The Cunninghams and their friends go west to help run Marion's injured Uncle Ben's Colorado dude ranch, soon finding that they only have five days to pay the balance on a loan owed to nasty neighbor, H.R. Buchanan, to save it from foreclosure.

With a thousand dollars still needed to save Uncle Ben's dude ranch, Joanie Cunningham has a close call in a runaway wagon and the Fonz eyes the prize for riding the rodeo's killer bull, Diablo.