Univ of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, AZ

We had a scheduled visit to the Cummins dealer today for generator maintenance & also service on our Cummins engine in the motorhome.  Oil change, filter, lube, etc. and it took all day long for the service, so we decided to explore around the area for a while.

The Cummins service center has about eight parking spots for trucks and rvs and provides a 50amp outlet for each spot.  Since we just had work done to correct a problem with our shore power, this was a good test to see if everything was working. I'm happy to say that all is well with the shore power now.  

After a nice breakfast at a local Village Inn we decided to check out the football stadium where the Arizona Cardinals play their home games.  The stadium is a multi-event facility and La Mesa RV was having a RV show inside and outside the stadium.  Good chance to kill two birds with one stone.  Gerry likes to check out RVs and I wanted to get a good look at the stadium.  We were both very impressed with what we saw and spent a couple hours looking the place over.  It costs $9.00 each for a tour and neither of us wanted to take the time and walk all through the facility.  We did get down on the area where the playing field is located and I managed to take some photos.

There are beautiful flowers and trees surrounding the stadium and is unlike any other place I've seen in the past.  They must have a very large landscape crew to maintain all of the foliage near the stadium.  

The stadium and parking areas take up 25 acres and are set apart from the surrounding area.  There are a number of entrance roads and I would imagine they can clear the parking lot fairly quickly.

The Field

• The grass field rolls out of the stadium on a 18.9 million pound tray, residing outside of the stadium except for football and soccer events, is the first of its kind in North America.
• Excavation will take the field down to 26 feet below the present grade. When completed, the field will lie 39 feet below the main concourse level because 13 feet of berming will be added around the stadium.
• The grass field remains outside the stadium in the sun until game day getting the maximum amount of sunshine and nourishment, eliminating humidity problems inside the stadium and providing unrestricted access to the stadium floor for events and staging.
• The site has the stadium situated along a slight northwest to southeast axis for maximum sun exposure for field in the outboard position.
• The roll out field travels at a speed of 11.5 feet/minute (1/8 mph); it takes approx. 75 minutes to travel approximately 741 feet.
• The field is 234 feet wide x 403 feet long and 39 inches tall.
• Field tray rests on 13 rail tracks and moves in and out of the stadium on 546 steel wheel assemblies (42 rows).
• 76 - of the wheel sets are powered by a 1- horsepower motor (total = 76 hp).
• The field will support approximately 94,000 square feet (over 2 acres) of natural grass.
• The grass is Tifway-419, a Bermuda hybrid. It was planted by using stolons, or plugs, that provide the best long-term field conditions.
• The tray has a fairly sophisticated irrigation system that works on timers and can be customized. The water will drain through a 1-inch-deep mat and several pipes that lead to a main drainpipe underneath the field tray.
• A few inches of water will remain in the tray while the field is in play to keep the grass moist.
• Voted #1 natural grass playing field in the most recent NFL Players survey.

Playing field on rollers outside the stadium

Gerry waiting to get in and see the RVs

La Mesa RV is a very large dealer and has two stores in the Phoenix area and they put on shows (sales) at the stadium a number of times a year during lulls in sports events.  It seemed there were more salesmen on the floor than customers.  They weren't pushy, but if you hesitated too long or looked interested they were there to help.  There were at least 120 units on the main floor and a large number outside on the concourse area.  Entrance was free but the show was limited to La Mesa RV stock.

The Roof

• The translucent "Bird-Air" fabric roof allows the stadium to have an open, airy feel even when the roof is closed. The roof has two large retractable panels that will uncover the entire playing field while providing maximum shading for fans. The roof can be closed and the facility air conditioned in the hot months, while the roof can be opened to take advantage of the Valley's world-famous climate in cooler months.
• The roof is supported by two 700-foot long trusses.
• Each truss is 87 feet high at its tallest point and weighs about 1,800 tons.
• The top of the roof is 206 feet above grade.
• Each roof panel weighs 550 tons.
• The roof takes approx. 15 minutes to open.

 

 It was getting late and we were hungry so we drove back over nearer the Cummins place to have lunch since they estimated all the work would be finished by 2pm.  We picked a Paradise Bakery for lunch and it turned out to be the worst one we've tried.  They were changing over to Panera Bread and remodeling, plus they didn't have their act together.  The food was ok, but the service was less than stellar.

While we were there the Cummins dealer called and found a few additional items that needed to be taken care of and we agreed to them.  Of course, this took another couple $$ hours and we finally got the coach back around 5pm.  The final bill was less than I expected for all the work and I was pleased about that.  I sure do miss my $35 oil changes that the gas powered Southwind required.

We drove back to our spot at Cummins that we used the night before and had a couple adult drinks and settled in for the evening. Hopefully, we are better prepared for the long trip back east and the motorhome will treat us well.

So there you have it, football and oil changes.  Who says there isn't anything to blog about?