Tiffin Rampage

Red Bay, Alabama. Founded in 1907, Red Bay is a very small town. Roughly 3,000 people. The sale of packaged beer and wine by private vendors is apparently prohibited. Not that it matters. As we shall soon find out.

Red Bay is home to Tiffin, a builder of motorhomes. Tiffin owners, after they take delivery of their coaches, are known to make their way to Red Bay to get their issues resolved at the factory.

Hmmm. Wait a minute. Didn’t we do just take our Newmar coach to the Newmar factory in Nappanee, Indiana?

Similar business models, similar builders. Tiffin and Newmar are amongst the best manufacturers of Class A motorhomes. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have issues with the coaches they build. You will.

And it shouldn’t make you angry. Just head out to a small town in Alabama or in Indiana. Chill for a few days, perhaps a week or so. Enjoy the quiet, calm surroundings.

I was catching up on all things Newmar including checking out the Newmar Dutch Star Owners Facebook page.

It is one of many sources of information about the RV community that I follow. I do not see too many posts about Tiffin on the Newmar Dutch Star Owners page. Rightly so. However, this one did catch my eye.

Kelly does not appear to be in good spirits in the above photo.

What was this Tiffin Campground RV rampage?

Let’s take a quick look at two Tiffin coaches. The one on the left in bay 14 is a brand new 2019 Phaeton, waiting for its new owners to take delivery. The one on the right was driven by Kelly.

Good thing the coaches are both at the Tiffin factory. They need a bit of buffing.

What happened?

Alcohol.

The first headline that I came across on the Red Bay News: Intoxicated driver facing charges after ramming RV into motorhome repair facility, causing major damage.

The relevant clip:

Sources tell The News the two people involved are a husband and wife couple who allegedly had been drinking and gotten into an argument. Multiple sources say the female got into the RV and started to drive it. When she did she drove right into a repair bay door and slammed into a brand new 2019 model motorhome that had just been repaired and was awaiting delivery to its owner the following morning. Sources say the force of the impact was so severe it dislodged the transmission from the RV that was hit, and the RV driver had to be cut out of her vehicle before being transported to the hospital.

Another update from the Red Bay News provided more details:

Witness reports state that Mongiello, upset over something, pulled her RV out of its stall at the campground with its awning and slide open, and while it was still connected to campground utilities. She proceeded to drive around, picking up speed until she slammed into the building. Her husband, Joseph Mongiello, was behind her in the couple’s Jeep, and witnesses say it hit the back of the Mongiello’s RV. It is alleged Mongiello was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Joseph Mongiello was arrested Tuesday evening at the scene and charged with public intoxication. He was released on Wednesday.

Kelly Mongiello was not charged until Friday after she was released from the hospital. The collision was so violent it trapped Mongiello in her RV, and she had to be extricated by firefighters and first responders.

Kelly was charged with Criminal Mischief in the First Degree. That offence carries a prison sentence up to 10 years and a fine up to $15,000.

Such excitement at the Tiffin Red Bay campground. Fortunately no one else was injured although I do feel sorry for the new owners of the Phaeton. Their coach will not be ready for delivery as scheduled.