Phannie

Phannie
Photo taken near Monument Valley, Utah

Thursday, June 18, 2020

An Eventful Trip to Red Bay - Lunch with Bob Tiffin!

At Red Bay Downtown RV Park, Red Bay, Alabama...

Sometimes I forget that new readers may not have looked back through all the posts I've made about Red Bay, the tiny town in northwest Alabama that is the home of the Tiffin Motorhome factory, so I'll take a moment to explain that we have a long history of visiting Red Bay. A few years ago, Tiffin had to limit its factory service to newer motorhomes because of the constraints on their ability to expand and acquire technicians to fulfill the demand for service. Tiffin currently has 53 service bays, but these are still not sufficient to handle the ever-increasing number of their popular motor coaches.  When Phannie became too elderly to qualify for factory service, we simply began to turn to outside service providers in the local area who, in almost all cases, are former Tiffin employees and whose work is often superior to that of the factory. 

After an uneventful trip to Red Bay, it felt good to step back in time once again--the feeling we get when we arrive in this tiny rural burg. It is a place where there seems to be little concern with Covid-19. Yes, most of the businesses have installed little plastic screens and marked off some tables in restaurants, but we've rarely seen anyone wear a mask, and there doesn't seem to be much social distancing taking place. The pandemic apparently isn't terribly worrisome to the inhabitants because there appears to be little, if any, incidence of the disease here. No one to whom I've spoken knows anyone who's been sick. Yep, rural America has a lot going for it. If you don't watch TV news (which I generally don't anymore--and feel much better because of it), it's easy to forget the strife and turmoil that seems to be everywhere else in the outside world.

Our first order of business was to get parked at the downtown RV parking lot next door to Bruce Deaton's Custom Paint and Auto Body--probably the premier facility of its kind anywhere when it comes to quality work. Bruce's lot holds four motorhomes with full hookups, and we selected our spot and backed in alongside two other rigs awaiting service:



We couldn't help but be amused at Bruce's whimsical attachment of the rear cap of a Phaeton to the brick wall at the rear of his lot, giving the appearance that a motorhome had run almost fully into the building. It certainly marked Bruce's territory but, since it is a much newer model, it made our Phannie seem quite outdated. I hope her feelings weren't hurt.


Prior to our arrival, we had been instructed to have Phannie ready to go into the shop at 6:00 a.m.! Yes, you read that correctly. We were shocked to find that hour is indeed on the clock and, in my Zombie-like stupor, it was lucky that the shop was only a half-block drive from the parking lot! This also meant that we needed to vacate Phannie for the rest of the day. So, we hopped in Mae and drove over to the Ole Country Store in nearby Belmont to have breakfast, which is served in the back of a convenience store.  One of the large tables was occupied by a gathering of older men who obviously knew each other, judging from their friendly rapport and constant chiding of each other. We sat at a separate table and took it all in. The banter was humorous and clearly a daily staple of these guys. This was a place and a ritual untouched by the strife and concerns that seem to be everywhere else in the country. We lingered over our breakfast, not wanting to leave and go back to the real world.  The breakfast? Eggs, bacon and sausage, perfectly cooked, with biscuits the size of a cereal bowl, and all of it ridiculously cheap.

After breakfast, we drove over to Tupelo to pick up one of Sandy's prescriptions and do a little shopping--her idea of how best to kill time. We also had to stop in at a favorite bakery, Simply Sweet by Margurite. We picked up a couple of treats that we won't mention to our doctors, but the goodies there were, oh, so good. (Yes, it's on our list of favorite restaurants on this blog).

We slowly made our way back to Red Bay to see what was going on with Phannie and saw that she had been pulled into a bay and was already taped for painting the top of the rear cap. The engine access doors had also been removed for painting. Over the years, the tops of the front and rear caps, along with the tops of the engine access panels, had had some sun damage to the paint. (The cap is the front or rear of the motorhome--these are attached at the factory as a single unit and are, for that reason, known as "caps.") 


After leaving Bruce's shop when the job was done, we took a good look at his handiwork. In these photos, you can see that the discoloration on the top of the rear cap is gone and the rear engine access doors look like new. I didn't get a photo of the front cap, but it looks great, too:



I also asked them to repair my right front wheel well, from which a chunk of fiberglass had been gouged out by an unfortunate parking incident in Palm Springs back in the winter. No, I didn't feel a need to take a photo of the damage, as it was too minor to report to insurance, but my embarrassment may have been more the reason. Anyway, you can see from this photo that the repair is perfect, so no one will ever know that I did something stupid. Well, I guess you'll know, won't you, but I'm counting on you to keep it to yourselves.


The next item on the agenda was a visit to Bay Diesel, right there in Red Bay, my most trusted chassis service facility and probably the most experienced. I'm sure they lost count many years ago of the thousands of Tiffin motorhomes they've serviced. They are meticulous about checking everything mechanical, and they can tell immediately if something is not as it should be. Fortunately, Phannie's drive train and chassis components looked very good, with only a couple of minor parts changed out besides the engine and generator oil and lube service. Bay Diesel's shop isn't much to look at, but their work is beyond reproach, in my book:


If you've read this blog for a long time, you will have seen many entries about Phannie's meticulous servicing. At more than 100,000 miles, the old girl runs today better than ever, and her mechanical problems have been remarkably few. The key to her dependability, I'm convinced, is my obsession with proper maintenance done on schedule or perhaps even before it is due. I also carry some spare parts (filters, belts, etc.), just in case they may be needed sometime.

We had the good fortune to meet up with Don and Linda Cochrane, members of our RV club, who were also in Red Bay for some work. We've had a few dining-out experiences plus trips to some of the more quaint attractions in the area--the first of which was the Coon Dog Cemetery. Since we don't have any pets, and our interest in animals is not what you would call robust, this is probably not something we would have gone to see had it not been for the energy and exploratory bent of the Cochranes.  However, we did find it quite fascinating that there would be a cemetery anywhere devoted entirely to coon dogs:


Here's a photo of Linda, Don and Sandy near one of the more elaborate gravestones:


Here is the inscription on that gravestone. I didn't understand everything I was reading, but this dog's history appeared to be impressive:


I don't know if you can read the last lines of the inscription, but it says, "Dottie produced 25 titled pups which is more than any English female, past or present." Dottie's life was short--only nine years--but she left quite a legacy, I would say.

Here's another example of a unique gravestone we saw:


I'm not sure if "Grnitech" was the name of the hound, but I'm glad he or she had a longer life than Dottie.


I especially liked this gravestone, as it had photo of the hound.  Nice touch.

Here's an overall view of about half the cemetery:


Here's the gravestone of "Troop," the first dog to be buried in this cemetery in 1937:


The requirements for a coon dog to be buried in this cemetery are strict. He or she must have had at least three witnessed treeings, and there may be some other requirements. So these were not just run-of-the-mill hounds; they were stars in their own way and obviously loved by their owners during their lifetimes. It's apparently a big deal around here, and we were appropriately respectful.

After visiting the graveyard, Don and Linda took us to the Rattlesnake Inn for what could only be described as a unique dining experience. The restaurant is inside a cave in the middle of nowhere and can only be accessed by walking down a very steep hill or be transported down and up the hill in the back of a pickup. We chose the pickup, of course.

The restaurant was laid out with proper social distancing in the mouth of a very large cave where it was shady and cool, even though the temperature atop the precipice was in the 90s.

Sandy, Linda and Don had some delicious large burgers, and I had chicken wings. It was all very good. Here are some photos:


Inside the cave looking out:


Nice carvings of the restaurant's namesake rattlesnakes:


Naturally, there has to be some bathroom humor:


It was all great fun and a part of rural Alabama that we would otherwise have missed.  Thank you, Don and Linda!

You thought I'd never get to the lunch with Bob Tiffin, right?  Well, if I had mentioned it at the beginning of the post, then you probably wouldn't have read anything else up to this point, missing all the valuable? information up to now.

Before we get into that, I have to hand it to my friend Don, who has certain qualities that make it difficult for people to say 'no' to him. I won't go into those qualities here, but just trust me on this.  Like so many of our friends, he and his dear wife, Linda, have hearts of gold, and I'm pretty sure there's not anything they wouldn't do to help someone in need. I will never forget the time about a year ago when Sandy and I took a terrible fall in Fredericksburg, resulting in my right shoulder being wrecked and the loss of most of the use of my right arm. Don and Linda came over to help me prepare Phannie for travel,  and Don even offered to drive the bus to Houston for me where I could get medical help. Perhaps not too wisely, I turned down his offer, feeling that I had just enough use of my arm to make the trip. Other friends in our group were equally helpful in other ways during this mishap. The kindness of these folks will be something I will always remember and cherish.  

I'm not sure how he did it, but Don wrangled a lunch at Subway with Bob Tiffin and his grandson, Brock, who also works at the factory. Now, if you don't know who Bob Tiffin is, you don't know much about motorhomes, so I won't bother with an introduction here:


Ugh! My incompetence in taking a selfie photo certainly shows here. I wish I had gotten a photo of everyone at the table, but my mug in the photo provides proof of our dining with motorhome royalty. It was our first meeting with Bob, as he insists to be called, and I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to eat lunch with him. Thanks again, Don.

I might offer this advice to any reader who runs a business that is dependent upon the loyalty and goodwill of customers: The fact that Bob Tiffin would take time from his day to have lunch with strangers like us who don't own one of his top-end coaches is all that needs to be said about how to win customer loyalty. On the way out of the restaurant, he thanked us profusely for having lunch with him and for our business. He may be one of a dying breed, but he is the real deal when it comes to making a customer feel like a friend. This was a lunch I won't soon forget! 

Our next maintenance adventure involved a trip out in the country to Craig Ozbirn's shop, where he works on tile flooring in motorhomes. Craig works at Tiffin during the day doing the same thing, and he does motorhome floor repairs on the side after his workday ends. We had a few cracked tiles, and he started to work right away when we arrived:


The work is quite laborious, taking about an hour per tile, so this was not an inexpensive repair, but much needed.  When he finished, he sent us away with blue tape around the new tiles with an admonition to avoid stepping on them until the next day:



Judging from Sandy's assessment of the look of the new tiles against the older ones, it appears some grout cleaning is in my future. However, that sounds like a job for a grandson, doesn't it? Grandpa pays pretty well. 

We feel very lucky to have had the company of Don and Linda during most of our stay in Red Bay. We hope to see them again soon.


We will be beginning our trek westward from here--ending up in the Rocky Mountains for most of the summer. Be sure and ride along with us. We'll even have a little surprise for you on the way!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; 
please forgive me if I fail to appreciate it each day as I should.

We don't stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing. 
 ---George Bernard Shaw

"I get up every morning, and I just don't let the old man in." ---Clint Eastwood









23 comments:

  1. Hello dear friends. We will be in Estes Park Aug 22 to August 29 so please try to visit. We'll be sharing a beautiful 2 br cabin with Trent and Teresa.

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    1. Oh no! Our reservation there is in late July! We should have coordinated better. We will be in Durango during that time, durn it, and we're caravaning with friends with reservations--well, you know how hard they are to get. Maybe we'll do better next time. Enjoy your stay, and say hello to Trent and Teresa.

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  2. What an enjoyable post! Enjoy that cool weather in CO!

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    1. Thank you, Cheri. We always enjoy our visits to the mountains in the summer.

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  3. After you (or some poor grandsons) finish cleaning the grout, you will be really surprised at how nice the floor of the coach will look. We didn't even know our tile was dirty (discolored) until we had some tiles replaced. Enjoy Colorado, but I hear it's only going to get into the low 70's during the summer here in Texas.... but who knows!!!!

    Drive safely.

    Richard and Patsy

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    1. I know it's not in your nature, but I do believe you may be speaking with forked tongue, my friend. Low 70s? Really? Wish you could join us; we could find you a therapist up there.

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  4. So, for the grout cleaning... Get yourself a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner gel, pour it on the grout, rub it in with stiff grout brush and let set for about 15 to 30 min. Then, wipe off and repeat until all grout lines have been cleaned. Once completed, put some of the toilet bowl cleaner in a bucket of hot water with a little Dawn, and give the whole floor a good scrubbing. I, personally, would then use "Future" and give the floor a good coat for a beautiful shine...

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    1. Good information! Looks like the boys will be busy! Thanks!

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  5. The Rattlesnake Inn looks like fun, but I'd give up that opportunity to have lunch with Bob Tiffin any day - and we don't even own a coach. There is much to be said for business men and women of integrity, who truly appreciate their customers and do right by them. So, is it just me, or do you and Bob really look like you could be cousins?

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    1. No, I'm afraid my image as a 'hunk' has distracted you from the grin on Bob's face that we don't share. In Bob's case, that is actually not a grin but a grimace from sitting on his wallet.

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  6. Ok, I have to ask. What's it cost for the front and end caps to get re-done. I ask because i need it done to and that is where I will go to get it done. Email me if you would rather not mention it in the blog! Cool that you had lunch with Bob!

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    1. The total cost for the cap tops, the engine access doors and the small damage to the wheel wheel well was $1350. The bill wasn't itemized. My guess is that if you just do the top of the caps it would be a bit less than a grand.

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  7. Mike,
    Glad you're all doing well with the virus in rural America.Just wondering if maybe your views on the likelihood of encountering the virus is incredibly low,might have changed a bit as Texas and Arizona are increasingly having difficulty in finding an empty ICU bed ?

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    1. Well, perhaps. I hear so many conflicting statistics that I don't know what to believe. I suspect that many cases and deaths normally attributable other maladies to are forced to be categorized as Covid-caused if there is any sign of the presence of the virus in the patient. I don't rule out anything for the sake of political advantage.

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    2. You know better than I,there are two basic ways by which you can cause an airplane to assume a new heading; either by using the ailerons to bank, or by using the rudder to skid. Normally these are used together in a coordinated turn, but if you're really in a pinch, either one can be used to turn (but watch that stall speed). This is one crude example of fault tolerance, since either the ailerons or the rudder can fail and you are still able to make a turn (other effects of the failure, or other effects from the cause of the failure, notwithstanding). — Redundancy, on the other hand, would be more like if you had multiple independent sets of rudders and ailerons, each with its own, independent control system.Keep an open mind and stay safe.

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  8. Howdy Mike, We were in Bruce's lot while the end cap was finding its new home attached to the wall. Every day it would be adorned with a new item, illuminated lighting, mud flap, tow bar. Our 2005 Phaeton (Titanium Pearl - but more white than yours) looked ancient in town until some of the new Bus models sporting a very similar paint scheme would drive past. The town was still somewhat locked down & while we could order take out @ most restaurants, the Rattlesnake Saloon was sadly closed completely. My bride & I have dined with Mr. Tiffin a few times, but we rarely share those experiences as we doubt anyone would believe us.

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    1. I'm sorry it took so long to reply. When they went to the new Blogger format, they goofed up the automatic notification to me when I have a comment. This is not helpful at all! We're very sentimental about Phannie, and I'm pleased to know that you have a coach from the "good" years, too. And to think you've dined with Bob more than once...you're right, no one would believe you. Thank you for your comment; I'm always grateful to hear from readers.

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  9. Replies
    1. Thank you! I appreciate so much your reading and riding along with us.

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  10. So enjoyed your excursion through Red Bay....we are never in a hurry to leave! But we have never had the good fortune to meet or dine with Bob Tiffin.....you ole devil, how do you make this stuff happen! We will definitely seek out the Rattlesnake restaurant on our next trip, that really looks interesting! Enjoy Colorado and y’all be safe, we miss you!

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    1. We miss y'all a bunch! It was good to talk with you on the phone the other day. We've got to get together in September, if you're around. We're going to be near Austin for a good part of the month then.

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  11. I really enjoy reading your Blog. So sorry to hear surgery is in both of your futhures but you got to do what ya got to do. Glad you are staying safe. WoW, now I can say I know some big shots who rub elbows with RV royality... That is so awesome to have lunch with Bob Tiffin and gs Brock. I'm a little jealous. lol Maybe some day. We miss y'all... Safe travels, see ya next yr.

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