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Frank Motor Homes |
Travco |
Foretravel |
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BIRTH OF THE MOTOR HOME
The current motor home craze stems from our fascination with huge rolling palaces cruising down major highways. Some pull "toads" (tow vehicles) for local transportation once the behemoth decides to park and enjoy. We all wish we had that luxury. But price precludes most of us and we find another way. That attitude of "find another way" is the very root of motor homing.
It all began with "the cycling craze of the 1880s
and 1890s, when people discovered the novelty and thrill of controlling their
transportation and seeing the countryside without depending on the fixed routes
or staccato rhythms of passenger trains and trolleys," as Roger B. White writes in Home
on the Road.
The advent of automobiles to the working class was followed by their eagerness to explore the wilderness. Trips to rural areas and open spaces gained in popularity, as did the need to transport some of the necessities of home.
The motor home is as much a mutation as it was an invention. It was created in 1910, by common motorists, not large companies. But the 9 million registered drivers in America drove cars. The novelty of a motor home came second to their concerns over badly deteriorated roads. The family RV was years away.
The wealthy, then as today, had customized house-cars built for them. Some of these house-cars, like Roland and Mary Conklin’s 1915 Gypsy Van, had a homelike interior modeled after English manor houses. In the mid-1920s, Will Keith Kellogg, of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes fame, had a bus-like house car designed for him that resembled a private railroad car.
Over the
next ten years, if you and your family were traveling long distance by car,
where would you stay?
There were no motels. Hotels were near the city. In the remote
countryside, you were on your own. People learned to take whatever they
needed with them and set up camp wherever they wanted. This craze became
known as autocamping. By carrying their own equipment, autocampers avoided
hotels and crowds. They parked by the side of the road and set up camp
wherever and whenever. No space seemed too remote or too difficult, as
long as there was space to pull off the road, pitch a tent, and build a
fire.
In the first two decades of the 20th century, autocamping was often hazardous, and its enthusiasts were intrepid adventurers. In the early 1910s, most roads were primitive, especially in the West. Motorists often found themselves "fording streams much the way travelers did with horses and wagons." Autocamping enthusiasm grew during the 1920s, when federal and state governments sponsored numerous improvements in highway grading, alignment, surfacing, bridges, and signage.
In the 1920s, motorists adapted their own vehicles and made house-cars for the fun of it, expanding the enormous popularity of autocamping. Many of these forerunners were mechanics, auto factory workers, or ran body shops, or campgrounds. During the Great Depression, roadside camping became adversely associated with Hoovervilles— shelters erected by the homeless and itinerant—and autocamping diminished.
A trailer industry emerged in the 1930s, and revived in
the late 1940s through the 1950s, when recreation vehicles with the tight
handling and responsiveness of the family car emerged. In the 50's and 60's, a
new emerging trend was to convert work vehicles into leisure vehicles. Truck,
vans, and buses were modified for recreational purposes.
In 1961, nationwide sales of house-cars began when a small manufacturer of house-car bodies in Michigan linked up with the Dodge Division of Chrysler Corp. to manufacture the Frank Motor Home. Ray Frank, a farmer and engineer, had a strong automotive and aviation background. Frank created his own house car in 1958, and toured the country. They called their creation a "motor home" - a name that would stick. Enthusiasm and demand for the Frank motor home grew quickly and Ray Frank seized the opportunity. The wood and aluminum motor home came in 20', 23' and 26' lengths and were priced at $6,500, $6,900, and $7,300 respectively. The Frank's choice of a Dodge chassis for their motor home created a fortuitous relationship.
Dodge's involvement with design, financing, and representation grew, and in 1962, the product was renamed "The Dodge motor home." Late in 1962, the Franks built a new prototype with a steel frame and a molded fiberglass body. Huge molds were created for the two halves of the motor home body which were seamed down the middle. The wheel housing, engine cover, kitchen sink, and instrument panel were also created from molds. This new streamlined shape and streamlined body looked more like the family car, and was welcomed into the driveway.
Roger White continues, "Because of Dodge's national, consumer-oriented marketing network and the superior styling, handling, and comfort of the Frank body, the Dodge motor home captured the public's attention in ways that no other large, self propelled camper had done before."
The Franks sold their venture in 1965. New owners renamed the company to TRAVCO! And we begin...
FRANK MOTOR HOMES
In 1953, Ray Frank started a brand new industry when he built an all-weather travel vehicle for his family and he called it a "motor home." Responding to the great interest created by this first vehicle, Frank began manufacturing motor homes in a barn near Brown City, Michigan. Both the supply and demand of these motor homes grew tremendously with time. Mr. Frank's motor home sat on a Dodge truck chassis.
His alliance with Chrysler Corp.
(maker of the Dodge truck chassis) continued and grew, and eventually his coach became known as the "Dodge
Motor Home". Because of this early development, Chrysler Corp. became and
remained a dominant force in the production of recreational vehicle chassis for
many years. Frank worked directly with Chrysler to redesign a truck
chassis into the first motor home chassis.
In the early 1960's, Ray Frank began the development of fiberglass body motor homes. These huge 27' fiberglass body molds revolutionized the RV industry! Today, fiberglass is the most vital composite in this industry. Ray Frank's vision nearly 40 years ago had a dramatic impact on the RV industry as we know it today. Unfortunately, Frank's expenses in the fiberglass body development exhausted his resources and left Frank Motor Homes financially strapped.
As a result, Chrysler helped Frank find financial support through a company
buy-out. In 1963, Mr. Frank's company was sold to
two Detroit businessmen, Peter Fink and Ken Robertson. It
was renamed to Travco in 1965 to avoid conflicts with other coach makers, as
Dodge would later, in 1968, introduce two more chassis dedicated to the motor
home market.
By 1967, after the original Frank Motor Home Corporation became Travco Division of PRF Industries,
Frank started a new company and developed a new idea in motor home design. Frank developed a smaller, more compact motor home that would be easier to drive, park, and buy. It was called the "Xplorer 21," the first aerodynamically styled, fully self-contained motor home that would fit in the standard seven-foot garage. It caught the Industry's imagination, made it think small, and established Xplorer as an innovative industry leader.
Ray Frank retired to warmer climates in the late 1970's and his family took up the operation of his company. In late 1995, the company was sold to Joe Murray and Dave Bockstanz. Joe spent all of his working life in the motor home industry, including 11 years with Travco Corporation and 12 years as Xplorer's National Sales Manager. Dave spent many years in the commercial furniture business, and since the early 1990's, owns and operates a full-time Chrysler and RV dealership. They are both committed to the continued production of unique, high quality motor homes in the Xplorer tradition. The all new Xplorer "Xcursion", a 25' molded fiberglass Class "C" product, produced on a Dodge chassis/cab, is evidence of their commitment.
TRAVCO
Meanwhile, Travco took off as a leader in
innovative motor home design. Travco
motor homes incorporated ideas that would outlast a model or year or
manufacturer. Some of these conceptual lessons would continue on, long
after the Travco company, into motor homes of the future. It has been nominated
by MotorHome magazine as being one of the greatest coaches ever.
Dodge’s
‘Lifetime Body’ in addition to a lightweight, unitized fiberglass body, the
Dodge/Travco obviously had a lot going for it, including a classic streamlined
design and the solid backing of Chrysler Corporation. In fact, it may have
played some role in the demise of the Ultra Van.
Built
on a rugged truck chassis, the 26-foot Dodge offered roomy interiors and floor plan
options accommodating a family of eight.
Actually
built by Frank Motor Homes, Brown City, Michigan, it had a built-in national
sales network of Dodge dealers. And Chrysler, with its deep pockets, created a
veritable media blitz for the 1963 rollout of the then-Dodge motor home. Besides
an attractive price of just under $11,000 for a motor home that was nearly fully
equipped, the Dodge offered unique features, such as a sewage incinerator system
that almost eliminated the need to empty waste holding tanks.
It
was powered by a 318-cid, 200-hp V-8 and had a three-speed push-button automatic
transmission, power steering and brakes.
Livability
features included an electric driver’s seat, a bath with separate shower and
roomy pull-down bunks. Press releases promoted the Dodge’s aerodynamics,
passenger-car comforts and “lifetime” fiberglass body, “which cannot rust
or corrode and never needs painting.” Corporate literature also claimed a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds for the 137-inch wheelbase,
B300 1-ton chassis (later extended to 173 inches and designated the B375) and a
7,980-pound dry weight.
Likable
as it was, of course, the Dodge wasn’t perfect, either. Current owners say it
actually weighed more than its stated GVWR, with some fully loaded coaches
tipping the scales at more than 13,000 pounds. Because it lacked anti- sway
bars, there were problems with body roll and cross-winds. Tire changing was
difficult due to the low-slung body. Weight put a real strain on the 318 engine,
requiring first-gear on most grades. Still, the Dodge was actually No. 1 in
motor home sales for a time, creating a clamor for Dodge chassis among other
coach builders.
During the 60's and early 70's, Travco ruled the motor home industry. Frank's fiberglass body, the Dodge chassis, and consistent quality production shielded Travco from any notable competition. So well built was the Travco motor home that it became known as "the tank" inside the company. It was absolutely the most rugged, durable, quality-produced motor home that could be made.
In 1971, the Travco Corporation company won a tax ruling that would benefit the motor home industry for all future manufacturers. Essentially, that Dodge truck frame was a commercial size and was "usually" subsequently taxed for its commercial use. Using that same type truck chassis on an RV was the first occurrence of the truck chassis on a family vehicle. Since the truck chassis on the Travco RV was not used for commercial business, the vehicle should not be taxed as a commercial vehicle. The tax ruling, handed down by the IRS, confirmed those beliefs. In summary, sales by the manufacturer of truck chassis produced from heavy-duty truck-type components but designed and constructed specifically to accommodate and transport nontaxable self-propelled mobile home bodies are not subject to the manufacturers tax." Read the entire ruling.
From 1973 to 1976, Travco Corporation produced motor home interiors for GMC motor homes. But again, the venture was not as profitable as had been hoped. Counting on the 270 model to carry the company, other versions such as the 210 and 320 were not as popular. Travco fell behind in developing newer innovations and failed to keep up with an host of competitors. With the introduction of a number of motor home manufacturers during the 70's, such as Winnebago, Coachmen, and Champion, Travco lost its grip on their once dominated motor home market. When the federal government became involved in the bail-out of Chrysler in 1979, the "Loan Guarantee Board" forced Chrysler out of the motor home chassis business. Combined with financial woes, Travco Corporation ceased operations in 1979.
During the late 70's, Travco Corporation brought in a number of automobile executives into the company. Their experience with high volume production worked contrary to the time required for quality and craftsmanship in motor homes. Combined with a series of poor management decisions, Travco Corporation entered into a number of non-profitable ventures, including the production of the Sight Seer motor home - a low-end motor home which had limited market appeal.
In 1979, the manufacturing rights for the Travco were sold to Foretravel. Foretravel bought truckloads of Travco parts at the public auction. Remaining items went to the high bidder. Beneath it all, Foretravel was really after ownership of the Travco Motorcade Club. It was the largest of its kind. Control of this large band of motor home owners meant steering membership towards newer products - developed by Foretravel. As expected, a number of Travco owners became Foretravel owners.
The Travco moniker was a high profile product, for many years thereafter recognized for engineering innovation and high quality.
FORETRAVEL
Back in 1967, C.M.Fore recognized the need
for a vehicle that would satisfy the needs of his own family when they traveled
together on family vacations.
The
original production facility was a small building located on the family
property, which, due to the demand for their motor homes, they quickly outgrew.
Today,
the Foretravel complex sits on 51 acres in Nacogdoches, Texas and employs more
than 325 people. In addition to those, the Foretravel dealer network of six
company owned sales and service centers across the country employs another 125
people.
According
to C.M. Fore, Foretravel’s success for the past 30 years has been the result
of “Faith in God, good planning, a firm commitment to quality, and a great
looking, highly visible image.”
Coming Soon... Timeline of the Motor Home Industry
