by Holly Tribe
A specialist caravan manufacturer is set to invest £250,000 in a major expansion programme developing its design and manufacturing methods.
After two years of successive growth the Fifth Wheel Company has doubled its workforce and now has a turnover of £2 million. With an order book full until April 2011, the Welsh firm has quickly outstripped its initial design and manufacturing capabilities.
Using profits amassed over the last two years along with funding from a government-run scheme, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Coleg Menai, the firm will appoint a graduate KTP associate to re-evaluate the design-to-manufacture process.
Operations Manager Adrian Parry-Jones told Business Post: “As the company grows and we become a bigger operation, it’s essential that we constantly review our design-to-manufacture process and quality systems, in order to reduce any work duplication and wastage.”
Where it all began
The company began importing fifth wheel type tourers from the States in the late 1990’s converting them to comply with European safety standards for the UK market. Encouraged by an enthusiastic response from customers, the decision was made to design and build an in-house range of Fifth Wheelers which have been in production since 2002.
Mr Parry-Jones explained: “When someone asked why we didn’t start producing them, we couldn’t think of a good reason. Within six months we had developed our first prototype of a UK version, and now we design and manufacture them here.”
Fifth Wheelers explained
Originating in the US Fifth Wheelers are attached to the towing vehicle, not by the traditional tow bar as with other caravans, but via a connection plate similar to those found on articulated lorries. 
They are built to be towed by pick-up trucks and open backed vehicles like the Nissan Navara (pictured). The Fifth Wheel Company build models which are better suited to smaller UK roads and driving conditions.
