Hymer claims it has become the first motorhome manufacturer to start mass-producing its own chassis after opening a new facility at its Bad Waldsee headquarters in Germany.

The new chassis plant, which has been two years in the making and will come into operation next month, will focus on developing its SLC chassis, the super lightweight chassis it developed in conjunction with Mercedes Benz.

Having the 3,100 sq m plant on site means that Hymer will be able to supply leisure vehicles that come from a single source, except for the drive train.

The plant will initially focus on producing chassis for five different wheelbases, from 3.90m to the twin-axle chassis needed for the 8.99m-long  BML I 890.

Hymer says the new plant will also help it respond more flexibly to current market conditions, where base vehicles are still in short supply.

Hymer technical managing director Hans-Georg Rauh said opening the new plant will make the company “ less dependent on suppliers and enable us to react more flexibly to emerging technology trends in the future”.

He added, “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.”

The new assembly line includes test rigs to improve quality control and quality assurance. The new plant has also been built using lean manufacturing principles to speed up production and to allow quicker and easier fine tuning between the chassis and bodywork.

Hymer featured in our best used motorhome round-up, having been voted the winner of the best manufacturer: pre-owned motorhomes category at the Owner Satisfaction Awards – you can find out more about the brand in our guide to the best motorhome manufacturers.


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