The pioneers of the RV industry were full of passion and spirit. Some succeeded by design, but many built their companies on a mixture of luck and perseverance.
Here are some “teasers” to RV industry trivia. The rest of the story is in “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That”.
-Some early inventors incorporated aircraft and marine technology into their RV designs
-Many started their businesses in their garages or backyards.
-At least one used Karo syrup as a building material
-Early travel trailers ended up as permanent housing for families during the Great Depression
-One manufacturer redesigned his trailer with ski’s to transport surveillance equipment over the ice during World War II
-Several manufacturers built travel trailers to transport or house troops and defense workers during WWII
-After the war, motorhomes led to a new means of recreation for growing, prosperous post war families
-One type of motorhome was used by troops gathering information about the enemy during the war in Viet Nam
-One company, which ended up being an economic savior to small Midwestern town, almost went bankrupt before it was started. Then a few year later, it burned to the ground.
-One industry leader opened up the world to RV travelers
-Some companies, established during the Great Depression, could not survive the oil embargo and inflation of the 1970’s
-The industry has grown to employ thousands of workers, served millions of consumers and pumps billions of dollars annually into our nation’s economy
