The day of recalibrating (part two)...

Bill is 95% certain he wants a semi to pull the Raptor, which seems excessive until you understand the "why" behind this decision.

A big 'ol truck, like a Dodge Ram 3500 dually, can easily pull the Raptor, and many people across the USA choose this option or similar. However, what is not so common is full-timing across the USA in a fifth wheel. Most full-timers opt for the Class A (they look like school buses). One day, when we aren't full-timing with six children, we will probably go with a Class A RV; they're built more like a house.

In the meantime, we needed the space of a fifth wheel for eight people and two giant dogs. Getting rid of the dogs or the children was not an option. A fifth wheel with the "arctic package" (able to withstand extreme temperatures) was an excellent option for our family with one hangup. The fifth wheel hitch is a 5,000-pound hitch, which means that should the fifth wheel be rear-ended with force greater than 5,000 pounds, the hitch would snap, and the Raptor would fly forward and smash into the truck cab. In the best-case scenario, it's a quick beheading.

I know that is graphically morbid, but it's a "thing," and one we want to avoid.

That left us with two options, and both are excellent choices: (1) Drop a steal plate behind the passenger area of a big 'ol truck or (2) Drive a semi that sits higher and is superiorly designed for all towing needs. Most semis will haul 80,000 pounds. Plus, they are built to go for 2 million miles before it is considered an "old" truck.

Extra benefits for our family choosing a semi to pull the Raptor are:

Extra sleeping space for when Zeke or Abby come to visit

Extra storage space for the gear of 8 people and two dogs

Never need to worry about the weight we are towing

Secondary job opportunity should the need arise

This is an example of what we're thinking when we say a semi pulling a fifth wheel. Many people will put a smart car on the back of the semi. We won't get a smart car (no way), but we would love to put a gator on the back so Bill could use it to haul his tools to campsites.

And that brings me to what happened last night. Tucson has a highly accredited truck driving school. People from all over the USA come here to train, and yesterday evening, they had a "Meet n' Greet." Bill and I attended with the intent to resolutely remove it as a possibility or solidify his resolve to get his CDL and buy a semi.

The latter happened, and I do not know why more kids out of high school don't take this route. Did you know that within 4 weeks, you are employable with starting salaries of around 60k? If you opted for the 4 - 5 month professional course, the salary is about 120k. Plus you'd have the opportunity to travel and see the world, how cool is that?

Not only do you learn to drive a semi, but you're also a diesel mechanic and certified to drive anything with wheels, including triples and hazmat. It seems pretty fun to me. Our faces during the meet-and-greet clearly showed our excitement.

The school gets super excited when retired vets show up to train. They said, "Vets don't call in sick because they have a hangnail, so all the trucking companies love to fight over hiring Vets."

Once they stopped drooling over Bill, they turned their attention towards me. They offered me a scholarship to get my CDL because I was a woman, and they were "in desperate need of more female drivers." I'm unsure why gender matters for truck driving, but there you have it, lol. I was tempted for a few hours, but at the end of the day, I'm pretty happy with my current jobs. Maybe once the kids leave the house, I'll be bored.

With all this new information constantly coming at us, we are in massive prayer over what to do. Whatever our decision, I'm confident it will be an adventure with an epically sweet tow vehicle. Optimus Prime...just a thought for a paint job. 😉