Tiffin Mfg

We had a great day in Red Bay, AL.  Went to Tiffin Ind, and watched them make motor homes, walked around all over the factory with our guides, Brenda and Floyd.  How many other mfg's will let people watch every process as they make their product.  Tiffin turns out 12 Motor Homes per day and one of those is the luxury model (just under half million $), AND, they are all sold to individuals or dealers before they leave the building.

Entrance to the carpenter shop. Chassis storage in background

How's that for a success story.  In the general area of Northwest AL and Northeast MS, Tiffin employs about 1500 people.  There are two large mfg in Red Bay other than Tiffin; Sunshine Mobile Homes and Sunshine Products (dog food).  Little unemployment, poverty and crime.

The pictures are not in order, but you can get some idea of the process of building a motor home.  The carpentry shop and the paint shop are in separate buildings, but the rest, from the chassis up is under one roof.  Although, they still use two other chassis mfg's.  We watched them make electrical harnesses for specific models.  Most of the steel comes from Mexico, but some is coming from a mill in Florence and the impression we got was that more would be mfg locally.

Only Cherry and Alder Wood is used. They cut,  shape and plane everything needed from boards.

Step one is [preparing the chassis. This one is a Freightliner

This  one is used for the Allegro Bus like ours

Cummings Diesel Engines

Step 2-add the flooring and some of the plumbing--holding tanks

Floor insulation and tile

Building the motor home from center outward.

Adding one of the slide outs

Holding tanks. White for water-90 gal, 40 gal black (sewage) and 60 gal black for grey water

The rear cap

Installing a side

Installing wiring and lights and putting iu wiring bundles

Preparing wire bundles

Preparing wire bundles, The wall is measured and marked. Each wire is laid on pegs for desired length

Finished product waiting for furniture

Putting in furniture

Finished product

Freightliner chassis in background