We decided this was as good a time as any to head for Red Bay and get some routine things taken care of on Phannie. She needed her annual service on her engine and genset, and the local facilities weren't too crowded yet, as it is yet a little early for the spring snowbird migration of Tiffin owners heading back north. If you own a Tiffin motorhome, it is only a matter of time until you make a pilgrimage to Red Bay, the tiny factory town just inside the state line in northwest Alabama. I won't go more into the Tiffin experience now, but you can read more about it from a previous post here.
Our first stop was at Bay Diesel, a local provider of motorhome engine and chassis service that has probably done more of these with motorhomes than, well, just about anyone. They still do business with the small town ethics that you would expect in the rural Bible belt, and I do not question anything they recommend as they do a thorough look at all the systems.
Fortunately, Phannie came through with flying colors. All that was needed this time was the basic fluid and filter changes.
As luck would have it, we found out through the grapevine that a number of our Tiffin Bluebonnet club members were also in town with their coaches. Naturally, we did what we always do when we get together--eat! We trekked about ten miles south of Red Bay to Reeves Steak and Fish House, where we had a nice get together with our friends:
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| Club members in this photo (besides us) were Diane and Chip (near left) and Shirleen and Hank (near right). Members Richard and Patsy were there, but Richard was taking the photo and Patsy is visible just beyond Sandy. Friends Lynn, Ed, Art and Gerry also joined us. |
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| From left: Patsy, Sandy, Diane, Chip, Richard and Moi. |
The national Tiffin Allegro owners' club has a rather robust constellation of local area chapters across the country. There are several in Texas, and joining the Bluebonnet club has provided us with some very special friendships with people who have a common interest. If you enjoy the social aspects of RVing, then maybe an owners' club is something you would enjoy.
On a rainy Saturday, Sandy had the idea that she needed to organize the storage cabinets above the couch in Phannie. These had become a bit of a rat's nest in more than a year of fulltiming, and she managed to redo the contents in such a way that we ended up with a bunch of extra space. Fortunately, one of the hallmarks of a Tiffin motorhome is the company's dedication to providing massive storage space, but there is a downside in that stuff gets pushed to the back that really should have been thrown away. Sandy made short work of this, and I found myself making a couple of trips to the dumpster. Oddly, she actually enjoys organizing things, God love her; it's just that they don't always stay organized when I'm around.
We will be in Red Bay a few more days as we take care of some more minor service items, then we'll be making our way back to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for routine doctor visits. After that, we'll be heading to Conroe to see the kids:
Perhaps I should mention that you can still get a 15 percent discount on any Strongback chair by going to http://www.strongbackchair.com and using the code "PhannieAndMae15" when you order.
Just so you'll know, I don't get a kickback from Strongback; I just like their chairs because of their good back support.
Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.
It is nice to get your rig all checked over and given a clean bill of health, get together with friends and socialize. Now to enjoy some family time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, George. I'm glad life is good for you guys, too.
DeleteWorked out good to get there a little bit before the crowds hit. That place really gets busy. Jim's working on getting the Bungalow all ready to go. Always some kind of maintenance thing to be done on these rigs we call home.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sandie! There's always something to tweak on these things. I wish I had as much mechanical savvy as Jim.
DeleteWe always go to Freightliner in Gaffney for our RV service but next time we go to Redbay I think I'll try Bay Diesel. I heard a rumor that the parking/wait sites are now paved. instead of the dusty,dirty, potholed, rutted sites the used to be when we were there 2 years ago.
ReplyDeleteCan you confirm or deny? Thanks
No, unfortunately, their parking area isn't paved, but at least they've graded it. We didn't experience any potholes this time.
DeleteSorry I meant the parking/camping sites at the Tiffin waiting area. Not at Bay Diesel. Also meant to tell ya that if your ever stuck at Tiffin service over a weekend, head up to Toshimingo State Park with your rig and stay there the weekend. Really nice quiet camping and its just a stone through away. We would go head over there Friday afternoon and return Sunday afternoon, if we could get a late checkout.It was a relief to get out of the Tiffin camp after a long stay for repairs.
ReplyDeleteThat's it for now.
Oops! I should have read your second comment before answering the first one; My bad! We didn't notice any improvements in the factory campground's parking area, so I'm thinking that was just a rumor. I hadn't heard of Tishomingo S.P., but it sounds like a great idea. We really prefer to stay at the satellite parks in Red Bay due to the issues you mentioned and less crowding and noise.
DeleteI put a row of paper towels in the back of the Alfa storage cabinets. It keeps th essentials reachable, is not heavy, and I always have PT available. Right now, since we have been in one place for months, the supply is really low and if we drove things would really shift around. Time for a COSTCO run before we leave!
ReplyDeleteRe: Routine repairs, You have to keep up on all the little stuff just like on a house.