nuCamp RV has rocketed its technology to the next level and brought fully automated lamination in-house. nuCamp now has some of the most advanced technology we’ve ever seen in a camper factory. The impact is nothing less than a sea change.
This past June, we visited the nuCamp RV headquarters in Sugarcreek, Ohio. This was our sixth time visiting the company since they launched the Cirrus line of truck campers in 2015. During each of those visits, we saw factory and manufacturing improvements and evolutions, but nothing like what we saw this year.
When we first walked the Cirrus production line in 2015, they were sourcing their exterior wall laminations from an outside vendor. This was fantastic for efficiency as the camper walls were shipped to nuCamp ready to go. After installing the windows and decals, the walls were sent to the production line and fastened to units.
The downsides to this approach are cost and control. An outside vendor requires a markup for profitability, and they are in control of production scheduling and quality. Nearly every camper company that works with outside vendors would rather bring production in-house, especially during economic peaks and valleys.
It should be no surprise that nuCamp has now brought their exterior wall laminations in-house. And they didn’t just purchase the ubiquitous hot melt applicator and pinch roll lamination machine. nuCamp has invested millions into state-of-the-art Morbidelli machining centers, a C.R. Onsrud CNC machine, and Edge Automation motorized NORD Drivesystems, and more. We’re talking about a major technological sea change at nuCamp, and it was on display everywhere in the plant.
To get a broad perspective on nuCamp’s new equipment and process, we started on the mezzanine that runs the width of their 150K square foot, multi-production line factory. On our way to see the new CNC and lamination equipment on the far right side of the building, we passed the dedicated Cirrus production line. This is where Cirrus 620, 820, and 920 truck campers are manufactured.
Note the camper sidewalls suspended on the top left and top center of the photo above. These are the CNC cut and laminated sidewalls that are now being made in-house. Once the camper side walls are cut, assembled, and laminated, they get their graphics and windows installed on the mezzanine and are then lowered to the production floor. At nuCamp, they use their vertical space.
The next production area on the right side of the plant is where we found the new CNC and lamination system. I’m calling it a system because everything from the green conveyors to the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine to the towering Vidir carousel to the pinch roller and tilting table are all part of an integrated and automated system.
On the production floor, there’s an Edge Automation panel that shows the entire CNC and lamination system. The top four-fifths of the screen features a birds-eye view of the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine (top center in white), the automated conveyor system, pinch roll lamination machine (center middle in blue), and the tilting layup area (center left in orange). This is one of the most—if not the most—integrated and automated CNC and lamination systems we’ve seen at any camper or RV manufacturer.
The green conveyors move panels around the system with Nord Drivesystem motors. Controlled by the Edge Automation panel, the Nord Drivesystem motors power the rollers that literally move the panels to the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine, pinch roll lamination machine, and tilting layup table.
The panel shown above was moving from the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine to the tilting layup table. Nobody was watching it. Nobody was moving it. It was just cruising along. We’re accustomed to seeing this level of production line automation at the automotive plants we’ve visited, but it’s surreal to see it in a truck camper factory.
We’re now going to skip around this CNC and lamination system a bit and show some important details. The first detail is one of the few old-school touches we found. Each panel is hand-labeled on the edge as to what model it will be. For example, the panel above is for a Cirrus 820 sidewall. In a world gone wild with technology, a Sharpie is hanging in there.
C.R. Onsrud CNC machines are becoming something of a standard for truck camper side walls and other laminations. Talking to the nuCamp team, the C.R. Onsrud has been a reliable machine and has more than maintained their quality standards.
The C.R. Onsrud CNC machine can handle a full truck camper side wall and go on to rout the front wall and other structural components on the same laminated panel. That capability creates time and material efficiencies for production, helps to eliminate material waste, and frees up the design team for future camper possibilities.
During our visit, the C.R. Onsrud was operated and monitored by Josh Bunton. Other than running the controls, he watched for jams and removed pieces that had been cut from the panels.
Speaking of removed pieces, nuCamp couldn’t just have a big trash can on hand. Oh no. They have a black conveyor belt (upper right in the image above) that takes the pieces out of the building and into a large container outside. To kick this solution up a notch, they have a camera inside this outside container that shows the operator if pieces are wedged inside, or if the container is getting too full. Which truck camper manufacturer is so high-tech that they have cameras in their trash containers? nuCamp. That’s who.
Also note the vacuum system immediately after the black conveyor belt that removes all the loose materials and smaller pieces after the CNC process is completed. This is why you don’t see a lot of small shavings of closed-cell foam on the floor.
Here’s a machine we have definitely never seen in another factory before. At the far end of the CNC and lamination system, nuCamp has an automated Vidir carousel with over a dozen rolls of fiberglass and other materials. This carousel reduces the floor space required to store this material and makes accessing different material rolls as easy as pushing a button. The improvements in efficiency this creates are obvious, but it also allows nuCamp to have more rolls of material—and types of material—on hand.
Note the Vidir carousel on the top right of this image. From where we showed the CNC and lamination system from the mezzanine, we’re now at the back left of the system.
Here nuCamp has a tilting layup table system. The green panels are shown in their upright—or fully tilted—position. Look closely and you’ll see two electric actuators that lift and lower the table.
Here’s what you see on the other side of the tilting layup table. Without having to move this Cirrus 820 panel to another area, the team can now comfortably work on this panel.
The next step is to apply down adhesive for the welded aluminum frame. Look closely and you’ll see some white squiggly lines of adhesive around the front window channel (center right).
Look again and you’ll notice a green laser beam under that same area. nuCamp uses lasers to ensure that the humans place aluminum backing in precisely the right places. This is a technique we’ve seen in truck camper factories before, but we never miss an opportunity to talk about lasers in Truck Camper Magazine.
Mounted high above the tilting layup table, the SL Laser ProDirector is specifically designed to increase precision and minimize errors.
Before inserting the welded aluminum frame, Bob Troyer had applied adhesive in every channel where the frame would contact.
Once the adhesive was applied, Bob picked up the aluminum sidewall frame, brought it to the panel, and lined up the frame to the CNC cut channels.
When the welded aluminum frame was lined up to the CNC cut channels, Bob pressed the frame into the channels. This was very satisfying to watch; kind of like putting the final piece into a puzzle. The frame fit perfectly. In fact, it had to be pushed into place with a bit of force because it fit so tight. That’s fantastic for insulation, not to mention impressive for quality.
For the next step, Bob followed the green laser beams to place aluminum backing strips. These strips will provide something for cabinetry and other interior components to securely screw into.
Here you can see the frames and aluminum backing strips inserted into the wall.
Across from the tilting layup table is a hot melt coater machine. This machine applies the hot melt adhesive to the composite panels that complete the sidewall.
Here you see Bob and Evan carrying composite panels with adhesive from the hot melt coater machine to the tilting layup table.
Evan Sheely is the group leader for the lamination team. Before working at nuCamp, Evan was in the US Marines. While training us on the lamination process, he explained how he ran the lamination team the same way he led his military squad.
In his late twenties, he acknowledged that he was young to be in a leadership position at nuCamp. Evan overcame that challenge by respecting his team members and taking a hands-on approach to every facet of his job. On top of that approach, he has one of the most positive attitudes we’ve ever encountered.
One by one, Bob and Evan placed the composite panels onto the sidewall. This is precise work that needs to be done quickly to ensure the best possible lamination. As you can see, Bob and Evan had a dialed-in technique and didn’t miss a beat.
When all the composite panels were applied, the tilting layup table was lowered back to the horizontal position. This picture shows the tilting layup table mid-tilt.
Panels were then pushed toward the pinch roll machine. The panels were fed into this machine by hand, but then the automated system took over, pinch-rolled the panel, and rolled the panel to the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine.
Once the panel reaches the C.R. Onsrud CNC machine, the panel is CNC cut into the shape we recognize as a camper sidewall. Once that’s completed, Brian Miller used a hand router to remove the inside circumference of the material up to the frame. Not everything can be cut on the C.R. Onsrud. At least not yet.
Of all the technology on display, I was particularly keen on the Milwaukee cordless backpack vacuum Brian was wearing. With this on his back and a cordless router, he was free to go where he needed. I really don’t need a backpack vacuum, but I think I want one now.
Once Brian completed routing the wall, Gary Burchfield closely inspected the wall for any imperfections. Walls that pass Gary’s inspection are hoisted to the mezzanine to have their graphics and windows installed. This completes the laminated sidewall production process.
The new CNC and lamination system wasn’t the only cutting-edge technology we saw on display at nuCamp. Toward the middle of the factory, we found a fenced-off area with stacks of panels and a robot arm lifting and lowering the wood and composite materials to yet more CNC machines.
On the center right you can see the robot arm picking up a panel. The arm uses suction to pick up the panel and place it inside the fenced-off area, or bring it to a CNC machine.
For anyone out there who’s a fan of the Blade Runner movies, the vacuum end of the robotic arm reminded me of the ‘Spinner’ vertical take-off cars from the 1982 and 2017 films. Even the way it moved was eerily reminiscent.
After being lifted by the robotic arm, panels were brought to a Morbidelli x200 3D nesting CNC machine. nuCamp uses this CNC machine for cabinetry.
Directly across from the Morbidelli x200 is a Morbidelli p200 that nuCamp uses for edge banding countertops, table tops, and other CNC-cut materials that require a finished edge.
Some of the components that come off of the Morbidelli equipment would have otherwise been impossible in a non-CNC production environment. Yes, humans are more than capable of making complex components by hand, but it’s impossible for humans to manufacture these complex curves and intricate cuts at the speed, quality, and consistency the CNC equipment is capable of.
Here’s a photo showing the area where these two Morbidelli CNC machines operate. Note the ducting above the machines and work area that draws sawdust and other waste particles out of the building.
Once completed, the CNC-cut cabinetry, tables, and other elements are assembled into unit-specific carts ready for the production line. The carts shown above are for nuCamp’s teardrop line. Each row is for a different model; Tab 400, Tab 320, etc. There are additional carts and rows for the Cirrus 620, 820, and 920.
What This All Means For nuCamp
It may surprise some folks that a company in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country might now be the most technologically advanced truck camper manufacturer in the marketplace. It’s a fun dichotomy when you see rows of bicycles and hats outside a plant brimming with laser beams and whirling servos. And why not?
Long term, having more of the manufacturing technology and capabilities in-house means nuCamp has greater control over process, inventory, and quality. They can also scale production up and back without hiring more people or letting folks go. That adaptability can make critical differences in a world where demand and marketplace conditions change rapidly.
Beyond that, technology gives the leadership and design teams a broader and more exciting palette for future products. With the capabilities nuCamp now has, there’s no telling what truck campers we may see from them in the future.
For more information about Cirrus campers, visit their website at nucamprv.com. Click here for a Cirrus Camper brochure.
