RV Hall of Fame…

October 12, 2009 Uncategorized

RV Hall of Fame…

Today we wanted to visit the RV Hall of Fame Museum here in Elkhart, but on the way we stopped off for lunch at El Maguey, a Mexican place that Nick Russell had recommended to us yesterday. It was very good! And we’ll go back.

The RV Museum is set up as a walk through RV history.

This unit, called an ‘Automobile Telescoping Apartment” and built in 1916, is probably the first example of a slide-in pickup camper. Except in this case it’s installed on the back of a 1915 Model T Ford.

And it cost a whole $100.00.

And, of course, it came in any color you wanted, as long as that was black.

This 1935 Bowlus Road Chief, was the predecessor to the Airstream. The segmented aluminum roof was designed to simulate the look of silk fabric stretched over the wooden frame of a sailplane.

This 1937 Hayes Motor Home is probably the first RV to bear the name “Motor Home”

According to its history, it was only used a few times and then put into storage before 1940, and then unearthed in the mid 1990’s. Other than being repainted outside, it’s entirely original.

This 1929 Covered Wagon was the first production travel trailer in the US. It was the largest trailer manufacturer during the 1930’s, but went out of business during WWII.

This is a 1929 Wiedman Housecar built on 1928 truck chassis. Looks like this guy didn’t want to spring for the extra $35.00 for a real driver’s seat. I guess his living room is missing a chair.

This 1937 Hunt Housecar was one of several built in the 1930’s for Hollywood movie cinematographer and producer Roy Hunt. Kind of looks like it belongs on the Jetsons.

This 1936 Roadhome Coach comes complete with a wood-burning stove,

and a bathtub!

This is a 1928 Pierce Arrow Housecar, one of 3 built before the 1929 Stock Market Crash took them out of the RV business.

From the rear it looks more like a trolley

Somehow I expected a little more opulence from a Pierce Arrow.

That toilet almost looks scary!

This is a 1931 Chevrolet custom housecar built by Paramount Studios for Mae West to entice her to leave the vaudeville circuit and make movies for them. It was not built as a camper, but was designed as a chauffeur-driven lounge used to transport Miss West back and forth between shooting locations

For a more modern example, here’s some shots I took in Houston of a coach built for Cybill Shepherd for use on her TV show, “Cybill” that was on the air for 4 years starting in 1995. Quite a difference 64 years makes.

This is a 1974 GMC Motorhome, built on the Cadillac Eldorado/Oldsmobile Toronado front wheel drive chassis. Built from 1973 to 1978, a lot of these are still on the road. In fact, there’s 6 or 7 of them in our park right now. I guess it’s some sort of mini-rally. I’ll try and get some pics in the next couple of days.

This is the custom-built Star Streak II, also built on the Cadillac Eldorado/ Oldsmobile Toronado front wheel drive chassis.

This is the oldest travel trailer in the world. It’s a 1913 “Earl” travel trailer built for a Cal Tech professor by a Los Angeles carriage maker. I guess he’s was lucky to get his Model T in blue. The next year it was “all black, all the time”.

This is a 1931 Model AA Ford Housecar. The ‘AA” means it was built on a truck chassis. It was found in a barn in Athens, AL in 1999 after being stored for over 50 years. And even more amazing, they were able to get the engine running the same day they found it. They spent over a year restoring it to its present condition. The restorers called it the “Tennessee Traveler” since they were from Pulaski, TN, right across the state line from Athens. Since it was found in Alabama I think “Alabama Ambler” would have been more apropos. Of course I may be a tad prejudiced since I’m from Alabama, lived for several years in Athens, and still have a lot of relatives there.