MECHANICAL PROBLEMS SOLVED AND SOLAR!

It has been a lazy day here in Quartzsite. Again, John worked on the inverter, fixed our lunch and hard boiled some eggs.                                                                      I used The Solution to remove the bugs from the front of our Tiffin Allegro Bus and walked the dogs.                                                                                           That is the extent of our day. 

This morning, we called the Tiffin service department in Red Bay, Alabama.  John talked to our go-to service advisor, Stanley, and received some helpful advice.  

First, Stanley suggested old batteries.  Our response was that the batteries were new when we purchased our Allegro Bus almost two years ago.  

Second, he had two more things for John to check out.  Nada, zip, nuttin Honey.  Now what?  

Susan Thompson, a snowbird from Minnesota suggested we get in touch with Brian Boone and that is just what we did.  He came out to our part of the desert and voila...."your batteries are the problem!"  

"What? Those batteries were new when we purchased our new to us Tiffin Allegro Bus!"  At lease we assumed they were new since they were so clean when we looked in the battery bay.  And someone tested them as we were sitting in Red Bay awaiting completion of work on the coach.  The someone was not a representative of Tiffin Service.  His gauge must be wrong.  

Lesson?  .....  Never assume anything when purchasing a previously owned motorhome, car, boat...anything.  We looked at the dates on the tires.  Why didn't we think to look at the date on the batteries?  

The batteries were about ten years old!  Brian could not believe that they had lasted this long!  Off to Discount Solar here in Quartzsite.  

Ahhh, four new Interstate Batteries.  Now we will be in tip top shape.  And here we thought it was the inverter.  

Wait, there's more!  The batteries were not the only problem. After Brian installed the new batteries, the solution was not there.  Brian declared the inverter was dead, very dead.  

So now, we have a new inverter in our home on wheels. NOW, everything is working as it should. 

But, there is still more!  We have made the decision to have Brian fit us with solar power.  We have spent days researching and gathering prices and Monday, we will have our first installment of of two solar panels with two more in the plan for next year.  

We are pleased with our decision.  The solar panels make up for the disappointment of not having our booth dining area removed and replaced with table and chair.  This too will happen, just not this year.  

If you are in Quartzsite in winter months and need work performed on your trailer, 5th wheel, class C, B, or A motorhome, Brian is the man to call.  His fees are extremely reasonable.  

Brian is a very  honest young man that has for the last eleven years migrated in the winter from Montana to Quartzsite to work on our rigs.  Previously, he worked for another solar dealership, but has now started his own business.  We wish Brian God speed in his new business.  

Thank you for coming to our blog today and a double thanks for clicking on our Amazon link at the top right of this page.  I know, it's not the end of the year, but I am having a difficult time changing the link.  Can anyone help?  

Tonight, I close with sunset photos.                                                                                                                                                                                                There is nothing like an Arizona desert sunset!  

 Until next time, God Bless!  

                                                                     

THEY KEEP COMING, AND COMING

Red Bay, Alabama

Tiffin Motorhomes Service

Temperature 40 degrees & sunny

Before Tiffin closed for Christmas, we had our check list completed.  The last thing Tiffin service center needed to complete was the replacement of a Jack.  

Four green hydraulic lifts raised all 29,410 plus all our "stuff" into the air in order to replace one of our leveling jacks.  Brett completed the job in just over an hour. Another job well done by Tiffin.  

Brett did come to the comfortable waiting lounge to give us the report that one of the jacks was sluggish.  He wanted to know if we wanted to replace it.  We chose to wait.  It may have been a mistake.  Now when we retract the jacks, the alarm continues to ring alerting us that the jack is not up all the way.  That jack is only four inches from where it should be!  We may have to replace that jack when the Tiffin employees return from their week of vacation.  

Before the plant closed own for Christmas, the insurance estimate was completed.  This has been a frustrating experience.  After being told that McKinney RV, an ex-employee of Tiffin, could complete our repair work faster, we chose to allow McKinney to do the repairs.  

All well and good. But....McKinney has been dragging their feet, not returning telephone calls and not submitting the estimate they completed to our insurance provider in a timely manner.  This is not our idea of a dependable company.

Our adjuster called and I explained our situation.  We agreed that no matter how much time it will take, that Tiffin service will do the repairs.  Of course, this called for yet another estimate, this one from Tiffin.  

Within ten....have you got that....ten minutes of the decision to let Tiffin repair the motorhome, a Tiffin employee was at our motorhome, taking photographs and composing an estimate for Nationwide Insurance.  Now, that is service.  

There are many employees and past employees that have opened their specialty shops.  One is TJ Allison.  He works in the cabinetry department of Tiffin service and after hours does the same work.  

We contacted TJ and asked him to install the new television that we purchased from Best Buy in Indianapolis. TJ's price was reasonable and he changed the front in of our coach from ugly to neat and tidy.  At least for a while.  

We now have another storage place located behind the television set.  The wood frame that was made to hold the television is hinged.  

It, after releasing two safety screws, swings open to the

cavity where the old TV was located.  A very nice place for storing some of my fiber.  

While everyone was gone....this campground looked like a ghost town with only four rigs hanging tough here.  

With the service technicians on Christmas vacation, it was a great opportunity to service the employee parking lot along with the campgrounds.  most of the"streets" in the campgrounds are blacktop, but the spots for the coaches are a fine gravel along with portions of the "streets."  

Friday, Saturday, the Pheytons, Allegros and Buses, in the rain, file into the campgrounds, taking numbers that will place them into the que for service and receiving their lot number.

  

We are number three in the que.  But there are seven ahead of us who's work on their coaches was not completed before Christmas and they left for the holiday and have returned. That officially makes us number 10.  

Today brought blue skies with fluffy clouds and more Tiffin motorhomes.  

Thanks so much for joining us today.  Be safe as you travel.  

God bless each and every one of you.