It was day two of the American Coach Association pre-rally. After the ACA Southeast chapter fed us breakfast, we met up with Brian and Pat and headed out to the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN. We arrived early and had the place to ourselves for a little while. The very nice and knowledgeable host told us the "MH" stood for "Manufactured Housing" which surprised me (sure enough there was a 1,700 square foot manufactured home just outside that we toured).
The first hall was supported by RV manufacturers and included a model of a typical manufacturing plant. There was one trailer restored from the 50's next to a retro model that looked much the same, at least style-wise, but it included all of today's technology. It was a great way to display just how far the industry has come in the last 50 years. The little Airstream below was next to a new 42-foot long fifth wheel - the difference in the room was staggering. I sure am happy to be RVing today instead of being one of the RV pioneers of yesterday!
In another hall, there were dozens of vintage campers and RVs (far too many to include in this blog). The "Telescoping Apartment" below was sold aftermarket and mounted to a Model T Ford. With the first use of "slides," it was clearly ahead of its time. Plugging $100 into an inflation calculator tells me it would cost only $2,170.63 today.
This was my favorite early RV. First, the box slid out of the back and was supported by lowered jacks.
Next, two boxes slid out to the sides and were also supported by extended legs. One side was a complete kitchen and...
...on the other side was storage. With all the sides out, it left a void in the middle just long enough for a bed. Warm water for the shower was produced by the radiator heat from the engine. We've come a long way, baby!
The 1931 Model AA Ford Housecar, the Tennessee Traveler, had all of the conveniences of home, but I still prefer our Dream.
1954 Yellowstone Travel Trailer - this was "high-end" in its day!
The 1937 Hunt Housecar was another favorite. It was built by Hollywood movie cinematographer and producer, Roy Hunt. I can't say it really looked comfortable, but it was just so different that it was cool.
Mr. Renz of Missouri donated the 1974 GMC motorhome below. He was the only owner and you can see he was one of the first FMCA members. Our number is well over 400,000.
We milled around the Hall of Fame for a few hours thoroughly enjoying the many beautifully restored RVs and displays. We spotted quite a few visitors wearing their ACA badges. I suspect the Hall's attendance numbers are up whenever there is a rally nearby. We got back to the Goshen Fairgrounds in time for the social hour. No nap time and a really tall margarita meant I was off to dreamland before 10:00!
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