Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Waiting and Watching

The start of the day was pretty much the same as yesterday - before 7, the engines are revving and the coaches are on the move. By 7:30, the campground is half empty and the service bays are humming. From then on, there are rigs coming and going to and from the service area.

Jim went off to do the laundry here at the campground. They have 5 big washers and dryers. The wash is $1.00 and the dryers are $.75 - pretty reasonable! We browsed through the offerings in the Allegro Club while the clothes were drying, but didn't find anything we couldn't live without. The Allegro Club carries clothing, hats, and other Tiffin related merchandise. We also went to the parts department and talked about getting a small, manual window awing for the window behind the couch on "my" side. They did have one, and gave us the name of a tech who does after-hours installation.

I came back to the Castle and let Jim fold and hang the laundry. After that was completed, we puttered around and eventually went out to the local Mexican restaurant for a quick lunch. After lunch, we found the guy to do our awning installation and made arrangements to have it done tomorrow after he gets off work. When the technicians do after hours private work, it must be completed off Tiffin property, so we go to the other end of the runway from where the campground is located.

The service bays close up at 3, and all the workers either go home or go do their after-hours work. The campground fills up again, either with new people coming in, or people who's work isn't completed, but who bring their rigs back to their sites. There are some people who stay in their rigs in the service bays if they are in the middle of something and can't move the rig. We have a spot next to us where there is a mat and a pair of shoes, along with water hoses. But we haven't seen the rig since Sunday night!

This has been a unique experience for us. It isn't quite like spending a night or two parked at a dealership and it's not like a regular campground. However, there are elements of both those experiences here. There is a certain sense of the legendary Tiffin service reputation, and we've certainly seen some of that in the way people greet us and treat us. We can't really say how satisfied we are with the level and expertise of service, since we haven't gotten our work done yet.

It's rained on and off all day. I'm thinking this is what they are talking about when they mention rain bands associated with tropical storms. We finally got a little bit of sun late this afternoon, but it didn't last long, and now it's raining again. We're ready for Fay to go rain somewhere else!

3 comments:

Peggy n David said...

Ellie & Jim

Are you guys watching the new hurricane Gustav? Looks more and more like he will be coming up the gulf coast...and it sounds like he could get nasty.

Don't take ANY chances...if he is headed your way, you head north!

be safe my friends!

The Haman's said...

You tell us you have had all this rain, but what you haven't said is how do the kids like their rain gear?
Hugs to all
Ginger

Speedy said...

Ellie...don't say anything to Jim but the mat..shoes...and water hose..belong to a couple that complained about the service there last Sunday...We are still trying to locate them but I have an idea that there may have been foul play involved. Be careful who you complain to.

Thinking of you both

Sherri and Joe