June 9, 2003 - St. Clair, MI - 3 (Newmar factory, Nappanee, IN)
Even though we don't plan to buy another Newmar product, we thought we'd like to see where the Road Abode got its start. We're in Nappanee (emphasis on the "nee") at the factory, which is only about 50 miles from "home." On the left, some detail work before being delivered to the dealer, and on the right the tour guide telling us about the process. Newmar does not build anything on speculation. Everything they built has been sold to a dealer before it's started. Takes about 17 days to build a unit. The Essex motorhome which is their top of the line motorhome and is 42 feet long, takes 19 days. All units, trailers and motorhomes, are built on the same assembly line, and each crew at each station will work on whatever comes up next. We're wearing headsets so we can hear the tour guide, and good thing, too. It was noisy enough with just the machinery running, but there was a LOUD speaker system calling people to the phone, telling them materials were ready for pickup and stuff like that. This was our 4th factory tour, having already been to the Monaco (OR) plant, the Country Coach plant, and the Foretravel plant. Newmar is proud of the fact they can build an entire coach in 17 days, and the people were hustling to get it done, too. We're pretty sure we prefer the slower more careful approach to building a "home" for us. Currently, we're enamored with the Foretravel, even though we can only afford an older used one.
Must be a "guy" thing, but I really like seeing how stuff is put together. On the left I'm looking at the dash (more or less) of a motorhome. The leveling switches are hanging there toward the bottom of the picture, but I was impressed with the 3/4 inch plywood used for the flooring at this point. And then the side of a motorhome before it's finished. Newmar uses an aluminum superstructure, and the studs are on 16" centers. Insulation will be installed between the studs, much like a house on a foundation, and then a glue (Sikaflex) is applied to the studs and the outer wall applied to the glue.
The scaffolding raises and lowers, depending on need, and a side room full of.....you guessed it. Stereos waiting to be installed.
A refrigerator waiting patiently to go into a 5th wheel trailer (note the dual wheels like Moby Dick has) and then the business end of a motorhome. This is one of the bigger engines Cummins makes. 500 hp is the output of that little redheaded engine.
The outside skin is brought in by a hoist, and then drilled and pop-riveted in place. The team of one guy on the ladder and the other pulling him along was fun to watch. The ladder guy would drill a hole, drop the drill to the floor guy, put in a rivet, and then as he reached down to pick up the drill from the floor guy, he'd get pulled to the next place. When it was all riveted into place, the hoist was removed, and the cutouts made. Same routine, different guys. Fellow on the ladder with the router making the cutouts, and floor guy pulling him along. Pretty efficient operation.
Took 3 guys with the big cutouts. They save the pieces and use them in smaller places where needed. The end cap is lying against the motorhome, waiting for its installation.
The cutouts are done, and it's time to move on to the next station. While the tour guide was good and knew her stuff, she wasn't really able to tell where a group this size wanted to spend more or less time, so I'd fall behind every once in a while. Those are rear end caps that will all be installed today. 17 units per day, remember. Sheese!
A sneak preview of the 2004 taillight assembly, and then the kitchen cabinets being installed in another 5th wheel. Newmar enjoys a good reputation for quality, and these workers were quick, but they were also careful. If the final inspection shows anything that needs to be corrected, a member of the team that was responsible for that item is pulled off the line and has to correct it. The rest of the team has to work without the missing member until they return, so it's in the teams best interest to make sure everybody is doing their job. Mostly Amish and Mennonite workers, and, again, we were asked not to take pictures of the Amish. They're easy to spot, with their distinctive hats and beards. Because of their disdain for the military in their distant past, they shave off their mustache and leave the rest. Today they (and the Mennonites) are Conscientious Objectors, and during the draft they were quite adept at building barracks and other facilities here at home.
Using suction cups to hang onto these fiberglass parts so a hoist could move them was interesting to me. On the right is a new roof design. The rough "sidewalks" are a new feature for Newmar, and to my knowledge the only manufacturer doing that. Helps prevent slipping on an otherwise very slippery roof.
I had to guess as to why the toilet was sitting there in the bedroom. Then the paint shop (viewed from a window). The units are all painted with the slide extended, to allow good continuity of lines. The paint booth is the same kind that son Doug uses (see www.dougjenkinscustomhotrods.com ) in his shop, only a lot bigger of course.
And these are the paint patterns (stock) for the 2004 RV's. While we thought they were nice, none were so striking as to make us want to get one.
AHA! A distant relative of Moby Dick (it's an International)! Tired, but not retired. It was used to move the trailers around the paint area. And then a shot of the outside of the paint booth. The booths are rigged to act as ovens to dry the paint when it's time.