A walk through RV Founders Hall reveals many approaches to the same question: how can people bring the comforts of home on the road? These ten vehicles, identified in the museum’s collection information, offer a starting point for your visit.
- 1916 Ford Telescoping Apartment. Consider the challenge of fitting living space onto an early automotive platform.
- 1916 Cozy Camp Tent Trailer. Compare the tent-trailer approach with the enclosed vehicles that followed.
- 1928 Pierce Arrow Fleet Housecar. Look at the relationship between the vehicle and its living accommodations.
- 1929 Wiedman Housecar. Another example of the varied approaches to early housecar design.
- Mae West’s 1931 Chevrolet Housecar. Built for Paramount Studios as Mae West moved from vaudeville into motion pictures.
- 1931 Tennessee Traveler. Look closely at how the interior uses the available space.
- 1937 Hunt Housecar. Compare its form and layout with the earlier housecars in the collection.
- 1954 Ranger pop-up trailer. Built by Hille Engineering, this example adds another chapter to the story of compact recreational travel.
- 1974 GMC Motorhome. A later motorhome offers a useful comparison with the early housecars.
- 1985 Bounder prototype. Fleetwood founder John Crean’s prototype for the 1986–87 Bounder connects a development vehicle with the models that followed.
Look beyond the exterior
As you move through the collection, compare storage, seating, sleeping arrangements, and materials. Read the exhibit signage for the historical context of each vehicle, and ask museum staff about any display access restrictions.
Continue the story
The Hall of Fame introduces the people behind the industries, while the Scoular Manufactured Housing Museum explores the housing side of the campus story.
Browse RV Founders Hall information and plan your visit. Allow enough time to explore both museums and the Hall of Fame at a comfortable pace.