Community Forums

whciv · 07-19-2018, 08:08 PM

We just received our build schedule for our 2019 Open Road 36LA. Our dealers says you cannot watch the build until its in the Main Plant Station 1. Is that true? Can you only watch from Plant Station 1 to Station 8?

Any tips for watching them build our unit? We are planning to fulltime in this motorhome and really want the build team to be "happy"... if you know what I mean. I know it sounds strange, but I believe having a motivated build team can reduce quality issues.

Lastly, any suggestions for hotel/motels in Red Bay. Nothing real expensive, just clean and safe.

We are excited!!

WHC

**Lt Dan** · 07-19-2018, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whciv

We just received our build schedule for our 2019 Open Road 36LA. Our dealers says you cannot watch the build until its in the Main Plant Station 1. Is that true? Can you only watch from Plant Station 1 to Station 8?
Any tips for watching them build our unit? We are planning to fulltime in this motorhome and really want the build team to be "happy"... if you know what I mean. I know it sounds strange, but I believe having a motivated build team can reduce quality issues.
Lastly, any suggestions for hotel/motels in Red Bay. Nothing real expensive, just clean and safe.
We are excited!!

WHC

I don't think you can watch in the weld shop where they assemble the undercarriage to the chassis, but station 1 is where the chassis rolls in and coach assembly starts. Unless they have changed from last year, you can watch from Station 1 to Station 18 where final interior finish and QC is done. When it goes to the paint plant, you can also watch that process all the way through. We were there for the full two weeks of our build last year. Wear comfortable shoes and maybe take a folding camping chair. Take lots of photos and enjoy a great time with lots of friendly folks.

kbhine · 07-20-2018, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

I don't think you can watch in the weld shop where they assemble the undercarriage to the chassis, but station 1 is where the chassis rolls in and coach assembly starts. Unless they have changed from last year, you can watch from Station 1 to Station 18 where final interior finish and QC is done. When it goes to the paint plant, you can also watch that process all the way through. We were there for the full two weeks of our build last year. Wear comfortable shoes and maybe take a folding camping chair. Take lots of photos and enjoy a great time with lots of friendly folks.

We have gone the last day it on the line before paint, on both of our builds. That way we could see it with the interior items inside.

Ddjay · 07-20-2018, 05:24 AM

Cool! When did you order? We ordered our 32SA on June 28.

Thanks, Dave

alv3769 · 07-20-2018, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whciv

We just received our build schedule for our 2019 Open Road 36LA. Our dealers says you cannot watch the build until its in the Main Plant Station 1. Is that true? Can you only watch from Plant Station 1 to Station 8?

Any tips for watching them build our unit? We are planning to fulltime in this motorhome and really want the build team to be "happy"... if you know what I mean. I know it sounds strange, but I believe having a motivated build team can reduce quality issues.

Lastly, any suggestions for hotel/motels in Red Bay. Nothing real expensive, just clean and safe.

We are excited!!

WHC

how many weeks did it take before you received the build sheet?

kbhine · 07-20-2018, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ddjay

Cool! When did you order? We ordered our 32SA on June 28.

Thanks, Dave

We ordered March 1st. It was sent to the dealer on July 29th. It is still getting its final inspection at the dealer.

nctox · 07-20-2018, 09:38 AM

Things may have changed in the past couple years, but in fall of 2015 we watched the build operations from the chassis shop ( wiring, generator and batteries installation) and then the AquaHot installation in a different shop. There is a large sign above the door to the welding shop that says Employees Only, but the welders invited me in to watch and take pics. After I told them I was a hobby welder, they even offered to let me lay down a couple of welds. I declined their offer by saying " I prefer it to be done right!".

We also watched and took pics after the last station in the big building (whatever number that was) while they installed the doors and awning.
We were never discouraged from watching any phase of the build. A friend of mine watched the dynomometer test on his Bus chassis.
Just ask, and you might be surprised what you can see during the build.

whciv · 07-20-2018, 11:33 AM

For those who have asked, we received our order number from Tiffin on June 13th and the build schedule came out on July 19th. We are scheduled for our build during August with the unit completed by Sept 1.

rockriver · 07-21-2018, 03:18 AM

i wonder which line you are on..
our "line" only had about 8 stations... after leaving the last station, it went to the undercoating area...
we were asked not to go into the welding shop for safety reasons.
--
highly recommend "grandmas house." very reasonable price older house. very clean/safe and very easy/quick to get to tiffin plant... hmm. maybe spelled grandmaws.

whciv · 07-21-2018, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockriver

i wonder which line you are on..
our "line" only had about 8 stations... after leaving the last station, it went to the undercoating area...
we were asked not to go into the welding shop for safety reasons.
--
highly recommend "grandmas house." very reasonable price older house. very clean/safe and very easy/quick to get to tiffin plant... hmm. maybe spelled grandmaws.

Our schedule shows we are on the "Breeze Line".

Do you have a link to Grandmas House? I cannot find it anywhere.

rockriver · 07-23-2018, 06:16 AM

info from my wife's phone! we put it there, because we will definitely be staying at her house again, if the need ever arises!! the property sometimes shows up as a bed and breakfast... it is not a b and b... daily or weekly rental...

256 668 2190

esta mckinney

lovely sweet lady. lots of red bay and allegro history to share. i looked for a link briefly. easier just to relay this info... she is on a list of recommended places at tiffin, and other threads on the internet.
very close to tiffin, and easy drive!

rockriver · 07-23-2018, 07:31 AM

i'm pretty sure this is the same line that we had for our small gasser...
they will do much more at each station... the coach will be at each station longer than those that go through 18 stations..
line manager may be kelvin... a great one... has trained some of the other line managers...
responded very quickly to any problem he saw...
his workers all seemed to respect him... and he respected them..

suggestion.. there are 5 to 8 workers at each station and then other "roamers"
that come and do a little while the coach is there and then leave.. piggly wiggly is on the way to tiffin from grandmaw's house... have them prepare a stack of 40 pastries (about 50cents to a dollar a piece) and pass them out each day... to the workers at the 2-3 stations you will be watching. order them in the evening... they will have them ready the next morning... or bring a treat from your home area.
just a small way of saying thank you...
learn and enjoy!

Kiawah · 07-28-2018, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whciv

Our schedule shows we are on the "Breeze Line".

Do you have a link to Grandmas House? I cannot find it anywhere.

There are three lines thru the plant.

Two of them make a big U, they go thru the plant, out to where the bay doors are added, then back in. One of those lines is typically for the bus's and large phaeton's, the 2nd line for phaetons/reds/some gassers. Those liines have like 15+ stops, don't remember exactly without getting out my old build sheet.

There is another line that runs thru the plant right down the middle of the U, starting at the rounded part of the U. Its for the Breezes and some gassers, and has less stops, must be the 8 you were referenced. Those coaches only go thru the plant once. At each stop however, more is done to it.

The weld shop is done before the main plant,and the undercoating shop is done after it exits the main plant. Then it goes off to the paint plant for painting.

rockriver · 07-29-2018, 02:27 AM

i'm new to tiffin as of 2018...
i think they added a 4th line this year.

the following is my speculation...
(with a little true stuff mixed in)
demand for tiffins went up. delays waiting on build was getting longer and longer .
so they added a 4th line.. (got the line manager from one of kelvin's best men)
i met the guy... he actually showed up to work on my coach to help fix something that needed fixing!
when the 4th line happened they had to find the men to fill the work requirements, and they got them from the existing lines...
this means that there was a "thinning of the experienced folks. and a need for new workers...
the big speculation -- this resulted in some of the errors that i hear about on the internet.. a bunch of new workers spread across the plant.

one in particular comes to mind... he had been working for a very high level airplane factory... doing interior builds... new to tiffin, but familiar with the concept.
i suspect and hope that he becomes one of their top employees. but, being a newbie at his current job, i suspect he made (makes) some goofs!

growth pains...