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08-31-2014, 05:04 PM
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#1
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Plant tour
Several members have commented about how their RV was built and/or wondered how things were assembled. Some people have a misconception that their RV is built like their house. That's not quite how it goes. Here is a little of the tour we took of the Cougar fifth wheel assembly line this past May.
If anyone is interested in visiting the plant, I'd strongly urge you, if in the area, to contact Keystone Customer Service through their website and find out if they have a tour that will fit into your schedule. Even if it's not the specific brand that you own, they all are pretty much built the same way with some "brand specific" differences.
Anyway, it all starts outside "in the storage lot" with stacks of frames, pallets of wheel/tire assemblies and mountains of axles, holding tanks, side wall frames and miscellaneous "stuff". It all comes together rather quickly as each plant produces an RV in about a 3 or 4 day time frame, depending on the model. Here are a few pictures of where "it all begins" Frames, axles, tires, sidewalls and the parts to build the slide and cover the rear wall.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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09-01-2014, 04:28 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SW Virginia USA
Posts: 58
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Very interesting. I'm gonna do the tour next time we're close. So it takes 3 or 4 days to complete an individual unit? How many are on the assembly line at one time?
__________________
2014 Bullet 251RBS
2013 Silverado Ext Cab 4x4 5.3/3.42
"Knowledge is good" -- Emil Faber
MM2 USN 1970-75
USS Canisteo AO-99
USS Miller DE-1091 -- The Champagne of Ships
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09-01-2014, 05:25 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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In the various stages of completion, it looks like about 12 or 14 are in the assembly line at any given time.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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09-01-2014, 09:46 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Hudson, N.C.
Posts: 72
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Got any more pics?
__________________
2018 Ram 1500 Limited
2018 Cougar Half-Ton 24RBS
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09-01-2014, 10:26 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 167
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When we visited the Fuzion assembly tour last summer, they wouldn't let me take pictures.
__________________
Andy & Iacie G.
2017 Impact 361
2017 F350 4x4 6.7 Powerstroke
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09-01-2014, 01:57 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SW Virginia USA
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 86GT2r
When we visited the Fuzion assembly tour last summer, they wouldn't let me take pictures.
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Industrial spies--lol
__________________
2014 Bullet 251RBS
2013 Silverado Ext Cab 4x4 5.3/3.42
"Knowledge is good" -- Emil Faber
MM2 USN 1970-75
USS Canisteo AO-99
USS Miller DE-1091 -- The Champagne of Ships
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09-01-2014, 02:45 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 779
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JRTJH,
I'm curious if you have a picture of the roof trusses/ joists set on the walls? Or if you just remember what it is if no picture. I'm really wondering what they use for a roof structure under the OSB since we walk on that occasionally...
Thank you!
__________________
--Lynette
2019 F-350 diesel 4x4 CC LB DRW, not the mom taxi anymore...
2021 Alliance Paradigm 340RL
2016 F-350 diesel 4x4 CC LB SRW, mom taxi - sold
2014 Cougar XLite 28RDB - sold
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09-01-2014, 05:00 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vampress_me
JRTJH,
I'm curious if you have a picture of the roof trusses/ joists set on the walls? Or if you just remember what it is if no picture. I'm really wondering what they use for a roof structure under the OSB since we walk on that occasionally...
Thank you!
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I wasn't able to take any pictures of the roof structure. The day we were there, they had put the sheathing on three trailers and sealed the joints to dry so they could start the next day with three trailers to put the TPO roofing on. So, there were none with the trusses exposed. According to the brochure, Cougar uses "stamped steel trusses" and is a walkable surface.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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09-01-2014, 05:18 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Here are a few more pictures:
The first one is of the upper deck and the black tank. You can see the tank plumbing laying on the coroplast and the way the tank sits on the crossmembers and rides above the bottom of the frame. There are no straps under it.
Second is the fresh water tank and the galley gray tank. They also ride on the crossmembers without any straps under the tanks. Note the aluminum bubble wrap insulation over the coroplast.
Third is the 2" heat duct that "supposedly" protects the tanks from freezing. Thanks Polar Pak Plus.....
Fourth is the passthrough with the utility center, hot water heater and furnace. Note all the plumbing, electrical and entertainment cables strung haphazardly through the structure.
Fifth is the roadside of the bathroom vanity/shower before the sidewall is installed.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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09-01-2014, 05:32 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Central VA
Posts: 146
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Great pictures, fun to see how they are put together. This stuff is so helpful to know as you dig into maintaining and modifying these beasts. Thanks!
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