Historical RV Articles

In the 1890s the motor car was the latest advance in a century of remarkable transportation developments; an opportunity for established engineering businesses, entrepreneurs and every backyard inventor. By the mid-nineties there were hundreds of car makers...

In the 1890s Léon Turcat and his brother-in-law Simon Méry were among the many pioneers who helped France to forge its way to first place in the infant world of the automobile. They began work on their first car in 1896 and soon proved that they would not be...

The George N. Pierce Co. of Buffalo, New York made bicycles in the 1850s, produced its first car in 1901 and was renamed Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. in 1910. English-born David Furguson, who remained with the company until 1921, designed the first light cars...

Almost throughout automotive history there have been individuals and companies seeking to make their mark - and their fortunes - with a car which was simple, cheap to buy and economical to run. The quest for these objectives has often led to unorthodox solutions...

Henry's wonderful Model-T was the maid-of-all-work of the automotive world. During its 19 years in production the 'T' came with a variety of factory and proprietary types of passenger body, whilst the 'T' chassis and the long wheelbase 'TT' version catered for all...

Grégoire et Cie of Poissy, Seine-et-Oise, was founded in 1904 and within a few years Grégoire cars had taken part in events such as the Circuit des Ardennes, the Tour de France and the Coupe des Voiturettes. The 1912 Rallye de Sainte-Sébastien, however, was not a speed...

The Eccles story begins in 1913, when W A J Riley built himself a motor caravan on a 1909 Talbot. In 1919 Riley and his son Bill put the Talbot outfit and a rather crudely built trailer caravan on show at a London garage close to the 1919 Motor Show. A positive response to...

Our 'Pioneer' series has featured many an outfit on the famous Ford Model-T but few of them would have won prizes for their looks. In contrast to the early creations for the wealthy, motorhomes based on the 'T' tended to be built to a price, like the Tin Lizzie itself...

In 1921 the first overland Travellers' Park' was opened in Denver, Colorado and as motor campers of all kinds poured into the new facility it became something of an informal exhibition for motorhomes. This outfit, grand for its time, was a star attraction and had been constructed...

The fifth-wheeler floats between the world of the trailer caravan and that of the motorhome, not quite fitting into either. Whichever side of the divide you choose to classify this unusual outfit, however, it certainly deserves its place in the broader history of caravans.

Norman Wilkinson-Cox was the proprietor of Service Garage in Ravenscourt Park, West London. Like many of the pioneer caravan constructors he started out by building an outfit for his own use. The idea of a self-propelled house-on-wheels for free and easy touring, faster too...

In 1927 Leonard S. Whittier, of Elmira, New York, had a custom built recreation vehicle, long before it became part of the American way of life. The traveling home was christened "Flordellen" using the name of his wife, Florence, son David Lane and his own. Although none of...

The slide-out extension has become a popular feature with American RV manufacturers in recent years but the idea is by no means new. Sixty and even seventy years ago British caravan constructors were making models with slide-outs to extend sleeping space or create toilet or...

Peter Crerar's Coachworks at Crieff in Perthshire created this luxurious motorhome on a 1933 special long wheelbase passenger version of the Bedford WLG. Upstairs there was accommodation for six in bedrooms furnished with spring mattresses and the dormitory area also boasted...

Is it a motorhome? Is it just a car and trailer caravan? Well, although it comprises a motive unit and a living unit, this outfit was conceived and developed as a whole. The objective was to achieve the ultimate in streamlining or, as we’d say today, it was all about drag...

Is it a motorhome? Is it just a car and trailer caravan? Well, although it comprises a motive unit and a living unit, this outfit was conceived and developed as a whole. The objective was to achieve the ultimate in streamlining or, as we’d say today, it was all about drag...

This bus was built in 1940 by the legendary Howard Hughes. It is one of 8 he built when he was with RKO Studios. They served as his mobile dressing rooms for location filming.

In 1866, Father Antoine Belcourt, parish priest at South Rustico, Prince Edward Island, purchased a steam powered automobile from the United States. The automobile was delivered by...

Rocinante is the truck author John Steinbeck drove across the United States in 1960. He recounts the journey in Travels with Charley, a bestseller that initially sold more volumes than...