Earlier this month, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) employees took a day to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary. Then, they went back to work in preparation for the next 30 years.
The anniversary celebration for employees and their families featured carnival games and plant tours.
Manufacturers who buy the chassis built in Gaffney, South Carolina, were not on the invitation list, but they know what happens in the facility where over 70% of the diesel Type A luxury motorhome market is produced.
Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles President and CEO TJ Reed said, “For 30 years, FCCC has built its success through innovation, productivity, reliability and overall customer experience. Just as importantly, the passion and commitment of our team has helped set us and our products apart over the past three decades.”
RV manufacturers including Jayco, Newmar and Tiffin have worked with Freightliner to build motorhomes big and small. FCCC Manager of Product Marketing Bryan Henke said big motorhomes are where the company made its mark.
“When RVs hit 40 feet, that is when the tide really turned,” said Henke, who has been with the company for 28 of its 30 years. “These things are becoming larger and heavier. The introduction of the tag axle truly gave our customers the ability to go bigger.”
Henke said Freightliner’s ability to produce chassis for the “highline” market established its industry reputation.
“What a motorhome is today is just mind-boggling,” Henke said. “It has changed over the years, and we always had to keep in step with that with our OEM partners. Our ability to build a product for the luxury levels of the industry was definitely a turning point. It came down to our ability to satisfy what the manufacturers wanted.”
Along the way, the company benefited from being a division of Daimler Truck North America. Henke said being a part of the global corporation provides the company with resources that spur technological innovation and advancement.
“It is critical for us to continue to offer these next advances in the RV industry,” Henke said, adding the company is gearing up for 2027 emissions changes. “With the current administration, we are looking forward to new technologies and even cleaner diesel. In 2027, you are going to see a lot of different engines coming to light.”
Henke said the company has been dedicated to regularly improving its product. Improvements include creating a smoother ride, increasing storage capacity and adding safety features.
“Air ride and independent front suspensions were major advances when I started here 28 years ago,” he said. “V-Ride and Ultrasteer and other advances we have made more recently; these things were purpose-built.”
FCCC emphasized providing a safer, more familiar driving experience, developing the DriveTech and Optiview technologies. The technologies provide a more car-like feel to consumers new to RVing, Henke said.
“Driver interface is important when you are dealing with a 54,000-plus pound vehicle going down the road,” Henke said. “Over the years, RVs looked like the cockpit of a 747, with switches and buttons all over the place. That takes your eyes off the road and your concentration off the road. Optiview and DriveTech bring everything back to the driver.”
Henke said the developments could convert new generations to the RV lifestyle.
“With the newer demographics coming into the RV industry, they are used to that. They want that same driver interface that they are used to in their cars,” he said. “When a GenX or millennial customer walks into an RV now, they are like, ‘This feels great. I feel comfortable in this.’”
As Freightliner celebrates 30 years, Reed said the company is looking forward.
“We are poised for continued growth and innovation,” he said. “The company remains focused on anticipating market needs, leveraging emerging technologies and delivering high-performance, reliable chassis.”
