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In the U.S.A., how has travel trailer construction changed over the years from, say, the 1930's up to today?
Also; there's one particular type of construction method I'm interested in learning more about (what it's made of, how it was built, etc.), and that's the "canned ham" style travel trailer. I think these were a common style during the 1950's and 1960's.
Also; I think most travel trailers construction seemed to change significantly in the 1970's. Both the style and materials used seemed to have changed a LOT during these years. I'm not entirely sure what materials and construction method they morphed from and to, as I've never owned a travel trailer before.
Any insight you might provide would be appreciated.
Virtually all sit on a steel chassis. Most early trailers had wooden framework for the body, similar to the way houses are constructed. They were sheathed with wood and covered with canvas which was then painted. Later aluminum sheathing came along and wood paneling was used on the interior. Not all were the same at any given time. Airstream and others used airplane type construction of aluminum starting in the 1930s. As fiberglass boats became popular fiberglass trailers came along. They have the advantage of fewer seams making them less prone to leaking.
Vintage travel trailer blue book of values? That's a new one on me. I wouldn't mind finding a CURRENT blue book on travel trailer values. Especially in print form...
Vintage travel trailer blue book of values? That's a new one on me. I wouldn't mind finding a CURRENT blue book on travel trailer values. Especially in print form...
Doesn't exist in book form, but isn;t this what you are looking for?
The problem is, like car value guides, there is always a local variable in RV prices, sometimes it is significant. Plus most RV mfrs have an east coast vs west coast edition, with some variability in price just based on where the RV was made and what trim it was available in.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slowpoke_TX
Airstreams seem to hold their value quite well.
Yes, and the new ones are the most expensive. We enjoy watching the Flyte Camp folks on Tv, in repeats on the GAC network, and new shows on the internet. They do amazing restorations out of their shop in Bend, Oregon. Back in the late 1960s as a teen I helped restore the inside of a 1950 Airstream Cruiser, mostly woodwork inside, for people that were going to put it on their land in Bodega Bay, CA. We currently have a 2017 Springdale by Keystone, decided we couldn’t take the time to restore, we wanted to get camping right away.
You can probably find vintage copies on eBay or paperbackbookswap. (Where I get most of my 'out-of-print' books)
Certainly there are copies at estate sales (Mine will have a little of everything)
I know this is old, but to add a note on RV pricing.
It can be extremely difficult to accurately price an RV using NADA.
As someone else said, there are East Coast and West Coast editions which have different features that command different prices. Also, some RVs will come with upgrades that may not be a part of the base package.
The proper way to price one is to get the data sheet on the RV itself. Then look at what are considered "standard" features. If it is listed as an option and the RV has it, you need to check the box to add the cost. But if something like an electric awning is a standard option you can't check the box on NADA because it already factored in that cost. You would be double dipping.
Good example is ours:
The 2017 Keystone Hideout was offered with 30 amp service and one 13.5K BTU A/C as standard equipment. It also offered the normal two seated dinette, no ladder rack, and no spare tire carrier.
My 2017 Keystone Hideout came with a 50 amp upgrade, a 15k BTU A/C in the living room, with a 13.5K BTU A/C in the bedroom. It also came with a wraparound dinette, a rear ladder, and a rear spare tire carrier, none of which were included in the standard packages. It cost about $5k more than the standard Hideout. You really have to do some research.
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(Mine will have a little of everything)
