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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Roadrunner Repairs at Red Bay

We were in Red Bay for less than a week.  We arrived on Monday and left first thing Saturday morning.

There were only a few things on our list but they were important enough to get over here to get them done:

  1. Fix (e.g. repaint) clear coat peeling on the front and back top (the end caps) of the motor home.
  2. Raise sink end of galley counter and drawers so it doesn't make contact with the floor
  3. Re-caulk counter top and back splash on galley after it is raised
  4. See if we can get 1" trim wall paper that matches our year for areas where it meets wall and countertops
  5. Ask best way to fix trim and walls that are faded/worn by waiter and moisture
  6. Replace rivet in corner connect piece trim on outside of Passenger Side (PS) from slide
  7. Check rails to see if any cracking has occurred
  8. Check floors under slide outs and wet bay to make sure they are still solid

And we decided to check how much it would be to install rope lights along the interior up near the ceiling over the front slides outs

First, the repaint job and clear coat for the front and rear caps.  We pulled into Bruce Deaton's Paint and Body Shop and left the Roadrunner there.

They pulled it into a bay and started taping it off.  Next they sanded down the areas were the Clear Coat was peeling.

We didn't want to let this go as it has a way of getting away from you and the next thing you know we'd have peeling down the front and back of the motor home.  Didn't want that.  Plus, it's easier to catch it early and get it fixed.  That way we don't have a lot of high $$ at once.

Then they sprayed it, let it dry and we picked it up shortly after 2PM.
We were very happy with the result.
No more peeling on the cap ends on top.  If you look closely, you can see Pam washing the car.  You may be wondering, "Why is she doing that and not you?"  Great question.  If I did not get on this blog and stay with it, it may not get posted today.   After this, I'll be on top of the roof again giving it a well needed wax.

1 - So our first item got checked off - Fixed the peeling paint.

We had to wait a couple of days before they called us into Express Bay #8.  We got the call just before 11:00 and were there waiting for them after they returned from supper.

Next, "lifting the sink side of the galley" in the PS slideout.
Pam removed everything from under the sink.  Then they unscrewed two side panels on the right side of the cupboard under the sink.
Next, they got a block of wood and a crowbar and slide it under the whole unit raising it up about 3/4".  
That was enough to place a 3" piece of trim under the supporting structure (right where the tip of the arrow is in the above photo).  
2 - Whey the crow bar was removed that small shim raised the galley about 1/4" off the ground.  Mission accomplished.

We could have re-caulked the counter top ourselves but since they had the materials right there, we asked them to.
3 - That took about 2 seconds and it was done.

On to the wallpaper next and the tech went to see if he could find a 1" four foot piece.  I figured that would be a good way to patch and repair some of the places where it is curling up and getting squeezed by the constant movement of the counters and walls as we roll down the road.
He didn't know if they would have the same wall paper in stock as some of the more recent models have already run out...
5 - But he did it and now I have a roll to use when that project gets scheduled. Scratch another one off the list.

I really didn't want them to refinish the trim or walls where the moisture has affected the stain in the bathroom and sink area.  I just wanted to get their take on how to do it myself.  Not surprisingly, they said lightly sand, match it with a light cherry stain and get a clear spray finish on top.
6 - Done.

For some reason the pop rivet at the corner of the PS slide out was coming loose so I asked them to remove and replace.  It took some doing when they tried to drill it out and 'buggered it up' to use his words.  No problem.  Just use a larger rivet.
If you look real close, you can see that the rivet is not painted to match the rest of it.  But who looks that close?

While that was going on another tech climbed on the roof and check our rails for cracks.  Looked good, no need to replace.  He also checked the wet bay and the floor under each slide out.  Those were good too.

7 - 8 The list was completed.

We did get some rope lights which I will show in another post.

Although we spent less that a week at Red Bay, we were glad we did.  We got a lot done and we met some new friends.  And we took a tour of the plant again (future post) and saw some of the changes around town in the campground (another post).

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time...

12 comments:

  1. nice job on the repairs! everything looks great! even the car that Pam was washing :)

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  2. our clearcoat is peeling as well, if you don't mind sharing what did that job cost...

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    1. Not at all - Bruce did it for $650. Considering how much taping and plastic overlay he had to do, plus the fact that they work diligently, I thought it was very fair.

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  3. Glad to hear that you made it through the Red Bay experience quickly. How crowded was the c/g this time of year?

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    1. Very crowded! We started out in overflow but then learned McKinney had some electrical only hookups near their service bays. Four of us went over there. Next day we moved into full hookups at their campground which was fine. The Detail Depot was full with 6 spaces for two days as was the Commercial campground on 4th Street. We went by the 'new' campground on the same street as the old Tiffin Supply Store and they had 8-10 that were almost full. Times are changing at Red Bay in the heavy traffic season!

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    2. When is the not a heavy traffic season at Red Bay? Their service cannot be beat and Tiffinites flock there like migrating birds.

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  4. Nothing better than going to the factory for repairs. They do it right the first time and fast too. I've had great service at the Winnebago factory service center. I may make it an every other year visit.

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  5. Look forward to your future posts. Going there in a few weeks. Probably have to end up in Florence... :).

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  6. Great thing you are keeping it in top shape.

    It would take a time machine to get mine in shape....still trying to get plans for one on Ebay.

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  7. We would love to have rope lighting underneath the coach.

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  8. Consider using minwax satin wipe on polyurethane on your bath cabinets. Clean, light sanding, 2 wipe downs with napthta, used felt color matching felt pen (purchase via art store) for dings and edges, 2-3 coats poly. My solid cherry kitchen cabinets came out great with this process and I don't have any financial interest in minwax...

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