Elkhart Beckons

I know that no one is in the least interested how a motor home is built so I'm not going to show much of the 6 factory tours we took over the week. I found them fascinating but Grammie was bored to tears after the first couple of tours. But, like the trooper she is, she hung in there and humoured me. At this spot in the assembly, they are putting in the furniture and doing the wiring.

Here is the next spot on the assembly line where they have added the slide outs. Under the tires are air pads which get inflated and allow it to float so 2 men can push the RV to the next station. It is interesting to watch the RV go from a bare frame and engine to the finished unit ready for the road. OK, enough about factories, lets check out the RV museum.

The RV museum is about 5 years old and is housed in a huge building that offers convention facilities and meeting rooms. RVs from the 1900's to now are displayed along a simulated highway. They are set up to look as if someone is camping in each one.

A lot of the displays have an interesting history. This coach was used by Mae West whenever she traveled to places that she was making a movie. It had a kitchen where her meals were made, a bed to sleep on and a rocking chair on the back veranda where she rocked and studied her scripts.

Some of the RVs were very ornate depending on how wealthy the owner was. This one had a wrought iron back sitting room as well as mahogany interior with dining services and smoking chairs.

Some were not quite so elaborate. This one was hand built so a mans daughter could use it as a doll house.

The early RV's had a lot of the same amenities that we do, just not quite as modern. Note the bath tub in the wooden chest and the toilet pot in its own closet. This was probably very modern at the time considering a lot of homes still had outhouses.

 This is a trailer which was bought in 1948 by a man who traveled all over the country working in different places. He and his wife lived in here for 40 years without making any changes to it. Original flooring, cupboards, stove and furniture. It has no toilet, no tub or shower, gravity cold water from a tank in the ceiling, a Coleman stove and an icebox. It is one of the few exhibits that hasn't been refurbished; it is exactly the way it was when they moved out. 

This was one of the original motorized RV's. It lacked most of the amenities we take for granted and the beds hung from the ceiling by leather straps. But, it was self contained and a lot smaller than units we have now.
There were dozens of other units but I'm sure boredom is setting in. Maybe you have to be an RVer to appreciate this museum.