Fleetwood (Allied Recreation Group) Factory Tour

[Bigd9]

My middle school aged granddaughter asked me "how do they make motorhomes?". This prompted us to think of taking her on a trip in our Discovery to Decatur, Indiana and take a Fleetwood factory tour with her. She has fall break this week, and we thought it would be a perfect time to go and see how they are made.

We have done several factory tours with her in a variety of subjects and she has always expressed the desire to know "how it works". In my past life as a engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet we always reached out to the middle schools and invited the students to participate with us in many activities designed to stimulate their forming minds and encourage studies in math and sciences. My part in that process was to take middle school students on a job-site tour of several large bridge projects and we made learning fun.

Imagine my disappointment when I just found out Fleetwood (Allied Recreation Group) does not allow anyone younger than 16 on the tours. While we adults look at a tour differently than children, I can still see many learning opportunities to "broaden their horizons" and see math and science at work.

Looking at other SOB motorhome manufactures in the area I see they exclude anyone younger than 8 years of age. But 16 years old? Come on Fleetwood, you are missing a perfect opportunity to encourage the younger generation to buy your product when they get to the age of buying RV's.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

My middle school aged granddaughter asked me "how do they make motorhomes?". This prompted us to think of taking her on a trip in our Discovery to Decatur, Indiana and take a Fleetwood factory tour with her. She has fall break this week, and we thought it would be a perfect time to go and see how they are made.



We have done several factory tours with her in a variety of subjects and she has always expressed the desire to know "how it works". In my past life as a engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet we always reached out to the middle schools and invited the students to participate with us in many activities designed to stimulate their forming minds and encourage studies in math and sciences. My part in that process was to take middle school students on a job-site tour of several large bridge projects and we made learning fun.



Imagine my disappointment when I just found out Fleetwood (Allied Recreation Group) does not allow anyone younger than 16 on the tours. While we adults look at a tour differently than children, I can still see many learning opportunities to "broaden their horizons" and see math and science at work.



Looking at other SOB motorhome manufactures in the area I see they exclude anyone younger than 8 years of age. But 16 years old? Come on Fleetwood, you are missing a perfect opportunity to encourage the younger generation to buy your product when they get to the age of buying RV's.

That really sucks! I would make an attempt to talk to a member of Fleetwood management. Sounds like a fairly arbitrary age. Probably from the legal department. Tell them you are researching a new coach & your granddaughter wants to write a school paper on the manufacturing process. You like Fleetwood but Newmar has a cut off of 8 instead of 16.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[brian-nicola]

Agreed, that is just dumb...probably on advise from some lawyer.

[pointrow]

On the Fleetwood Tour you get right down on the line among the workers. It is loud and a lot is going on around you. I'l bet the tours with a younger age requirement keep everyone a lot farther away from harms way.
I can see why the age restriction is in affect.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by pointrow

On the Fleetwood Tour you get right down on the line among the workers. It is loud and a lot is going on around you. I'l bet the tours with a younger age requirement keep everyone a lot farther away from harms way.

I can see why the age restriction is in affect.

I've been on most of the tours around the northern Indiana area including Newmar which has a 8 year old limit. They are very similar. The only one that has much distance from the workers and the line is Winnebago in Forest City, IA.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[denverh]

I venture that if you contact Fleetwood directly yourself and explain your background and your granddaughter's interest in engineering that some accommodation might be made. I understand the issues from the company's perspective but one on one communication does work sometimes.

[Bigd9]

We went to the Newmar tour and had a good time. They even let us park overnight in their lot with water/electricity! My granddaughter love seeing the inside works of a motorcoach. She was asking plenty of good questions and really got a charge out of the air platforms . They place a platform under each tire and when the coach needs to move down the line they apply air pressure to the platform and two people, one in the front and one in the rear simply push the 43 foot coach sideways down to the next station on a cushion of air! Then she got to watch one guy position the large fiberglass end cap on a high end coach just by using a small winch. He moved it slowly and popped it right into place.

Now for the down side of the tour. She saw a King Aire coach all decked out in its finest! I have to hand it to her, she sure has expensive taste! She offered her $2000 college fund to us if we would buy "That One!" at a measly $900,000! At night she is pouring over the brochures looking at the Dutch Star on up coaches. She has her eyes set on the King Aire but said acknowledge she might need to finish school first. She did indicate we could use it when ever we wanted to if she wasn't using it. Good kid.

I still think Fleetwood is missing out on a impressionable segment of the future buying population.