Sunday, March 21, 2010 Lorraine’s report
It’s another wet, cold gray day here in Red Bay Alabama. I sure wish they were done with our rig so we could get out of here, but it looks like we will be here for the better part of this next week. We have had the sun come out two days this week and it even warmed up to the high 60’s.
I also wish I was feeling better, since it’s been two weeks since I got ill. I had a call on Wednesday from the Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner. She called me back with test results taken the previous week. It turned out my stomach problems were the result of a bacteria in my system, probably picked up at a salad bar someplace. At least that’s what she said. She ordered a round of strong antibiotics which I am still taking. She also prescribed a strong cough syrup for the cold I picked up in her office. I’m hoping this week I will start feeling better; Chuck too. He’s picked up the cold from me.
We spent Monday in Bruce Deaton's paint shop. Bruce did a great job on the coach. The rest of the week we were here at the campground, waiting to go into bay 9 for Chuck’s short list of stuff to be done.
We made it into bay 9 on Friday at 7:15 and were out of there by 10 am or so. We still are waiting for the window; it was suppose to be ordered, but it was lost or not ordered, any how it’s still not installed.
Chuck washed the rig since it was sunny that day. Then we had a call around 12:15 from the paint shop to bring the rig into bay 20 for painting. The young man completed painting the front end that afternoon.
On the up side, we visited with Barb/Pat before they left and also Bill/Michele from Spokane, WA before they left yesterday. Safe travels to all of you.
We still need the diamond shield installed on the rig and they need to repaint the car’s front end and install the diamond shield on it; also the window.
I hope this finds everyone healthy……until next time…..Lorraine
3/21/10 Chuck’s report
It was a slow week for us as far as getting much work done on the coach. We were here two years ago and had to adjust to Alabama work speed and and gain an understand of the scheduling here at Tiffin’s repair shop. We had to readjust once again for this visit but Tiffin’s scheduling could sure use some help, it gets exasperating at times.
Lorraine seems to have almost gotten over her stomach bug thing but caught a cold while in the doctor’s office. It took awhile but now I have a cold too so neither of us feels like doing much this weekend. The weather on Thursday and Friday was nice but it clouded over and the wind picked up yesterday. It started raining last night and continues though today which keeps us inside too. Oh well, into each life some rain must fall - - - -
Back on Thursday, March 4th we were in Tiffin’s repair shop in bay #9 and the tech was able to get some of our work list completed. Usually, they want you to continue with your tech until your list is complete but we had made prior appointments with Brannon Hutcheson, an ex-Tiffin employee who started his own repair shop and at Bruce Deaton’s paint shop. They agreed to let us continue work at bay #9 when we finished with the other places, we would just have to wait until he was available.
So from Friday the 5th thru this Monday, the 15th, we were at, or waiting for, different shops for repairs. Our tech here worked on different coaches until we were ready to return. Monday we finished up at Bruce’s paint shop, he had completed all our fiberglass repairs, sanded, painted, re-caulked as needed and still was under our insurance deductable. Of course, most of the work was warranty work and Tiffin will pay for that but still we were satisfied both with his work and his price.
After getting back to the campground I walked over to let the tech know we were ready when they were. The Tech said he had to finish with the coach he was working on first but we would be next, maybe as early as Tuesday afternoon. Well, that stretched into maybe Wednesday morning, then Wednesday afternoon, then possibly Thursday morning then hopefully Thursday afternoon. Like I said, we had to get readjusted to Tiffin’s scheduling.
The tech was apologetic, seems the owners added a few items and he had more work on some items than he thought but we were still in a holding pattern. Finally, when he came over to our coach on Thursday Lorraine told him how unsatisfied we were over this (lack of) scheduling and asked if we could get into a different bay or something. Amazingly, a couple of hours later we were told to report to Bay 9 on Friday morning at 07:15.
So once back in the bay on Friday, we went over the remaining items on our list. We agreed not to do any tile or grout work but wanted our last window replaced and some basement doors realigned. We had pre-ordered five windows for replacement a couple of weeks before our appointment but they made one wrong one and didn’t make this one. It was re-ordered back on the 4th and was supposed to be ready for installation when we got back in the repair bay. Well, it appears the gal who orders windows is out on pregnancy leave and the gal that was taking her place “forgot” to order it. So the only work we had done was our basement doors realigned and we left the bay as unhappy campers.
I drove the coach over to the wash area and took out some of my frustrations on the dirt. While I was working on it, our fiend Bill overheard someone say that our window was in?? I hurried back to the tech and yes, it had been ordered but misplaced. I talked with the foreman and he will get us back in the first available service bay. After I finished the wash job, we drove the coach back to our spot but didn’t set up, just in case we got called in for window replacement.
I took Misty out for a walk and when I got back Lorraine said we were to report to the paint shop ASAP. Seems we did get on the paint shop wait list and they were able to work on us Friday afternoon. The paint tech was able to finish all the repair/repaint needed on the front end so we could get the Diamond Shield installed on Tuesday after everything has had a change to dry and cure. But of course they couldn’t install the window while we were in the paint shop so we missed the next opening.
Monday evening Chris Berry, the afterhours cabinetmaker, came by to swap out our front Television. We had a 32” that had been giving us trouble in the past and bought a 37” to replace it. The removal and installation was fairly simply and thanks to prior training from our friend Mark, I was able to get all the wires connected. He had to come back on Tuesday evening to finish up some cabinet work and add some trim pieces.
Tuesday we made a quick trip to Russellville Wal-Mart for some supplies and I got another HDMI cable to hook up the DVD player to the new TV, hoping to make the wiring job cleaner and easier. Chris showed up about dark, we pulled the TV and re-wired it and everything works. He does very good work at a good price plus he used to work on the assembly line and understands how these coaches are made. Once again we were pleased with his work and price.
So now I have the 32” TV in the box and I will attempt to install it in the basement compartment later. I have an idea of how I will mount it, will have to see how that works out when I get started. Just one more item to add to my honey do list.
Two years ago when we were here the first time, I had Diamond Shield installed on the front of our coach and the front of our car. This is a heavy plastic film that is put over the paint and protects it from rock chips. As we knew we were going to drive to Alaska, having this product installed seemed like a good idea.
I asked the DS tech here to take a look at our coach and car and see what he thought of the DS. Last week he took a look at the front of our coach and found the original installation wasn’t correct and it had some damage also. He agreed to replace it under warranty. This week he looked at the car and agreed it was in bad shape and needed replaced also.
Unfortunately, last week when he peeled off the DS on the coach some of the paint was damaged and needed to be repainted. This has to be repainted at Tiffin but they will not schedule you into the paint shop until you are done with your tech in the repair bay.
On Tuesday he peeled the DS off the car and we found lots of “pock marks” in the paint. He agreed to have the front end repainted under warranty also, only problem is we can’t get into that paint shop downtown until tomorrow (Monday) morning and they have to keep our car overnight.
So for this week, we should get our last remaining window replaced, Diamond Shield installed on the coach, the front of the car repainted and Diamond Shield installed on it after it dries and cures. I think we may be able to leave here by Thursday, maybe Friday.
We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, just hope it isn’t a train coming our way. Two years ago when we had the DS first installed, they damaged the paint twice and we had to have the front end repainted and waited until it was dry and cured each time. They have a different tech doing this work now, sure hope we don’t have a re-occurrence like last time.
So for now our plans are to finish up here at Red Bay then head to Huntsville for a few day. Our grand daughter’s 5th birthday is coming up the middle of next month. She has already been calling Nana to make sure she remembers and will be there. Lorraine is flying out to California from Nashville and I will stay with the coach while she’s gone. We have reservations to stay at Natchez Trace 1000 Trails, maybe I’ll get some of my honey do list completed while I’m waiting for her to return.
So that was our week. I don’t have many pictures but will add a few.
Not a good picture but that’s Barb/Pat and Bill/Michele, they’ve left here already.
The coach taped off and being painted on the front end for Diamond Shield replacement.
So that was our week, hope you had a good one.
Thanks Chuck
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