“Hymer has been known as a pioneer in the motorhome and caravanning industry for more than 60 years. By opening the SLC hall, we’re proud that we’ll become the first bodywork manufacturer to start actively producing its own chassis, which will enable us to take a truly pioneering step forwards,” says Christian Bauer, President of Hymer GmbH & Co. KG. The production line will make the transition to mass production as early as June.
Cutting-edge production technology covering 3,100 square metres
By opening its own chassis production hall, Hymer will be able to supply leisure vehicles that come from a single source – with the exception of the drive unit – for the very first time. Covering an area of 3,100 square metres, the newly built production facility combines a modern production line with adjoining logistics areas. “We’ve opted to build our own SLC production hall at our Bad Waldsee site to make us less dependent on suppliers and enable us to react more flexibly to emerging technology trends in the future”, says Hans-Georg Rauh, Technical Managing Director of Hymer GmbH & Co. KG. “In-house production also gives us the opportunity to fine-tune the chassis to the bodywork, and to further develop them both as a single unit.”
Tried-and-tested LEAN methods and the latest production and assembly concepts were applied in the production planning process, which will further optimise leisure vehicle production at the Bad Waldsee site. In future, customers will therefore receive a complete solution that is of even higher quality, as it will be possible to finely tune, optimise and further develop the chassis to the bodywork much more quickly.
In the course of process development, the company is also working on automated solutions for safety-related activities. This is the reason why investments have been made in assembly technologies, which will meet the exacting requirements in terms of process speed and safety, for example. The ergonomics of the individual work steps also played a key role in production planning. Another addition to the traditional manufacturer’s existing production processes includes the various test rigs at the end of the main chassis assembly line, where the quality control and quality assurance of in-house chassis production will be carried out in future.
To begin with, Hymer will use the production facility to produce the SLC chassis with five different wheelbases – starting with the short versions from 3.90 metres through to the tandem axle model for the B-Class MasterLine I 890, for example.
Press release | Hymer opens its own chassis production facility in Bad Waldsee | PDF (65.9 KB)
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Press picture | Opening SLC hall | JPG (13.3 MB)
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Press picture | Opening SLC hall - team | JPG (16.2 MB)
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Press picture | Hymer chassis production | JPG (11.8 MB)
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Press picture | Hymer SLC hall | JPG (11.5 MB)
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Frank Heinrichsen
Hymer GmbH & Co KG
Holzstraße 19
88339 Bad Waldsee
Germany
Since its foundation in 1957, Hymer has been a household name in motorhomes and caravans “made in Germany”. The company is not only notable for its long tradition and passion for motorhoming, but is also one of the leading manufacturers in the premium sector thanks to its high standards of quality and consistent record of innovation. Hymer GmbH & Co. KG markets its products under the four brands Hymer Motor Caravans, Hymer Camper Vans, Eriba Caravans and Hymer Original Parts. Hymer GmbH & Co. KG is part of the Erwin Hymer Group SE.
The Erwin Hymer Group is a 100 percent subsidiary of THOR Industries, one of the world's leading manufacturers of recreational vehicles with more than 32,000 employees worldwide. The Erwin Hymer Group unites motorhome and caravan manufacturers as well as motorhome and caravan accessory specialists, hire and financing services under one roof. The motorhome and caravan brands Buccaneer, Bürstner, Carado, Crosscamp, Compass, Dethleffs, Elddis, Eriba, Etrusco, Hymer, Laika, LMC, Niesmann+Bischoff, Sunlight and Xplore, the rental companies Crossrent, McRent and rent easy, and also the chassis specialist Goldschmitt, the accessories specialist Movera and the touring portal freeontour all belong to the Erwin Hymer Group. Further information is provided at www.erwinhymergroup.com.
