Last Train to Trucksville

After we bought the RV, we needed to buy a truck to tow it. Bill did all the research and shopping around. I went with, but he was the one who did all the hard work. He’s good like that. As you know, we decided on a Ram 2500 with a 6.4 Hemi engine. What you don’t know is that, even though we live in Long Island, we bought the truck from a dealer in Kingston, NY. Kingston is a good 2 hours north by car. 

Danny Boy

Begnal Motors did not just offer the best deal, they also offered the most comprehensive customer service. They are still operating on old fashioned principles. I have always hated car buying. It’s a torturous, frustrating experience. Not this time. These guys are fantastic and remain so a year after our purchase. We still keep in touch with our salesman, Dan. https://www.facebook.com/Begnal.Motors.cpov

Because of the great distance, when it was time to pick up the truck, we planned on driving up in our Honda. Bill would drive the truck back while I drove the Honda. I am not the most experienced long distance driver and the trip back would have been a challenge. I would have done it, but I wouldn’t have liked it. But what choice did we have? Well, the guys at Begnal offered us another option. They suggested we take the train to Poughkeepsie, half an hour from Kingston, and they would arrange for someone to pick us up. Not only did this make things easier for us, but it made for an exciting adventure.

Grand Central Station

It was late November. The day started out clear and sunny, but chilly. We took the LIRR to Penn Station, rode one stop on the local subway to Grand Central Station, then boarded the Metro North. I had never been to Grand Central before. I have lived in the NYC area my entire life, but I’m a downtown girl. I’m comfortable there. When I’m uptown I feel like a tourist. After nearly two hours of the most stunning scenic views, we arrived in Poughkeepsie. It was bitterly cold and snowing. Jim was our ride to Kingston. He was a lovely man, and as we chatted, we learned he was retired and worked part time moving cars for Begnal.

We pulled into the dealer’s parking lot and our truck was parked right by front the door. The paperwork was quickly completed. Keys in hand, we climbed into our beautiful new pick-up for the first time. Dan took us through all the features and even set up our phones on Bluetooth. Then he offered to take us out to celebrate. We drove to a spot a few blocks away and the three of use toasted our new purchase. 

Brown Betty

We spent the night at my brother-in-law’s in Lexington. The next morning we drove our Brown Betty home. The heated seats kept my buns nice and toasty all the way.

-Diane

Truckin'

I have begun the daunting process of learning to drive our pick-up truck. I need to do this for several reasons. I may never tow the RV, but when we’re camping I can not leave all the local running around to Bill. It wouldn’t be fair. Especially because he does all of the long haul driving. Also, what if an emergency occurs? Using the truck when we’re home will definitely come in handy. But, most importantly, conquering my fear will bring me a great sense of accomplishment.

The truck stands 6’ 6” high, is 22’ long and weighs 10,000 lbs. I am 5' 1½”. I have no corresponding length, but I’m a person of great depth. My weight is nobody’s business. All you need to know is that it’s considerably less than the truck’s. I could not be more intimidated by the prospect of driving this beautiful beast.

I didn’t get my license until I was in my late 20’s and didn’t use it regularly until my early 30’s. My late start has left me feeling less than confident in my driving abilities. I make up for that with caution. I am afraid I will not be able to handle such a large vehicle. My biggest fear is that I’ll make a mistake and damage the truck in some way. So, I’m taking things nice and slow. 

For my first lesson Bill took me to a large empty parking lot and ran me through some drills. I did OK. Better than I expected. He gave me an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Next step - local street driving. I’ve assured my family and friends I will give them plenty of notice so they can plan to stay indoors during this phase.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

-Diane