Every full-time RVer should make an effort to visit Elkhart at some point, whether or not they need to get something fixed. As the heart of the RV industry, it’s possible for visitors to peak behind the curtain to see how RVs are built, as well as to learn about the industry’s history.

by Greg Gerber

With somewhere around 80% of all RVs being manufactured in the area around Elkhart, Indiana, as well as a large majority of components in your RV, you may need to make a homecoming visit to get something fixed.

With 54,000 residents, Elkhart is very much a working class, manufacturing community. Yet, the city is surrounded by a lot of farms, especially those managed by Amish families.

It is located along Interstate 90, about 15 miles east of South Bend, and just a few miles south of the Michigan border. It’s also about two hours east of downtown Chicago, which makes a nice day trip.

Every full-time RVer should make an effort to visit Elkhart at some point, whether or not they need to get something fixed. As the heart of the RV industry, it’s possible for visitors to peak behind the curtain to see how RVs are built, as well as to learn about the industry’s history.

Any time of year is a good time to visit Elkhart because RVs are built year-round. However, it’s advisable to avoid the week during September when thousands of RV dealers descend on the community for the largest trade show of the year.

In 2024, the Elkhart RV Open House is slated for Sept. 23 to 25, but many dealer-related activities are scheduled all week long. The open house date changes from year to year. But, it often takes place during the week when there is no home football game scheduled at Notre Dame University in South Bend.

Factory Tours

Nearly three dozen RV manufacturers in the Elkhart area open their doors for people to tour their facilities to watch how RVs are actually made.

It’s a fascinating experience to see skilled craftsmen constructing an RV from a metal chassis with wheels to a fully-functioning recreation vehicle. Depending on the size and type of RV, the entire process often takes less than three days per unit.

Vehicles travel down an “assembly line,” but it’s not the automated type often portrayed in movies. The line actually consists of a series of stations staffed by workers responsible for completing one part of the construction process.

For example, one team will string electric wires through the unit while another will install plumbing. One group constructs laminated sidewalls, and the other installs windows. It’s interesting to watch workers do their thing as clocks count down the time before the horn sounds, signaling when vehicles must advance to the next station in order to maintain a production schedule.

The Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau maintains a list of RV manufacturers which offer tours. Some are regularly scheduled for specific dates and times, while others may require appointments. A complete list can be found at www.visitelkhartcounty.com/rv/factory-tours; however, you should always check with the firms to confirm the schedule.

Companies may suspend tours when production levels are really high, or when the factory is being “retooled” for a new model year. The list above includes the address of the factory as well as the phone number to confirm tour availability.

RV manufacturers aren’t the only companies that offer tours. Some component suppliers open their doors to visitors, too. For example, Dometic Corporation makes hundreds of refrigerators for RVs and boats from a factory in Elkhart.

RV-Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame

This gem of a museum is worth making a trip to Elkhart just to walk through displays depicting the evolution of the RV industry in Elkhart.

The museum is home to more than 60 modern and antique recreation vehicles, including a 1913 Ford Model T travel trailer, which is recognized as the world’s oldest RV. To view them, people walk along a pathway to see how RVs progressed over the years.

People can also walk through the museum to view photos of the nearly 500 people who have been inducted into the hall of fame for their contributions to advancing their respective companies and the industry in general.

The library has close to 35,000 books, magazines and other publications about the RV and manufactured housing industries, including those I had the privilege of editing for several years. You’ll find issues of Workamper News Magazine there!

The gift shop offers fun knickknacks, clothing and gift items, as well as some equipment that can help make the RV lifestyle even more fun.

It is easy to spend a day at the museum. Best of all, as a Harvest Host site, people can spend the night for free dry camping on the asphalt lot.

In 2024, the cost for admission was $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $12 for children ages 6 to 12. A family plan admits a parent and three children under 16 for $45.

Heritage Trail

One of the more popular attractions in the Elkhart area is a driving tour along the Heritage Trail. The 90-mile route connects many communities along country roads frequently shared with Amish families traveling by horse and buggy.

Communities visited along the route include Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, Shipshewana and Wakarusa.

Along the way, it’s possible to stop and buy authentic Amish foods. The baked goods are truly addicting! The Amish are also well known for their high-quality handcrafted items, like quilts, clothing and items made of wood.

The Elkhart County Visitors Center offers a free CD that provides information about the history and attractions people encounter on the tour. Guests can also stream the audio file from many popular podcasting sites. Just search for The Heritage Trail in Elkhart.

People can start the tour from any point, and a free map can be downloaded from the visitors center, too.

Be advised that many businesses along the tour are closed on Sundays, which is an Amish spiritual tradition.

Quilt Gardens

While the Amish are famous for their colorful quilts, in Elkhart County, that extends to meticulously-maintained flower gardens formed in a variety of interesting designs.

The gardens are generally open from May 20 to Sept. 15 every year. They feature more than 1 million blooming plants assembled in a patchwork quilt.

In addition to the flowers, displays depict giant hand-painted quilt-inspired murals in stunning colors and design.

Scrumptious Food

There is one thing about the Amish culture that is well known – they tend to make delicious food. The Elkhart region is home to some of the best homemade cooking in the country. Many restaurants feature farm-to-table produce that is grown locally.

Scrumptious meals and generous portions describe dining in Amish restaurants scattered around the Elkhart region. After a meal, if you walk away hungry, it’s your own fault.

My favorite Amish restaurant near Elkhart is the Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery in Shipshewana. Guests can enjoy the bountiful buffet or family-style dining where dishes are passed around the table. In fact, many restaurants offer all-you-care-to-eat options, which means you can often get refills for main and side dishes.

Other popular dining establishments include The Carriage House in Topeka, and Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury.

Regardless of which Amish restaurant you visit for lunch or dinner, be sure to save room for mouth-watering desert. But, if you can’t manage to cram in one more bite, even after loosening your belt, most restaurants include bakeries where you take homemade pies, cakes, cookies and cinnamon rolls home with you.

For an authentic Amish tradition, try the “shoofly pie.” The well-known dessert is revered for its molasses filling. I prefer the warm bread pudding. The Amish also make addicting honey peanut butter as well as apple butter.

Several stores in the region allow people to buy food in bulk, although storing it in your RV may be a challenge. You’ll also pass several Amish-operated roadside stands selling fresh produce and baked goods.

Other Attractions

There are plenty of other things to do in the Elkhart area that don’t involve eating. Here are a few of the more popular attractions:

• Hall of Heroes Super Hero Museum in Elkhart features displays of memorabilia, art and artifacts pertaining to comic book superheroes, like Batman and Superman. The museum is home to 60,000 comic books, and 10,000 toys and games.
• Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart – Constructed by the Rotary Club at the site of the city’s primary water supply, visitors can walk through 20 individual gardens, including Japanese- and English-style displays. They can also view a quilt garden or enjoy the “adventure path” designed with kids in mind.
• National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart – Displays chronicle the history of train transportation in America. Visitors can view full-size steam, diesel, and electric engines as well as model railroad cars.
• University of Notre Dame in South Bend – Walk through the iconic campus, watch the Fighting Irish compete in a sporting event, or tour the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which features stained-glass windows and hand-painted murals.
• Studebaker National Museum in South Bend – The three-story museum pays tribute to vehicles produced by the Studebaker company, whether they were wagons, automobiles, or military equipment. More than 70 old vehicles are on display.

For More Information

To start planning your trip to Amish country, visit the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.visitelkhartcounty.com. You can download a destination guide or request one be mailed to you.

Treat yourself and your RV to a homecoming of sorts with a trip to Elkhart, the heart of the RV industry.