The history of the motorhome can be traced back to the early 1900’s where, in 1910, a motor company called Pierce-Arrow created and introduced to the world the Touring Landau. This was officially unveiled at the auto show held in Madison Square Gardens.
The Touring Landau was unlike anything that had previously been seen before – and it was created with the camper in mind. Containing luggage and cargo compartments, a designated place for camping equipment and a toilet on board, the motorhome was the vision of luxury. Don’t forget, most toilets those days were found in outhouses in the gardens!
Come the 1920’s, building managers and manufacturers were beginning to convert 2nd hand panel trucks and buses to be used as camping vehicles. Local designers got on board and started adding their input, basing these motorhomes on the interiors found in buses, airplanes and boats.
However, during World War Two, the production of such vehicles was halted and was not resumed until the 1950’s.
Where did the name come from?
Motorhomes was the name coined for these vehicles in the 50’s by Raymond Frank who actually went on to design and create his first motorhome so that he could take his family on holiday to the mid-west of America. Mounted on top of a Dodge chassis, the 27-foot long motorhome soon caught the eye of other holiday makers who quickly asked Frank whether he would create and build one for them.
By the early 1960’s Raymond Frank has sold 7 motorhomes and decided to open a business. Frank Motor Homes, Inc. was opened and was a huge hit, especially with those who didn’t want to go down the trailer route for their holidays!
As happens in business, other manufacturers quickly cottoned onto the motorhome and the fact that there was an interested market available and in 1966, the Winnebago was launched – still to this date one of the world’s most recognisable names when it comes to motorhome travel.
Motorhomes now
Since the birth of the motorhome and the subsequent boom featuring the Winnebago, motorhomes are often found around the world and are a popular way of travelling around a country and seeing new things. In fact, just last year, in America, over 43,000 motorhomes were sold.
