Factory tour and new stuff.

[dsprik]

quote:Originally posted by Driftwoodgal

So how much is my state making a minute off my sales tax of 6.25 percent. I guess I shouldn't complain, we don't have a state income tax.

How many people do they have working on a unit at the same time to be able to produce 22 units in a work day?

I am going to take a shot from my memory - really dangerous (this is from the Sprinter plant - a similar operational setup - and from how Jim Edmundson described the work at each station in the empty Montana plant).

About 5-6 college age workers per unit, and I am also going to take a shot at the total number of stations - from frame to where they are putting the furniture in the finished product. About 15 at a time (15 stations) I'm guessing. Also, there are some workers and inspectors drifting around at unassigned stations. Another 10 or so. This did not count the office staff

Rich how far off are my impressions?

[richfaa]

15 stations is close, maybe 12. The Sprinter plant they were all over the units like worker ants. The fact that they do put out 22 units a day is why I am under the 3400 plugging up holes tightening screws and bolts. Tie wrapping cables and wires. There are screws that screw into nothing , staples that missed the mark all indicators of an assembly line that is moving to fast for the experience level of the workers. The dealer corrected everyhing that we identified on the Pre-PDI but there was just to much to check out. Matt(the PDI guy) even removed every light fixture and cleaned the sawdust out of the globes because we said we did not want to see any sawdust or metal chips in the fixtures.I think I have plugged up all the drafts..used about a half can of that foamy insulation stuff and most of a roll of gorilla tape around the edges of the underbelly..I could see that shinny Arctic package insulation most of the way around.There was no way heat was going to stay in the underbelly with all those drafts.Want to emphasize that we are very satisfied with this 3400..this was in general a very clean unit..excellent interior fit and finish all systems working 100%. Rich's standards of excellence are somewhat higher than Keystones and we are bringing the 3400 up to those standards. The pre-pdi, the pdi and a great dealer will make all the difference in the world.

[VanMan]

Does "22 units a day" really mean from start to finish (24 minutes apiece) or rather that 22 units are completed a day. That unit may take several days to finish but 22 of them come off the end of the line per day ?

[dsprik]

VanMan, A frame comes in the door at, say 6:00 AM. By 11:00 AM a finished Montana, inspected, fully furnished, and ready for shipment to the dealer, goes out the other end of the factory into the lot, with that Lippert frame on it.

I was under that impresion, anyway. Maybe they go through a two or three day inspection once outside in the lot before they are cleared for shipment to a dealership - I'm not sure about that. But at 22/day, I would think that would run out of space really fast if they let them sit around too long out in their lots.

[CountryGuy]

VanMan

Each work station is full at the end of the day, which means that if you go to work station # 1, you will see the frame, barebones, in fact, no wheels/tires. They flip em over and do the floors and water storage pods and wiring and all kinds of stuff,


Mid way through the plant you will find them putting in carpet, rubber roofs, slide out rooms, toilets, etc.

At the end, they put in the furniture, and roll em out the doors.

When you go on a plant tour you can see every work station, You can see where they put the front caps on, whatever, it is very interesting.

It could take 2 days to get a unit through, start day 1, when they stop work for the day, it might be in station #4??? would be finished the next day.

I think that is what you were asking!

[VanMan]

My place of business builds jet fighter planes (F-16, F-22, F-35). We may build 6 per month - but that does NOT mean we build one from scratch in a week. It simply means 6 roll out the end each month. It may take 8 months to go through all the "stations" and testing. What I was asking was from start to finish, what's the actual span time per unit - in one end of the factory and out the other - 100% complete.

[sreigle]

Mike and Evy, please remind me at the rally to see the new color scheme in yours. My memory is terrible so I will forget unless you remind me. But I'll try. We arrive tomorrow (Thursday).

It will be good to see you again.

[dsprik]

Larry, I believe that it IS 6 hrs and out the door, fully inspected, wired, furnished. Thank goodness these are NOT jet fighters! Would you want to load several missles up in one of these and drive it off a cliff to see how good the quality control is???

While Keystone does their best to inspect these on the fly, They really do not waste any time getting them from frame to ready for the dealership in about 5-6 hrs.

Someone here may be more knowledgable and be able to adjust my numbers. That is my impression from the two plant tours and the two regional mgrs giving the tours.

[Montana Sky]

I was under the impression that it is 22 "total" Keystone units out the door per day, not 22 Montana's per day. But I have been wrong before...

[CountryGuy]

Total Montana units = 22 per day.

That does not count, Cougars, Oubacks, Sprinters, Mountaineers, or the many other brands Keystone manufacturers.

Ya gotta get to Goshen MontanaSky, when you see it you will be amazed. Rigs and parts running down the road, haulers pulling em out, frames being pulled down the road to the plants, sidewalls (ditto), like a bunch of little busy bees. And, this goes on county wide, run out to Middlebury and take a look at the Jayco plant area! It is an experience you will never forget.

[richfaa]

You have got to see Rv assembly lines in action to believe it..all of them .We have been to Nu-Wa, jayco, Forest River, Coachman, Sprinter, Montana..When you observe "the process" you will understand many things.

[dsprik]

It is hard to explain unless you actually witness, and understand, what you are seeing as you are driving around this entire area. Lippert is near the Keystone plants. Loads of Lippert frames moving everywhere - to the Keystone, Nu-Way, and the Jayco plants, et al. Sometimes two trucks in a row moving down the road somewhere. Makes you wish you had Lippert stock... Right, Dale??? (MIMF2).

When we went to Goshen, we drove through Middlebury and by the Jayco plant. As Carol and Rich have mentioned, you need to actually make the trip (and the Tours) to understand the scale of RV manufacturing that is constantly taking place there. You will have no doubt when driving through the area that this indeed is the RV mfr capital of the world.

[CountryGuy]

Spend a week or more driving around, the area is beautiful, watch out for the horse drawn buggies on the back roads! Oh, and wave at every duelly that goes by, the haulers will think you are one of them if you are driving a "D".

then there is always Shipshewana, ohhhh, and the Amish cooking restaurants! and, the peanut butter, to die for.

Ohhh, can't tell, Carol LOVES IT there!

[richfaa]

You are right Carol that is a really nice vacation area. The factory tours are a bonus. Millersburg a Amish/Mennonite city..You could shop and eat yourself to death..

[CountryGuy]

And, ole Carol has done just that!! Any number of times down there! HAHA

Even had to take one of my bestest friends, a gal from the Netherlands (we share many interests, PLUS a birthday) when she came to visit. She said I WANT TO GO TO THE AMISH place! So, I took her, We had lunch at DesEssenhaus in a buggie! what fun, and then went to Yoders at Shipshewana and shopped till we dropped and both had a basketfull of "shi**y" stuff.

Yep, one of our favs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Montana Sky]

Carol,
Dont you just love DesEssenenhaus? The whole area gives me such a refreshing taste of life. I have spent a great amount of time in Goshen, Middlebury, Shipshewana area, but have never done the rv tours. Someday I will have to make time and take the tours. =)

[CountryGuy]

MontanaSky

LOVE it ALL, actually we have found a couple of other restuarants in the area that give DesEssenhaus a run for thier $$.

I am anxiously awaiting our next chance to head that way!