Engineering a Masterpiece Part 3: Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Marathon’s primary mechanical engineer is Jared Lathon, a graduate of The Oregon Institute of Technology. Jared is responsible for how things physically function within the coaches themselves. Most recently, he redesigned the pullouts in the underbelly bays. Though the pullouts began with a sketch, Jared discovered that once they were built, they didn’t function as well as he knew they could. Back to the drawing board, and a few small parts later, his new design is the standard in coaches moving forward. This is one of the things that Marathon’s engineers like most about their jobs: their ability to create something and have that innovation work so well that it becomes the standard for all future coaches. 

In general, if a coach has a design that involves both movement and metal, the process and its development go through Jared first. A recently completed project now ensures that the lifts for the hidden TVs bear the correct weight and work flawlessly. He also played a key part in making sure the Murphy bed in coach #1359 moved smoothly and effortlessly from upright to down and back again. A Murphy bed in an RV can be a surprisingly complicated feature, so the design needs to be as efficient as possible, while still maintaining durability and class. Jared’s involvement is crucial to the development of these types of physical mechanics and how they work.