The Tiffin Factory In Red Bay, Alabama
We were invited down to the Tiffin Motorhome Factory to take a tour and check out their new line of 2014 Tiffin Motor Coaches that were coming off the line.
We’ve never been down to Red Bay, Alabama where Tiffin is located, so we hopped in the motorhome and took off. Then while talking to some friends of ours, we found out they were in the campground their at Tiffin getting some upgrades done to their coach! What are the odds?
It was good to see some old friends and catch up. I mean really good. We needed to see someone we knew. We needed some friends around. It was also interesting that other had found out about us and come over to say hello and that they were sorry to read what took place. It was great to not only read the messages but to have some people come up to us. So…well…thanks.
The next day we set off to the factory which is located just a couple miles up the road. We’ve never taken a factory tour before, so this was a new experience to us.
Donning our safety glasses and headsets, our tour guide started us out.
Tiffin Factory In Red Bay, Alabama
Tiffin Factory In Red Bay, Alabama
Tiffin Factory In Red Bay, Alabama
Tiffin Factory In Red Bay, Alabama
The Making Of A Motorhome
The Making Of A Motorhome
David found what he was interested in…that being, how they did video distribution inside the coach. Needless to say he was already thinking what he might have to do in that regard.
Once the coaches are done they head down the road about 6 miles to the paint shop.
David Checking Out The 1×8 HDMI splitter For Video Distribution Inside The Coach.
A Coach Getting Inspected Before It Goes To Paint. Still protected by plastic and cardboard.
The paint process is the longest process. The building of a coach can be done in 4-5 days. The paint, depending on the pattern can take up to 2 weeks. It’s applied one color at a time, sanded, buffed and redone. Clear coat is usually applied 4-5 times to really bring out the color, shine and definition. The more clear coat, the more deep and dimensional it looks. The white coach on the right is actually a “Pilot” (Prototype) 37 foot Allergo Bus. We actually really liked it and wanted to spend more time with it. Alas, it was in for more clear coat.
In The Painting Booth
What we also really liked was the fact if we had a coach being made, we could be their along side it every step of the way. I mean every step. And you know what, we would be. It would so great to watch the birth of your home and at the same time, learn from it. Hey Tiffin…we are ready when you are to work on new floor plans or modify one you have slightly. LOL :)
That evening it was a beautiful night. The humidity finally broke so David got his quadcopter out and flew around the Tiffin Campground. You can see the video below.
Getting Clear Coat
David Explaining The Quadcopter To The Other Campers
Our Tour Master Lined Up Amongst All The Tiffins
Of course he drew a crowd. Always does.
Everyone their was really nice and inviting. Even though we did not have a Tiffin motorhome, no one seemed to mind. It was kind of funny to see all the Tiffin’s lined up and in the middle of it all was us.
We had a good time hanging out with friends and meeting new ones.
Thank you all for your hospitality and friendship. And thank you ever so much to the Tiffin family for the invite down. You made us feel at home and more at ease.
Love the flyover!
Really enjoyed the flyover at the service center
We bought our 2007 Tiffin new in Sept. 2006 and have been to Red Bay twice. The first time two men worked out some bugs in the coach (then about 2 years old) for three days. Our bill was $500 and most of that was for a new vent we requested. The second time was to get upgrades, not by Tiffin but by three of the outside, independent companies made of people that used to work for Tiffin. We had a couch taken out and a custom built desk and cadenza put in. We had new shaded put in. More stuff. I can send you the list of more than 30 guys who have set up their own shops. We bought our coach off the lot but we know people that have watched the coach be built step by step and did their own quality control along the way. I really recommend it. Did you meet with Bob Tiffin?
Hi Howard…
Yes, we surely got to meet Mr. Tiffin. And if we went this route, we surely would be their to watch and document the build for all to see like we did with the paint process of the other coach we were to purchase.
And yes, we actually thought that we could just work with them and order one and have some items left out so we can then have one of the custom guys build the area we wanted. Example…they are only installing 42″ TV’s. We are big TV and movie people, so that just would not do. LOL. So we would want to remove the fireplace and TV section and have a custom area made for like a 50 or 55 inch TV. :)
Thanks for the note!
I teach driving and safety to new RV owners and consequently I get to see a lot of motorhomes. I currently own a fifth wheel, but plan to have a motorhome soon. Prior to buying our fifth wheel, we rented motorhomes for 6 years and every year we got to see a rental that was a model that was usually only a year old. Every year we watched the quality of build and products decline. Of all the motorhomes I’ve seen, and I look at them closely when with students in their new coaches, Tiffin is clearly a quality coach on all fronts. Buyers really need to look past the cosmetics and splashy gizmos and look at basics like the weight/quality of materials and the manner of attachment (build). I’ve already decided that I’ll be buying a Tiffin.