Monday 10-8 Touring Jayco Factory

The sun came out

Our day started out wet, muggy and with fog. But it didn't stop the landscaping crews for working. While we were getting ready to leave a landscaping crew showed up to mow the RV/MH Hall of Fame complex. The crew had three members (two women and a man), the lady owner drove a big riding mower off the trailer and started mowing. Then the other two walked around discussing how they were going to work. The second lady pulled the cord on the push mower, first pull it started. Then started mowing around the trees. The other one got on a riding mowing and mowed the front of the museum. It's always amazing how fast a crew can mow a big area and how nice the mowing looks afterwards no matter how wet the grass is.

Indiana is called the RV Capital of the World because 80 to 85 percent of all rvs are manufactured here, most in the same county. Friday Larry made reservations for us to tour the Jayco RV Plant in Middlebury. Our tour was at 12:00, we arrived around 11:00 and had lunch in the Minnie before going on the tour. You weren't allow to take any pictures of the manufacturing floor. The tour was 90 minutes long and was a walking tour. Before leaving the visitor center we had to get safety glasses and a radio so we could hear the tour guide. John drove us (21 people) in a trolley to the  manufacturing building. Jayco has been in business for 50 years and continues to grow bigger every year. We walked through the line that builds the class Cs and As. The building isn't air conditioned so the employees start working at 5:00 in the morning so most of the workers were finished for the day by the time we got there. Once the line produces 20 RVs they can leave. It's surprising that the line is still all manual and not automated. It was a good tour and John was very knowledgeable of the process.

Jayco Factory Sign

Jayco Class C Manufacturing (picture from the web)

After the tour we drove 60 miles to Fort Wayne to Johnny Appleseed Campground. It was 89 degrees and we wanted power to run the air conditioner. On the way to Fort Wayne we shared the highway with horse and buggies driven by the Amish people.

A horse and buggy

A couple of buggies hitched up at a gas station

Johnny Appleseed Campground is city owned and located in town so if you need to shop for anything it would be convenient. The park has a playground and Canine Camp that is very well used. There is a river that flows through the park. The river has a dam and the water goes over the dam creating beautiful waterfalls. There is a fishing pier and a paved trail that goes along the banks of the river. There is a nearby school so the athletes run through the park. The campground is pretty with a lot of trees. There are restrooms with showers and a laundry. I took advantage of the laundry, it had two dryers and two washers.

Johnny Appleseed Campground

Dam across the river

People and their dogs playing at Canine Camp

After setting up for the night we barbecued hamburgers for dinner. Then I did laundry. We spent the evening reading and relaxing. We had a great day.