This wonderful little book captures the family history side of the industry

Beverly Little,from the Forney Museum of Transportation, in Denver, Colorado, recently wrote us about “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That.”

“The Dumb Things Sold is a well written, entertaining social history of the
Recreational Vehicle industry. Mr. Hesselbart has captured the essential
details of the very beginnings of auto-camping and followed the ups and
downs of the industry into the mega-business era of our present in an
easy-to-read but fact-rich format. Not an in-depth listing of innovations
and model release dates, this wonderful little book captures the family
history side of the industry. In telling the stories of the men who
founded the industry, Mr. Hesselbart also highlights the spirit of
adventure found in RV-ers from the beginning.

In all, this is a wonderful little book that The Forney will gladly use as
reference in our library.”

The Forney Transportation Museum is a one-of-a-kind collection of over 500 exhibits relating to historical transportation. It began with antique cars, but soon expanded to include vehicles of all kinds. Some of these are familiar, while others spark the imagination.  Among the cars in the collection are the Porsche 928 that Tom Cruise drove in  “Risky Business”, Amelia Earhart’s Gold Bug Kissel, and Prince Aly Khan’s Rolls Royce.  Visit the museum’s website at http://forneymuseum.org/

Did you know?

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

The unsung heros

In the midst of today’s media-rich, hype-ridden communications environment, it is tough to find a unsung hero.  But not many people know that the history of the RV industry is rich with stories of good ole’ American ingenuity.  These pioneers seem to be the underdogs to other industry moguls of the early twentieth century.  Maybe it was just that the Fords, the Wrights, the Dodges and the Chryslers had better promoters on their PR staff. 

Certainly there are exceptions.  Wally Byam and John Crean are two that come to mind.  Sheldon Coleman brings to mind a product that has become an icon for campers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.  (A modest, engineering type, he was always ready to give credit where credit was due.  Once, when asked to what he attributed his success, Sheldon replied, “Choosing the right father had a great deal to do with it.” His dad had been building Coleman camping equipment for years before he joined the company in 1925.)

The RV industry was just beginning pull away from gypsy image it acquired early in its history when the Great Depression hit the country.   The industry’s pioneers rolled up their sleeves and moved head-on into this new adversity.  Author Al Hesselbart profiles these modest giants in his book, “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That”.   It is available through Legacy Ink Publishing.

Why call a book “Dumb?”

The story behind the title is interesting.  It is from a poem that Milo Miller wrote to accept his nomination into the RV/MH Hall of Fame. 

 Miller, “the school teacher to an industry”, was a native of Mishawaka, Indiana.  An out of work painter, he traveled from town to town during the Depression selling his homemade “Auto Top Rejeuvenator”.  This tar and gasoline dressing would keep the canvas roofs of early automobiles waterproof.  (Thank goodness for hard tops!).

To keep his family with him, Miller designed a house trailer to pull behind his own Model A.  He built it in his backyard out of scap material, using Karo syrup to secure the canvas top. (Thanks again for technology.)   It turned out that Miller’s house trailer sold better than his rejuvenator.   Read on to see what happened.

It’s about people

“The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That” is really about people.  The nineteen pioneers profiled in the book had the spirit, entrepreneurialism, and drive that made the United States thrive during the 20th century.  What I find interesting, and maybe a bit disturbing, is that the business men and women who built the RV industry have gotten so little attention by historians.

Many of these pioneers were contemporaries of Ford, Chrysler, and the Dodge and Wright brothers. Certainly those names have found a place in history books.  The nineteen people profiled in “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That” developed the technology, marketing organizations, and quality standards of an industry that today employes thousands of people, serves millions of consumers, and streams billions of  dollars into our enonomy.

 That, it seems, is historically noteworthy. 

Consumer Reviews

It’s always nice to hear what your fellow travelers have to say on a subject.  Here is what three of them had to say about “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That…..”

From Malia Lane, www.MaliasMiles.com

“I thoroughly enjoyed my preview of this fun project! It was both
entertaining and interesting – I really had no idea that RVing has been a
passion in this country for so long. The stories of those that pioneered
the industry, their ingenuity in meeting the needs and preferences of this
brand new, then ever changing market was inspiring. The tales of the early
enthusiasts and some of the prejudices against this new lifestyle was
especially interesting for me, who thought fulltime RVing was a new concept
when I started it for myself in 2001! It’s also funny how much of the stuff
we now enjoy about RVing were advertised as benefits back then as well. I
especially enjoyed Wally Byam’s “Four Freedoms of RV Travel” and find them
just as true today. We may not be called “Tin Can Tourists” any more, but
we still enjoy rallies and get togethers and the unique enjoyments and
conveniences in our rolling homes. Thanks for letting me take a peek – I
can’t wait to see the finished product!”

Pat & Cindy Bonish

Every Miles A Memory and Smalltown Lowdown

“…As a history buff, I was on over load reading this book. It’s filled with so much info regarding the industry, I found myself re-reading pages just to try and absorb all the useful knowledge. I found it just as funny how an industry started for the outdoorsmen; those people who just towed a place to sleep, but spent 90% of their time in the outdoors; has been converted to a lifestyle where some of the modern RVs have all the luxuries of home. So much to the point that the individual inside these modern day RVs, doesn’t need to leave, and to say “Camping” is now an insult…
” [The] Dumb Things Sold Just Like That carries the reader through the many generations of the RV industry. It walks you through the history pages of a past time that has touched many of us and become a full-time lifestyle for so many more. The book explains the individuals who have changed the face of the industry, those who rode the many ups and downs through two world wars and the many problems our country has battled through. It talks of expeditions around the globe and reminds you that Humans are curious and ever roaming…
“This book is for anyone who enjoys history, everyone who owns some type of RV and those of us who aren’t content with sitting still. This book is for anyone who enjoys reading. “

Kirk Wood, Kirk and Pam’s Great Adventure www.adventure.1tree.net

“First of all, this is a very readable book and one that should be in the library of any person who wishes to be well informed about RV’s. It finally brings to us one book that tells the major history of the RV of today and how it came to be, as well as the key people in that development. I have been involved with RVs and RVing since 1974, yet there is much of the story which I had never seen in one publication, in spite of having read most of what was readily available about them. The book is well written, well organized and entertaining.”

Escapees says Al’s book is a “must-have”

“Complex and captivating…well-written…fact-filled” These are just a few of the descriptions that Escapees book reviewer Marcella Gauthier (#12371) used in her comments about Al Hesselbart’s “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That…” The full review is in the July/August Escapees Magazine..or click here to read Ms. Gauthier’s comments.

 You can order “Dumb Things” at Legacy Ink Publishing.

Al’s Book is Almost Here!

You may know it as just “Al’s book”.   The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That…A History of the Recreational Vehicle Industry in America is set for release in June!  Selected chapters of the book have appeared in RV News, Family Motor Coaching, and Escapees.  The roots of the RV industry were planted with the ingenuity, innovation and compassion of its pioneers.  In “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like…”, Al Hesselbart traces the industry’s history by telling the stories of its the industry’s founding fathers. 

Many of you know Al for his work with the RV/Mobile Home Heritage Foundation. For his full biography, see the post “What and Why” .  The release of “The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That…”  coincides with the opening of the the Heritage Foundation’s museum.  A portion of the proceeds of the book will go to support the Foundation and the museum.

 We will start taking reservations for the book on April 15.  Check back here or at www.legacyinkpublishing.com for ordering information.