The RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum in Elkhart, Indiana: The Motorized RVs

From the beginning, cars and trucks were modified to create RVs.  Space efficiency has always been an important goal in the RV industry.







1913 Earl Travel Trailer
& Model T

Compact sleeping area

1916 Automobile 

Telescope Apartment

The side cabinets slide in. 

So, the slide outs in trailers and motorhomes aren't as innovative as I  thought.

The rear telescopes into the

main compartment.

 The bed that slides into the main compartment, like the Keystone RV Outback Travel Trailer isn't a new idea either.





The 1931 Chevrolet
Mae West Housecar
was offered to the actress
to entice her from the
vaudeville circuit.

This lounge car has a stove
for brewing coffee next to
the driver's seat.

This is my favorite RV..

The  1937 Hunt Housecar
looks futuristic.

This unique housecar is one of

several built by Hollywood

movie cinematographer &

producer Roy Hunt.

According to DOITYOURSELFRV,
this compact motorhome the first
working RV shower.

The dining room & couch

that converts to a bed.

1969 Stites Chassis

Mount Truck Camper 

1974 GMC Motorhome

The 1985 Fleetwood Bounder
is the prototype of the 1987
Bounder.

Fleetwood introduced basement
storage in motorhomes.

Kitchen, bathroom &

bedroom are just

steps away... 

The Star Streak II is Eric's

favorite RV.

This 22 foot aluminum bodied motorhome looks like a Transformer.  Built by a retired B-52 pilot in 1988, it is constructed on a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado chassis and has a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado engine.

The brown "wood" that separates

the cabinet drawers is actually 

two very deep storage bins.

The RV industry innovated and worked on space efficiency since its beginning.  I appreciated my opposing slide outs before, but now I know there are decades of development behind this versatile feature.