We left Sioux Falls at 8:30 since we our next goal was the Blue Ox factory in Pender, NE, where we had a 1’ tow bar extension to return and a tour to take. Since our campground was right on Interstate 29 (and when I say ‘right’ on it, I mean I could see people singing along with their radios as they passed by), there wasn’t much opportunity to buy coffee and donuts for the trip. And, what’s a trip without coffee and donuts? However, I had planned ahead and noted that there was a Casey's 2 exits down. Good planning. Must be why Gary keeps me around. I have a nose for donuts.
We think that Casey’s donuts have shrunk a bit. Now, that’s just an observation and I have no facts to back it up. But, Gary agrees with me and he’s the donut expert. However, it is what it is and we bagged a few. We were talking with the clerk about the pre-packaged sweet treats (not Casey’s) who told us that they came to the store frozen. When they were thawed to put out, the shelf life was 47 days. What in the world is in them to make them last 47 days?
With our donuts and coffee in hand,we took rte 35 from Sioux City, IA to rte 9 where we turned south for Pender. Rte 35 was curvy, going around and between each hill whereas rte 9 just went straight on till morning up and down each hill. Must have been different highway planners. Nebraska has had considerably more rain than Iowa has had this summer since the fields were much lusher and did not show the signs of stress that Iowa fields have been showing. But, what a nice road through the rolling countryside of rural Nebraska.
We reached Pender and the Blue Ox factory at 1:00, parked our rig in their campground and went to the office to register. Interestingly, there are no pull-throughs and the utilities are on the left side of the campsite - so you have to pull in. No back-ins here, they’re all back-outs. Huh? Well, most people are here for tow bars and it’s easier to work on towbars if the rig drives straight into the campsite.
I couldn’t take pictures on the factory floor and, once, when I asked if I could tell one of our guide’s stories about development in my blog, I was asked not to. No pictures, no stories.
The tour began at 2:00 and we were in a crowd of - 2, just us, Gary and I and the tour guide. We saw the whole factory, got to ask any question we wanted and talk with the employees there. We saw the whole process from the arrival and unloading of sheets of steel of varying thicknesses to the boxed tow bars ready to be shipped out. I was most impressed with our tour guide’s running commentary about the new processes instituted by the company to stay ahead of the competition, develop new products and become more efficient. We saw new machinery, heard about ideas contributed by the employees, and how the company is trying new products and new markets.
I liked the ‘Fit’ program where the company develops a new base plate for a car that they have never designed a base plate for. If you bring in a new car, let them have it for 2 - 3 days to develop a prototype base plate, they will give you a free base plate and a new tow bar for your trouble. Pretty neat. We saw Bob who had taken the front of an Eclipse off, designed a base plate prototype and was taking photos of it for the future.
We also saw the box area where they design and make their own boxes to custom fit their towbars. Much cheaper than buying boxes that some other manufacture sizes.
When we finished the tour, we headed back to the RV, me to wash the bugs off the front of the RV, especially the windshield and Gary to put on our new license plates and straighten out the Jeep since we no longer had the tow bar and extender in it. I use Wash and Wax All on the rig and really think it does a super job. By myself, without using a ladder, I can wash and wax our 35’ rig in about 2 hours, though, since I get bored, I find people walking by to talk with and it then takes me 3 hours. Today I just did the front but we had so many bugs that it took me about 1/2 hour just to do that.
Here’s Gary putting on our new South Dakota license plates. May I call your attention to the shine on the front of the RV?
You know what happened next, don’t you? Sure enough, shortly after I finished, we went inside to eat dinner and heard a sound that we have not heard since the end of June - rain. A nice steady rain for about 3 or 4 hours. A beautiful sound - but not so nice to see on my clean windshield. Shucks.
But, hey, at least the water is beading.
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