This photo tour of Ruby Red has been on my mind since we took possession of her last December and I know I have hinted at it ever since. But I wanted you to see her as our home, not just as a typical RV on the dealer’s lot. What I didn’t really take into consideration is that returning to the U.S., moving in and making her a home all while repositioning across the country took a lot of time and energy. Getting Ruby Red set up for her beauty shots felt like an overwhelming task, and so fell to the bottom of our extensive To-Do list.
Now, though, we are a month into our long-stay in the Pacific Northwest, just north of Seattle. We are parked up in between two of our three kiddos, close(ish) to dear friends and a short drive to places we know and love. Now we have time. We have energy. And we have the desire to get back to the blog. So without further ado, meet Ruby Red!
Great Room
Even after all the years we have lived and traveled in a motorhome, I am still amazed at how we can turn a vehicle into a home. Although it takes time to pack, secure and unpack a bunch of decorations when we are making the transition to travel mode, we have always taken the time to do that and never skimped out on those things that make a motorhome feel like home. I like to have rugs and pillows and nice things.
The big rug in this photo is one that I bought from Pottery Barn over 20 years ago when we moved into our house on Pine Lake in Sammamish. We had this one in the entry, and the thing I remember most about it was how nearly everyone who walked through our front door used it as a doormat to wipe their feet! It’s 100% wool and it was expensive, like, what is wrong with people? And when I say “people” I am mostly referring to friends of our three precious children. After a while I saw it as a losing battle and let it go. When we hit the road my parents took it to the ranch and put it in the living room, where every ranch dog has enjoyed that rug in every way you can imagine a dog might enjoy it. When we saw Ruby Red for the first time, I knew immediately that rug, and all the memories of footprints and paw prints was coming on the road with us. We gave it a good clean and brought it on board. It fits perfectly and I am so happy to have it!
The two wooden tables are nesting tables that have been in my family for over 50 years! We had them when we lived in Tripoli, Libya when I was a teenager. They are actually a set of three, but we let the largest one at the ranch. We had all three in Scoopy and Steven used the big one as his desk. He doesn’t have quite the same set up in Ruby Red, so we left it behind. I love these two because I can move them around and put them where I need them. When we have guests, I can move it beside them as a place to put drinks, etc. Very versatile. Also, I love to put a lamp on the one by the sofa, I really don’t like bright overhead lighting while I am reading or on my computer.
Kitchen & Dining Area
This shot is a 180 from the top one. Have you noticed the giant, ugly TVs in this room? There are two. In total, we have six TVs in this rig and we have never turned on any of them. We don’t watch TV. What I would love to do with this one is throw it in the trash and have extra cabinets built in that space. The reason is because Ruby Red has four slides, so there is very little storage space that is not in a slide. When you store heavy things you have to be careful not to overload the slide. And, weight needs to be equally distributed. This area where the TV is located is not in a slide. Those cabinets are perfect for canned goods, glassware and the like, so I’d like to reclaim the space!
In spite of there being tons of “storage space”, if you look closely, you will see that not a single cabinet can accommodate a large kitchen appliance without laying it down sideways. I have several large appliances and they go under our bed. I am actually okay with that, because I don’t use them every day, so it’s nice to have them along and not in my way.
We chose this rug for the kitchen/dining area because it mimics the look of Ruby Red’s paint swirls. We thought it was cute. I swore I wasn’t going to have any reds in my new home, but I can’t help it. It’s everywhere. You’ll notice also that we have two fatigue mats, one by the stove and one by the fridge. Along with the rugs, this essentially covers our tile floor. All of these have to be rolled up and secured when we travel, except for the one by the fridge. We wanted to protect the beautiful tile floors from being damaged. All it would take is having something fall from a cabinet or a jar of pickles fall out of the fridge and we have a cracked tile and no replacements. The previous owner left us nothing in the way of extras with which to make repairs. Grrrr.
I love my kitchen. After five years in Bijou, this kitchen feels like an absolute luxury! The countertop is really deep, 32″ on the left, and 42″ at the widest point on the right. That leaves a ton of space to put stuff. I am not one of those people who likes a cleared countertop. I like to see my stuff and I am constantly moving it about and changing it. We have no traditional oven, but rather a convection oven/microwave. I love it because it is very accurate and easy to use. We rarely use the gas stovetop unless we are boondocking, mostly we use an induction burner. When we first began traveling fulltime, so many people told us that once we used induction we’d never go back to the gas stove. I thought they were nuts, but as it turned out, they were absolutely right. If I ever build or remodel another house, I will go with induction.
We honestly have few complaints about Ruby Red’s layout, but the one spot that I really do dislike is the fridge It is a squeeze, when you go to get something, you get blocked in and have to completely close the doors in order to move back into the kitchen. I also don’t like the fact that there is a heater built under it, so it is very high off the ground. I have to get on my tippy toes to get ice from the freezer. In this model, a residential fridge isn’t even an option. If I had unlimited funds I’d rip it out, install multiple refrigerator and freezer drawers and some appliance storage. Alas.
When we were at the ranch and moving our things into Ruby Red, we had a Breville latte machine that we’d had for at least 15 years. We were so happy to bring it aboard. Unfortunately, five years of Texas summers rendered it inoperable and we had to say goodbye and get a replacement. All is now well in the latte department. I really like the backsplash in this kitchen, and the countertops. I like that they are light in color, as are the tile floors. It contrasts nicely with the very dark chocolate brown furniture.
Hallway
We have a very long hallway for reasons I will soon explain. But first, notice the rug? It is a 9′ long runner that matches the rug in the living room. I have two of them that we used in the Great Room in our lake house. It fits perfectly through the hallway and right into the bedroom. It also has a lot of memories. I brought the second one to give to Zoe to use in her house because she has a long upstairs hallway. She is very strict about not letting me dump all my stuff on her to keep in her house, and frankly I don’t blame her. (She’s so sweet though, she did take some stuff…) I sold her on it because I reminded her it was a part of her childhood. But, as it turns out, it wasn’t long enough, so we have it back in one of our storage bays in Ruby Red. If the one I have inside ever falls apart, I’m covered with a back up! 🙂 Anyway, on to the hallway…
If I had pets or grandchildren this would be perfect, but I don’t. So I’m not going to kid you, we use this as a closet. A very big, nice closet. The top bunk raises up and locks into place and there is a hanging bar that runs from front to back. That is where we hang all our coats and bulky items. On the bottom bunk, well, it’s basically a junk drawer at this point. It is the dregs of paperwork and crap that I haven’t gotten to yet. The vacuum cleaner goes in there, the ice cream maker (!!) and whatever else we decide needs to be stashed away until we need it, find another place for it or get rid of it. Each bunk bed has a TV and DVD player, outdated, no doubt. I love having the space, and don’t really think it could be used any more efficiently than it is, at least for me. That said, if anyone wants to come visit, I will gladly return this space to Guest Room mode!
Bathroom
Looking down the hallway towards the front on the rig, across from the bunk beds, is the bathroom on the left. It is all one room, and it has a really nice shower. It is roomy enough, but I still find that I open the door to the hallway when I dry my hair in order to get a little more space. It is longer than it is wide and has lots of storage that I am thus far using quite inefficiently.
I have somehow amassed a collection of plants, and I do not have a green thumb. Steven is fond of saying that plants come to my house to die. I also planted an avocado seed which has stubbornly refused to sprout any more than about 3/4 of an inch, so I started another one that won’t grow at all. I’d like to have them where I can see them, but they are so needy that the shower is their preferred habitat. It is the warmest room with the most light. I am loathe to get fake plants but each time I try to grow my own I understand the temptation.
Bedroom
I love our bed so much. We anticipated getting a new mattress, but this is truly one of the most comfy we have ever had and we both sleep well on it. We bought the bedding at IKEA, the same kind we had in Bijou that we really find nice and soft. Again, I had sworn off the color red, but when we moved in we packed up a bunch of artwork we had stored at the ranch to bring to Zoe. An RV has precious little wall space, but I noticed that we could put a piece on the sliding bedroom door, and so we did. Then it became a red explosion.
I wanted those pillowcases to be butter yellow, but all I could find was sunflower yellow. Steven likes them, but I am not sold and will keep my eye out for the color I want. The little rectangle pillow in front is from Bijou. I like having things that remind me of the great life we had with her. The cabinets above the bed are really deep, so nice storage for linens and extra winter clothes.
This is one of my most favorite features, my very own washer and dryer! This is the exact same set we had in Scoopy and we really like them. I love being able to wash whenever I want and I don’t ever have to go to a laundromat. Happy Days! In Scoopy these were located in the hallway and did not take up space in our closet, one of the few places that is not in a slide. I had tons of closet storage in Scoopy. But now I have the bunk beds that I have turned into storage and the washer dryer in my closet. It all evens out in the end because Ruby Red is the same size as Scoopy! It is interesting to see how different layouts can be in the same sized space.
And finally, let’s talk about how Ruby Red got her name. It is not because she has red swirls, or because one of her owners (me) loves the color red. It is because RED is actually part of her model type. She is a 2017 Tiffin Allegro Open Road RED 38 QBA. It’s printed right on her nameplate.
RED. stands for Rear Engine Diesel. And also, did you know that the Ruby Red grapefruit was discovered in Texas in the 1920s, and that it is a mutation of the white variety? It is sweet and red, so that’s reason number two of how Ruby Red got her name, and why we don’t call her just “Ruby”. And yes, that candle in the photo above smells just like a Texas Ruby Red grapefruit. I know there are those among you who will want to know what QBA stands for. It is an indication of the model and floorpan of Ruby Red. She has four slides, so “Q” for quad, bunk beds, so “B” for bunk beds, and “A” for Allegro. Apparently, Mrs. Tiffin was a piano teacher and she came up with the name Allegro, which is an Italian word used to indicate tempo in music. The more you know….
Up next: Repositioning trip across the American Southwest to the Pacific Northwest.
Love the layout of Ruby Red and the things she holds
I love it, too, and we are finding her to be quite comfy and livable!
Thank you! I love playing along in my imagination.
Sarah, my pleasure!
Welcome back to the west coast !!.. enjoy your stay near the kids and all ‘things familiar’.. you have turned Ruby into a beautiful home but I knew you would !!.. as always your writing captures all the highlights ..what a lovely tour !!
Thank you, Sue! Even after all our travels, Washington still feels like home and it is good to be back!
What a beautiful rig! I kind of envy the space but would not want to drive it :-). Enjoy!
Sometimes I don’t want to drive it either, but then once we are packed up and ready to hit the road, it all comes back to me. Hope all is well with you guys!
Such a beauty! How many. Bijous would fit inside?
ha, I have wondered that myself! Just looking at the space and not the vehicle part, I’d say 10 Bijous can fit inside. That’s just a guess tho. Seems huge to us after five years in Bijou, but she was such a well-designed space that until the end, we never felt crowded. She was just our home. Near the end, I wanted more room to stretch out and be comfy, and I got it! Lots of floor space in Ruby Red!
You’ve certainly did a great job turning her into your home. I cannot believe all the seating area in the living room!
We can seat 9-11 people comfortably, but I’m not so sure the chicken would be happy to give up her sofa. 🙂 Enjoyed your trip to Alaska, hope Barb is feeling better!
Ruby Red is certainly beautiful! It really makes me miss our Phaeton. All that room! However, we don’t miss all the logistics of finding parking for a big rig. Our little Unity has been perfect on our current trip up the Maritimes in Canada.
I totally get it. When we sold Scoopy I was so ready to move into a smaller space, but I didn’t take into consideration the smaller roads. If I had Bijou here in the states, she really would seem really small! I love your Unity and so glad you are finding it so good for long-term travel.
Greetings from over the pond!! Ruby Red looks great and huge compared to our little VW!! I can’t believe there are 6 TVs, sweet Jesus, good will them all, or even 5 of them. Safe travels and enjoy the space
My gosh, who needs so many TVs, right? Now you know we have a guest room, you and Mark should plan a trip over. If you don’t fancy bunk beds, both of our sofas make into beds, too! Come see us! 🙂
We’ll have a hooley and bring the Guinness!! Even the 00 stuff!
Yikes, I’m not even sure I can drink the 00 stuff, although I’ve heard tell it is pretty good! But I’d have some if you bring it! 🙂
You have put tons of thought and effort into making Ruby Red a home. She is beautiful!! Thank you for continuing to share your lives with us!
Thank you, Cindy. We are finding Ruby Red to be quite comfy and so roomy. We’ve spent so much time getting her all fixed up, the blog has suffered. But hopefully we will be able to post a little more often, I hate getting so far behind! Hope you and Bill are doing well.
Super nice RV and beautifully decorated. Which makes home sweet home. Hope you’re out of the heat that the west is having.
Thanks, Vern! Isn’t is amazing how we can make these vehicles be so personal and comfortable? I really thought she would be so different from Scoopy, but when we put a lot of the same things into a rig, it feels so familiar and like home. We have had our share of hot days, but mostly we are staying cool. Mostly able to live on our solar and not plug in. But when it gets hot, we plug right in and turn on all our aircons! The worst is we are facing west, so Ruby Red has front sun shield that makes her look like Mr. Magoo!
Enjoyed your post! Very nice decorating!
Thank you! Sorry you are not getting to travel this summer in your own wonderful Tiffin, but hopefully soon? Hope you are both doing well.
Your new home is a beauty and must feel like a palace after living in Bijou for so long. Safe travels!
Thank you! I wanted a bit more floor space and four opposing slides offers plenty of that! I could open my own Yoga studio!
So Beautiful..So Happy for You Guys…What a Great Home.
Thank you, Drew. When we make it to Florida we’ll try to hook up and you can see her in person!
Thanks for the tour Linda! I’m amazed at it all! Enjoy every moment! 🥰
My pleasure, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Can you believe all that kitchen space I have now? I’m so pleased that I can finally get back to cooking in the way that I enjoy.
Ruby Reds a beauty! I love the colors!
Thanks, I love the colors, too. Red is just a part of me, I guess, because I seem to have so much of it and gravitate to it. 🙂 I’m enjoying your Alaska trip!
Thank you for sharing. Gosh she’s very big and looks nothing like a motorhome at all, more like a tiny home that could be anywhere. How wonderful.
Did it take you long to find her? Please tell us about that journey. Ta.
You know, it’s funny, we weren’t even thinking or planning to buy a rig, but I just happened to go online and did a search on RVTraders(dot)com. I put in some criteria and Ruby Red came up. I showed her to Steven and a couple of days later we had made a deal. We flew to Florida five days later and drove her back to the ranch! It was all just a fluke!
Very nice! I don’t think “camping” gets any better.
Thanks, Dan. Tiffin calls traveling in one of their rigs “Roughing It Smoothly”. 🙂 So Glamping it is!
Looks like a great rig – super comfy and well thought out. The most important thing to me is counter space – both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and you definitely have plenty of that. I also like having the opposing slides with the sofas facing one another – great for entertaining! And I agree about the mattress – the one that came in our Allegro was incredibly comfortable – maybe even more so than our regular bed now. Go figure… Either way, congratulations on your lovely new home!
I am giddy with excitement over the counter space in this rig and I tried my best not to junk them up, but failed. Obvs. And how thrilled am I that since I have no “Thor” of my own that I can turn those bunk beds into what is essentially a pantry? Wouldn’t you use those bunk beds for Thor’s room? I think they’d be perfect for him! 🙂
Your own washer and dryer!!! What luxury!
We had one just like it in Scoopy, so I knew I wanted to be spoiled again!!