The Trailer Returns - Rapid City, South Dakota

So, SMC Trailers overnighted us the parts using UPS - their choice of shipping company, not mine. I gave them the address of a Federal Express office close to our horse motel. When you are on the road full-time getting mail can be problematic, but we have used Fed Ex Mail Centers as a mail drop before for packages with no issues.

This sign is in the lobby at the Econolodge. I take it as a good sign - this is the traditional wedding vow in a Jewish wedding.

We spent Thursday night at the Econolodge, paying outrageous prices. Someone at Camping World explained to me that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is next week. All the hotels in the area raise their rates as much as 900% because 1) they want to take advantage of all the motorcyclists coming into town and 2) to discourage riff raff from staying in their accommodations. We were told we were lucky to even find a room.

I checked the tracking number and the package was delivered around 10 am Friday morning. The service guy at Camping World told me they had tried to get parts and went to several places on Thursday with no luck. So, we go to the Fed Ex office a little after 10 am where the manager tells me that yes, UPS did attempt to drop off our box, but she refused it and told them to put it back on the truck because they do not accept packages from competing firms and they are not a mail center. 

I am furious! We need to get our trailer fixed and this self-righteous bitch effectively sabotaged us and ensured we remain homeless. 

Luckily, the UPS office is right across the street... but did the driver take the box to the office and drop it off or did he keep it on his truck and continue on his route? 

If he did the latter, we might not get our package until tomorrow.

We hurry over to the UPS office....

where the clerk says the driver has just dropped off our box before he continued on his route.

The clerk remarks that most customers are not so good at claiming their packages.

We say we are plenty motivated to get this package as we need our home repaired. I do not want to spend another $250 or more for a hotel room.

We drive to Camping World with the box - fingers crossed that all the parts are all there and that they are the correct parts.

Our trailer is repaired by 1 pm on Friday - Hurrah! It is good as new.

So, how much did backing into the ditch cost us...

$290 for one night at Econolodge

$205 for overnight shipping for replacement parts

$510 for repairs at Camping World

= $1,005 

Getting our trailer back = priceless

 

Happy Horse Haus Motel - Rapid City, South Dakota

 

We decided to switch locations to facilitate making repairs on our trailer, so we moved into Rapid City, near the Camping World where repairs will be done. 

The horses each have a large run with cover, which they definitely prefer over the 10 x 10 pens at Hay Creek. They now have a place to hide in the shade and from the rain.

Happy Horse Haus is located east of Rapid City and about 10 miles from the Camping World.

The service guy at Camping World assured us that he would have the repairs done by the end of the day. I was skeptical. I wasn't sure they would have the parts, so after we moved to Happy Horse Haus, I contacted SMC, our trailer manufacturer, and asked them to overnight us the replacement parts. This was another reason for the move. The lack of cell reception and internet at our campsite made it almost impossible for me to make these types of arrangements. 

Around 4 pm, the service department tells us they don't have the parts and weren't able to complete the repairs. Plus, they have disassembled the tanks and plumbing, so if we spent the night in the trailer, we couldn't use any of the plumbing - no water for cooking or cleaning or toilet. 

So, we told them to keep the trailer overnight and we would have to scramble for shelter.

I asked our host at Happy Horse Haus. She has a bunk house which is basically bare bones, with a toilet and shower, but it wasn't prepared for guests.

I belong to four different hotel chain reward clubs due to all my business travel. I was astonished at the prices for hotel rooms- starting at $250/night at a Motel 6 and going up to $700/night at a Hilton. This is Rapid City, folks, not New York, Boston, San Francisco, or Hawaii. I know we are in the height of tourist season, but the prices were astounding. In contrast, we normally pay around $70/night for a campsite and corrals for our horses.

I looked at cabins at local campgrounds and there was zero availability on a THURSDAY night.

We ended up at an Econolodge. Some place I normally pay around $70/night when I am on the road and we are paying around $260 for one night.

I don't know if the prices are due to the extra cleaning they have to do because of COVID or because of the lack of employees. Every business in South Dakota has a help wanted sign up. Every single one. Many of the stores and restaurants are on reduced hours, simply because they don't have enough staff to open. We went to a Chili's yesterday and they are closed THREE days per week because they don't have enough servers. If you are looking for work, come to South Dakota. It is a beautiful state and you will find a job.

I am seeing a lot of retirees getting hired simply because they are bored and, while they may not need the money, they want to pitch in and try to help the local businesses.

The Camping World service department just called me to tell me they haven't been able to locate the parts to make the repairs, so I am crossing my fingers that this morning's package has everything they need to make it work.

Otherwise, we may be moving into the bunkhouse at the Happy Horse Haus for the duration.

Ari says this is like Tombstone all over again when we were stuck waiting for the axle parts and repairs.