Quote:
Originally Posted by Humteddy2
I'm talking about how fast one is assembled, not from order day to delivery. I know they can build a car in a few hours.
Humteddy2
2014 Silverado Z71 LTZ 1500
2017 Surveyor 285IKDS
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We sold our Weekend Warrior a month ago and have been anticipating our new SANDSTORM 250slc for about two weeks. They initially thought that the factory would run them end of March or early April and they were Run in Mid April so ANY DAY NOW. Toured the factory in Rialto, CA on the 19th of April on super duper special prearrangement by my dealer. Pretty sure we found our special order unit on the assemble line, at about one day in to the process of assembly. It was just starting through the building. In fact to get ahead of the game, there were plumbing guys and cabinet guys setting the cabinet frames and interior walls on the unit, outside, before it started in to the assembly phase inside.
Rep at the factory told me usually they plan from pulling a set of frame rails and axles off the pile to a finished product is FIVE working days. They only Run Monday through Friday. By educated guess, ours was about a day along when I was there Tuesday afternoon so we should have had ours out the end of the assemble line and over to their delivery/final Quality Control area on last Friday or maybe not until Monday morning.
We were Hoping that it would be at our dealer 40 miles away yesterday, but evidently not yet there.
Anyway, the process looked pretty good. Tanks go in the frame, generator was mounted, and all are plumbed, then an insulated deck goes from end to the other and a guy with a big hand operated belt sander runs it from end to end until he is satisfied that it is flat and smooth. Vinyl goes the full length and at some point early on card board is taped over all the central walking are where the workers will be in and out building the beast. The flat topped unit with only the back door frame and the generator sticking above the floor is move out of that door then down half a block to start in through the door to the beginning of assembly.
QC guys were overseeing each department/phase of assembly. Cabinets built on site but doors, of which there were plenty in stock, are made outside. One guy seemed to put together all the wiring harnesses by model. He was dozens ahead with the Electronics box, fuses, breakers and looked like converter all mounted together and then a whole bunch of copper wire coming out and coiled around it then sitting on a shelf, presumably until the unit pulled by on the line and then an installer pulled the box over to install it.
After the interior walls and cabinets are in, plumbers set the sinks and the above deck plumbing it routed to where it belongs. Lots of set ups for later installations are made while it is wide open and every step is outlined on a clip board with the multi-page BUILD SHEET of the exact step by step process is listed out. Every worker or his QC overseer has to enter their name on the check list as each bit of piece is installed and checked. That clip board stays with the unit from the moment the frame has tires installed up to the end of assembly QC checker gets his or her hands on the unit.
Wall come next as wiring continues through out and the fridge gets mounted. When the walls are framed, installed and insulated, they are sheet ed in the case of our aluminum unit and eventually then aluminum or fiberglass the decals go on. Evey unit the same done by hand by the same well practiced team. Then eventually at the East end of the line the pre-assembled roof is lowered in place and secured. Specialty roofers install the one piece rubber roof to the top, front back and sides. As holes are cut in the exact spots, vents and A/C units are mounted and then the unit is moved up to the final line and starts moving West toward the Exit for interior finish, accessory installations, passage doors, cabinet doors, window coverings, overhead beds, mattress, bedding and furniture are all installed. The guy they trust must be the guy with the stereo, TVs and TV mounts as all of his stuff is kept under lock and key until he need something.
These things are precise, but still old school, build by the hand work of individual, specialized crafts men and women.
After all the finish stuff, the final phase, nearing the West Exit doors of the building looked like a fill up of water tank, then plumbing tested until there was water to drain from each waste tank, all controlled, indoors and with only a modest amount of water spilled under the path. I hope it was spillage as that would have been way too many leaks. As each unit passes, it is pushed the old fashioned way, by several workers on foot over to the door where a tow vehicle picks it up to move it out for final inspection and ultimately for a delivery driver to pick it up and move it.