Rockwood Factory Tour

itat · 05-14-2018, 05:10 PM

I just saw this new YouTube video posted showing a recent tour of the Rockwood factory in Millersburg, IN. If you’ve done the tour in the last couple of years, is this video a true, up-to-date picture of how they build Rockwood and Flagstaff trailers?

https://youtu.be/6apZD-2k2gM

jking46 · 05-14-2018, 07:47 PM

We have toured that plant twice. The video is accurate.

Happy Camper CA · 05-14-2018, 08:51 PM

Did the tour April of this year on the way home from Texas. Very impressed with workmanship. Shift starts 4:00 am till 12 then of to the farm. The video is accurate. Unfortunately we missed our build by a couple of days.

GMG · 05-15-2018, 10:10 AM

I tried to open the link without success. Even when I entered it myself, it still would not open.

Would love to see it and be able to comment since we went on the tour of the day that our rig was supposed to be made last year. Missed it by a matter of hours.

itat · 05-15-2018, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMG

I tried to open the link without success. Even when I entered it myself, it still would not open.

Would love to see it and be able to comment since we went on the tour of the day that our rig was supposed to be made last year. Missed it by a matter of hours.

I posted that link when I was using my iPad. Here's a link that might work for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6apZ...ature=youtu.be

aceinspp · 05-15-2018, 03:48 PM

We did the tour a couple years ago and it's scary to watch how fast the folks worked and yep left a lot of sawdust in various places in the camper that never seem to get removed before shipping. Later RJD

stephndudb · 05-15-2018, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aceinspp

We did the tour a couple years ago and it's scary to watch how fast the folks worked and yep left a lot of sawdust in various places in the camper that never seem to get removed before shipping. Later RJD

X2. They crank these things out scary fast. Not exactly a precision operation. But, I will say they are very responsive if you need factory repairs. That's an entirely different operation.

Kimber45 · 05-15-2018, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper CA

Did the tour April of this year on the way home from Texas. Very impressed with workmanship. Shift starts 4:00 am till 12 then of to the farm. The video is accurate. Unfortunately we missed our build by a couple of days.

Caught my unit the last day at the final station being weighed and cleaned. Had my last name and order number on it.

bonzo63 · 05-15-2018, 09:33 PM

Every brand has room for improvement, certainly....

Happy Camper CA · 05-16-2018, 06:39 AM

Some pictures from Rockwood tour

dblr · 05-16-2018, 07:26 AM

Never seen them lay a unit on it's side like that let alone a worker standing on the backside of the wheel??????

jking46 · 05-16-2018, 08:57 AM

It's only done with the frame and maybe with the floor installed. The frame is on a rotisserie type of handler that allows it to be rolled from station to station.
Once the interior walls are hung, camper remains parallel to the floor.

itat · 05-16-2018, 12:44 PM

It looks like the frames are held up by a single chain and the lower side of the frame is resting on a kind of dolly on the floor? I'm surprised to see wood framing in the interior walls. I thought it was aluminum tubing everywhere.

GMG · 05-16-2018, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itat

I posted that link when I was using my iPad. Here's a link that might work for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6apZ...ature=youtu.be

Thank you!!

They move incredibly fast. My wife and I were the only ones on our tour. I think that she missed half of what our tour guide said because she was so concerned about being in the workers' way!

Rdeejr · 05-17-2018, 05:42 AM

Six sided aluminum framing. The main reason I purchased a Rockwood. If you ever get a water leak the trailer frame will not be ruined. My previous trailer had to have the whole front rebuilt due to a leak. With storing an Rv, many leaks are found too late to prevent major damage.

Delco Bobby · 05-17-2018, 12:02 PM

Whoa, I just watched that video. Now I have seen why so many units are not constructed properly in this industry.

Workers running is dangerous. Rushing through tasks without precision affects quality. In the factory that I worked people would have been severely injured with all the debris on the floor. Jumping and stretching to weld, nail and staple; not good.

I could list much more but why bother.

I have read many posts maligning the line workers. Based on this video I blame management when trailers are not constructed properly.

Bobby

jking46 · 05-17-2018, 01:44 PM

Workers are running because, at the end of their allotted number of campers produced in one day, they're done.
Smaller units like hybrids and mini lites, maybe 30 to 40 per day.
Bigger units like Ultra lites 20 to 30 per day.
Faster you work, quicker you go home.

Bobaloo · 05-17-2018, 01:48 PM

That video makes me sad

Bluepill · 05-17-2018, 02:15 PM

OSHA could have a field day at that place if they wanted. In addition to safety issues already mentioned, doing arc welding near other workers who have no eye protection is a serious no-no. I found that out when I was young, hanging around a friend who was cutting with an arc. I woke up in the middle of the night with extreme pain in my eyes and had to be taken to the ER for anesthetic and lubricant eye drops.

Warren Buffett should be ashamed.

dblr · 05-17-2018, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluepill

OSHA could have a field day at that place if they wanted. In addition to safety issues already mentioned, doing arc welding near other workers who have no eye protection is a serious no-no. I found that out when I was young, hanging around a friend who was cutting with an arc. I woke up in the middle of the night with extreme pain in my eyes and had to be taken to the ER for anesthetic and lubricant eye drops.

Warren Buffett should be ashamed.

I believe one plant just received fines from OSHA

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