Winnebago Industries Inc. has announced details of its 2011 factory tour schedule.
Winnebago’s factory in Forest City, Iowa, has been featured in such hit television shows as National Geographic’s “Ultimate Factories” and the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made.”
Visitors will get to see first hand what was featured on these shows, with tours of our Forest City manufacturing facilities offered twice daily from April through Oct. 28, and once daily Oct. 31 – Nov. 23.
“If you haven’t been on our tour – you are missing out,” Winnebago Industries President Randy Potts said in a news release. “This tour not only shows you how our motorhomes are built from start to finish, but also the technology and innovative designs that make our motor homes the top selling RVs in the United States.”
Each tour starts at the Winnebago Industries’ Visitors Center. The behind-the-scenes look into the building of an RV starts with a 20-minute video that offers a preview of the manufacturing process. After the video, the tour bus (constructed on a Winnebago Industries Commercial Vehicle shell) departs for a drive-through tour of the grounds, and a walk-in tour of the Chassis Weld facility and the main production area aptly named Big Bertha since it is equivalent in size to eight football fields. From a mezzanine overlooking the production lines, visitors are able to get a bird’s eye view of the magnitude of the motorhome manufacturing process. Each tour lasts approximately ninety minutes.
Before or after the tour, visitors can also tour the Winnebago Industries Museum which is located in the upper level of the Visitors Center. The museum chronicles the company’s 53 year history, as well as the design and construction of the Company’s motorhomes. Last year, nearly 10,000 people stopped at the Visitors Center to tour the factory and the museum.
During the spring and summer months, the Visitors Center also features some of the latest models of the company’s Winnebago, Itasca and Era brand motorhomes right off the assembly lines. Visitors can also see one of the first motorhomes built by Winnebago Industries, the classic 1967 Winnebago D22, as well as a 1959 Aljo trailer also manufactured by Winnebago Industries.
All tours of Winnebago Industries are free, and all ages are welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The Visitors Center is accessible to those with disabilities, however the factory tour does include three staircases. Tours are offered twice daily at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday from April through Oct. 28, and at 1 p.m. Oct. 31 – Nov. 23.
If your group is larger than six, reservations are recommended. For more information, please call (641) 585-6936, visit http://www.winnebagoind.com/company/visit-us/ or email [email protected].
