towards the safe side, We can pull the plug on this trip pretty quickly if we need to. It will become a futile effort if the venues we want to see are closed. For instance we have planned a couple weeks or more in Washington DC but many of those sites are inaccessible now. We have several major League Baseball games on the schedule but they are shut down as of now. We are hoping to be able to make the trip. More to follow.....
