RE: Long time, no post--Last part! NEW TV!!!!!!!

[labontefan]

 
When I bought my Coleman Utah, I was driving a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. I already had a hitch installed on the Jeep, since I used to tow a little trailer (4 x6 ) that held all our tent camping gear. It was a Class III Mopar hitch installed by my Chrysler/Jeep dealer. However, I didn t have the rest of the towing package put on the Jeep.
 
 The Jeep did a pretty decent job of pulling the Utah, but with three of us and all our gear (keep in mind, that s three women with all our gear!!), it was about all the Jeep could handle. Even with the anti-sway bar installed, I still wasn t 100% comfortable towing the camper--especially after going down that looooong windy road into Martinsville.
 
 So I started looking around. A mid-sized SUV was my first choice. I did some comparisons at MSN Carpoint (Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy TrailBlazer, etc.). The Durango seemed to have the best towing capacity of anything in the same size class. I ve always liked the looks of the Durango, plus I m a fan of Chrysler products.
 
 I found I could link to my local dealer s website from Dodge.com, and you could check inventory. You could even look at the window stickers! They had a dark green one listed that was one of the less expensive models. I pulled up the window sticker...and saw it came with the factory towing package!! Class IV receiver, heavy duty battery and alternator, tranny cooler, etc! Even already had the wiring connection for the lights. And I found out that Dodge was offering a $4500 rebate on Durangos through the end of the month!
 
 I took a look at it on a Sunday (when they were closed), then went back on Wednesday to talk to  em. Took it for a test drive and really liked it. The salesman and I started talking numbers, and they offered me almost $2000 more for my Cherokee than my online research said it was worth!!
 
 As you may have guessed, I m now the proud owner of a Timberline Green 2003 Dodge Durango SXT 4x4! [][][][][]
 
 Love the growl of that Magnum V8 when I mash the accelerator. (Of course, I cringe when I mash the accelerator, and I can see the gas needle move!  LOL!!)
 
 The dealer took the brake controller off the Jeep for me, and I took the Durango over to the Coleman dealer today to have it installed. Can t wait to hitch up the camper and see how it goes! We leave for Charlotte in less than three weeks!
 
 

[byrdr1]

 labontefan
labontefan,
 You going to the WINSTON or the 600?
 I will be down Thursday evening for the WINSTON and stay until Sunday.
 I will be camping with a friend who has a " griswall camper"  and another who has a 30  TT. The griswall camper and myself go down Thursday evening and the rest come down Firday night, my family also. We will be camping in the Morehead Farms CG on the back side of the track behind Richard Petty s racing school and that area.
 Randy
 go #6

[tlhdoc]

 labontefan
Congratulations on the new TV.  I moved up from a minivan to a SUV and even though the minivan did an OK job at towing, the SUV does a great job.  The only thing I had to add was a sway bar.  The SUV has a shorter wheel base.

[labontefan]

 labontefan
Hey byrdr1!
 
 We re going to The Winston AND the 600! This is our " big"  camping trip of the year--go down for The Winston and stay through to the 600. We ve done it for the last couple of years tent camping. This will be the first long stay in the pop-up.
 
 We re also camping in Morehead Farms. Used to camp in Peninsula, but that one gets a bit more rowdy, and is not as " tent-friendly" ! So we ve camped in Morehead the last couple of years.
 
 I think we re in Section F. We ll be arriving sometime Friday afternoon--early enough to get set up and head for Winston qualifying and the truck race.
 
 Look for the new Durango w/Virginia tags (" 18FAN5" ) pulling a Coleman Utah!
 
 I keep forgetting to put my PUT on the camper bumper (right now we have a yellow " rookie stripe on the rear bumper!  LOL). I m going to try and remember to do so before we leave.
 
 Hope to see you there!

[byrdr1]

 labontefan
PU has PUT sticker on front right/back side of top(not the door side) and on a separate license tag on the rear end of the PU. I will have a gray F-250 crewcab long bed with/without camper shell. VIKING and the Griswall camper, well that about all I need to say. He will have a white dually wheeled Chev 3500 crewcab with Jeff gordan stickers and flags everywhere.
 I of course will have ole Glory flying with Mark Martin flag under it.
 We will camp near the paved road up near the main gate or the keepers trailer.
 Hope to see ya ll there.
 randy