Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Day 102: The RV Hall of Fame and Museum!

After a great visit with Bill and Joan, we headed back into Indiana to see something that my cousin Tracy and her husband Bobby suggested...

The RV Hall of Fame and Museum!

The museum is near Elkhart, Indiana, which is where 90% of all RV's are manufactured so they  had a couple of new units on display including this behemoth.  It was beautiful inside but I can't imagine driving it!  Remember that song when you rode the school bus as a kid?

"Hail to the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver
Hail to the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver man.
He drinks and he cusses and wrecks all the buses,
Hail to the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver man!"

I had that running thru my head.

This little gem was worth the price of admission all by itself!
This is a 1 of 1, prototype 1958 Airstream called
"Der Klein Prinz" (The Little Prince).
It's only 10 feet long!

It features a kitchen and even a tiny bathroom!  This "gaucho" pulls out and rearranges into the only bed.  It was built to potentially be marketed in Europe but the idea was scrapped.

OK, the only way to describe this is that it's a swiss army knife of campmobiles.
You remove the rear section of your Model T and attach this...

...and you're camping!  The back slides out and then storage bins and drawers slide out the sides providing space for the bed.

This is how compact it is closed!
The unit cost $100 back when it was new in 1916.

Cute little two-tone Shasta.  I hear they're making these again!

1957 Serro Scotty 12'
The rear door is unusual and at first glance it doesn't look like it's possible to stand inside...

...but there's a recessed area so you can stand in the kitchen!

1957 Serro Scotty 10' Teardrop
I love teardrops!  I actually considered these as an option when we started searching for our trip vehicle because they're so light that they can be towed with a regular car.  The drawback is that you can't stand inside and the kitchen is on the back.  It's certainly a step up from a tent but we went another direction.

This is like the Holy Grail of travel trailers, a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief.  This evolved into the Airstream.  Hard to tell what you're looking at in this photo but the entry door is at the front over the trailer tongue.

The back is really cool!

The interior is similar to a yacht!

Whoa, you won't see this anywhere else!  It's called the Star Streak II.
It was built in 1988 using a 1976 Cadillac and a 1976 Olds Toronado.  It's front wheel drive and fits in a standard garage!  Only 2 ever made.

The floor is recessed since it's front wheel drive, so standing is no problem.
Very cool!  How do you top that?

With this!
1937 Hunt Housecar, called "the Star" because of its star hood ornament, was built by movie producer, Roy Hunt.

Supposedly, there's one other called "the Turtle" with a turtle hood ornament out in California.

The aerodynamics are awesome!

You could drive and prepare lunch simultaneously!
Do you really need a passenger seat?

Couch and dinette transform into a bed...

...and there's even a little wet-bath like a boat!
Note, that the toilet is on a hinged door that stores it out of the way so you can use the shower!

This is only about a third of what's on display.  If you're into RV's and motorhomes, this is definitely a must-see next time you're in Indiana!

Next: Amish country

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