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[upbeat hip-hop music]
- HI. THIS IS CARY.
AND, CARY, WHERE ARE WE?
- YOU'RE AT CAMP-INN TRAVEL TRAILERS.
WE MANUFACTURE THESE LITTLE TINY CAMPERS
THAT YOU PULL BEHIND A FAMILY CAR
OR A SMALL VEHICLE.
- WHERE IS THIS LOCATED IN WISCONSIN?
- WE'RE IN NECEDAH, WISCONSIN.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHERE NECEDAH IS,
IT'S KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
- WHAT KIND OF MANUFACTURING JOBS DO YOU HAVE HERE?
- WELL, OURS TEND TO BE A LITTLE UNIQUE
IN THE FACT THAT
IT'S SORT OF AN OLD-SCHOOL CRAFTSMAN TYPE OF POSITION.
BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY THAT GOES INTO THIS PRODUCT,
YOU END UP WITH A LOT OF FINE WOODWORKING SKILLS GOING ON
AND REAL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
- WE'RE HERE IN THE SHOWROOM WITH CARY.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN HERE?
- WE HAVE A COUPLE DEMONSTRATORS
OF PROBABLY OUR MORE POPULAR MODELS.
THE LARGER ONE THAT YOU SEE HERE
IS CALLED A RAINDROP.
AND IT HAS NOT ONLY THE QUEEN-SIZE BED IN IT,
BUT IN THE FRONT, IT HAS A SOFA,
AND THAT CONVERTS INTO BUNK BEDS
FOR CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE SMALL CHILDREN
THAT WANT TO CAMP WITH THEM.
AND THEN THE BACK, OF COURSE,
OPENS UP INTO A FULL KITCHEN.
AND THEN OVER THERE,
WE HAVE OUR CLASSIC TEARDROP DESIGN WE CALL THE 550.
- WHAT DOES THIS MAP HERE REPRESENT?
- WELL, MAX, THIS REPRESENTS
WHERE EVERY ONE OF OUR TRAILERS HAS EVER GONE.
AS OUR CUSTOMERS PICK THEM UP,
THEY PUT A PIN ON THE BOARD SHOWING WHERE THEY LIVE.
WE KEEP TRACK OF OUR--
BASICALLY OUR LARGE EXTENDED FAMILY THAT WE HAVE
WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.
- HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE ONE OF THESE?
- FROM START TO FINISH,
WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 6 TO 6 1/2 WEEKS, TYPICALLY.
- LET'S GO SEE HOW THEY MAKE THEM.
- CARY, WHERE ARE WE IN THIS FACILITY?
- WELL, THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS.
THIS IS THE DIRTY SIDE OF THE OPERATION.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE WOODSHOP.
THIS IS WHERE WE MAKE A LOT OF SAWDUST
AND THE BODIES AND ALL OF THE PARTS
FOR THE TRAILERS ARE BUILT.
- WELL, THIS IS MARTY,
AND WHAT GOES ON IN THIS WOODSHOP?
- WELL, WE START BY BUILDING THE BODY AND THE CABINETS
AND ALL THE OTHER PARTS THAT ARE MADE FROM WOOD
THAT GO INTO THE TRAILER.
- IF SOMEONE LIKES TO PUT, LIKE, PUZZLES TOGETHER
AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WOULD THEY ENJOY THIS JOB?
- I WOULD THINK SO.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES THAT GO TOGETHER,
AND WE WORK FROM A BOOK.
SO IT WOULD WORK A LOT LIKE A MODEL
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
WHERE YOU WOULD SEE WHAT PIECE NEEDED TO GO INTO PLACE
AND THEN PUT THE PIECE IN PLACE, YOU KNOW?
HUNDREDS OF PIECES,
JUST LIKE WITH MOST MANUFACTURING JOBS,
IT'S JUST, A LOT OF PIECES COME TOGETHER
TO MAKE ONE THING.
- AFTER THIS IS ALL PUT TOGETHER,
WHERE DOES IT GO NOW?
- WELL, WHEN THE BODY IS ALL PUT TOGETHER,
WE PUT IT ON THIS BIG METAL THING.
WE CALL THIS OUR ROTISSERIE.
AND THE REASON WE CALL IT A ROTISSERIE
IS SO THAT WE CAN SPIN THE WHOLE BODY.
AND THE REASON WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPIN THE BODY IS,
ONE, TO WORK ON IT,
AND, ONE, WHEN WE SPRAY OUR FINISH ON IT,
IT'S EASIER TO REACH ALL THE SPOTS.
AND THEN THE NEXT STEP,
WE TAKE IT FROM THE WOODSHOP
AND PULL IT INTO THE SANDING BOOTH.
WE CALL THIS OUR SANDING ROOM.
AND THEN ONCE IT'S ALL HAND-SANDED
AND IS ALL CLEANED OFF,
THEN WE TAKE IT FROM HERE,
AND WE PUT IT INTO THE SPRAY BOOTH.
AND LET'S GO IN THERE,
AND I'LL SHOW YOU HOW THAT WORKS.
- ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO CHECK OUT THE SPRAY BOOTH.
WHY DOES IT SMELL FUNNY IN HERE?
- IT SMELLS FUNNY IN HERE
ON ACCOUNT OF THE VARNISH THAT WE USE.
- OKAY, SO IT STARTS OUT LIKE THAT
AND ENDS OUT LIKE THAT?
- YEP.
BASICALLY, THIS IS JUST RAW WOOD,
JUST BEEN SANDED.
AND THEN THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
AFTER IT'S BEEN VARNISHED.
WE VARNISH IT, AND THEN WE SAND IT ONE MORE TIME,
AND THEN WE VARNISH IT A SECOND TIME.
- SO AFTER THEY'RE DONE PUTTING THE POLYURETHANE ON,
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, MARTY?
- WELL, AFTER THEY PUT THE POLYURETHANE ON,
THEY BRING IT OUT HERE INTO PRODUCTION,
AND THIS IS WHERE THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS.
THIS IS WHERE WE TAKE IT FROM A RAW WOOD PRODUCT
AND MAKE IT A TRAILER.
- SO WHAT GOES ON HERE, MARTY?
- THIS IS WHERE WE BUILD THE HATCHES.
TO BUILD THE HATCH, WE USE THIS STAPLE GUN
TO ATTACH THE METAL TO THE WOOD.
- COOL. DO YOU THINK WE CAN TRY?
- SURE.
[staple guns popping]
- SO, MARTY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS WORK AREA?
- WELL, OVER HERE, WE HAVE JOHN,
AND JOHN IS GETTING READY TO CUT OUT THE METAL
FOR THE ROOF.
AND, JOHN, YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM HOW YOU CUT OUT THE METAL?
YOU GUYS WANT TO TRY IT?
- SURE.
[tool rattling]
I THINK WE NEED SOME MORE PRACTICE, MAX.
SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU'RE DONE CUTTING IT?
- WELL, AFTER I GET DONE CUTTING ALL THE WAY AROUND,
I PUT A FORM ON TOP,
AND THEN I ACTUALLY TAKE MY HAMMERS
AND BEAT IT INTO SHAPE.
- SO WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
- I LIKE THE FACT THAT
I GET TO BUILD SOMETHING REALLY COOL.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE DONE,
IT'S LIKE YOU GET TO SIT BACK AND LOOK AT IT
AND SAY, "I BUILT THAT."
THAT'S REALLY COOL. THAT'S THE BEST PART.
- SO WAS THERE ANY, LIKE, HOBBIES
THAT YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE LITTLER
THAT RELATED TO THIS?
- I REALLY LIKED JUST TAKING STUFF APART
AND PUTTING STUFF TOGETHER AND BUILDING SOMETHING COOL.
- SO WHAT'S BEHIND US ON THIS WALL?
- THIS IS SOMETHING INTERESTING.
SINCE MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS DO COME HERE
TO PICK UP THEIR TRAILERS IN PERSON,
TO EXPERIENCE THE FULL EXPERIENCE,
WE HAVE THEM SIGN OUR WALL, KIND OF A WALL OF FAME.
I'M KIND OF WONDERING,
SINCE YOU'RE THE LATEST CELEBRITY HERE,
IF I COULD GET YOU GUYS TO SIGN IT WHILE YOU'RE HERE.
SO HOW ABOUT WE DO THAT?
- THAT WOULD BE COOL.
SO WHY DO YOU HAVE
A SOUPED-UP WHEELCHAIR IN A CAMPING...
- MANUFACTURING--IT GOES BACK TO HOW THIS BUSINESS WAS STARTED
BY TWO ENGINEERS WHO ARE INVENTORS AND NEW IDEA GUYS.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON NEW PRODUCTS
BESIDES THE CAMPERS.
AND THIS JUST REPRESENTS A NEW ONE
THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MANUFACTURING HERE REALLY SOON.
- SO HOW FAST CAN THIS GO?
- MM, WE KIND OF KEEP IT THROTTLED BACK A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MILES AN HOUR
THE WAY IT'S SET UP RIGHT NOW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
- THAT'S AWESOME!
[engine buzzing]
[engine puttering]
- PUSH THIS FORWARD AND BACK.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD...
[engine buzzing]
[laughter]
IT'LL DO... [indistinct]
[laughter]
- WE'RE HERE WITH CRAIG.
WHAT DO YOU WORK ON HERE, CRAIG?
- RIGHT NOW, I'M WORKING ON REFINING THE DESIGN
FOR OUR WHEELCHAIR.
- WHAT KIND OF CLASSES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND
TO A MIDDLE SCHOOLER OR HIGH SCHOOLER?
- FOR AN ENGINEER, YOU'RE GONNA WANT
A LOT OF TECHNICAL CLASSES,
MAYBE SOME OF THE SHOP CLASSES.
YOU'RE GONNA WANT MATH,
AS MUCH MATH AND SCIENCE AS YOU CAN GET.
- THANKS, CARY, FOR HAVING US HERE,
AND THANKS FOR LETTING US WEAR THESE COOL T-SHIRTS.
- HEY, NO PROBLEM, GUYS.
I'M GLAD YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SEE SOME KIND OF UNIQUE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES
AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO BUILD A PRODUCT
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY,
AND HOPEFULLY, EVERYBODY WILL TAKE
A LITTLE SOMETHING AWAY FROM THIS
AND LEARN SOMETHING.
- OKAY, SO THAT WAS OUR EXPERIENCE AT CAMP-INN.
MAX, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?
- I REALLY LIKED SEEING THE GNARLY WHEELCHAIR.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
- I LIKED LOOKING THROUGH THE TEARDROP CAMPERS.
THEY'RE PRETTY SWEET.
- THEN LET'S GO HIT THE SACK BEFORE OUR NEXT ADVENTURE.