the Youngest Snowbird:

Three Month Check-Up

It's been just under three months since JohnnyDisco had work done at the Tiffin Mothership in Red Bay, Alabama. This post was delayed since I wanted to make sure everything that we had repaired was still working a few months later.

We dropped off our rig (a 2010 Allegro Open Road) on January 30th, 2012.

Pictured below is what I call 'Camp Tiffin' - a bare parking lot with full hook-ups for customers having warranty work done on their motorhome.

It's free to stay at Camp Tiffin if you've made an appointment, but if you just show up with your rig or you're having post-warranty work done, there is a nightly fee (between $10 and $20 bucks).    

Here's why JohnnyDisco was in for service: 

• large bubble forming on the roof over the fridge
• fridge would not defrost - interior light flickers
• generator needs to be looked at - from day one we couldn't put even half an electric load on it
• rear auto jacks take very long time to store (we need to auto store, auto level and then auto store AGAIN for the back jacks to store) 
• drivers side electric window will open but needs to be pulled up manually to shut it
• rear furnace will not ignite (the furnaces were wired backwards when we first bought JohnnyDisco)
• siliconing: around slides, windows, bathroom sink
• front door: seal on window has been coming off since we bought the unit; seal around door is loose; have to slam to close properly;  screen door was not hung straight;  screen door paint by latch is peeling
• main awning is twisting
• rivets coming loose on corners of slide outs 
• all the bin doors on the two front slides need to be looked at (some won't latch properly, some stick)
• passenger side windshield fluid hose is broken
• passenger side window separating (interior, bottom left)
• screws and seal not properly fixed under bunk slide
• paint peeling/rusting under slide bin doors (latch area)
• wall panels beside fridge loose (both sides)
• black water tank hands free (no fuss flush) is leaking into sewer bay

Keep in mind, we bought a brand new unit less than two years ago and 75% of these problems were discovered within the first few days/months of ownership. Quality control really dropped the ball the day our rig was born. 

As requested, we had left JohnnyDisco at the Tiffin Mothership for two weeks, returning to pick him up on Sat, Feb 11th - but the Tiffin service area was closed for the weekend so we waited 'til Monday to sign off on the paperwork. (Lots of folks complain about the service department being closed on the weekend, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. Everyone needs a day off.)

About 7am on Monday someone came by to let us know they had a few more things to finish on our coach and it was quickly brought into a service bay.

We met some really nice folks that day, including Carl, who did all the miscellaneous repairs like straightening our screen door, installing the new bedroom window, etc.

My Fella looks like a giant in this pic but Carl was just standing on a lower step

this is Bryan setting up a roof test to make sure there are no leaks in our new roof

The majority of Tiffin employees were friendly and efficient. And everything on our list was taken care of and now functions the way it should have when we first purchased JohnnyDisco.

Kudos to Stephanie Umfress (who got the entire ball rolling), our crew leader Torino, the lovely Carl (who was determined to make sure we were completely satisfied), Bryan the roof guy (great sense of humour), Peggy (who kept us in the loop), the furnace folks, the Blind Lady, the generator team and everyone else who worked on JohnnyDisco.

And a huge thank you to the Big Cheese, Bob Tiffin, for repairing every single thing at no cost to us.

He didn't even charge us for installing a new bedroom window. And there was actually nothing wrong with our old bedroom window; we just wanted one that opened so we could get more air flow circulating thru the back of the coach. We fully expected to pay full price for the new window and the installation, but we weren't charged a dime.

In our minds, this was a Tiffin customer service success story.

Our brand new coach was kind of a lemon (roof bubble, furnaces wired backwards, faulty generator, etc.) but My Fella and I are both impressed with the Tiffin service gang in Red Bay. We hated having to drive all the way to Alabama for the roof repair (big waste of time and money) but the Tiffin Mothership treated us well and fixed everything for free.

And we would look at buying a Tiffin product again in the future; but we probably won't limit our choices to Tiffin.

For other Tiffin owners heading to Red Bay:

• dealing with the service manager is a complete waste of time; if you have legitimate concerns, go straight to Bob Tiffin - his direct phone line is (256) 356 0206
• if you have more than a few things that need to be repaired, make a list and have a copy on hand when you pull into the Tiffin parking lot
• there's a bit of old school mentality with some of the older male employees in the service department - in our case, I asked the generator repair guy a number of questions and he would answer them, but while looking and speaking only to My Fella ... after a few minutes of this annoying nonsense, I cut him off mid-sentence: "Excuse me - I AM THE OWNER OF THIS COACH and at the moment, I'm the one asking you the questions!" He looked like he'd just been slapped with a fish, but he did start speaking to me directly 
• if you need a propane fill-up after you leave the Tiffin Mothership, stop at L & L Gas - great folks there
• and if you have to wait at Camp Tiffin any extended amount of time, BYOB - Red Bay is in a dry county 
  

Scary Moment in Mexico

My cyber-pal Mexi-Croft posted a spooky story this morning about an RV couple they met recently, who were just robbed while travelling thru Mexico.

Instead of trying to re-tell the story, Mexi-Croft gave me the nod to repost what he wrote. In his own words:

"This is a story I hate to relate! We stayed beside this couple here in Chetumal for two nights. We had long conversations and shared a dinner out. They are from Alaska and she is a council member of her village near Fairbanks. I have absolutely no doubts about their story.  Here is the email I got from Cheryl yesterday:

Hola dear friends,

Yesterday, about one hour after leaving campground, Rancho Hermanos Graham at Aqua Dulce, we were robbed on the highway. Driving along, a white VW suddenly passed us on the left and pulled immediately in front of us. We just thought they were crazy drivers. Frank tried to avoid a collision which looked imminent. However, they pulled in front again and while doing so, a gunman fired a shot aimed at Frank. It barely missed him, went through the windshield and hit the ceiling of the inside of the truck in the back. In fact, today, we got the bullet which looks like a 45. They forced us to the side, two gunmen got in and forced us into back seat with our dog Missy. We drove frantically up and down highways unknown to us. Then they pulled over, took me out of the truck and put me in their car with two banditos, while two banditos stayed with Frank in our truck. We then separated and drove up-down and who knows where for approx one hour. They had taken our bank cards and were taking me to bank machines, but, you won't believe this, I couldn't get money. The reason, which I figured out the next day was because I was using wrong password for wrong card. Eventually, they got $10,000 pesos and drove back to where Frank was. They stole both our computers, our two cell phones, one mp3 player, etc. We are at an internet cafe in Cholula right now. We stayed in a hotel last night and also tonight. It was terrifying, and hope you guys can notify all website-facebook sites that need to know! Please. We have no internet addresses. Yours was in my purse. We are heading north to the USA. 

We would appreciate it if you would let people know. We were on a Cuoto, by the way. We wonder if perhaps we were set up. There were some people staying in a palapa at the campground mentioned above. We are terrified.

Great to meet you and sorry to contact you with sad news.
Cheryl and Frankie

This is the same road Norma and I have to take when we leave the Yucatan. It can be fairly desolate in places. Our plan is to get in with a group of trucks and stick with them the whole way through. It is very unlikely that lightening will strike twice in the same place and this is normally known as a safe highway. "

Mexico is one of my favorite countries in the world, and banditos there just like everywhere else have gotten more brave, stupid and desperate over the years. I'm glad the couple from Alaska were not physically harmed, although the mental trauma from this nightmare will probably stick with them.

Safe travels to my pal Mexi-Croft and his wife as they navigate that same road in the next month.  

And My Fella's parents will soon be leaving a different area of Mexico for the northbound journey home.  Take care of yourselves, Outlaws.  Hasta pronto.

Update on Norman, the Animal

If you read the previous post you know that our pup, Norman, nipped a woman on the leg at our RV resort on Monday morning. We hadn't heard from the lady since the incident, but tonight we found out she got her tetanus shot and a check-up and she's totally fine.

And thankfully, she doesn't hold a grudge.

The whole episode has been really unnerving. I know Normie is healthy and has all his current vaccinations, but for the past 24 hours my mind has been bogged down with the worst possible scenarios:

• why haven't we heard from the lady since yesterday morning? 
• did she have a negative reaction to the tetanus shot?
• is she in the hospital dying?
• did she call animal control and file a complaint against Normie?
• will she sue us for a squillion bucks?  (after all, this is lawsuit crazy California)

Turns out our worry was for nothing; and I hope if I'm ever bitten by a strange pup, that I act as classy as this woman did. 

Her doc visit and tetanus shot only cost $40 USD, which we reimbursed her for (it was sooo cheap compared to the $150 I had estimated). We also bought her a $40 gift card to a local restaurant, since she wasted several hours of her day at a walk-in clinic.

My Fella and I are extremely relieved. And although we're already pretty diligent with Normie's training, I think this little scare will make us much better dog parents.

Live an learn.

p.s.  thanks for the reassuring comments on the previous post - we hoped we were doing the right things, but you never know in these kind of situations