With the camping and ‘road tripping’ season coming up soon, many RV owners around the country are upgrading their beloved houses on wheels, making destination plans, and mapping their scenic travel routes. From converted buses, pop-up campers and teardrop trailers, to hybrids, totter homes and 5th wheels, RV lovers are making their way to resort style campsites, rustic KOA’s and secluded destination locations across the USA in classic style.
When it comes to creating a look and feel for their respective RV interiors, individual tastes and budgets can lend to designs that range from the timelessly stylish and comfortably quaint to the fashionably modern and daringly innovating. While some may opt to spare the often laborious task of reupholstering pull out couches or redressing new windows, still others like do-it-yourselfer’s, delight in the joy of transforming classic motor homes into unique expressions of their own creations. As such, a one-stop shop for both upholstering and decorating needs becomes necessary. Enter Summerdale Fabrics. From customized furnishings to the actual fabrics and upholstery, Summerdale Fabrics offers quality craftsmanship and textile goods for decorating, offering their customers a finished look that fits their specifications and specialized tastes.
Inspired to turn outdated cushion covers into themed fashionings? Looking to turn your family traveler into a man-cave or lady-space? From shiny vinyls, funky decorative prints, and stylish draperies, to durable upholstery, themed tapestry and luxurious linens, at Summerdale Fabrics our craftsmen and fabric specialists are on hand to meet your most personalized design fantasies in a professional time and fashion.
Speaking of lifestyle, the RV lifestyle knows no boundaries when it comes to people who enjoy the comforts of traveling within their own home on wheels. From entertainers like Lenny Kravitz, Will Smith, and Matthew McConaughey, to pro athletes like Daniel Norris, politicians and your own neighbor down the street, RVing is an ideal way to get around and see the country in style.
The Birth of the RV Industry
A century ago, the popularization of the automobile and improvement of America’s roads for the purpose of exploration gave rise to mass-produced, manufactured recreation vehicles, and the RV industry was born. 1910 is the year that America’s leading RV historians – David Woodworth, Al Hesselbart and Roger White – cite as the beginning of what has become the modern RV industry. “The first motorized campers were built in 1910,” says Woodworth, a preeminent collector of early RVs and RV camping memorabilia. “Before then, people camped in private rail cars that were pulled to sidings along train routes. The year 1910 brought a new freedom to people who didn’t want to be limited by the rail system. RVs allowed them to go where they wanted, when they wanted.”
Hesselbart, archivist for the RV/MH Heritage Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, also pinpoints 1910 as the birth of the RV industry. “Camping has been around for centuries, but 1910 is when the first auto-related camping vehicles were built for commercial sale.” Known as “auto campers” or “camping trailers” a century ago, these vehicles were a forerunner of today’s modern RVs.
The Freedom to Travel Anywhere
“The 1910 RVs offered minimal comforts compared to today’s homes-on-wheels,” says Woodworth. “But they did provide the freedom to travel anywhere, to be able to get a good night’s sleep and enjoy home cooking. One notable contrast to today’s RV was the bathroom. In 1910, it was usually either yonder tree or yonder bush.”
The First RV Models
Camping trailers made by Los Angeles Trailer Works and Auto-Kamp Trailers also rolled off the assembly line beginning in 1910. A version of today’s Type B van camper, the Pierce-Arrow “Touring Landau,” was unveiled at Madison Square Garden that same year, complete with an on-board bathroom. These companies and innovative products were featured in a Popular Mechanics issue in 1911. Take a stroll down memory lane to see where we’ve been.
The Modern Day RV’s
Through trials and errors, upgrades and downsizes, trending hits and misses, RV lifestyle has endured and is still going strong, even in today’s challenging economic times and technological advancements. Ranging in price from from $50,000 to well into the millions, the range in RV designs can take us from retro to futuristic all on one stretch of scenic highway. The goal of the RV owner is to get there in style!
Looking for an upcoming RV show in the Tri-State area? Check out the Greater Philadelphia RV Show or GoRving
Ready to upgrade your RV furnishings and window dressings? Check out Summerdale Fabrics for all your tapestry and upholstering needs.
