While they were working on the Roadrunner we had the chance to go over to Belmont Mississippi which is about 3 miles away. Tiffin Motorhomes has their main paint shop over there. Before we got into the paint shop we could see some tile work going on in one of the plants. Sure enough, tilers were building 3 tile floors.
They layout the area on top of wooden platforms about 3 feet off the ground and they put down tile on top of a thin sheet of what looked like plywood or luan.
The guys we spoke with were very nice and going at it pretty steady. Each of the three areas usually do 3 or 4 floors a day.
Next, we went next door to the main paint facility. I didn't specifically count the number of paint booths they have but it was over 10.
Painting a motor home is a long and delicate process. It requires almost 4 days to get it done. Painting takes longer than building the motor home!
I always wondered how they put on the designs of the different models. They have so many swirls and designs I wondered how they could keep it straight.
The answer is they use decals that come off during the painting process. Computer generated graphic decals come in two feet wide, large rolls that get attached to the entire length of the side of the motor home. Ladies (instead of men for some reason) hang the decal on the side, line it up, smooth out the wrinkles and then peel off the backing paper.
When the time comes in the painting process, the decal(s) come off in the specific area to be painted. One thing about the work at this facility--they really hustle. They even have an analyst with a clipboard timing things and trying to figure out how to make things faster.
Over in Mississippi we passed a number of cotton fields. We had never gotten a close up look at the cotton plant so we parked the car and walked over to the see one.
It isn't as fluffy as it looks. It has 4 or 5 little seeds in the clump. The impact this plant has had on our nation is fascinating.
Then it was back to Allegro Campground and service bay 29 to see how the shades were coming along. Tanya and Steven were moving along well and we got the four shades around the cockpit installed before lunch time.
Our next stop was the paint and body guys. We have a small crack near the rear slide out. Yikes! This is not just a crack in the paint, the side of the RV is cracked at this point. Ugh! I thought it was minor but it looks like a bit of a design issue.
We could panic about the engineering and design of the side wall, or go with their repair solution and move on. They have had a few motor homes crack like this and they have tried a number of different fixes. This repair is the most effective and had the best results. They sanded it down, prepared the area with new fiberglass and then buffed that out.
Next, they put a relief joint in the side but cutting an 8 inch opening the width of the small saw blade. After filling it with rubber caulking, they covered it with a 1 1/2 inch-wide piece of rubber trim. It will not leak and it provides room for expansion. On Monday they will paint it all and buff it out.
We finished up Friday night by attending the Red Bay High School Friday football game. Red Bay has a population of a little over 3300. ~So we are talking about a really small town atmosphere.
We thoroughly enjoyed it! The stands were filled with young and old and the kids really get a lot of support from the local businesses and family and friends.
It was another piece of Americana that we had the privilege of viewing.
Yesterday I spent all day (literally from 6 AM to about 5 PM) on the computer working. Pam went into Russellville to the grocery store while I worked. In the afternoon we got a good rain shower then it cleared up. We walked over to Gil's Restaurant for some grilled lemon catfish and cole slaw for dinner. We wanted to check out the local cuisine at least once and it was a good meal.
Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles today! And special thanks to you readers who leave comments and all you Followers! We appreciate it. Have a great Sunday!
