After receiving the diagnosis from Chris at Red Bay Diesel that our exhaust manifold gasket was causing the high pitched squeal upon acceleration, we set an appointment with him to replace the gasket and manifold the following week. The original exhaust manifold on our 2007 Allegro Bus 40 QSP with the Cummins 400hp ISL engine was a one piece design. Chris explained that the manifold was most likely warped and would never seal properly. Since labor is 2/3's the cost, it is only prudent to replace the manifold and anything attached to it while it is being done. The total cost was $1966.
While we waited in Red Bay, we enjoyed meeting other Tiffin owners, sharing a beverage, and even dinner a few nights. We explored the area a little more and took the opportunity to buy a few parts at the Tiffin Part Store and do some minor maintenance ourselves.
When we departed, The Bus was running very quiet and strong. We drove about 3 hours south to Deerlick Creek Campground near Tuscaloosa to spend a few days visiting my mother. On the trip down we were cautiously optimistic that we both felt the ride quality to be much improved. We asked Chris at Red Bay Diesel to check the ride height of the air bag suspension as it seemed to ride rough in the front. They recorded the following measurements:
We were told that being a 1/4 or 1/2 inch out of tolerance can drastically affect the ride quality as the frame will contact the bump stops rather than the air bags absorbing the load. As you can see, ours was significantly out of tolerance and the team at Red Bay Diesel adjusted it back to specifications. The ride seems much better, but we want to put several more hours of driving on it before we claim victory.
While in Tuscaloosa, we helped my mother with some appointments, chores around the house, and shopping. She is tough to keep track of when she gets on a scooter. We enjoyed our time celebrating Easter with my sister and brother in law and had some good meals together.
This was our first time staying at Deerlick Creek Campground and found it much better than the more convenient Sunset RV Park near the interstate. Deerlick Creek Campground is a Army Corps of Engineer campground on the river and gives you a campground atmosphere rather than an industrial park feel with highway noise.
Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!
RV Tip: Don't get distracted setting up or breaking camp. Distractions can cause you to miss an important step. One thing I do after disconnecting all service items is scan the faucet and power box to see if I forgot anything. I failed to do this when leaving Red Bay RV Park and left a good quality pressure regulator. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I received a new one a couple days later. Remember the scan!
