The RV – a Brief Look at it’s Past History

When Henry Ford was initially changing the face of the American roadways by mass producing his Model T, no one had an idea of what the future would, especially when the concept of the Recreational Vehicle (or RV as it’s referred to) was born.  Ford was known to have gone on numerous camping excursions with two of his best friends at the time, namely Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone.

Now the fact that the three of them would go camping together wouldn’t appear to be anything overly significant were it not for the fact that they would equip their Model T’s with food and camping supplies before heading out on their ventures.  Can we credit the birth of RV’ing to Ford, Edison, and Firestone? That probably depends on what aspect of the concept that you’re discussing.  One thing that is a fact is that people have been equipping cars and trucks with camping gear and necessities for years.

Somewhere around the end of World War I, Americans began getting into the habit of loading down their cars with beds, cooking equipment, food, and tents, and then taking of on jaunts into the countryside or the forests.  During the 1920’s, people were building wooden house-like structures and then mounting them to their Model T chassis so that when they went traveling, they felt like they were still in their home setting while on the road vacationing.

During the decades of the 1920’s and 1930’s, we saw the arrival of the Tin Can Tourist clubs at the RV scene.  This was a group of RV’ers that would brave the elements and the landscape in their Tin Lizzies, traveling on unpaved roads through dust and mud, for the sake of outdoor enjoyment.  They would pull off the road whenever and wherever they felt like it and set up camp.  Their idea of camping usually involved cooking their food (while it was still in the can) on a gas stove, bathing in an icy lake or stream, and then crawling into their tents for the night.

Later on into the 1930’s, it became apparent that RV’ing wasn’t just a fad but was a genuine form of outdoor recreation and a way to take an enjoyable vacation.  The RV’s that were produced during this era were predominantly manufactured with an aircraft style of construction in that they looked like miniature hangars on wheels.  They usually featured conveniences like beds, dinettes, electricity, and water.  Additionally, with the popularity of the concept growing the way it was, this created the need for camping areas and campgrounds that contained more facilities to accommodate the travelers.

After World War II ended, the RV industry really started to flourish as more and more Americans began answering the call of the open road.  In the 1950’s, the travel trailer came into its own and were recognized as a truly towable RV.  It is speculated that the RV industry really entered the lift-off stage in the 1950’s and 1960’s, as production in the industry took a major upswing.

Since the 1960’s, technology has really taken hold in the industry focusing primarily on the concepts of aerodynamics and interior design.  Today, RV’s are so much more than just a camping vehicle.  They are comfortable, luxurious, and spaceous --- to say the least, they are truly a house on wheels.

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