There's a '70s or '80s Coachmen for sale that I drive past every weekday twice on my way to and from work. One of my recurring fantasies is that I win the lottery, buy it, and my single gal pals and I pack up and hit the road in it for some ol' American sightseeing.
I don't know too much about RVs and caravans or how they differ by manufacturer but I do know this: if it's in great shape, I'd prefer to take the wheel of a vintage model. I recently looked up what modern RVs look like and in my opinion, they seem rather overdone both inside and out (not to mention pricey: a new Winnebago Adventurer will set you back about $200,000.) A lot of them look indistinguishable from coach buses, and the interiors have become a little too luxurious looking for my taste. Nope, give me a RV with an orange and brown and faux wood paneling inside any day like the one below...
I would, however, make an exception for a 2017 Airstream trailer. That company has done a nice job keeping their trademark silver trailer designs classic, while keeping the decor contemporary but still kind of retro (lots of wood available, but in a darker tone which looks nice.)
From what I understand, the very first RV was made by the Pierce Arrow Motor Company and introduced to the pubic in 1910. The Touring Landau as it was called had many "modern" luxuries such as a kitchen basket, privy, storage boxes, and a phone that allowed passengers to communicate with their driver (it was considered a chauffeur operated vehicle for the wealthy during that time.)
If you're lucky enough to own a vintage land yacht or RV more power to you. The rest of us will just have to fantasize about the glamour of RV traveling with this collection of brochure photos and advertisements I've dug up.
I think the GMC motorhome is my favorite design of all of the vintage RVs I've seen -- nice proportion of windows and love the sunny yellow color...although the Dodge one below is pretty cool looking, too.
I think Kermit got it wrong: it's easy being green.
OK, I cheated: this is a van. But it's a conversation pit. In. A. Van!
And...that's one way to sell a Winnebago. Look at the suggested retail price! Today they want ten times as much.
A cozy, romantic dinner for two. I told you RVs had sex appeal!
Are they admiring the shag carpeting?
A fondue pot in a motorhome -- now we're talking!
Here's a neat promotional video for the GMC Motorhome -- the suspension rocks! It definitely looks like it had some desirable features for its time. No bluetooth...no mobile phone charger...no problem.
There's a lot more ads and photos where these came from, but this should satisfy for now -- perhaps I'll do a part two post at some point.
