A drive and... oh, crap!

With all but the last minute stuff done (dumping holding tanks, putting away utilities, etc), Joan suggested a drive (as in the car, not the scoots) to Custer for one last really great burger.  She didn't have to ask twice.

The cargo trailer is packed...

We put away all the patio furniture, and Rufus got a morning outing.  Then, off to Custer for lunch.  We didn't take the fun curvy roads, because they wouldn't be that fun in the CR-V.  Driving through Hill City, we saw this...

Smart to do construction after tourist season winds down.  It was pretty quiet there.  Then, on to Custer.  We put our name in at Black Hills Burger and Bun Co, and wandered around town while waiting for a table...

That is one of the artist painted buffaloes that adorn town.  No, that is not "life size"... well, unless it is a youngster buffalo.  While shopping, we got a text that our table was ready, so we hurried back to the restaurant; seemed to be the only place in town that was really busy.  As always, the food was great, the service friendly.  We decided to drive through part of Custer State Park on the way back.  A bit a fall color...

Still mostly green though.  A pleasant drive, but not as much fun as with the scoots.  We did see a couple real buffalo...

And a pretty view of a pond by the Game Lodge Campground...

Back at Hart Ranch, we rotated the cargo trailer so we could hook it up to the CR-V, then backed it further into the site so we'll have room to get the motorhome out first thing in the morning for an oil change...

That spacious site feels a bit snug with the trailer back that far.  We hooked the lights up, tested the trailer lights, and... nothing.  Oh, crap.  I had cleaned all the connections yesterday, but was careful to not knock anything out of place.  We fussed with it a bit, then I decided to call Blake's Trailer Sales and Repair - where we bought that trailer.  It was already 3:45 pm, and the guy in service said, "If you can have it here in 10 minutes, we'll take a look at it today."

"I'll be there as quick as I can - might be 11 minutes."  I drove as fast as a guy should without any trailer lights!?!  It was close, and I was told to pull the rig around to their service bay.  A gruff service guy came out and said, "Let's see what we have."  After a few minutes of checking everything, he said, "Your lights are shot."

"Can you replace them yet today?"

"Sure, but you have a bunch of lights - those big ones are about $25 or $30 each."

I said, "Let's do it."

He went into the shop, came out with a hand full of new LED lights and said, "I was wrong on the price... they are $20 each."

"Even better."

The problem was corrosion behind the lights where they are grounded to the trailer.  Over time, one by one, they crapped out.  Today was their last gasp.  He went after those lights like an Indy pit crew: replaced the 4 large LED clusters and 7 marker lights.  As he drilled out the rivet where each light is grounded, the light would flicker, then dim... and most of the old lights in the cluster didn't work.  With new lights all around, the trailer looks almost new - traffic behind us will definitely see us now.

In and out of there in about 30 minutes!  I was impressed, and the price was reasonable.  Back to Hart Ranch; a Rufus walk, put away a few more things, and after showers, we'll put away as much of the utilities as we can to make less work in the morning.