History of the Travel Trailer

At Pikes Peak Traveland, we have served the greater Colorado Springs area since 1982 and have seen trends in the RV industry come and go.  It got us thinking about the history of travel trailers and the evolution of the “home on wheels” over the last hundred years.  

The travel trailer has its origins from the caravans of the Romani people, known as Gypsies that spent most of their lives traveling around Europe in horse drawn caravans.  In 1880 the first leisure trailer was built by the Bristol Carriage Company and was 18 feet long.  It was bought by a famous author of teenage fiction, Dr. William Gordon Stables, who traveled throughout England in it and later wrote a book detailing his travels. 

In America as cars became more affordable and more roads were built during the 1920’s, travel trailers were introduced to the public and their owners become known as ‘tin can tourists'.  The popularity of travel trailers continued to increase as they became better designed and more livable (now called house trailers) and partly due to the development of the National Parks system.  People now had a new destination to take their travel trailers.

For those interested in the history of the RV industry, you may want to consider a trip to The RV/MH Heritage Foundation’s RVs Founders Hall in Elkhart Indiana.  The Hall is open to the public and displays trailers, photos, and memorabilia dating back to the 1920's and 30's.  The museum takes you through the chronological and technological advancements of the industry from before WW I to the present day.

The RV/MH Heritage Foundation also maintains a library that archives thousands of volumes of periodicals, records, and photos of the history of the RV/MH industry.  It is the only library that is dedicated entirely to the recreational vehicle and manufactured housing industries.

Sources:  rvmhhalloffame.org/museuminv.cfm, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_trailer

Pikes Peak Traveland has been one of the top Colorado Springs RV dealers since 1982 and a partner in the national Route 66 RV Network. Whether you are in the market for a new or used RV, want to consign one, or need parts or service, we can help.  We only sell the top names in RVs and offer some of the best prices around.  Please come out and take a look at our extensive inventory of quality RVs for sale.