Star Date: 10142012 Sunday

Just returned home from our first stay at a campground and our first rally.  It was held Friday through Sunday at Lazy Days Campground in Seffner, Florida, a whole 30 minutes away from us in Tampa.  The event was the Tiffin 2013 Product demonstration and 40th anniversary of the Tiffin Motorhome Company.   Several Tiffin reps in from Red Bay, Alabama, held several seminars including a panel discussion answering questions from the approximately 150 attendees.  Many of the questions concerned the Phaeton and Allegro Bus models which are the high end models, approx. $300k and up, way up!  It was amazing as to the amount of problems those coaches have but I guess the more complex the coach, the more things to go wrong.  During the product demos on Saturday, we sat in the 2013 version of our model, the 36' Allegro RED, where we managed to capture the head guy there from Tiffin, Danny Inman.  After getting acclimated to his accent (and without laughing), we picked his brain for over an hour.  It was invaluable time as I left feeling much more confident on how to use our coach.  Additionally, the changes made to the current model made me glad I have our 2009 coach.  There was only one new feature I would like, a cover under the shower skylight to block the sun.  So we made a stop at Camping World and bought a sheet of sun blocker and plan to create a custom fitted sun shield attached with velcro.  We also bought 3 insulated pillows for our 3 vents which fit perfectly.  After a bit, removed the pillow and felt the hot top and the cool bottom.  Should work wonders to keep the coach cool when on the road.  Speaking of cool, the coach worked flawlessly and the a/c's kept us cold.  On Saturday, we even got the cable tv to work after Danny explained the one button in an enclosed cabinet I need to push to switch from antenna to cable.  Met many nice fellow rver's, Sarah and Jeff of Seminole, Bill and Connie of Bradenton, John Wheeler of Lakeland who belongs to the FMCA chapter "Tiffin Travelers" and who promised to email info to me on the chapter and also from a course he took at Freightliner concerning our chassis.  The rally included 4 buffet meals plus an ice cream social.  The food was good and plentiful, too much so.  All the beer or wine you can drink thus this blog post after returning home.  Diet city this week -- at least until Thursday when we leave for the next rally in Sarasota with the Roll’N Rebels chapter.  Until next time, happy travels.

Star Date: 08262012 Sunday

Slept great, up at 8am.  Boss does not want to get up.  Want to hit road home by 1pm so a few hours to play if Boss ever gets up.  Want to visit fort at Fort Clinch State Park and maybe walk on beach.  

Star Date:  Supplemental. 

Great time at Fort Clinch.  Spoke to a Union Officer who had a whole lot of info and jokes.  Very interesting and enjoyable.  Then cruised Amelia Island, lunch, shopping at Walmart (for the 4th time in 3 days) then on road at 2:45.  Making good time until Ocala when started to rain.  Turned on the wipers and the driver side wiper fell off immediately.  Next exit revealed it was still attached by the washer hose.  Tied it down to the mirror.  Great dinner at Sakura in Ocala, mango chicken and lemongrass beef.  Made it home through light rain at 9:30pm.  Can't wait for BBQ left overs... and next motorhome trip.  Despite the malfunctions, the motorhome is not for sale...yet.

May the motorhome gremlins attack someone else.  So long until next time.  Happy travels, hopefully.
Bob

Star Date 08252012, Saturday.

Good night's sleep.  Relaxing breakfast and chance to read Friday's paper.  No more problem with generator fuse it being clearly caused by the fridge problem.  Head to cook off in Honda about 6 miles away.  Joy, a parking space too small for anything but a Civic right by the entrance.  Arrive a little after noon and start making the rounds wearing my KCBS certified judge's badge.   All of the sudden people are giving us free BBQ.  Lots of schmoozing with competitors.  After awhile, getting quite full. Approaching 2pm which is after all entries have been submitted for judging.  Talking to The Shed team from Mississippi which finally has brisket which it seemed very few where making.  The BBQ was simply heaven!  The Shed was dishing it out so I asked for some to take home.  They filled up 2 large baggies of about 3lbs. each of brisket and pull pork.  It got quite heavy carry it back to the car for a trip back to the motorhome and into the fridge.
BBQ put in fridge and then a walk around Walmart's freezer section to cool off.  A closed up motorhome in the afternoon is akin to a closed up car, hot enough to cook BBQ!  Thus the Walmart excursion.  After cooling off we head to historic Fernandina Beach downtown.  Walk among the shops and stop for Gelato.  We both realize how full we are and nowhere near ready for dinner before the concert.  Little River Band is at 7pm.  Head back to cook off (Main Beach) with our chairs.  Weather is perfect, nice breeze.  Who knew LRB had so many hits that we were familiar with.  Lady, Reminiscing, Cool Change, Hang On Help is on the Way, Happy Anniversary Baby, Lonesome Looser, and more.  After concert, more schmoozing with competitors and free beer offered.  Did not want to be impolite so I accepted.  Back to motorhome and finally dinner.  Boss has yogurt.  Me, BBQ, what else!  After dinner, showers WITH HOT WATER.  Hey this could be a really great way to travel.  Night night at midnight.

Star Date: 08242012, Friday.

Well the big day arrived.  The maiden voyage of the Wise Allegro (naming rights are up for sale, or suggestion please).  Destination Amelia Island, FL, for the Great Southern Cook Off held by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS).  Plans were to get an early start and hit Olio Restaurant in Jacksonville for lunch.  Olio has a sandwich (duck confit grilled cheese) which was one of the 8 finalists for the best sandwich in America as selected by Adam Richman of Man v. Food fame.  We thought we did a decent job of getting ready ahead of time but we finally were ready to shove off at 10:45 am.  But wait, the 7 pin to 4 pin adapter for the dinghy  (that's Papa's Honda Civic) lights won't work. Who knew that there are flat 4 pins and round 4 pins.  The adapter is flat but all Honda cords are round.   So first stop Lowe's.  Who knew that round is obsolete and flat is the only one made now.  Fortunately, I could buy a flat 4 pin which I then had to cut off a round 4 pin to the extension cord and re-wire to create a flat 4 pin.  On the road again at 11:45.  Bye bye Olio which closes at 3 pm.  We stopped for lunch at a rest stop just before Orlando.  We kept blowing the generator fuse when we tried the microwave and the a/c or toaster.  That's not supposed to happen and who knew what ominous sign that was for the near future.   Traffic was heavy but moving on I-4 through Orlando.  Who knew what that intermittent warning chime was that we couldn't quite make out where it was coming from.  Until that is when it stopped being intermittent and was a steady beeping.  Next exit #111.  Pulled out the 25 lbs. of manuals to review the error code on the refrigerator.  "Not serviceable by owner".  Bye bye cook off Friday events.  On phone to Norcold who told me it needed a recall kit and who tried to find a repair shop nearby but the person in India was not familiar with Florida.  I said how about La Mesa RV which we passed a few miles back.  Yes I was told by India, La Mesa is an authorized repair shop. Got its phone number and called them immediately it being 3:30 on a Friday afternoon.  Luckily, they were back at exit 104, only 7 miles away.  At La Mesa, Norcold informed us that the recall kit was already installed by Camping World in Tennessee and it must be taken back to Camping World since they botched the install  the first time.   Nearest Camping World is in Jacksonville and time is now 4:50.  CW of Jax on phone says they do not have part and since recall kit was done previously, CW will not do it again.  Ok, to save the weekend and the food I asked La Mesa how much to fix it.  La Mesa being a Tiffin dealer said it will do fix and seek payment from Norcold.  Hooray, after 15 minute repair we are on the road again at 5:35 with Jax 2 hours away.  Approaching Jax and looking for dinner since we are starving and only brought breakfast and light lunch food thinking we would by eating BBQ at cook off for dinners.  Hooray, Sticky Fingers BBQ at next exit and the boss says its a go.    Rib sampler for 2 for a slab and 1/2 made 4 different ways.  Yum yum and only $26, what a bargain!  On the road to Yulee Walmart, arriving about 10:00 pm.  Manager says ok to overnight so after a few purchases we park behind Walmart and settle in for the night.  Crank the generator and turn on a/c.  Shower does not seem to have any hot water but the cold feels good after a long hot day.  Tomorrow I'll look through the 25 lbs. to try to figure out why water heater did not work.  Lights out at midnight.  No alarm set!