Whittle, Whittle, Whittle, Whittle, Whittle, Whittle ..... Perc, Perc, Perc, Perc, Perc, Perc, Perc, Perc,

We got into bay 2 at 7:00 AM on Monday to start our warranty repair work.  Marion (a guy - MariAn is the female version of the name) was our repair specialist.  He's been doing it for 11 years, so he's plenty knowledgable.  He finished with the "general" repair portion yesterday.  What we have still left is more specialized - Engine Work; Tile Work; Windshield Replacement and Body Work.  For those we have to go to different stations.  When you begin your repair work your Primary Repair Specialist looks at your needs and makes judgements about what HE should do versus what must go to the different specialties.  He then informs the specialists to put your name on THEIR list also.  They may have 15 people already ahead of you.  You go at the BOTTOM of their list.  Then, as the Primary Repairs are done you are percolating up their lists also.  So, our Primary Repairs took 3 complete days.  So, we've been on the tile, engine, windshield and body work lists "moving up" for that amount of time.  We have NO IDEA how many are on their lists ahead of us.  We were told that we MAY get into either the tile shop or windshield shop at some point in time later today.  We will see.  When they are ready for us they will give us a call and tell us to "report to bay # ________ for repair of your _____________."  So now our list which looked like this:

Repair Needs on Jim and Irene Gordon’s Allegro Bus 45LP VIN # 5VBBA87A4EA115308:

• Rear A/C-Heatpump  Unit doesn’t work correctly
• Spurious Check Engine Light
• Tile in Front Bathroom
• Front Multiplex Panel - No doors unlock and other problems
• Entry Door Shade doesn’t come down
• Rear toilet coming loosening from floor
• Front bathroom door squeaks and often doesn’t latch
• Fan Clutch Assembly
• Latch on Driver's Side Engine Access Door
• Tater Drawer catch needs to go into block deeper
• Windshield
• Center Holding Bracket on Front Passenger side topper has come loose
• Need to perform recall on Mobil-Eye
• Ground Effect lighting on Passenger’s Side - Rear 1/2 doesn’t work.
• Brake Indicator Bar on Rear has numerous lights not working
• Windshield Night Shade - Doesn’t Raise up High enough
• Driver’s Window - Screen needs repaired
• Front Passenger Wheel Well
• **** INFO **** - Drivers Side Night shade only had 2 SCREWS in it - grossly underattached
• Front edges of both front slides
• Plumber’s putty around left kitchen sink keeps coming out
• No heat from Aquahot to rear of coach - front zone is okay
• Driver’s Side Front Electrical Compartment - Leaks Water - Doesn’t Have Drip Moulding to Prevent it
• Front Carefree Awning - Rear Strut is not properly attached - drags on Passenger Side Topper and Doesn’t Return to Detent Position
• One Dinette Chair leg is broken

NOW LOOKS LIKE THIS:

Repair Needs on Jim and Irene Gordon’s Allegro Bus 45LP VIN # 5VBBA87A4EA115308:

ENGINE SHOP:

• Spurious Check Engine Light
• Fan Clutch Assembly

TILE SHOP

• Tile in Front Bathroom

WINDSHIELD SHOP:

• Windshield Replacement due to long crack

BODY SHOP:

• Front Passenger Wheel Well
• Front edges of both front slides

So, now we just sit and wait again to "percolate to the surface" of one of the specialties lists and our names will continue to percolate to the surface of the other lists also.  It looks less and less likely that we will be out of here by Thanksgiving.  Just the windshield replacement itself is a 2-3 day job.  Taking out the old one is easy enough and putting in the new one is also easy.  The kicker is that once they install the new one the rig has to just sit for at least a day as the glue dries.  When the rig was built on the production line the "front cap" which includes the windshield had been built ahead of time and was waiting at its station as the rest of the rig came down the production line.  So our original (now cracked) windshield had already had its cure-time completed before it was attached to the rest of the rig.

The tile is a 1 day job; the engine shop is a one day job.  (Actually they are both about 3 hour jobs a piece).  The body work, though simple enough to do, just takes time.  Time for the fiberglass repairs to cure to the point of being able to the sanded and prepped for paint and then time to paint and then time to buff out the paint.  None of our body work will require the rig to go into the "cookers."  It's all very small and can be totally done by "hand" as it was when they initially painted the coach.  All the final "touch up" work was done with spot painting and sanders and buffers.