Another Tiffin Factory Tour - 2018

One of the fun things to do in Red Bay is to go on the factory tour and see the motorhomes in various stages of production.

I'm not sure how many times I have done the tour, but it never gets old for me.  I learn something every time.

It begins every day (Mon-Fri) at 9:30 AM from the Visitor's Center.

Two people take the group on the tour through different buildings and they do an excellent job.

The tour takes you past the headquarters/main office building with Bob Tiffin and his three sons work.  At the other end of the inconspicuous warehouse-looking building is the entrance to the cabinet shop.

Tiffin uses mainly alder wood or cherry wood with different stains.

When we got into the main area, we saw planers, sanders and lots of saws cutting all kinds of wood to length.  They have a state of the art air filtration system to remove the sawdust.  What struck me was size of the woodworking area.

It seemed to me that it had double in size from six months ago when we were last there.  It was pretty amazing.  It always is.

We went past the sold surface area where the counter tops, sinks and shower units are put together.

Large computer-driven cutting tools make precise pieces for subsection unit of the motorhome.  I was thinking a study in systems management would be interesting to sort out how they tag each component of the motor home and assemble it during the build process.  It is a wonder!

There are 18 stations during the motorhome build process and showers, cabinets, or drawers show up on a cart for the unit that is being built.  It all runs like a well oiled machine.

Plumbing and wiring harnesses are tagged and threaded through the frame of the motorhome before the floor is attached.  The young man I watched wasted no motions and was working vigorously pulling this piece and stuffing that piece along its prescribed route through the frame.  Another interesting phase.

A thirty foot motorhome takes about two miles of wiring.  A 44 foot motorhome takes about three miles.

 The wiring harness area is another section of the plant that seems to have doubled.  Tiffin uses the concept of continuous process improvement and are not shy about expanding areas or moving work area to more efficient places.

A few years about we saw the Tiffin-produced Powerglide chassis being built in the area where some of the solid surface work is being done.  Since then, the chassis building process has moved to a build all its own that was erected on the north end of the plant property.

The tour ends at the punch list and cleaning station where each coach is checked over before delivery.   While walking by a 2019 unit, the cargo bay doors were open.

The first one had a slide tray with an automatic switch just in case you need some help pulling out the tray.

The other thing that was new were motion-sensor lights.  If the door are open the lights come on when motion is detected.  Nice touch!

That's a brief recap of the tour of the factory.  Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!~

A Motorhomer's Day in Red Bay

If you've been a Chronicles reader for a while, you may know that we love Red Bay.  It is the home of the Tiffin Motor Home company and the mecca for Tiffin RV owners.  It is a small town with lots going on.

I realized many do not share our love for the town because it is a small town.  Years ago I responded to the notion, "There's nothing to do in Red Bay" with a post of "Nothing to Do in Red Bay?  Here's 101 Things to Do".
Not all the things listed are nearby and maybe not directly in Red Bay, but we love it here anyway.

We also love it here because we can get things fixed on our motor home.  The Roadrunner always senses when we head this direction and two days ago was no different.  We had a low air pressure gauge act up and the red light on the dash indicated an issue.  And the alarm was beeping!  So we have an appointment with Bay Diesel to get that fixed.

The issue presented itself in Oklahoma.  The red light and beeping and gauges would intermittently sound off.  Besides being a little unsettling, we wondered how serious the issue was and if there was some damage going on.  We took the Roadrunner over to the Cummins center in Oklahoma City and the tech assured us it was probably a loose wire or a controller issue and no imminent serious issue.  We continued on I-40 to Memphis, then down to Tupelo where we stopped in to see our friends at MCH Kenworth.

Their analysis matched those of the techs in Oklahoma City so we are looking forward to our appointment tomorrow at Bay Diesel.

Today we are scheduled into Custom Paint and Body to get new air horns on top of the coach.  Our current ones are pitted and rusting badly, so we are getting new aluminum ones.  Melody tracked some down for us at the Tiffin Parts Dept and Bruce or one his guys will install later this morning.

We also chipped/crack the corner piece (some call it an arrowhead) of trim on our DS front slide.  The trim piece is right above the bay door which can touch it if we are parked on an uneven site.  Most of the time I watch it carefully when I open that bay door next to the wet bay door, but a few months ago, the bay door 'touched' the corner piece and it cracked.  So Bruce will replace that and rivet it into place.  And give us an extra one in case it happens again.

Yesterday we had an appointment at Brannon's Custom RV in Vina, Al.  It was about a 20 minute drive from our campground (Red Bay RV Park at the edge of town) and Brannon and Jason went over our list.  We needed our Travl'r DirecTV satellite dish re-calibrated.  Our Winegard Rayzar Over-the-air TV antenna wasn't working, so we wanted them to check that out too.

We also had a problem with our Driver Side (DS) rope lights up near the ceiling.  A loose connection made them inoperable.  Our bathroom shower door was not closing correctly and we had a loose wire down below that we found in the bay area.  We wondered if that had anything to do with our low pressure issue.  We weren't sure but asked Brannon to check it out.

We also had a problem with the new/updated LED headlights.  We had those installed last fall but had a fail on the DS with one of the projector bulbs.  Brannon replaced that as well as the same bulb on the Passenger (PS).

Brannon is the best.  He gets the job down quickly and professionally.  He called about 10:30 said he had re-calibrated the DirecTV satellite dish and found the settings were not correct on the Razor.  He also repaired the rope light and was going to replace a couple of small braces on the inside of the shower door which was causing it to be a little uneven.

After lunch we picked up the coach at Custom RV.  Brannon confirmed the loose wire was an extra bay door wire and not related to our air pressure problem.  We left feeling great about that and the other things he fixed.  He always fixes things right and at a fair price.  We also asked about our AGM batteries.  They are about 6 1/2 years old and we wondered if they were nearing the end of their life.  Brannon said the rule thumb is 6-8 years of life for Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries and 4-6 years for regular batteries.

Yesterday after we dropped off the Roadrunner at Brannon's (at 7:00 AM), we went over to Belmont, MS, for breakfast at Sparks Restaurant.  It has the best breakfast in the area.  The ham and cheese omelet I ordered was larger than I expected so it was all I could do to eat it.  Pam had bacon and scrambled eggs and wheat toast.

Along with some coffee, we enjoyed the food and did some local people watching, The big table in the restaurant is where the daily locals come.  They had 8-10 good ole boys that obviously meet for breakfast and sit at their own table marked "SMART persons table".  ?  Not sure what that means but it is probably some private joke.  Or it means the things they talk about rise to the level of smart people.  I think they were probably solving most of the worlds issues.  It is a fun place.

Next we went over to the Tiffin Service Center.  We ran into Glenda and say hi to her.  She used to run the parts store but now does the cleaning with another lady.  Next I went back into the cabinet shop near bay 26 and said hi to Tanya.  She has been there 4-5 years and is liking the woodworking.  She and another fellow install the shades in the road runner back when she was doing that work.

We had time for the morning tour at the Tiffin Visitor Center.  Pam stayed in the car and took a little nap to help her get over her cold while I went on the tour.  I always love hearing the story and I learn something every time we walk through the many buildings on the tour.  The tour has improved over the years and is the best in the RV industry.  Bar none.  It is definitely worth the time and effort to come and see how these things are built.

After the Tiffin tour we went to the Piggly Wiggly market deli for lunch.  We had mashed potatoes, gravy and friend chicken with a small portion of cherry cobbler for dessert.  Next we went over to the Allegro Club at the Tiffin Service Center.  And we went over to the Parts store to find a few things.

Brannon finished up about 2:00 PM so we went back and picked up the Roadrunner and took it back to the campground.  Later I joined Gerri and Art for happy hour at their site where we talked with some neighbors and socialized for a bit.  Pam fixed a great dinner of fish and a baked potato with some steamed broccoli.

We watched the news and then some baseball before turning in.  It was a beautiful day in Red Bay.  We always enjoy coming here.  Not only for the people but also because we get things fixed which brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Van Leigh 5th Wheel Factory Tour

Posted from Bakersfield CA

Back in February Pam and I visited the Ocala RV show.  We like to see what's new in the RV world and possibly pick up a new idea or see a new product.

Toward the end of our visit, we saw VanLeigh 5th wheels for the first time.  A new 5th wheel company.  Who are these folks?  Never heard of them...

We came to find out that this new company was part of the Tiffin family.  Bob Tiffin serves as the Chairman (and probably Chief Financial Backer?).  The company is headed up by one of his sons - Van - and his grandson Leigh  (VanLeigh).  The company is located in Burnside MS about 40 minutes from Red Bay AL.

We found the large warehouse that is the hub of the operation.  It also has the main offices and assembly plant.  We met Don K in Ocala and he gave us a tour of a couple of their RVs.  Interestly enough, he was on a visit to the factory and he showed us around that facility.  He remembered us and had some time, so we got a detailed explanation of what was going on at each of the stations and production lines.

VanLeigh is currently building 10 5th wheels a week and can not keep up with production needs.  They are signing up new dealers every week and are slowly expanding their network to the midwest and northeast.

The factory looks like a typical RV production facility and is brand new.

Lots of materials and supplies and equipment in the factory waiting to get moved into place and part of a new 5th wheel.

Frames/chassis arrive a few times a week.  The production could fluctuate a little so they have the supplier 'on call'.

One upgrade for 2017 is the new brake system that is one of the first things that are installed.

The floor is one piece and done before any of the units are moved down the production line.

This station is where the aluminum supports for the roof gets put together.

The rubber roof is built over here.

It is a little different seeing the 5th wheel at a station with no motor in place to drive it along to each station.

Here are a couple of front end caps with out the covering on them.

The interior of the endcaps is the bedroom entertainment suite and cabinetry.

In one of the kitchen slideouts, a new microwave is installed over the counter and backsplash.

The slideouts and front cap is moved into position.

The decals are being applied in this station.

Our guide Tom and a woman who is checking for leaks are describing the process.

Inside at the final inspection station, the high ceiling and new furniture make for a comfy living room next to the island and kitchen area.

Large TVs and in-cabinet fireplaces are the norm these days.

This Vilano has a light system with a ceiling box and lots of LED lighting.

We loved being able to see the Tiffin Facility and take a look at the new VanLeigh 5th wheels being built.  It was a bit of a drive from Red Bay, but worth the trip and it was fascinating.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Short Visit to Red Bay

We always love coming to Red Bay.  Everytime we come here it is worth every penny and we leave knowing that we got some things fixed and usually enjoy our time here.

We started off staying Sunday night at Brannon Hutcheson's Custom RV shop in Vina.  It was a quiet

 night and we were able to get started first thing on Monday morning.  Here's what we had on our Fix List:

• Bathroom hallway ceiling fan 
• Trouble shoot rope lights inside slide out above trim on Driver Side (DS) 
• Check chassis batteries
• Repair leak in clear water tank near drain spout (as a result of my attempt at repairing it months ago)
• Touch up wood near shower, bathroom back splash and floor corner round trim piece in bathroom
• Replace bolt in slideout that sheared off when we were getting ready to drive it into position in the bay at Brannon's (talk about great timing!)

We were prepared to purchase a new fan but Brannon worked with it and sprayed some silicon on the mechanism on the roof and it works perfectly now.  We have been without the rope light working a couple of months and he fixed it in 15 minutes.  The water leak in the clear tank is really a drip and it has been there over a year.  He fixed it in 30 minutes.  

The moisture and steam in the bathroom and shower area has affected some of the wood and trim paneling.  Brannon used a spray treatment that made it look great and it was fixed in a couple of minutes.

The chassis batteries checked out fine so no need for new ones.  The slide out would not retract because of the sheared bolt.  Glad it happened where we could get it fixed right away.  It took Brannon about 15 minutes to drill a slightly larger hole and use a more sturdy bolt to fix it.  

Total price of $230 was very fair and a less than I thought it would be.  Plus Brannon does great work and does it quickly.  He doesn't lollygag around.  He gets on it and gets it done right.  If you haven't ever had work done by him, you should give him a try at Custom RV in Vina near Red Bay.  We've never been disappointed.

Later that morning we went to the Downtown RV Park in Red Bay where long time RV friends Steve and Karen were staying.  It was great to see them again and catch up.  Lots of stories and fun adventures to hear about.

Later that morning we went over to the Tiffin Parts store where my hubcap and middle insert screw attachment.  Last time we filled up I notice the Passenger Side rear hubcab was gone!  I ordered a replacement one and put it on in a few minutes.

We had a nice time chatting during an impromptu happy hour with Steve and Karen.  Those kind of evenings are some of the best times in the RV experience -- just hanging out with friends and hearing their stories and experiences and sharing ours.

This morning I got up motivated to clean out the main storage bay area.  I pulled everything out and vacuumed the inside, threw away some stuff and repacked it.  I stopped to chat with a new friend in the campground - Brent and Eileen (who are actually from our new home town of Green Cove Springs, FL).  I found out the entire side mirror on the DS need not be replaced.  It comes apart as the arm and the mirror.  Our arm is pitting and may need to be replaced in the future so I could save a few hundred bucks by just getting a new arm.

 While I was doing that Pam went for a long walk.  After she returned we went over to Bruce Deaton's Custom Paint and Body Shop.  Here Pam is talking with Melody Deaton and new friend Carleen.  We have been to Bruce's Shop many times and he is another one we have high regard for.

Next we went to a new restaurant downtown - Mason Jar on the Main.

Very friendly place and good food.  Here the owner (Sherri) and our server (Savannah) let me take their picture.

Next, we drove over to Burnsville, MS to see the Vanleigh RV 5th wheel factory.  Bob Tiffin is co-owner and chairman as well as mentor and strategic advisor to the company.

Grandson Leigh is the running the day-to-day operations and his father Van also works there a couple of days a week.  Van is also one of the main people involved at Tiffin Motorhomes along with Tim and another brother Lex.

With the Tiffin backing and reputation, I would bet this startup will do well.

When we returned to the campground Steve was replacing the anode rod on the water heater.  Yearly maintenance cuts down on the rust inside, helps extend the life of the water heater and helps it run more efficiently.  It has been far too long since we replaced ours and we were overdue.  Years ago we bought a 1 1/16" socket (what an odd size) just for this purpose.

Draining it became a bit of a mess but the water ran off the concrete pad and down the back pretty easily.  Meanwhile it was a bit of a shock to see how overdue we were on the replacement.

Here is a look at our old one compared to Steve's.  As Karen said, "Not much chicken on that bone!" It is really a simple maintenance item so we'll be staying on top of that one from now on!

Next it was time for some social / happy hour time.

We were joined by neighbors Bob and Jan and Carleen.  All full-timers, it was fun to meet them and to hear about what's going on.  Bob and Jan are going over to Sherman RV in Tupelo MS to pick up their brand new 2017 Allegro Bus!  Carleen is in town for some paint work at Bruce Deatons.

Steve, Karen, Pam and I walked over to Jack's for dinner and enjoyed it as well as pleasant spring evening in Red Bay!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Fun at the Tampa RV Show 2016

Since we are in the Tampa area, we wanted to check out the Tampa RV show again.  I think this may be the second year we have been.  Three years ago we went and attended two days of the event.

One of the benefits of some shows is that Blue Ox sends a team of techs who do maintenance of the Blue Ox tow bars.  It's about three years since we had that done (at the Quartzsite RV Show) and time for more maintenance.

The hard part in all this was lugging the 35 lb tow bar from the parking lot to the ticket booth.  There was no easy way to get to the Blue Ox repair area which was about 1/2 mile on the far end of the Tampa RV show lot.

As we stood in line waiting to get in we saw a guy with a dolly and lamented "I wish we'd have thought of that".  He was nice enough to offer to put our tow bar on his dolly along with tow bar.  What a nice guy!

 We wound our way over to the Blue Ox area and arrived about 9:20 AM and got in line.  Good thing we got there early.

 We were hoping to drop it off and get it serviced that same day so we wouldn't have to pay admission again just to pick up the tow bar.

After we got done with the show, we went back to the Blue Ox area and the tech was working on our tow bar.  We got to watch him do his thing.  Very interesting.  He basically wiped down each arm with a silicon solution and applied some grease.  Then he replaced the plastic washers and took apart the ball joint to make sure everything looked good.

He finished in about 20 minutes and he even gave us a ride back to our parking spot. 

At the show, we wander through the first large building we could find with suppliers and displays.

We were looking for a 'hang down awning' to attach to our main awning.  We've seen a lot of people who tie down the awning and then attach some additional shade. 

We were also curious about what the 'hot items' were this year.  Was it LED rope lights?  Or ladders? or??? 

Another thing we were looking for was campgrounds who were offering free nights at there campgrounds.  We decided why not?  We haven't completely filled in our schedule for the next couple of months so we figured that might be fun to check out some new parks.  

We also like the 'freebies'.  Sometimes we stumble across a pretty cool give-away so we kept our eyes open for those.

One of the goals of our time there was to meet up with long time RV blogger friend whom we have never met - Joe and his wife Carolyn.  Joe and I met online about seven years ago I think, and we have conversed a few times as we roam around the country.  But we have never met face to face.  

He and Carolyn are spending the winter in nearby Clermont and he suggested we try to meet at the RV show.  We are always up for that so we agreed on 11:00 AM for lunch.  It took a few phone calls because I kept referring to where we were:  The "Winnebago display" or "the LazyDays area".  Trouble with that was there are lots of each.  Both Winnebago and LazyDays have many areas in the fairgrounds.  

We eventually got together and enjoyed our time over lunch.  We beat the main crowd by about 15 minutes so we avoided the long lines.  It was great to get to know them a little bit and hear their story and how they started out, where they have been and basically 'chew the fat' for a while.  We vowed to keep in touch and continued our wandering throughout the buildings and RVs.

One thing that is always fun here are the characters that parade around.

We went through a couple of buildings and didn't really see much in the way of new products.  We did see a lot of 'glue' solutions.  Looked like another version of Super Glue to me?  We did find a number of campgrounds that were offering some free nights.  But I never found the hang down awnings I was looking for.  

We stopped at the Freightliner and Cummins displays and picked up a couple of hats.  Sometimes those items are good to give to mechanics on the line at the Red Bay Service Center or our next? diesel repair shop.

And we lined up and went through the million dollar motor homes just to see the latest.  Pam and I decided the we liked the first one we went through was the best.  

The Newell was a cool $2.0 million.  We loved the interior!

The interior designer did a great job.  And the huge picture windows were fantastic.  I casually asked the salesman what the profit margin was on these units. He looked at me as if I had three heads and said, "I'm not going to tell you that -- it's classified!"   No surprise there, but it's always fun to ask and see what they say.  

He did indicate some of the benefits of this custom coach.  The 300 gallon diesel fuel cell could be expanded to whatever we wanted.  Same with the 160 gallon fresh water tank.  Nice to know... :)

After that we toured a couple of Prevost units.  One was listed at $2.7 M and we didn't like it as much as the Newell.  We also toured a Foretravel unit that was priced at $900,000.  In our first year on the road, we toured the Foretravel factory in Nacogdoches, TX.  We were shocked at what we saw here.  The interior was all white.  As in subway white tile.  It was awful.  But still interesting.

That was about it for our day the Tampa RV show.  Lots of fun and the highlight was meeting up with Joe and Carolyn!  
We are enjoying our time here in Florida!