PORTABLE LEVITTOWN

We resume our history of the mobile home in the United States. By the turn of the 20th century, several developments were in motion that would result in the birth of the house and camping trailer industry. 

Motorized transportation was beginning to replace the horse-drawn method by 1900. Moreover, paved highways had started to link cities and towns across the nation. The grueling 7-day, 80-hour schedule was being shortened to the standard, 5-day, 40-hour work week. This made the first common-folk vacations possible. 

Lastly, the formation of the National Park Service, in August 1916, was establishing vast stretches of unspoiled forested land where such vacations could be enjoyed by the masses. In order to do so, makeshift, home-made "trailer houses" were hastily assembled, which could be towed by that new Ford Model T. 

Soon, American industry was exploiting the trend. The first factory-made "trailer house" was devised by New York's Glenn H. Curtiss, whose Motor Bungalow debuted in 1919. It was compact -and sturdily-built- yet light and weatherproof. The interior was lavishly-appointed, making the rig a luxury item affordable only to those of means.

A promotion for the 1921 Curtiss Motor Bungalow. Its many amenities included a kitchen with cook stove and icebox, pantry and storage units, electric lights, table and seating, toilet facilities, a running water system and attached tent for a chauffeur. 

Photo from http://www.coachbuilt.com 

The Curtiss Aerocar was introduced in 1927. It, and the Motor Bungalow, were the world's first "fifth-wheel" -type travel trailers. The car-to-trailer connection was made via a patented pneumatic coupler. One of the unique attributes of the Aerocar was its telephone system which linked the trailer rig with the towing car. This was, obviously, before laws were instituted which forbade passengers from riding in a pull-behind vehicle when it was in motion.
Photo from http://www.coachbuilt.com

Third in line of Curtiss-built travel trailers was the "Land Yacht" model, introduced for the 1935 model year. These rigs came equipped with automatic refrigerators! Price-wise, newly-built Curtiss rigs sold for between $1,425 and $3,500 (depression-era) dollars. In today's economy, this translates to between $27,900 and $68,700.
Photo from http://www.coachbuilt.com

Meanwhile, Indiana's Arthur G. Sherman developed the first affordable, hard-sided (in opposition to a tent) trailer house in the late 1920s. Sherman presented his first Covered Wagon model at a 1929 auto show in Detroit and received orders for 118 units. Soon, his Covered Wagon Company would dominate the fledgling American trailer industry.

In a 1930s "trailer coach" everything was built-in. Seating areas and kitchen facilities were stationary, as were sleeping accommodations. The "rig" might even include a heating unit or furnace.

Several makes and models of coaches were being built for the middle-class Trailerite by the mid-1930s. Above, we see a 1936 ad for the "new" Travelodge. This rig, available in three lengths, sold for between $733 and $1,304 (depression-era) dollars. Today, this converts to between $14,400 and $25,600 dollars.

A trailer coach logo montage is composed of trademarks for the major manufacturers of the 1930s. 

A 1937 advert promotes a contest where twenty-five Complete Trailer Outfits were awarded by Camay Soap and the Ford Motor Company. The rigs were all 19-foot Covered Wagon trailer homes.
Graphic from the Proctor & Gamble Company