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This page features all the previous Homepage articles, photos,
and links.
Latest News
Click on any line to expand the print:
- May 1, 2001 ... myTravco.com launches
as the authority web site...
- for Travco owners. These motor homes of
yesteryear continue to establish the reputation of premium quality
recreation vehicles. Travco owners overwhelmingly decided to support
a site dedicated to their RV's. More than just a list of owners and Travco
pictures, this site distinguishes itself from the others by becoming the
ultimate resource of Travco information.
- May 16, 2001 ... myTravco.com wins the prestigious Golden
Web Award.
- August 21, 2001 ... myTravco.com changes web hosts to add
new features.
- November 13, 2001 ... myTravco.com adds a box load of
brochures...
- and memorabilia to the Classic Photos page courtesy of Steve
Polk. Numerous other
links have been added to the homepage to get you there faster! Just
find a topic on the homepage that interests you, such as The Motor Home
Chassis or Chassis Operators Manual, and click on the picture.
You'll be taken to a page that contains the entire brochure.
- January 22, 2002 ... myTravco.com interviews some of the
guys...
- that actually built these motor homes. Officers, salesmen, and
employees of the company give us their stories.
- February 8, 2002 ... myTravco.com adds the new Forums
page...
- to become the best forum site for Travco topics.
- February 21, 2002 ... myTravco.com adds 330 more images...
- of brochures and manuals thanks to Mike Arsenault.
- May 1, 2002 ... myTravco.com celebrates its 1st
anniversary!
- June 19-23 ... myTravco.com hosted our first TRAVSTOCK! in
Kansas City...
- Read all about it on the Travstock page. Look for
announcements of next year's Travstock.
- July 6, 2002 ...myTravco.com did it again...
- Bob
Stone contributed over a dozen manuals to the web site!
- July 23, 2002 ...myTravco.com is contacted by the New
York Times...
- needing "authoritative" information for an article
about Travco motor homes.
- October 30, 2002 ...myTravco.com tops 400 members and
50,000 visitors!
- January 5, 2003 ...myTravco.com adds dozens of Travco
body wiring...
- diagrams. Purely on a lark, I acquired a notebook of motor
home brochures. There was info about air conditioners, spot lights,
monomatic head, and a bunch of papers in the back. When I opened
them, eureka! It was a few dozen body wiring diagrams from Travco
Corp. These are available as PDF files to download.
- January 29, 2003 ...myTravco.com wins the prestigious
Golden Web...
- award for the second time.
- May 1, 2003 ... myTravco.com celebrates its 2nd
anniversary!
- June 18-22, 2003 ... myTravco.com hosted our second TRAVSTOCK!
...
- in Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky. Read all about it and see photos, slideshows, and movies on the Travstock page. Look for
announcements of next year's Travstock.
- September 26, 2003 ...myTravco.com is contacted by
none other than Playboy...
- while researching an article about the original Frank motor home.
- January 8, 2004 ... myTravco.com homepage slideshow
passes 100 photos.
- January 17, 2004 ... myTravco.com acquires new mapping
software to map...
- the location of all members. At almost 600, it is quite
impressive. This new mapping software plots our members
around the world.
- January 24, 2004 ... myTravco.com tops 100,000
visitors.
- January 30, 2004 ... myTravco.com publishes the first
edition of TravTalk...
- our bi-monthly newsletter in PDF format to view, download, and
print.
- March 25, 2004 ... myTravco.com adds another large
set of manuals and brochures...
- thanks to Mike Western and Lynn Carter.
- June 13-18, 2004 ... myTravco.com holds third
Travstock rally in...
- Santa Claus, Indiana. Twenty Travcos with 65 people
were in attendance. The location, activities, and people
were great.
- May 7, 2005 ... myTravco.com is the recipient of a
huge assortment of Travco official documents.
- December 11, 2005 ... myTravco.com tops 200,000
visitors.
- November 2007 ... myTravco.com
web site starts the make-over process.
- February 2008 ... myTravco.com is on the go!
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| Andre
van Hoek, A. van Hoek Working Ltd. |
Risky
Business
By Mark Mehler
and courtesy of Priority Publications
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| Man
of risk: Andre van Hoek, who owns a working business, follows his
creative heart by restoring vintage motor homes. (Photo by Andrew Kist). |
Business
is all about risk, but how much of a gambler should you be these days? We asked
experts and entrepreneurs for their take on rolling the dice—and
winning. One such entrepreneur is Andre van Hoek
After nearly two decades as an independent
building contractor, Andre van Hoek continues to wrestle with two conflicting
desires—to give formal structure to his working life and to constantly
challenge his restless intelligence with risky new endeavors. But it’s a
conflict he can live with.
The structured part—contracting for private
residential clients and institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum—is on
fairly solid ground, and van Hoek has acquired a four-story building to house
his four-man woodworking shop and showroom. This affords him the luxury of
taking financial risks on unconventional pet projects: restoring vintage motor
homes from the 1960s, for instance.
His recent fascination with motor homes fits with
van Hoek’s lifelong passion to study the ways in which human beings use space
and how the human–space relationship has informed American history in the past
century. “What intrigues me especially about the vintage motor homes is
learning how American industrial design in the mid-20th century reflected the
romance of the road and expressed a powerful trend in American popular
culture,” he says.
But van Hoek says this particular risk may pan
out in more ways than merely enlarging his knowledge. He’s in preliminary
talks with auto companies about funding his motor-home renovation work and
creating “mobile showrooms” that could serve as an educational tool for
students of engineering or American history. The renovated motor-home interiors
would double as marketing vehicles for van Hoek’s woodworking business.
“The potential—from a
business standpoint—is tremendous, especially in terms of networking with
prospective clients and getting great publicity,” he says. “But, for me,
there’s got to be more to it than that. Why can’t business be fun?”
Note: Andre
has been a friend over the years and he personally owns five Travcos.
Three
Women and an RV...
...a Travco goes to Alaska
myTravco.com recently received an article about 3 fine women taking
an exploration to Alaska. They needed a very dependable RV and in
comes the mighty Travco.
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Doug Brackman writes:
While traveling from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry, I stopped at the
terminal building at Swartz Bay (Victoria side). They have large
photo murals of various ferry terminals of yesteryear, with one titled
"Tsawwassen about 1965" depicting the lines of cars
waiting to board a ferry. A 27' TRAVCO was prominently at the
front of the queue!!!
Photo forwarded by J Carlisle & Kelly of Springdale,
Arkansas .
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Tsawwassen about 1965
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Just when you thought
myTravco.com had it all....
Recently, I heard from a
wonderful lady in California. She told me the story of how her
late husband worked for Travco Corp. She called to say
she still had a pile of Travco photos, drawings, brochures, and so on
from his years with the company. They needed a home and she
wanted to give them to myTravco.com. Well, it all
arrived yesterday. Wow! I'm in the process of scanning
all this stuff and it could take a little time. Along with the
Travco documents and brochures, I'd say there is well over a hundred
mechanical drawings of various Travco models! I also found an
original "Travco Motorcade Club" patch. More
later.
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| STILL
Looking
for Travco Motorcade
Newsletter... |
Thanks to those
who have sent their Motorcader copies. If anyone has
old copies of any of the original Travco Motorcade newsletters, please let me
know. I'd like to get a copy. You can even send to me and I'll scan
and return. Just
write the webmaster.
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Don't see your
Travco on this site? Want to?
myTravco.com is requesting that all owners send in their Travco
pictures. Our Roll Call is growing quickly, but we also need
pictures. Please make an effort to email or postal mail them this
week.
Email
webmaster for street address.
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Travstock 2004 was
awesome!
Click on the photo above to go to the Travstock page and watch the slideshow.
Motorhome Magazine features the Travco in their April 2004 edition.
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myTravco
acquires yet another huge set of manuals and brochures... |
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| Thanks to
Mike Western, we have now added another stack of brochures and manuals
dealing with hydraulic lift, the Atwood furnace, genset wiring, crankcase
ventilation system, the Onan Power Drawer, more frig models, loads more,
and even the Food Center blender. |
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Perfect
Circle
Cruise
Control
We are pleased to provide the
Perfect Circle Cruise Control Installation Instructions in PDF format to
download and print.
Click
here to view online or to download. |
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...Introducing the new Travco security system...
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Read
the article by 87 year old and Travco owner Lee Snow
 By
popular request! Our new newsletter is available
to view, download, or print. Just click on the title below.
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Be sure to look around in the
Garage section for a dozen new manuals and brochures. Thanks to
Lynn Carter for providing this new material. |
The Stone's 74 Travco 270 in Cody, Wyoming
Jukebox
Classic tunes from the Travco era...
Check
out this day in history
including music, people, events, and birthdays.
Gloria & Don Purser share their Travco's
history
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| The picture of the Jeffco
yellow coach is an original picture. It was carried in the unit
for years thumb tacked to a bulletin board. The second picture is this
same unit used by the Arvada Volunteer Fire Department. She's a 1969
Travco with 26000 miles and all original including tires.
The unit had been gutted to use as a commercial vehicle so I am recreating
the Travco interior. |
Marc Maguran & Caron
Jacobson head for the Florida Keys
We made it to the southern most point in the US.
Jabours Campground was friendly and clean and right in the middle of Key West
close to everything.
Joseph Halamek brings us up to date on his
Travco project: I have had this 1967 Travco 270
for about a year now, but have just brought her home to start restoring.
My name for the Travco Is "Grandpaw's Ark." I'm hoping to get started
and get things on the way to showing her off. This is a picture of her and what
brought her home. Can you believe?
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The Travel Channel/Discovery Network has announced the air time
for "RV Crazy." The show times are as follows:
Premieres - January 4, 2004 at 10 PM
and 1 AM
Repeating - January 8, 2004 at 10 PM and 1 AM
This show will feature very unusual motor homes,
trucks, vans, buses, or trailers that are real head-turners and make you say
"Oh my gosh!" when you see them. myTravco.com was
instrumental in acquiring information and photos for this show. Again, it
will appear on The Travel Channel. |
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Andy Parbs' "Deer Camp on Wheels"
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I shot the 10-point buck on the first day
of gun season 11-16-03, the temp was in the teens and no snow on the
ground that day. I was hunting in a life guard
stand that has walls and a roof. Its a nice setup. Its about 300 yards
from deer camp. I dropped the deer on the second shot with my Korean era
army 30-06 rifle. A rough guess of the weight is 160+ lbs. We hunt in
north central Wisconsin around Antigo. On 11-17-03 it rained all day and
changed to snow that night( 1")I didn't hunt that day. The next day
I shot a large doe. It was a good year. I was hunting with a group of
eight guys. The only other deer shot that weekend by my group was a
4-point Buck. I definitely had the most comfortable accommodations. My
Travco is the envy of the deer camp!
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Cliff and Carol Schrock share this picture of their Travco at Mr.
Rushmore.
"Got our 1974 Travco 2+2 two years ago after a lengthy search.
Original with only 57,000 miles, drove it to New York and back the first
year. Typical issues with wiring, fuses, shift cable, throttle cable,
but the old 413 engine is going strong." |
All four members of Spontaneous Combustion own a Travco.
Leo Eilts writes: "The Guppie did make the
trip to Winfield, Kansas for our [Spontaneous Combustion] annual appearance at the Walnut Valley
Festival. For the first time, all four Travcos were there, lined up left
to right, just the way we appear on stage. (That part was an accident.
We didn't notice it until about halfway through the week.) You'll see mine on the far right, then
Roger's, Scott's and finally Marvin's in the front."
Johnny
Cash's
"Hurt" video
We are all aware of Johnny Cash's recent passing. This
follows all the acclamations given to his last music video
"Hurt" which apparently chronicled his life. Included in
the video is a brief segment displaying Johnny's Travco motor
home. The scene is shown right. Based on the windows and
wheels, I'd guess this is a '73 unit. Makes you wonder who has it
now. |
|
 Check
out our Links page. Lots of new links have been added as expired web
sites were removed. |
| Plagued with a series of electrical problems from improper
voltage to appliances working sporadically, the search revealed a serious
cabling fault. Click to read more.
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The
Lindells return to Prizer Point
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The gig was great. We had about 20 boats fleeted-off
together who would toot their horns when we'd finish a song.
They stayed until the end & never left. Had about
70 people enjoying the music & roast pig. They even did
the "wave" when we'd play! It was way cool.
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We are back from our gig at PP. It was totally
awesome. Seriously. Greg put us in the site on
the point & everyone else was up where we were at Travstock.
There were no RV's down in the area where he put us - wonder if it had
anything to do w/the lighted palm tree? NOT.
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"Minihome"
The Travco Family Wagon
What is large enough to be livable, small enough to be maneuverable
and cheap enough to be practical?
Click here to view the entire article from
the March 1973 Popular Mechanics magazine. |
A Travco
on Mars?
Nope. Just the Lozinski
Travco parked among the boulders at Lee's Ferry, Arizona |
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Commercial Traveler
Update:
After requesting information on the Commercial
Traveler, we found a large assortment of pictures and articles.
See and read it by clicking
here. |
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Fall
1969 Travco Motorcader Magazine features "Lucy"
click on either
picture to view the entire magazine |
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Blueprints:
 
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Around the country_______________
Dan Simmons sends us this picture of his '70 270 with matching trailer
taken at Devil's Tower in Wyoming during July 2001. |
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__________________Stuck in Alaska
Joe Pospisil sends us this picture of his '69 270 Mahal during a trip to
Alaska. While visiting a museum in Homer, he forgot to put it in park
and it rolled away. Nothing wrong that a 60 dollar tow bill wouldn't fix
except for the red face. |
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Email Alert!! Wow, do we have some bad email addresses.
Unfortunately, many of you are missing out on myTravco emails because your last
known email address is defunct. Quite a few were this way, so as of
the last email, if your email address was returned as invalid, I zapped
it. Please take time to check yours on
the Roll Call page. Click on your name. An email will appear and if
that isn't your email address, please
send your new one.
If your name is not underlined, that means I don't have a valid email
address. Thanks.
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The
Travco Interviews...
Discussions with the guys that made our
Travcos.
OK,
look closer.....
It's the rear of a '67 Dodge Travco Commercial Traveler.
Ever heard of one? Can I get a volunteer to do a little home-
work? Write and let me
know if you are interested.
(the ladder was added) |
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| Recently, a Wanderlodge
dealership placed an ad in FMC Magazine depicting a classic Travco
overlaid with a new Wanderlodge. The ad implied "Fortunately,
some things do change." Many of us have participated in lambasting
this dealership for defaming the mighty Travco to boost their
product. Click
here to read our responses. |
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myTravco is now proud to share some pages from
Court Nederveld's original Travco site. Court is a fan of this site and
still a fellow Travconian. Although his site ended about two years before
myTravco started, the info is still very useful and informative. Court
sent the pages with his permission to use them. Just click to view Your
Travcos, Want to Know, Resources,
and How
Do I.
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The Travel Channel/Discovery Network is producing a show called
"RV Crazy" and has asked myTravco for help. The Travel
Channel/Discovery Network is searching for very unusual motor
homes,
trucks, vans, buses, or trailers that are real head-turners and make you say
"Oh my gosh!" when you see them. If you know the owners of any such
vehicles, please email Ansley at ansley@mikemathisprods.com. |
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RVing
Women magazine published this article in their January/February
2003 edition. The article is by and about member Lee Snow.
She's an 86 year young RV enthusiast who travels the country in
"The Babe" - her Travco motor home! Click the title
below to read this uplifting story.
Happiness
Is Tooling Down The Road
Special thanks to Adrienne Kristine for enlightening us
to this article and gaining permission for myTravco to use it. |
Tsawwassen about 1965
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Doug Brackman writes:
While traveling from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry, I stopped at the
terminal building at Swartz Bay (Victoria side). They have large
photo murals of various ferry terminals of yesteryear, with one titled
"Tsawwassen about 1965" depicting the lines of cars
waiting to board a ferry. A 27' TRAVCO was prominently at the
front of the queue!!!
Photo forwarded by J Carlisle & Kelly of Springdale,
Arkansas .
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 Tin
Can Tourists, one of the first motor home and travel trailer clubs in
the world, has been revived and is thriving today. Read more about
this group of truly classic RV's of yesteryear.
Click
here to view. |
myTravco.com makes constant web site additions including features that are
not compatible with older browsers. Netscape 4, which was released four
years ago, and officially discontinued by Netscape, Inc. in 2001, may not work
properly. Netscape users may need to upgrade your copy of Netscape
Navigator or Communicator to the current version, which is Netscape
7. Click here to upgrade Windows
or Mac.
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Need a part? myTravco.com can find it! Just
email the webmaster and I'll look up the original part number in this
parts manual that covers almost every model ever made.
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And if that isn't enough, now we have the supersedure
listing, showing new part numbers that replaced the original part numbers!
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Nuclear
Guppy
Moby Dick
& Minnow
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| Roger, Scott and I got together
back in October to winterize our Travcos. We met at Scotty's place and
helped each other with the various tasks. We took the kids, bought pizza,
rode Scott's horses and even fished for a while in the pond on his farm,
basically made a day of it. While we were there, we took a few photos of
the Nuclear Guppy (green stripe), Moby Dick (festive coral stripe) and the
Minnow (blue stripe). |
A Blue Grass Group and their Travcos go on the road... and
meet another Travco!
(Click on Picture)
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Death
Valley
Daze
Auto magazines love to compare vehicles to
determine which one is best. Read along as we compare a number of
1960's rugged vehicles to the Dodge Travco van! She may look different
outside, the the inside will be very familiar. Just
click the pic. |
Popular
Science
When the Travco was first introduced,
Popular Science took it out for a test drive. Come find out what
they liked and disliked about these revolutionary motor homes. Just
click the pic. |
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That Dodge Chassis!
Was
your Travco custom made?
Complete Sales Brochure (click to enlarge)
 
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<<<---
Check out these older Onan Generators from the late 60's. This
catalog lists about every model they made so yours should be in here.
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And coming soon...
The most complete manual for the Dodge Motor Home.
--->>> |
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Travco Corporation's
"CUSTOM 2000" Motor Home!
We found out what model Travco a few of our members have.
Not feeling "at home" at myTravco.com since their Travcos looked
nothing like most on this site, we set out to find out if and what kind of
Travco this is. With the help of some of our former Travco employees, we
determined that this is the Custom 2000. It was a line manufactured by
Travco Corporation during the early 70's. There's an interesting story why
Travco set out to make a completely different looking motor home. Read
here to find out more.
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Talk
about going anywhere.....
