If you are familiar with our blog we have had two RVs since 2020, an Ontour 2.2 and a Plateau XLTS. Both were manufactured by Pleasure-Way, a family-owned company that has build RV’s since 1986. After six years, we finally made the drive to Saskatoon to tour the factory. We were both very excited.

We were met by Grant Walters, Sales Representative for Canada and Mid-West USA, and joined seven other Pleasure-Way (PW) owners for a tour showing the various steps in manufacturing PW’s Class B and B+ vans. As soon as the group walked into the first manufacturing building, there was a collective gasp. None of us had ever seen so many shiny, brand-new Pleasure-Way RVs at one time. Smiles all around! It felt like we had entered Santa’s Workshop for RVers.

In 2024, Pleasure-Way celebrated the manufacture of its 20,000th van. The company was founded by Merv Rumpel, who owned an RV dealership and wanted to sell class B camper-vans. He was so unimpressed with the quality of what was available he decided he could build better vans himself. Today the company is managed by his son Dean. We frequently see Pleasure-Way vans from the early 1990s as we travel. That is a testament to the build quality of these vans and PW’s customer support.

Pleasure-Way does not build on an assembly line. Each RV is driven from location to location where tradesmen install various components, plumbing and cabinetry in each van. Pleasure-Way takes approximately 6 weeks and 400 hours of labor to build a class B van. They build on Mercedes-Benz Spriter, Ford Transit and Ram Promaster chasses.

Cabinetry is precut on a C&C machine then labeled with the vin number of the van it was made for to ensure that correct part goes into the right van.

Custom flanges are manufactured that form to the curve of the van body allowing external compartments to exactly fit the body of the vehicle. They are then bonded to the vehicle body. This eliminates large gaps that require thick caulk lines which can leak.

We were impressed with the cleanliness of the work areas we toured. Areas were clean, organized and free of debris. There was no loud music playing. The mechanics were focused on their work. Because we had to ask for permission to take photos of workers, we chose to avoid including any employee faces in our photos. The people behind the van in the below photo were on the tour.

As we walked through the manufacturing buildings, the sense of pride in the craftsmanship was palpable. A great example of this was in the cabinet shop. For most of its existence, Pleasure-Way’s signature cabinetry doors have been crafted in-house out of maple. We had these cabinet doors in our OnTour 2.2. We saw door number 100,000 proudly displayed on the wall of the shop.

It surprised us how many items Pleasure-Way custom manufactures for their RVs. In the photo below are custom-bent copper lines for the propane system. Many manufacturers purchase propane hosing and make it work for their systems. It’s this type of attention to detail that separates Pleasure-Way from many manufactures of RVs.

The components they do purchase from vendors are best-in-class. This includes Truma Aventa air conditioners, Aqua-Go water heaters and Vario-heat furnaces. Even the water faucets are manufactured by Moen.

One of the reasons we chose our first Pleasureway in 2020 was the company’s adoption of lithium batteries, solar charging systems and 12 volt refrigerators across their entire production line. While other manufacturers were offering lithium batteries and solar as an expensive option, Pleasure-Way made them standard.

These two changes mean a lot to an RV owner. Lithium batteries and solar charging help ensure there is plenty of electrical power when you need it and that RV owners can spend more time unplugged from shore electrical. This is a great benefit and has allowed us to stay on BLM and Forest Service lands and in National Park campgrounds which do not provide any services (water, electric or sewer) at the campsite.

Direct current 12V refrigerators out-perform evaporative cooling propane-powered refrigerators in keeping food cold and fresh, even in very warm temperatures, which seem to be everywhere these days.

One other benefit that we did not anticipate when we purchased our first Pleasure-Way was that we were not just purchasing an RV, were also entering into a relationship with the Company. We mention this in some of our previous posts. Joe has had many email exchanges with Ryan S. and Jay F. who provided technical support and helped him troubleshoot and often even repair systems that were not working. It’s a great comfort knowing that there is someone we can email when something in the RV goes wrong, especially during a trip.

We had met Ryan twice before at Pleasure-Way rallies but had only exchanged emails with Jay. We were very happy that he took time out of his workday to visit with us at the end of the tour. Thanks also to Phil N. who stopped in to say hello during the tour. We have met Phil many times at Pleasure-Way Rallies at the Hershey RV Show and Branson Missouri. Phil is known for occasionally performing on stage at RV rallies. Here is an excerpt of a performance from a 2023 East Coast and West Coast Club reunion rally in Branson.

We’d like to thank Grant, Susan and the Office staff who helped set up, provided camping recommendations and conducted the tour. We also want to say thank you for the parting gifts we received after the tour.

Thanks for following along. We are heading to Eastend, SK for a second meeting with Scotty.