When we look at RV history, these vehicles have come a long way from the invention of the car to today’s luxury homes on wheels, sometimes complete with bedrooms and jacuzzis!
In the beginning, car lovers and nature lovers joined their passions in 1910 to create customized cars with lockers, bunks, and inventive water-holding tanks. During the 1920s, as roads started to improve, RV enthusiasm started to grow.
In more recent years, RVs have gone beyond what most of those early enthusiasts could have imagined! What will the next centuries bring?
A 1909 edition of Motor Magazine showed a car pulling a trailer, and an article about Dr. Charles A. Morsman’s “automobile camping trailer” from around the same time reports the trailer had a bed, a small kitchen, and hot and cold running water thanks to an onboard water tank. Before long, simple wooden structures were constructed on the chassis of a car and the first motor homes were made.
The first motor home was built from a 3-ton Packard truck in 1910. It could sleep 11 people, was 28 feet long, had an icebox, toilet, and salon, and was 6 and a half feet wide. The motor home was used up until 1924.
Campers continued to find more ingenious ways to adapt cars to their lifestyles, usually using wood and tents to construct their living spaces. These RVs and motor homes had refrigerators or ice boxes, kitchenettes, showers or baths, and other typical features. Some were even hooked up with telegraphs and electric lights.
The house car “gypsy van” was built in 1915. It weighed 8 tons, had an interior like an English manor house, and even had a rooftop garden. The first fifth-wheel camping trailer hit the road in 1917.
Until the 1920s, the most common car was the Ford Model T, and RVs had to be custom-built. In 1923, a Nomad house car was built on the chassis of the Ford Model TT. It was owned by novelists John Stanton and Mary Chapman, who owned it for 47 years and traveled in it to 24 states. In 1927, Leonard S Whittier built a custom RV on the chassis of a Brockway model” H’ bus chassis. It had wicker chairs, bookcases, a refrigerator, and a sink as well as an electric stove. It even had a septic tank.
This decade saw manufacturers begin to make travel trailers, ranging from very small to very large. In 1936, the Curtiss Aerocar was made by Glen Curtiss, an aircraft designer. In the same year, the Airstream Trailer Co. manufactured the Clipper, with riveted aluminum resembling an airplane. It could sleep four and carried a supply of water.
In 1937, the teardrop trailer which slept two became popular. In 1938, Commander Attilio Gatti, an Italian explorer, had two “jungle yachts” made for his trips to Africa. The jungle yachts had a dining car, bar, two bedrooms, and lighting, as well as a telephone. The same company built a 50-foot, 5th-wheel semi-trailer which included an observation deck, wine cellar, and all the latest conveniences. It was sold to an Indian Maharaja.
During World War II, RV growth halted as trailers and their materials were needed for other uses. After the war was over, manufacturers again began to create innovative house cars that changed the future of RVing almost instantly. Howard Hughes, the legendary movie producer, had 8 RVs built to serve as mobile dressing rooms. They had mahogany interiors, bathrooms, a refrigerator, a stove, and air conditioners.
In 1942, the US military purchased thousands of the “Palace Expando” a revolutionary trailer that expanded on both sides and had a shower and bath. Newly enlisted men and their families were housed in these trailers.
In 1946, a fascinating motor home was built on the chassis of a Chevrolet. According to historical sources, the owner of the RV couldn’t go on vacation without being stopped by curious people.
The Shoreland Tandem Town and Country was a 30-foot-long trailer with electric fixtures and 3 rooms. In 1948, Flxible Bus Company began manufacturing custom coaches.
RVs expanded in size and length with luxury interior décor and modern conveniences such as plumbing and bathrooms, as well as kitchens. The 50s were the decade of blossoming for the RV, and by the end, mobile homes and travel trailers were a definite part of the camper lifestyle. Terraces, and upstairs and downstairs models with separate private bedrooms were not uncommon in RVs at that point.
The Executive Flagship, built in 1952, was 65 feet long and weighed 18 tons. It had 10 wheels and was equipped with two bathrooms, wall-to-wall carpeting, and a 21-inch TV. It had a portable pool and diving board and retailed at $75,000.
An ingenious two-story RV design was created in 1955 and had two upstairs bedrooms, a main bedroom downstairs, and other conveniences found in modern RVs. It could sleep 8 people.
In 1958, the first pop-up truck camper was made, and five years later mass production began on these campers.
1959 saw Shasta enter the RV industry, and it soon became the most popular travel trailer of the era.
This early RV was manufactured by Anheuser-Busch. It was mounted on the chassis of a Ford Model T and could be yours for the low price of $535 (over $15,000 today). The camper was designed by Samuel B. Arthur and was sold in a completely knocked-down kit that could be shipped anywhere in the country. It was forest green, and a number of them are still available today. The Kampkar had two wide, comfortable beds courtesy of pullouts on either side. Four people could sleep in the two beds.
This custom RV was built long before RVs were a way of life. It is believed the RV had a woodwork interior though none of the pictures in existence show this. The Flordellen was 7 feet wide and 9 feet high, making it practical. It extended over 30 feet from the bumper to the observation platform and had electric heaters, a refrigerator and oven, and a stove. The main bedroom had two wicker chairs and cupboards. The upholstery was gray-green leather, and it had a complete bathroom finished in cream tile. The toilet emptied into a septic tank on the floor of the RV.
The driver and passenger seats converted into single beds, and a rear observation platform at the back of the vehicle afforded comfort with a view.
Built in Detroit, the Aerocar was commercially manufactured. It was designed by Glenn Curtiss, an aircraft designer who used those principles on the Aerocars. The trailers had no chassis, and the wheels were placed at the very end of the curved roadster. The trailer retailed at $5000. A tow car was custom-built for the trailer, and was chauffeur-driven, with pull-down windows. The rear seat converted into a bed, making it self-contained without the trailer. The car also had storage compartments and an intercom system connecting the car and trailer.
Produced in limited numbers, the Ford House Car had steel cladding and wood paneling. Only six were made every year. The interior was lined with wood, and the door frames were thick solid wood. A storage cabinet fit under the bed, and curtains and pull-down shades hung on all the windows. A fold-down table was fixed to the back of the driver’s seat
Flxible is now known as Custom Coach Corp. It was founded in 1913 and made the Flxible sidecars for motorcycles. Ford then made the Ford Roadster and sold it at $360, making the sidecar and motorcycle less popular. Flxible then turned to the RV market. In 1936, the company concentrated on coach conversions and introduced its Clipper range of buses. In 1955, Flxible started converting its buses into luxury motor homes. The interior of these coaches featured wood grain plastic drawers and cupboards. Coaches with a triangular mesh on the rear rift side of the vehicle had air conditioning.
These motorhomes were popular RVs built on a Dodge chassis. When Dodge stopped manufacturing the chassis, Travco went under. The Travco motorhome sold for $9,000 and enjoyed the bulk of the budding motorhome market. These motorhomes were revolutionary in shape and construction, using fiberglass and eliminating dry rot.
They had fully equipped kitchens, and the interiors were well-made and practical. The cars featured a dinette, refrigerator, double sink, floor coverings, and large closets.
Founded in 1958, Winnebago began by designing furniture for travel trailers. The first Winnebago was made in 1966 and was sold at half the price of competing models, and the name soon became synonymous with motor homes.
Volkswagen was already entrenched in America by the ’60s. The Westfalia camper by VW was manufactured in 1967. Around 100 of these conversions with electrical hookups and an ice box, curtains, and an optional popup tent were purchased in Germany and brought to the States.
Speaking of Volkwagen, many people fondly remember sleeping in VW camper vans throughout the years! Here is a brief history of this iconic recreational – and practical, everyday – vehicle.
Believe it or not, this campervan had humble beginnings. It was created to carry car parts around a humongous VW factory in Great Britain.
Before its invention, manufacturers used stripped-down VW Beetles for the task. In 1947, a Dutch VW importer named Ben Pon came up with an idea for a van based on the Beetle.
Out of this concept, the first VW camper van was born. In the beginning, it was simply a 170 cubic-foot box built on a four-wheeled chassis. Over the next few years, Volkswagen expanded on this concept and came up with almost 100 different body combinations with a variety of uses, including the camper van, pick-ups, ambulances, fire engines, and more.
The ‘Splitty,’ or split window model VW camper van, was released in 1949. It is still one of the most popular models to this day. In fact, one of these vans in good condition can sell for as much as $50,000.
VW manufactured the ‘Splitty’ or, as they are officially known, the Type 2, until 1967. The first of its kind, the Bulli, was released as a Kombi and Panel van in 1949. They also released the Microbus one year later.
In the mid-1950s, the Splitty was introduced to the US market, where it experienced a wealth of success. In fact, almost 200,000 vans were sold by the early 1960s.
The Bay (an evolution of the Type 2) replaced the ‘Splitty’ design in 1967. Improvements included:
The Bay Camper Bus model rolled off of the assembly line in 1975. Although it had many of the same features as the Bay, the Bay Camper Bus had a different bay window design. This model soon gained a huge following among those who wanted to use it as a camper van or mobile home.
The new design of the Bay Camper Bus also proved to be an inspiration for several different companies. They configured the vans for more storage space, and so drivers could cook and sleep in them. They also created elevating roofs that could sleep more than 5 people. By 1975, the Hanover factory had released 4 million of these vans.
VW stopped producing the Bay window bus, replacing it with the T25 in 1979. They also released the T4 and T5 models. Although these models didn’t become icons like the Splitty, they were wildly popular.
After almost 70 years, the VW camper van was retired in January 2014, mainly because VW could no longer adapt it to keep up with the safety regulations of the modern age. Despite being discontinued, the camper van is still a popular vehicle. You can expect to see these vehicles on the road for many years to come.
Since pioneers crossed the plains in covered wagons, humans have been fashioning various forms of RVs. It’s fascinating to glance at RV history and see how far motorhomes have come since then, and to dream about what future models will look like!
"RVs" redirects here. For other uses, see RVS (disambiguation)
An example of a Class C recreational vehicle, recognisable by the extension of the cabin over the cab
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation.[1] Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and campers), fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, and truck campers.
Motor home
Typical amenities of an RV include a kitchen, a bathroom, and one or more beds.[2] RVs can range from utilitarian – containing only sleeping quarters and basic cooking facilities – to luxurious, with features like air conditioning (AC), water heaters, televisions and satellite receivers, and quartz countertops, for example.
RVs can either be trailers (which are towed behind motor vehicles) or self-propelled vehicles. Most RVs are single-deck; however, double-deck RVs also exist. To allow a more compact size while in transit, larger RVs often have expandable sides (called slide-outs) or canopies that are deployed when stationary. Self-powered RVs can further be divided into pushers (where the motor is as the back) or pullers (front mount), where the pushers tend to be diesel powered versus gasoline powered.
History
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The first recreational vehicles were horse-drawn. They evolved during the second half of the nineteenth century as adaptations of vehicles used for other purposes, including public transport caravans (UK, also known as stage wagons), gypsy vardos (Europe), living vans (UK), ambulance wagons (US) and sheep herders wagons (US).[5][6][7]
The first, currently-known, purpose-built RV was the horse-drawn Wanderer (UK), commissioned from the Bristol Wagon Works Company by Dr. Gordon Stables in 1884.[8] Stables was a pioneer of the UK's Gentlemen Gypsy movement[5] (1885–1914) which promoted the restorative benefits of horse-drawn leisure caravanning and inspired the formation of the world's first RV club, The Caravan Club (UK), in 1907.[9] The Wanderer was closely followed by the McMaster Camping Car (US,1889).Camping-vehicle In the 1890s, US RV pioneers self-built timber 'houses on wheels' for health, leisure and hunting purposes. The most widely reported of these were those of Morgan Lasley and his family.[10] Horse-drawn RV use declined after the First World War as many horses were killed during the war and automobiles became cheaper, more powerful and more widely available.
The first powered RVs were steam-drawn trailers from France including the Grande Diligence of Prince Oldenburg (1896) and the De Dion Bouton trailer of Monsieur Rénodier (1898).[11] The first steam-driven motorhome was the Quo Vadis (France,1900) and the first gasoline-driven motorhome was the Passe Partout (France, 1902).[11] The first recorded powered motorhomes in America were the 'camp cars' of Roy Faye and Freeman Young of 1904–06 (a 1904 Rambler, 1905 Thomas Flyer and 1906 Matheson).[12] [13] Lightweight tent trailers were especially popular in the US from 1911, thanks to improved roads, new national parks and the affordability of tow vehicles such as the Ford Model T. [14] At the other end of the price scale, luxury touring limousines, developed in France by De Dietrich in 1904, were built in small numbers in the US by Welch (1909) [15] and Pierce Arrow (1910). The first US RV club, the Tin Can Tourists, was formed in 1919.[16] The first known, recreational fifth wheeler was the Auto Salon Deluxe built in Belgium for Baron Crawhez by Auto-Mixte Pescatore in 1913.[17]
In the early twentieth century RV builders in the UK (Navarac, Piggott Bros, Eccles, Bertram Hutchings),[18] the US (Detroit Trailer Company, Welch, Graham Brothers, Pierce-Arrow) and France (De Dietrich, Cadel) experimented with a wide range of RV types including caravans and trailers, motorhomes, touring limousines, tent trailers and fifth wheelers. Early motorhomes ('house cars' in the US) were usually converted goods trucks and were heavy, noisy, inflexible and expensive, restricting their use to the wealthy or self-builders.[19] The 'one box' RV was not seen in large numbers until the small, lightweight Volkswagen Kombi of 1950.[20] During the 1920s and 1930s, caravans (travel trailers) became the dominant form of RV in the UK due to their low cost, weather-resistance and flexibility.[20] There was likewise a travel trailer boom in the US in the 1930s as automobile production-line manufacturing techniques were used in travel trailer manufacturing to meet growing demand from recreational users and those seeking low-cost housing during The Great Depression. Self-built trailers were highly popular in the US during the 1930s and travel trailers featured in a number of Hollywood movies including Mickey's Trailer (1938).
The 1920s and 1930s, saw some influential, maverick builders construct innovative RVs in small numbers. These included Bertram Hutchings (UK, 1930–39, streamlined caravans), Charles Louvet (France, 1924–34, aircraft-inspired, coach-built motorhomes and trailers), Noel Pemberton Billing (UK, 1927, Road Yacht motorhome), Glenn Curtiss (US, 1918–30, Adams Motorbungalo, Curtiss Aerocar, Aero Coupler hitch) and William Hawley Bowlus (US, 1934, aluminum monocoque trailers). Wally Byam's Airstream (US, 1931 onwards) was a successful trailer builder of the period and is the only survivor of over 400 pre-WW2 US RV manufacturers.[21]
Prior to WW2 a number of other countries developed their own small-scale RV manufacturing industries including Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Germany had a particular focus on small, lightweight caravans towable by low-cost automobiles [22] whilst Australia developed 'pop-top' caravans with good ventilation, ample water storage and high ground clearance. [23] During WW2 RV production was halted in most countries except when required as accommodation for military personnel or essential workers. [24]
Between 1945 and 1960, RVs flourished in many western countries as disposable income and leisure time grew. Dedicated RV parks were established to cater to the needs of both short and long-term RV users. Improvements in RV technology including batteries, fridges, gas cookers, toilets and lightweight construction techniques dramatically improved RV comfort levels. More powerful gasoline and diesel engines allowed RVs to increase in size, weight and speed. Regulations were introduced in many countries to control how RVs were manufactured and used.
Industry
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In the United States, about 85 percent of recreational vehicles sold are manufactured in Indiana,[25] and roughly two-thirds of that production in Elkhart County, which calls itself "the RV Capital of the World", population 206,000. The industry has US$32.4 billion annual economic impact in Indiana, pays US$3.1 billion in taxes to the state and supports 126,140 jobs and US$7.8 billion in wages, according to the RV Industry Association.[26]
The recreational vehicle industry around Elkhart is part of a large network of related transport equipment companies, including utility trailer makers and specialty bus manufacturers, who source from the same supply chains.[25] The industry has taken hits from US tariffs on steel and aluminum and other duties on RV parts made in China, from plumbing fixtures to electronic components to vinyl seat covers. Tariff-related price hikes forced manufacturers to pass on some of the increased costs through higher RV prices, which in turn has contributed to slower sales.[25] Shipments of RVs to dealers fell 22% percent in the first five months of 2019, compared to the same period a year earlier, after dropping 4% in 2018.[25]
Some trailer companies are using innovative materials in new ways to make trailers lighter, more durable and more cost efficient. Cortes Campers LLC has filed for multiple new patents and have improved manufacturing techniques to address issues such as frequent repairs, supply chain issues, mold, mildew and catastrophic failures of key components of travel trailers. The new double hulled completely redesigned travel trailer is made of fiberglass and built much in the way airplanes and boats are built [27]
Usage
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RVs are most commonly used for living quarters while traveling. People may choose to take a road trip in their RV and use the RV to sleep in, rather than a hotel room. They may even decide to tow their car from the back of the RV[29] so they can use that to travel around more easily when they reach their destination.
Although the most common usage of an RV is as temporary accommodation when traveling, some people use an RV as their main residence. In fact, one million Americans live in RVs.[30] In the United States and Canada, traveling south each winter to a warmer climate is referred to as snowbirding. In Australia, the slang term for a retired person who travels in a recreational vehicle is a "grey nomad".[31]
There are local and national RV rental companies, such as Adventure KT and Outdoorsy that specialize in renting RVs to families for vacationing purposes.[32] People enjoy the road trip and luxuries an RV provides while traveling without having a long-term expense. This is similar to home vacation rentals but is cheaper and also offers the flexibility of itinerary planning.[33]
While it is legal in all of the United States to live in an RV,[citation needed] there are laws regarding where and for how long RVs can be parked.[34][35]
Some owners fit solar panels to the roof of their RV.[36] It is possible for RV user to live off the electrical grid while still having access to internet, making remote working feasible. [37]
Usage of RVs is common at rural festivals such as Burning Man,[38] but most festivals have strict rules about operating an RV during the event. Burning Man is strict about RV water leaks, and generator usage is another of the restrictions that festivals put on the use of RVs. Bluegrass Festivals regularly host RVs; they become the locations for afterhours jamming by participants.
Recently, RVs have been proposed as a partial solution to the homelessness problems found in cities across the US. RVs for Homeless (https://rvforhomeless.com/) has been formed as a coalition to encourage the donation of older vehicles to alleviate homelessness. This is distinct from the simple use of older vehicles as temporary shelters in homeless encampments.
Demographics
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United States
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As of 2016, the average age of RV owners in the United States was 45, a three-year decrease since 2015.[39] Per 2020 research reports, more millennials are interested in buying RVs due to their increased demand for camping and outdoor recreational activities, especially in the US.[40]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of RVs in the United States have increased, and as of March 2021, 11.3 million households own an RV, which is a 26 percent increase over the past ten years. In the month of October 2021, 58,000 RVs were manufactured in North America, the most ever in a single month.[41]
Current trends
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See also
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References
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Further reading
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