Corky had plotted our homeward route to take us through Forest City, Iowa where the Winnebago/Itasca motor coaches are manufactured. Our plans were to take the tour of the factory and have some warranty items repaired while there.
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| Forest City, IA - about 4,500 population |
By mid March our road schedule was pretty much determined, so we called the Service Center in Forest City to set up an appointment for April 11. We were told that April was fully booked, however, we could be considered a "drop in" and could possibly get in after the day's appointments had been completed. Service guests could use Winnebago's campsites free of charge. So, we thought "let's give it a shot!"
We arrived at the Visitors Center about noon on Sunday, April 9 with the threat of high winds and severe thunderstorms in the area for the evening. After some confusion about where to park, we located the sites at the Visitors Center and set up camp--electric service only, no water, no sewer and definitely no TV! They do offer free WiFI which, amazingly, is just about the best connection we've experienced our entire trip. Go figure!
Another coach owner who arrived a day earlier, greeted us and reported that the previous night's weather had been so nasty that the Winnebago Security guard showed him where the shelter was located in case the sirens announced an impending tornado! Oh my!
The winds howled, but radio broadcasts reported the storms were north and east of our location. Just for peace of mind, we did not open our slides and slept all buttoned up! No problems! Whew!
Corky registered with the Customer Service folks first thing Monday morning--he was advised to bring the coach to their Service Campsite at noon for possible service that afternoon. Coaches kept driving in all morning--obviously Monday is not the best day to "drop in." When it became obvious that Monday was not going to be our day, we opted to take the afternoon factory tour.
The tour started with a 1/2 hour movie and continued with a bus ride through the compound, with stops to view three different stages of assembly. It is a HUGE plant; quite impressive and a good educational experience for us newbies. Another plus for taking the tour and for stopping here for repair work is the opportunity to chat with other Winnebago/Itasca owners--all have wonderful stories to share!
We stayed overnight in the Service campsite with about eight other coach owners. On Tuesday morning we pulled the slides in and unplugged our utilities--ready to pull into one of their service bays as soon as we got the call. Again, coach owners with appointments were seen first.
As we were one of three coaches tentatively scheduled for afternoon, we used the morning to go to the laundromat for a necessary domestic chore. By early afternoon, we got the news that we must stay over another night, but we should check in by 8 a.m. Wednesday. Oh well, on the bright side, there's no overnight fee; and we are not on any schedule--we're retired!
We are hoping for good news tomorrow. We have only a "batwing antenna" on the RV so we don't get TV reception here in Forest City (we don't have a satellite service either), so in the evenings we watch NETFLIX movies on the computer. Thank goodness for the free WiFi technology!
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| Movie coming in--where's the popcorn! |
At about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Don, our service tech, walked through the coach with us and checked off all the items we put on the repair list.
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| Wednesday - going in for service |
Good news--everything would be covered under the warranty; bad news--we'd probably have to stay until Friday.
Given that we might be here for a while, we decided to have the 6,000 mile maintenance service completed, especially since our odometer reads 8,400+ miles.
We spend the days in the Customer Service lounge with other RVers, sharing experiences, watching TV, working crosswords, and/or watching the soda machine (LOL) from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Even though Gus & Woody have had to remain kenneled a bit longer than if we were in the motore home, they have kept each other warm and have enjoyed all the wonderful aromas around the neighborhoods during their frequent walks. We've also done our share of contributing to the local economy by shopping Winnebago's retail parts store and dining in the local eateries while the coach is in the servicing area.
When the Service Department's shift ends at about 3:30 p.m., the coaches are returned to the owners for the evening. Party animals that we are, we simply migrate the camaraderie established in the Lounge to the Road House for an evening's happy hour (are any of you surprised???) Although we neglected to document the event, suffice it so say we all enjoyed our evening.
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| In the Lounge - Marlene, Ebony, Dean, Cathy & Lyn |
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| Marlene & Ebony (staying warm in mom's jacket) |
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| Gary & JoAnn |
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| Reception area |
We awoke on Friday to freezing temps, blustery winds and possible snow showers--IT'S APRIL 15, for cryin' out loud!!! Anyway, we all gathered again in the Reception/Lounge area to wait for our respective technicians to give us status reports. Most of us expect to be here most of the day, all of us hoped to be finished and on the road by 4 p.m.
Because the forecast called for continued nasty weather, including 30-50 mph winds, throughout the rest of the day, we all were advised not to travel. Most of us accepted another night's accommodation at the Service Center Campsite. Several of us (Minnesotans all!) drove to the nearby town of Leland, Iowa for great BBQ ribs and fried fish dinners before bidding each other good night and safe travels.
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| Waiting for our ribs & fish! |
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| Lyn & Dean |
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Rick & Deb
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| Buzz & Marlene |
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JoAnn & Gary
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Mike & Kathy
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Corky & Cathy
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