Thursday - morning

Just didn't sleep well again. I mean, I got some sleep just not quality sleep.  

Got up a little later than normal for the early load, they don't want me there before 10 am because they need time to drain out one of the giant tanks enough to be able to accept a truckload into it.  In reality, they wouldn't have taken this load at all if they had been able to call it in in time to cancel it before they loaded me in Lufkin.  

So, the TYM dealer sent me a credit application (I asked for one). No sense in driving down there to find out potentially that I don't even qualify for a loan with whatever lender they are using.  No, I haven't filled it out yet, I just got home and I am certainly not filling it out on my iPhone.  

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Filled out the initial prequal app and it came back saying I am prequalified. What it didn't say was for how much.  That doesn't help me and I don't want to fill out the full app without knowing first.  They do a hard credit check which shows up on your credit profile.  It's usually only 1 or 2 points, I just don't want it on there. The thing that too many credit checks in a short period of time will do is lead lenders to believe that you are desperate and really won't be able to pay back your contractual obligations.  They say credit inquiries are nominal impact, but over the years I have read enough info to assert that in reality? It can seriously ruin your chances of getting a loan for much of anything if there are too many of them on there in X amount period of time.

So I'll wait for the rep to contact me back and presumably have access to that application and tell me how much the qualification is good for.  If I drive down there and find out I can't get what I need, what is the use of it? Waste an hour driving there and back and the fuel.  Why do I want to go down there? Because I have been slowly selling myself on the idea of monthly payments in order to satisfy the need for this particular piece of machinery.  It was a want at first, now it is an absolute need.   

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I am approved for a zero interest loan, but only for 60 months, I am told.  And for 25 hp tractor instead of the 40 plus he was proposing.  Just depends. Does the price of the tractor come down accordingly for this 25 hp and therefore, the payments are still good regardless?  I have to fill out the full credit app to find out, apparently.  I'll think about it today while driving all over the place.

First, up to Gurdon to offload, then to ElDo to switch trailers and then back home. Because of needing to dump this trailer in ElDo, it will put me getting home at 5-6 pm instead of the 2-2:30 I normally do.  Unfortunately, the trailer must be fixed. I will not just keep pulling that thing around with the defect on it and I don't feel like waiting at a repair facility for who knows how long before they figure out all the parts they need and then actually locate those parts. Remember, these are old trailers and finding parts for them has proven difficult, as I have found out first hand. 

It can sit in their yard until it's done and anyway, I'm hoping whatever I end up with today? Will actually have air ride on it, not this spring suspension garbage.  You just get bounced around all over the place with that junk. 

I can tell ya I've fairly well sold myself on getting a tractor, btw.  As I said, it's not a want, it's an absolute need and renting one every time, having to get it, use it and turn it back in all in 24 hours gets old.  If I could just get on the thing, do what I need to do and then park it, wouldn't that be better?   I can start clearing the land that has trees growing on it again, undesireable types of trees and even if I wanted them, they are growing all over the place.  Most of them would have to be removed again regardless if I do (will, hopefully) indeed expand the operation.

An online FB group for RV park owners/managers netted me a conversation with the main competitor.  Back and forth, he is not full and apparently no where near it. Many people in that thread complained there are too many RV parks opening up - new ones - and they take away market share and are more desireable for older parks weren't built for these mammoth sized trailers they make nowadays. Way back when, trailers were what, 20-25 feet long? Now they're 42-44 feet, especially fancy 5th wheels?  Those things are literally homes on wheels. They have everything in them.  

Well, fortunately for me, I have a newer park and designed it for those rigs, so my place stays full or if partially empty, it doesn't stay that way for long. The welder vacated 2 days ago, I need that lot filled and another lot vacated yesterday. So, I have 2 lots to get refilled.  

Next lot I install may be even 5 feet longer than what I have now.  Same width tho, I can't afford to lose too much width on each space, I need X amount of lots and that doesn't happen if I give them too much space. And the further you space them apart, the more pipe and underline wire you need, making the cost that much greater.  

Anyway, it got to the discussion about these crazy farmers.  They had stayed at his place last year and he eventually booted them. I am headed the same direction with them, one more instance of them harassing anyone and they can leave.  People in the thread thought they have mental illness.  I dunno, I don't make such judgments online based on limited information and I am not a doctor or psychologist. It's amazing some of the judgments people make on line that have no expertise, skill or education of things they are making judgments about.  But, it's easy to do, I guess, sitting behind a computer or phone screen with no repercussion for your words.  Say whatever, whenever, who cares, right?

Well, it's close to departure time. I intend on arriving right at or just before 10.  I have the extra time to spend today to go to Eldo so I don't want to get there too late.  

G'day