The First Ever Motorhome Was Built By a Farmer in this Small Michigan Town

While researching a previous story about Michigan's Youngest City, I noticed something interesting about the lore of the community. It was called "The Motorhome City," despite being very small - less than 1,500 people. So it's not like RVs were being constructed here en-masse. So, why is Brown City, Michigan known as the Motorhome City?

Turns out, the first Motorhome EVER was built here, and not from some pioneer of industry in the Ford or General Motors family, no... it was a farmer... who just wanted to drive his camper places under its own power.

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Ray Frank, a former resident of Brown City, Michigan is known as the godfather of the Motorhome. He lived there as a farmer, and the owner of a small trailer manufacturing company.

For years, he had dreamed of a motorized camper that he could travel with his family in, and in 1958, he made it a reality - a camper that could travel under its own power. His family called it... their Motor-Home.

At the time it was unique. It was designed from the ground up and was the first camper made that didn't require a trailer. There were some early models of "house cars," but many of those were converted busses or trucks.

This was completely unique, and was soon extremely popular among the people of Brown city, and those who saw him at camp sites across the family's travels.

Eventually, he took the design to the Dodge division of Chrysler to inquire about the bulk purchase of bare truck chassis so he could mass produce his Motor Homes on his own. They turned him down, but pointed him in the direction of a Dodge truck dealer who was able to give him 100 chassis to work with.

As part of the deal, though, the dealer, Lloyd Bridges, would partner with Frank in the business of building and selling these motor homes, and that operation continues today, operated by Bridge's son.

The first ever versions of the Travco Motorhome sold for $9,000, and did feature most creature comforts you could expect in the late 1950s and early 1960s - A fully equipped kitchen with a four-burner range and oven, double-door refrigerator and freezer, double sink, and of course a comfortable bedroom.

They did create one 27-foot model that was dubbed the "Dodge Mahal," that offered posh comfort, intended just for two people, but could sleep up to 10.