And it acquitted itself superbly.īut what we have here, the F-17, is the smallest of the line-up, and mighty short at that, a mere 17’4″ long (208″). I dare say that a substantial part of the TorqueFlite’s reputation grew from the fact that it was in just about every motorhome for several decades. Within a year or two of motorhome production, there was a whole line of Winnebago models, and all of the larger units (above) except the smallest F-17 moved to proper Dodge motorhome chassis, with dually rear wheels, the 318 V8 and the venerable TorqueFlite.
In 1970, Winnebago went public, and in 1971 its stock was the highest flying of any on the exchange, up 462%. Given that hourly wages were just about to hit their all-time peak in 1971 or so, the convergence of rising income and an affordable price was an explosive combination. And that’s also just a tad more than what a Toronado cost in 1970. I can’t find an exact price for that 1966, but the seventeen foot F-17 model featured here was priced at $5995 in 1970. Just like the Model T Ford, the Winnebago motorhome took off, as the first of its kind realistically available to large segment of the population. Thanks to Winnebago’s modern production line and volume purchasing, it charged less than half compared to comparable sized motorhomes then available. This first model was a nineteen footer, built on a Ford P-350 chassis, as typically used for step vans.
#WINNEBAGO BRAVE 70S SERIAL#
In 1966, Winnebago took the leap to building motor homes, and this one, serial #001, is still running.
#WINNEBAGO BRAVE 70S SKIN#
In part, it may be because it was willing to innovate, like its Thermo-Panel sandwich wall construction, rigid foam insulation sandwiched between the aluminum exterior skin and the inner paneling. This was a very dispersed industry then, but somehow Winnebago survived and prospered. Winnebago got its start building trailers in Forest City, Iowa in the mid fifties. The Travco was something the average American might dream about, but not realistically attain. But it was pricey, well into the teens then (about $100k adjusted). In 1963, the Travco pioneered a sleek two-piece fiberglass shell, and became the iconic motorhome of its time. A partnership with Chrysler resulted in the Frank-Dodge motorhome (above), which then evolved into the Dodge Travco ( CC here). Ray Frank coined the term “motorhome”, starting with his first one of 1953, built on a Dodge truck chassis. But in terms of what it became can be reduced down to the key pioneers of the modern motorhome, of which there are just really two. Obviously, the whole history of motor homes is long and a bit complex, since one-off and small-scale production “motor-homes” have been built since the Model T’s day quite a few on its chassis, actually, like this 1915 Lamsteed Kampkar. That a little outfit in rural Iowa desperate to create some jobs was able to revolutionize the RV industry in a comparable way is a story worth telling, especially when I found one of the earliest models to help tell it. It was a one-time occurrence, but one with lasting impact. Henry Ford was able to slash the price of his car thanks to efficient mass production, making it accessible to a vast segment of the population. But only once since the Model T revolutionized the car industry, has a similar revolution taken place in regard to non-passenger car wheeled vehicles. ( first posted ) I know some of you are probably a bit weary with my obsession with RVs.
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