From the extensive Atlas to the active Interstate 19 and the adventure-ready Interstate 24X, Airstream exploring coaches each use their own taste of travel experience. However what they share is a first-rate production procedure that makes sure exceptional quality. While our riveted aluminum travel trailers are quickly identifiable and revered for their status as an American icon and a high-grade rv, our motorized camper vans developed on the Mercedes-Benz ® Sprinter van chassis are developed with the very same commitment to quality, hand-built workmanship, and attention to information.
Whether you are a veteran Airstream owner or a rookie all set to strike the roadway on your very first journey, we motivate you to come to Jackson Center, Ohio, and check out “The Mothership” (as it’s understood to Airstreamers everywhere). Here, you can take among our popular public trips (used in both the travel trailer and exploring coach centers) and see on your own this complex, reliable production procedure in action. Our brand-new video trip provides you a sneak peak of what to anticipate when you concern Jackson Center, with an up-close take a look at this hand-made production procedure for our Mercedes-Benz vans.
Prepared to see Airstream’s Touring Coach Production Center on your own? Set up a public trip today and Go to the Mothership to see this unbelievable handmade procedure firsthand.
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Structure an Airstream Touring Coach: A Detailed Process
When Airstream opened a brand-new Travel Trailer Production Center in early 2020, our exploring coach assembly line moved into the structure our travel trailer line abandoned. Integrated in 1971 and broadened in 2015, this 275,000 square-foot area offered more than 8 times the quantity of area our exploring coach assembly line had formerly. That additional area indicated more space for storage, brand-new tools, and a re-imagined assembly line with a lot of area for our partners to concentrate on this hand-built procedure. The relocation likewise brought a number of the products and parts under one roofing system, removing lost time moving products from storage facilities throughout town.
The brand-new area includes 2 assembly line– one for Interstate and one for Atlas– with both lines running parallel from east to west throughout the structure. In in between these 2 dynamic assembly line is what we describe as the “factory within a factory.” Here in the main location of the structure, groups upholster furnishings, put together cabinets and closets, and develop the Atlas walls and roof. It’s the pounding heart of this center that feeds all the part outside to the primary assembly line.
Pre-production Chassis Preparation
Airstream presently constructs 5 motorized camper vans on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van chassis:
Each of these designs start their lives in the Pre-production Chassis Preparation location, where they are gotten ready for work that will ultimately start in earnest on the primary assembly line. Airstream gets 2 kinds of chassis from our partners at Mercedes-Benz: The Interstate is developed on the Sprinter Van chassis with the total van body, while Atlas chassis show up with simply the taxi part and a rear frame.
In the Pre-production Preparation Location, Interstate chassis are raised so partners can set up elements in the undercarriage, automobile windows are changed with recreational vehicle windows, seats are eliminated and required to our upholstery department, and external holes are cut for recreational vehicle connections and other ports. The Atlas chassis is likewise prepared in this area, however due to the fact that the Atlas chassis is simply a taxi and frame, work is focused on the undercarriage and taxi. As soon as prep work is finished, each chassis is transferred to the start of the primary assembly line where they start their journey to conclusion.
Cabinets, Seating, Innovation, and More: The Factory Within a Factory
While preparation work starts on each motorized system, associates get to work structure interior elements, walls, and roofs. This work is carried out in the main location of the plant– a sort of factory within the factory that feeds out to the primary lines.
Atlas and 24-foot Interstate systems are geared up with a 7-layer laminated flooring structure that’s integrated in this main location. Block foam insulation and plywood pieces are cut to size, and a half inch of plywood is laminated with a layer of glue used uniformly. Vacuum pressure is looked for numerous hours to make sure the glue is uniformly dispersed and metal raceways are contributed to assist internal circuitry and pipes elements even more down the line. Since it’s smaller sized and has tighter weight constraints, the 19-foot Interstate 19 is geared up with a more light-weight floor covering. The Atlas roofing system starts its life in this station also, with a cutting edge glue and lamination procedure.
Neighboring, the basic container seats that show up in the Mercedes-Benz chassis are deconstructed and reupholstered. Each seat is dismantled, and the basic fabric upholstery is eliminated. Each piece of the seat is reupholstered with Ultraleather– among the softest, most long lasting, and most convenient to tidy products readily available on the recreational vehicle market (the exception is Interstate 24X, which utilizes marine-grade Simtex-carbon seating). Once they are reassembled, seats are returned over to the assembly line where they will be set up back into the van as it boils down the line.
The last piece of this factory within a factory main production location is the Interstate woodshop, where our knowledgeable woodworkers hand craft every cabinet, closet, and furniture piece that enters into the coach.
T hat procedure starts on a high-precision CNC router which eliminates the pieces required to build the cabinets and furnishings. The pieces are separately tagged with barcodes and filled onto a cart which can transfer to different stations for extra work. Exterior-facing pieces are gone through our edge-banding device which uses a soft vinyl strip for convenience and design.
Lastly, the element pieces are rolled over to the assembly location where craftspeople fit them together with screws and dowels which are made internal. This approach of building and construction makes sure higher strength and sturdiness than the basic staples which are utilized throughout the recreational vehicle market in furnishings building and construction. And by tracking the specific pieces with barcodes we can make sure higher quality throughout the procedure.
How Airstream Constructs the Atlas Touring Coach
Once the preparation work is finished on the Atlas taxi chassis, it’s transferred to its own independent line where work starts constructing out Atlas’s extensive home. Steel outriggers are contributed to the chassis frame to extend the width and form the fundamental structure of the van. Electrical wiring harnesses and preliminary pipes lines are gone through the chassis body while holding tanks and the generator are linked to the frame.
Next, high-end vinyl floor covering is set out and electrical, gas, and pipes elements are threaded up through pre-cut holes in the floor covering. While this work is finished, the Atlas woodshop close-by is hard at work structure cabinets, closets, and vanities. The put together cabinets is protected to the floor covering and the frame while the interior convenience elements like the heater and the hot water heater are set up and connected to the pipes and vent lines that go through channels in the flooring. At the back of the Atlas body, the large three-piece bath starts to come together with the setup of the shower base, toilet, cabinets, and sink.
While Atlas is technically a Class B Recreational Vehicle like its Interstate brother or sisters, its broad body and large living location leads us to think about it as a Class B+. The Interstate is developed inside the basic walls of the Sprinter van chassis, however Atlas goes through substantial work structure walls and a roofing while the interior home is developed out. Custom-molded walls are connected to the steel outriggers to form the body of the living location, while close by the roofing system is put together with all needed devices, consisting of the ac system, skylight, fans, vents, and photovoltaic panels. After the roof elements are totally set up, the roofing system is raised through crane so it can be linked to the wall panels through more than 100 rivets. A molded fiberglass piece is then set up to make sure a leak-proof overlap on the sides, which is then riveted to the roof structure. The fiberglass trim and back end are ended up with custom-molded extrusions. Lastly, the joints are taped in preparation for painting even more down the line.
The last piece of the Atlas internal production procedure includes setting up the staying furnishings and constructing out the Murphy Suite move out. The only Airstream item presently used with a slide out, the Murphy Suite in Atlas permits an extensive interior with a comfy lounge when the slide out is pulled back, and transforms to a large bed when the slide out extends.
After the slide out is set up, the electrical systems go through a preliminary quality assurance check to make sure systems are running properly. Then, the Atlas is eliminated the door and goes 20 minutes up Interstate 75 to Wapakoneta, Ohio, where it goes through a substantial paint and bodywork procedure. Fifteen coats of cut and enthusiast paint and surface are used to the outside, and fiberglass work eliminates joints and includes automobile styling. As soon as total, the paint is checked for quality prior to the van is reminded Airstream for its completing work.
Upon its return, the system opts for its water inspect prior to going through a last quality examination and a roadway test to make sure whatever is working effectively prior to it’s sent out to the client.
How Airstream Constructs the Interstate Touring Coach
On the north side of our Touring Coach center, our Interstate assembly line runs parallel to the Atlas line. Whereas Atlas gets a lot of custom-made work constructing out the walls and roof, the Interstate line is developed inside the pre-assembled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van shell. However the procedure of equipping these high-grade Recreational vehicles with Airstream workmanship and all the conveniences of house is no less comprehensive.
After the Interstate vans finish their pre-production work setting up undercarriage elements, brand-new recreational vehicle windows, and brand-new wheel rims, the vans go through a preliminary water inspect to make sure all windows, cutouts, and door seals are leak-proof. After that very first water check, the vans make their method to the start of the assembly line, where preliminary electrical circuitry and sound-deadening products are set up prior to a pre-cut piece of high-end vinyl floor covering is laid.
The 2nd stop on the assembly line is stationed under a raised mezzanine where our partners work to set up roof elements like ac system and photovoltaic panels. They likewise set up a customized awning and system, consisting of seismic sensing units that instantly pull back the awning when it spots high winds. Our circuitry harnesses are pre-assembled by an expert circuitry provider prior to they are delivered to Airstream, where they are set up and linked to control board, switches, and dimmers. As soon as circuitry is finished in the walls of the van, insulation is tucked into all open compartments to make sure sound-deadening and heat retention.
With electrical lines run throughout the body of the Interstate, associates get to work setting up heaters, inverters, breakers and circuit box, and the circuitry is finished in the ceiling. The Interstate vans move down the line to the pipes station where the shower is set up and pipes, gas, and drain lines are laid in pre-set channels in the flooring along with in the undercarriage.
While the Interstates make their method down the line, partners are tough at work in the woodshop structure cabinets and furnishings. The put together elements meet their automobile where they are protected to the floor covering and walls with screws and bolts.
A little over midway through the production procedure the vans go through a 2nd water inspect to make sure there are no leakages prior to they make their method into the last surface. Here, seventy-five hundred gallons of water are sprayed at the Interstates for approximately thirty minutes. In an effort to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, Airstream recycles this water for reuse numerous times.
After the 2nd water check, each Interstate exploring coach is equipped with more upholstered trim on the interior, and the lounge seats and bed are set up. The container seats that were eliminated for upholstery are re-installed and the van transfers to its last surface station where completing touches like the screen door are finished prior to the whole recreational vehicle is launched for its quality check. The interior is cleaned up and inspectors go through substantial systems tests, inspecting to make sure whatever is attached and working effectively. Then it heads out on a roadway test prior to being cleared for shipment to a waiting client in Airstream’s across the country dealership network.
An Unbelievable Hand-Built Process You Can See for Yourself
For more than 90 years, Airstream has actually continuously developed its production procedure, constantly looking for to discover brand-new methods of enhancing our items. We continue to follow the individual creed of our creator, Wally Byam, who stated that he didn’t wish to make modifications for modification’s sake– just enhancements. While we do not constantly make Airstream Recreational vehicles the simple method, we aim to constantly do it the proper way. That suggests handmade rvs developed with premium elements and attention to every information.
Now that you have actually captured this glance of how we develop them, head to an Airstream dealership and experience completion outcome of this hand-built procedure on your own. Discover your regional dealership and schedule a check out today.
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Prepared to see how we develop Airstream exploring coaches face to face? Check out the Mothership in Jackson Center, Ohio, and register for among our popular plant trips. Stroll the assembly line with a skilled tourist guide for an experience you will not quickly forget.
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