Factory tour report

[Ross]

Hi,
Nice ,interesting report.
There is no new axle yet.(Independent suspension) The design has yet
to be completed.They hope (and wish) by December. The tie rods are
being changed for now. Axles in California ?
Ross

Ross
--- In WanderlodgeForu
m@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123" wrote:
>
> No not a You Tube tour but a report on my tour this week. Actually it
> was more like a visit as I was the only person on the tour. Stepping
> into the plant I had a flashback. Not the drug induced "back to the
> 50's" style. I couldn't help thinking that this must have been
> something to see in the mid 80's or earlier. I could imagine the
> sounds of shears, punch presses and brakes all making body panels.
> Lots of good old boys welding frame members. Maybe 3 or 4 units a
> week coming off the line. I wish I could have been there. The new
> owners seem to be trying hard but it is an uphill battle. They have
> had to go out and buy a lot of equipment as Henley sold it all off. I
> did not know that since 2000 BB farmed out a lot of the work. All the
> side walls were made at a metal fab plant. All the wiring harnesses
> were made elsewhere. Now it will be done in house. Maybe that is why
> some of the quality of the 2000 and up coaches was not the same as in
> previous years. They are working on the coach that will go the
> Minneapolis FMCA show. The frame is complete, side walls and roof are
> installed. The holes for the windows and door have to be cut. The
> wood shop was building the cabinets. Lots of hand labor. The
> cabinets are not laminate but nore like a Beaver with that high gloss
> clear coat over wood veneer. I was told that 100 people work in the
> plant but that must include the service people and office staff. They
> did have the Bus line running and there were 3 units in various
> stages of completion. I think that inter city Bus will be a big
> success. I wish them well with the BB and hope their hard work pays
> off. This is a big undertaking. They had a bunch of the 450's in the
> service bays. The axle change and moving the gennie is a big job. It
> is my understanding that Coachworks is only doing the work. The
> responsibility for the repairs lies with the school bus people. I
> would guess that it will cost more than $20,000 to do each BB. Maybe
> even $30,000: 8 tires, new axle ( and I assume it will be a complete
> axle with brakes, etc.) and then the gennie work . I think they have
> 65 to do but some will be done in California.
>
> Bruce
> 1988FC
>