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Video project: The Making of a Roadtrek

blog-0516521001400685257.jpgI’m at the Roadtrek factory in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada for the next two weeks shooting and producing a film to be called The Making of a Roadtrek.

This is a project I’ve wanted to do for two years and, with the company’s blessings, I am now be documenting the creation of a Roadtrek.

We began filming Tuesday morning as a brand-new but stripped-down Mercedes Sprinter was driven into the factory for what will be about a 10-day build. The model I am following through the assembly process will become a brand new Roadtrek CS Adventurous.

Here is what it looked like this morning:

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First it was stripped. Then it was cut.

Stripping involves removing many of the stock Mercedes trim items that will soon be replaced by Roadtrek’s custom trim, finishes and coverings. The cutting involves just what the name implies ... cutting out the holes and vents in the chassis that will allow for for the conversion of a Sprinter van into an Roadtrek motorhome with its own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, air conditioning unit and all the appliances and entertainment features that make a van a home.

The precision and skill of Roadtrek’s technicians are pretty amazing. The two guys who handled the initial stripping and cutting processes have been with the company for 25 years and 19 years respectively. They are truly craftsmen and as I watched them begin turning a stark, empty van into someone’s dream luxury RV, I appreciated anew the quality and experience that goes into each motorhome made in the very busy Kitchener factory.

Out front of the factory is a “Help Wanted” sign. The RV boom is in full swing and Roadtreks are the top sellers in the Type B motorhome market in North America. Every day, anywhere from seven to nine new motorhomes roll off the assembly line and head out the factory for delivery to customers all across North America. The company refuses to skimp on quality and despite growing demand, each unit is built with precision and care. That attention to detail can’t be rushed.

I’m using four cameras for this project. In fact, even my drone with a GoPro camera attached was put up in the air for some outdoor video on Day One. I’d really like to fly the drone up inside the factory. That would be some pretty cool video. Not sure, though, whether we can get clearance for that, at least not while everyone’s working. But that would be a great shot.

I don’t want to scoop myself and give away the contents of the completed film in bits and pieces so I don’t know whether Ill do many more blog posts until the entire film is finished and ready for you to see. Once the CS Adventurous we’re documenting is built, it will take me some time to edit the entire project but I’m hoping it will be ready to see sometime mid-summer.

Meantime, I will occasionally post various still images on our Facebook Group as the assembly process continues.

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Seven nearly-completed Roadtreks lined up for various quality control and finishing work checks. How many different Roadtrek models can you identify?



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