Wednesday, 13 February
Camp Tiffin — Red Bay, Alabama
Temps: Lo 40F / Hi 46F (4C / 8C)
One more thing to do tomorrow — fingers crossed — and we’ll be ready to blow this popsicle stand and move on to the non-Tiffin work we want to have done before we leave Red Bay.
Today was another early day for us. Shortly before 7:00a we were in front of Bay 19, waiting for the door to roll open. Before long, Thomas was waving us in to do the gel coating of the roof.
This was a two step process that included the application of a fiberglass resin mixture, which was subsequently sanded down before a gel-coat was applied to seal the work that was done on the roof.
You can see where the new work has been sealed.
While this work was going on up top, Greg from the carpentry shop was working on the “spindle project” inside the coach. This mod got added to our “list” after an innocent query about why the passenger-side cabinet doors were out of alignment.
Note how the left-side of each of the first two pairs of doors is higher than the right-side.
It turns out that the wood used to make these cabinets has a tendency to sag just about where the third set of doors ends. No visible sagging, but just enough to throw the doors out of alignment. The solution — a spindle, stained to match the cabinets, snug-fitted under the cabinets to provide added support. (By the way, the wood used in the more recent coaches doesn’t have this problem.)
Greg had made such a spindle for us a few days ago, but it had “mysteriously” disappeared. Could it be someone else had a similar problem? Anyway, he was quick to build another spindle and after the stain dried, he came over to Bay 19 to do the installation.
While the craftswoman in the background stains a couple of the spindles,
the two that are already stained are hung to dry.
The spindle project completed.
Can’t say that I am enamored with the design, but it gets the job done.
With the spindle project completed, Thomas declared the gel-coat dry enough for us to return to our site for the day. No sooner were we in place that we got a call to go over to Bay 8 for a small adjustment on the slide rollers. This is one of the “Express” bays where coaches that come here without an appointment are serviced on a first come, first serve basis. While there, they were going to pull out the washing machine as well so that the Whirlpool tech could replace a button. Good thing we called him before they pulled the machine out of the cabinet — the tech was tied up elsewhere. He has promised to stop by tomorrow morning at 8:00a, so looks like we’ll be going back to Bay 8 then.
We took the rest of the afternoon easy, walking over to the Tiffin “second-hand store” to check out the inventory. From what I understand, this is where they put slightly used things that have been pulled out from various coaches. We didn’t find anything we couldn’t live without, but we did confirm something we had heard before coming to Red Bay. Namely that …
… the windshields for Tiffin coaches are manufactured in Turkey!
We don’t have a bay assignment yet for the one last remaining item. But we’ve been assured it’s just a matter of determining whether they’re going to send us to the factory or whether they’re going to take care of it here at the service center. What is it that we want to have done? Well, you’ll just have to wait to read about it in the next installment.
This is all fascinating! Great reporting, as usual.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments about the sagging cabinets. That's the first I had heard about that one. See, you guys might be there longer yet........
ReplyDeleteAaah ... but that's why we're not going to the lounge anymore ... don't want to hear about anything else ;-))))
DeleteSteve,
DeleteThe sagging cabinets problem has been around a couple of years. A new one for the Phaetons is the broken brace under the PS rear area causing some sagging of the body in that corner. See E Squared, you don't avoid problems by just staying away from the customer lounge1!!!!!
It seems like you have been there a long time, but maybe you are already gone.
ReplyDeleteTen service days and two weekends; we'll be gone by the 21st ... fingers crossed.
DeleteVery interesting about the sagging cabinets. Our coach is older than yours and no such problem. Maybe they use different wood in the Bus. Sure have enjoyed your Red Bay Saga and look forward to the next installment :)
ReplyDeleteIn fact, they do use a different wood in the busses.
DeleteJust out from 2 weeks in the Everglades without internet and am sorry to hear you guys are still in the bay. BUT it sounds like soon, all will be well and you will be released. February must be visit to the repair shop month. Several of the folks I follow are stuck at Lazy Days. And another has to go clear to Indiana.
ReplyDeleteAt least you had an excuse for not posting ... I had internet, but am about a week behind. We're done with Tiffin, just getting some other service done at other shops that are experts at servicing Tiffin coaches.
DeleteWe had them make the spindles for us also but we can take them out. We didn't want them in permanently.
ReplyDeleteWe can remove ours as well ... I'll live with them for a while and see how I feel.
Delete