Winnebago: A Love Story

Having just spent a couple of days in the Iowa hometown of Winnebago Industries, I'm inspired to muse about exactly what I love about Winnebago...

I love that the fact that it's a big company in a small town, just like a Winnebago allows me to explore the big picture by reaching some of the smallest dots on the map. I love that the town is called Forest City because a house-on-wheels journey may be THE best way to make sure you don't miss the forest because you're too focused on the trees.

I love how the various Winnebago models that I've driven over the years have names that seem to encapsulate the experience of a cross-country journey--Brave, Adventurer, Via, Vista, Tribute. I love the fact that, even more than a half-century after its beginnings, the Winnebago brand name is often still substituted for the product--like Kleenex or Frisbee or Xerox. That only happens to icons.

I love the fact that anyone can walk into the Winnebago Visitors Center and be transported back in time...

Then step back outside and travel "Back to the Future"...

I love how the Winnebago Museum offers a stroll through some history (that's Amy educatin')...

... and biography (that's company founder John Hanson)...

... and family (that's a scroll for Hanson, signed by every Winnebago employee)...

... and whimsy.

I love that you can take a short bus ride to explore a factory where RVs are made.

And you can see how they manufacture nearly every part of the Winnebago experience--how they put the foam in the cushions (cool shrink-wrapping), how they stitch bedspreads, how they use lasers and concentrated streams of waters to create intricate cut-outs, how they mold plastic into various water tank shapes, how they lower slide-outs onto a chassis. Fortune magazine described the facilities as having a "whimsical, Willy Wonka quality"--no Golden Ticket necessary.

I love that Winnebago Industries knows exactly when it should take itself seriously...

... and when it should reveal a sense of humor.

I love how the Winnebago Outdoor store sells everything from T-shirts, hats, and thermoses to do-it-yourself model kits. Why shouldn't Winnebago owners be as proud and appareled as Harley enthusiasts?

And I love that Winnebago has never been afraid to try something different. Sometimes, really different. Like a photo shoot featuring "upholstery wear"...

Or a set of Winnebago trading cards...

Or--and I'm not making this up--a Winnebago Heli-Home..

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And I love that all of this can be found in a state where the welcome sign echoes a road trip's possibilities--"Fields of Opportunity."