Located on 147-acres in Elkhart, Indiana, Alliance RV is obsessed with providing the best RV ownership experience. But to provide the best, they must have the best. That’s why, in 2019, they broke ground on their first state-of-the-art production facility. Shortly after the first was complete, a second facility was commissioned.

That’s when JPR began its relationship with Alliance RV.

In 2020, JPR completed the civil engineering design for Building #2 on the Alliance RV campus, along with creating a Master Plan for the development of future facilities. Since then, JPR has completed civil design for Buildings #3 through #5.

The Brady brothers wanted to have centrally located efficiencies, both in terms of campus location and organization. Therefore, the location of the site was critical – off County Road 17 and within the heart of the Elkhart community.

“I was born and raised in Elkhart, as were several of our team members,” said Co-Founder Coley Brady. “We wanted to build a company with a lasting impact, and something that the community can be proud of.”

The chosen site was located in a flood zone and contained clay soil, which can exacerbate the challenges and risks associated with flooding. With low permeability and high water retention capacity, clay soil can contribute to delayed drainage and added challenges with the effectiveness of infrastructure. It can also affect the stability of building foundations and roadways.

To combat this and to meet regulatory compliance due to the flood zone designation, each building was elevated by at least two feet or more above the flood protection grade, as required.

As part of the project, the JPR team also developed a paved parking lot for RV storage located on the west end of the campus. The lot sat within the floodway of Pine Creek, and the team was challenged to preserve the existing cross-sectional area of the floodway. The cross-sectional area is a crucial parameter in hydrology and hydraulic engineering, as it helps determine the volume of water that can flow through the channel. By using this information our team was able to design and manage the floodway, ensuring it can handle the expected volume of water during floods – while also minimizing the risk of overflow and damage to surrounding areas.

JPR planned the parking lot so that rainwater could flow out from a low-lying area, known as a swale, and spill into Pine Creek. Moreover, the excess water from a wet pond was designed to move around the lot before joining the creek. These stormwater solutions were permitted through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and required approval by the Elkhart County Drainage Board due to a setback variance from the top of the bank of Pine Creek.

JPR also designed a roadway extension for Benchmark Drive, the road leading into Alliance RV, to accommodate the growth of the campus. This road extension was done in phases as each building was constructed, and it allowed public water and sewer utilities to be expanded to the new buildings.

Today, Alliance RV designs and manufactures a wide range of premium travel trailers and fifth wheels that offer the exceptional comfort, style, and durability that their customers have come to expect. The campus consists of more than 800,000 total square feet under roof, and as of 2023, they have created over 600 jobs in the Michiana area.

“Our vision is still evolving with more property and projects, but it is coming together quite nicely,” said Brady. “Right now we have five buildings, all of them over 100,000 square feet and the last being over 200,000 square feet. Honestly in 10 years, and even 30 years, I see these buildings being utilized in the same manner as today. We’ve set things up for the long-term.”

Alliance RV’s mission of “Do the Right Thing!” and their transparent approach with customers position them as a prominent RV company poised for success in the years ahead.