Once nomadic for the purpose of survival, humans transitioned over time from traveling to survive to traveling to thrive. Throughout the centuries, travel was made possible through a variety of means across land, air, and sea. Although comfort may have been a preference, early travel focused on affordability and duration. In the early 1900’s, travel transitioned from a necessity to a luxury when inventors, engineers, and laymen dreamt of and developed land vehicles that offered the comfort of home on wheels. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the recreational vehicle and all that it offers seemingly became a worldwide endeavor. Unlike most inventions that can be attributed to a single individual or a collaboration between like minded individuals, the recreational vehicle was born of the ideas and efforts of many individuals over the years.

One such individual, who is often considered to be one of the first pioneers, was Glenn H. Curtiss. After spending nearly thirteen years designing and developing transportation vehicles in the aviation industry, Curtiss relocated his family to Florida in the 1920’s. It is said that after having built his family home in Miami Springs, Curtiss used his talents to contribute to the building of an airport, a hotel, and the development of the cities of Miami Springs, Hialeah, and Opa-Locka (Who was Glenn Curtis?, 2021). Always in search of his next endeavor, Glenn joined his half-brother’s firm – the Adams Trailer Corporation. Between 1920 and the early 1930’s, the two brothers began rolling out products under the name Motor Bungalow. The products included the 5th wheel trailer hitch, early prototypes of a pullman style camper, and collapsible camping trailers and solid wall travel trailers (Woodmansey, 2022).

 Other sources attribute the invention of the recreational vehicle or motorhome to Roland Conklin. It is reported that in 1915, Conklin and his family left New York destined for California in a “Gypsy Van” custom built by Roland’s own company – the Gas-Electric Motor Bus Company (Young, 2018). Often referred to as a “summer cottage on wheels”, the gypsy van was 25 feet in length, 7 ½ feet wide, and 13 feet tall. Equipped with a generator, fresh water tanks, a shower folding bunks, and a kitchen with electric cooking range (Hinckley, 2020), it isn’t difficult to understand why the gypsy van is often referred to as the first true recreational vehicle.

Although Curtiss and Conklin are often the names that spring to mind when reflecting on the history of the recreational vehicles, others still contributed to the progression of leisurely, comfortable travel in America including George N. Pierce. Between 1904 and 1910, Pierce modified the status symbol Pierce Arrow limousine into a camper van named the Pierce-Arrow Touring Landau (Martin, 2021).  Moving from the early 1900’s through the 30’s, 40’s and even today, inventors and designers continued to make improvements on the early concepts of recreational vehicles making travel more affordable and comfortable for individuals seeking exploration and adventure. 

If you are one of the adventurers looking to explore the great outdoors, why not make your own RV history this summer at Hickory Point RV Park? Call us today at (727) 937-7357 to learn about our summer rate specials and book a reservation.

Pierce Arrow Class B Camper

Hinckley, J. (2020, December 6). Roland Conklin’s amazing land yacht. Motoringnz. https://www.motoringnz.com/car-reviews-and-views-motoringnz/2020/11/29/roland-conklins-amazing-land-yacht 

Martin, T. (2021, October 19). The first production RV was built over 100 years ago. MotorBiscuit. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/first-production-rv-100-years-ago/ 

Who was Glenn Curtiss?. Glenn Curtiss Aviation Museum. (2021, September 29). Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/education/who-was-glenn-curtiss/ 

Woodmansey, A. (2022, January 6). The RVs of Glenn H. Curtiss. RVHistory.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://www.rvhistory.com/post/the-rvs-of-glenn-h-curtiss

Young, T. (2018, September 4). A Brief History of the RV. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/brief-history-rv-180970195/#:~:text=On%20August%2021%2C%201915%2C%20the,a%20maximum%20of%20comfort%20while