RV THERE YET?: Brannon Hutcheson

Friday, April 20, 2018

THE HOKEY POKEY CLINIC

We took a familiar route to Alabama from central Florida, in spite of all the warnings about the weather....we felt blessed not to be in the path of tornadoes and dangerous weather patterns on the weather radar. A new campground was recommended that we had not stayed before.

Hitchin' Post Corral and Campground RV Park
Cottondale, FL

The Hitchin' Post Corral and Campground in Cottondale, FL is a convenient overnight location at the intersection of I-10 and Hwy. 231. The resident owners will confirm they were sold "swamp" land and have spent quite a sum of money, hard work, and many sleepless nights to have a campground they can be proud to own. Nothing fancy and they accept Passport America (which means a reduced rate). We will return.

Hitchin' Post Corral and Campground RV Park
Cottondale, FL

When morning arrived we headed northward the next day and "about 200 miles" later we stopped at a favorite campground in Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. Capital City RV Park is convenient, safe and managed by caring owners. We had an early wakeup planned for the next day, dinner was already prepared, and it wasn't necessary to unhook our tow car.

Alabama 2018

We arrived in Red Bay, AL and our favorite campground in Alabama - the Downtown Red Bay RV Park. Sometimes it's just the friendliness of the people that you meet along the way that makes you want to return. After the past 10 years of annual/semi-annual trips to Red Bay and northern Alabama we feel we are returning home and seeing old friends.

Downtown Red Bay RV Park
Red Bay, AL

Do we have to go back to Red Bay every year? Probably not...but we feel confident our annual maintenance will be done by experienced mechanics and craftsmen. This year we are having some major paint work done at the independent body shop, Custom Paint and Auto Body operated by Bruce and Melody Deaton.

A Little Cosmetic Work at
Bruce Deaton's Body Shop - Red Bay, AL

After Bruce finishes we have an appointment in nearby Vina, AL for a couple of upgrades and mods done by Brannon Hutcheson at Custom RV (We call that ACCESSORIZING).

ACCESSORIZING AND RED BAY...SAME THING!

Oil and filters will be changed at Bay Diesel by Chris Morrow's team. Since we have scheduled appointments we hope our planning falls into place seamlessly, and most of the time it does. So you see, it's like the hokey pokey and we turn ourselves around....that's what it's all about!

CUSTOM RV - Vina, AL
Brannon Hutcheson, Owner

Our busy three + weeks in Red Bay will pass with lightning speed and then we'll slowly head north to attend a Tiffin Allegro Club rally in Goshen, IN which will be held from May 14-18. Remember, I teach FUN art...not FINE art ... and we have planned several ARTitude Adjustment painting classes that will be creative and a barrel of fun! About 300 Tiffin coaches will congregate at the huge Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds and enjoy another unforgettable rally. We are pleased to be a part of such an amazing group of people for fun, food, entertainment, and always a lot of laughter.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

WE'RE NOT SEEING RED................ BAY, THAT IS! (Bonus Added)

We're at Tiffin Motorhomes in Red Bay, AL for service on our coach. While our door handle isn't being held together with duct tape (Alabama chrome) or bungee cords, it has to be replaced. We accidentally locked ourselves out of the coach while getting ready to leave a campground in Michigan (cell phones inside, motor home engine running, etc.) Luckily, we were able to borrow a ladder and RV successfully made entry through a passenger side window.

Just follow the directions!

Main Street - Red Bay, AL

Many Tiffin Motorhome owners who make the pilgrimage to Red Bay usually aren't happy campers. They are often frustrated because they are unable to obtain adequate service from Tiffin dealers in their local areas, and frequently wind up staying in the Red Bay area much longer than anticipated for a variety of reasons. It isn't unusual to meet owners who have traveled from all over the U.S., Alaska, and Canada. Many of the owners stop in Red Bay to have service work done while en route to warmer climates for the winter or vice versa. Red Bay graciously welcomes all the money that is spent by the people who come to Red Bay.

Main Street - Red Bay, AL

Veterans Park - Downtown Red Bay, AL

Sometimes when people travel to this area of the country they have difficulty understanding the Southern English dialect of some of the people from northwest Alabama. Northwest Alabamans have a beautiful dialect, but it may be a little difficult to understand if you are from another part of the country. We were born and raised in the South and there have been times when we've asked for clarification, but we love the subtle nuances that make us all different, no matter where we travel.

If you get this far, you've made it!

We arrived on Tuesday after Labor Day at the Tiffin Allegro Campground, and upon arriving we could see the place was jam-packed with coaches. The campground host informed us we would be dry camping at least 2 days before we could expect a site. If all the sites are taken (which is the way it is now), you are directed to a designated area to do what is called "dry camping". That means you have no electric, sewer, or water hookups - you're on your own until a space is available, and if it gets too hot, just turn the generator on. Yay, no cooking! To get Express Service, which is all we need, will be a 4 day wait.

Allegro Campground on old airport runway

Waiting for service

Tiffin Service Campground

So, until we can have our issues resolved at the Tiffin service facility, we opted to stay about 10 miles out of Red Bay at our favorite off-site place, Custom RV, owned by Brannon Hutcheson, in Vina, Alabama. We are comfortable, safe, and secure and staying in one of Brannon's most luxurious 50 amp RV sites. We are now genuine "squatters" and have told Brannon we'll be his nighttime security and we're sure he will rest a lot easier at night knowing that his place of business is protected.