There will likely always be a warm spot in my heart for RVs because I have a long personal history with exploring the open road in them. A few years ago, I made three trips to Alaska by pickup camper. And if it weren’t for the high cost of fuel, I might be RVing even now.
For about as long as there have been motor vehicles and roads to drive them on, there have been enterprising souls looking for ways to take home, or at least some parts of it, on the road with them. Before recreational vehicles (RVs) blossomed into a full-fledged industry, RV pioneers were experimenting with homemade versions.
A far cry from the luxurious land yachts we see today, early RVs were small pull-behind trailers towed by Model Ts. Fashioned from wood, aluminum or duraluminum, these rigs might have a small stove, seating and maybe a small icebox. If you could afford them, other accessories were available at extra cost.
Those of means who liked to travel began to design and build bigger and better units—with more and more of the comforts of home. For example, a California watchmaker who wanted to be comfortable on safari in Africa, took seven years to build a two-story house car in the mid-30s. Years later, another California RV enthusiast hired an aircraft factory to create what became the 18-foot Hunt Hollywood House Car. This rig is generally regarded as inspiration for the makeup trailers used today on movie sets.
The world’s oldest known non-tent RV is a 1913 Earl travel trailer. Restored in 1980, the Earl now has copper wire screen to keep bugs at bay and mica and canvas covers for the windows. A 1913 Model T runabout is the tow vehicle for this early Earl. Other than the exotic homemade affairs (few of which have survived), the Winnebagos of the late 1960 were some of the earliest production motor homes.
The first of the legendary Bluebird Wanderlodges was prototyped in 1963. Blue Bird built its first school bus in 1927, and today is perhaps the best known maker of school buses, specialty buses and high-end motor homes. Check here for vintage Wanderlodges for sale.
Vintage RVs are becoming very popular, and I must admit I’m intrigued by them. It’s the perfect intersection of my interest in history and my passion for the open road. So who knows? Most of them are economical, but expect to spend some time and money putting them back in shape. Surprisingly, there seem to be quite a number available. Sites for vintage RVs feature restoration info, ways to contact fellow vintage RV addicts and lists of rigs for sale.
If you want to get up close and personal with historic RVs, you can visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN.
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