As featured on such hit television shows as National Geographic’s
“Ultimate Factories” and the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made,”
Winnebago Industries is offering free tours of its Forest City, Iowa,
manufacturing facilities beginning April 5. Tours are offered twice
daily from April 5 through Oct. 29, and once daily in November.
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,
according to a news release.
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 90 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 52-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 5 through October 29,
and at 1 p.m. in November.
