I love my sister, Margaret. She finds things on the internet and thinks of me. She sent me a link over the weekend, "
RV's, Past, Present and Future". It wasn't simply that she sent me a link, but she pegged one of the photos to be John, Ty and I. I loved the photo so much, I had to write an entire blog entry around it.
Since 1918, a covered wagon with an engine was used as a home on wheels. How fancy did they think they were riding around in their 'motor' home? The very first adapters simply added a motor to the covered wagons once being toted around by horses.
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1918, Early adopters in 1918
prepare a meal on the back of their "housecar". |
Trailers came in all shapes and sizes. It fascinates me that no matter what decade you choose people had a desire to travel the country in a trailer, a fifth wheel or a bus.
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| 1917 Adams Motor Bungalo, the original 5th wheel |
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| 1927 Ford-based house car |
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| A family road trip in an early trailer |
During the depression trailers were advertised to promote the ease and cost savings to travel with your "hotel". During difficult economic times, I would bet many people were desirous to live, long term, in a shinny silver dome trailer, in lieu of a traditional home. It was inexpensive and just as comfortable as home.
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"A typical advertisement for trailers in the
depression era promised all the comforts of home." |
With each new decade, RVs transformed from practical homes on wheels to more stylish options. I think it became more about how they appeared traveling as much as how the RVs looked on the inside.
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| A late 1940s trailer arriving at a campsite |
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A 1937 Curtiss Aerocar luxury 5th-wheel,
behind a custom 1937 international Harvester truck |
Below is a typical 1940's family. This gentleman was an aviation worker, much like my own husband who works in aviation. He and his family enjoyed a meal in their trailer. This is the photo my sister emulated to my family. It's John, Ty and I and we will assume James is outside playing in the dirt.
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| A movable feast, this 1946 family enjoyed a meal in their trailer. |
In more recent decades RVs became stylish and more convenient to tow. Often bought to match their current stylish vehicle.
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| "A 1950's 'canned ham' trailer with a typical '50s 'bulgemobile'" |
The early addition model vehicles were not as pretty. In 1959, the first motorized vehicle to be called a "motarhome" instead of a "house car".
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| "First of it's kind made in Brown City, MI, 1959 Frank Motorhome |
In round two, the 1961 Motorhome had an incredible transformation It was redesigned by the son of the company's owner, he was still in high school at the time.
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The 1961 second generation Frank motorhome
featured a more aerodynamic shape |
Innovation came and went. Dual purpose amphibian homes could be used as traditional trailers or as houseboats.
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| 'Surf 'n turf: A 23-foot combo-cruiser amphibian home. |
A more current amphibious model motorcoach is a "self-washing pleasure craft" This RV has a top speed of seven knots. Personally, I think I would rather just pull my own boat behind our current trailer.
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The Terra Wind amphibious motorcoach,
on the Potomac River in Ft. Washington |
Now compare our RV to a future model, the eleMMEnt, which looks more like a futuristic spaceship than an RV.
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Our current "Premier" RV
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| Luxury RV eleMMent |
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| The entertainment lounge of the eleMent |
For more photos and history on RVs past and future. Visit
http://photos.msn.com/slideshow/autos/rvs-past-present-and-future/23aqp0m9#1. I found it fascinating to see how far we've come and the future is even more entertaining.
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