Winnebago Yesterday and Today
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It did not take long for inventive types to imagine that automobiles could be used for more than getting from point A to point B. The notion of bringing along a bed or other conveniences quickly caught on. Pictures of "homes on wheels" date back to the early 1900s.
Busch; More Than Beer
Anheuser-Busch is more often associated with Clydesdale horses than motorized transportation, but the iconic brewery actually entered the "motorhome" market way back in the 1920s. The "Lansteed Kampkar" was mounted upon a Model T chassis. This very early recreational vehicle was priced to sell at $535. The Kampkar - camp car - was Anheuser-Busch's only foray into the market. The decision was born of necessity when prohibition discouraged the company's primary activity. After prohibition ended, the company proceeded to concentrate on brewing beer instead, and with reasonable success.
The 1950s Motorhome
The recreational vehicle idea was anything but cohesive until the 1950s. In 1953, Ray Frank built a motorhome on a Dodge truck chassis. He dubbed it a "motorhome." He partnered with Chrysler to build Frank-Dodge motorhomes. These were the first actual motorhomes for sale. The design later evolved into the Dodge Travco.
Winnebago Is Born
The story of Winnebago Industries is in part a story of the resurrection of a small town Iowa in the 1950s. Forest City had long existed to serve the agrarian economy of the area, but a downturn in farming saw younger citizens leaving the area in droves in search of better opportunity.
In 1958, a local businessman named John K. Hanson persuaded a company in California to open a factory in the city where travel trailers would be manufactured. Success was more than elusive at first. Five Forest City residents eventually bought the factory, and it was re-established in 1960 as Winnebago Industries with Mr. Hansen as the first president. The innovative venture quickly gained credibility in the industry by manufacturing its own furniture and other elements were designed solely for the travel trailers that it made in Forest City.
This was quickly followed by another innovation, the Thermo-Panel sidewall, which was lightweight while offering excellent insulating ability. In 1966, the first Winnebago motor homes were produced in Forest City. It was a 19-ft vehicle built on a Ford P-350 chassis. Assembly line construction lowered costs to the point that these "Winnebagos" sold for half of what competitors were charging.
The company was first listed on the NYSE in 1970. The following year its stock rose 462 percent in value. This bettered the performance of every other NYSE stock that year. In the mid-70s, the 100,000th unit was sold. By then, the company's motorhomes for sale had become so popular that the term "Winnebago" became synonymous with "motorhome."
Still, new chapters in the success story of Winnebago were to be written. In 1986, Winnebago Industries became a Fortune 500 company as it sold its 200,000th unit. By the early 21st century, Winnebago's annual sales had topped $1 billion, and in 2008, the 400,000th unit was sold.
Conveniences Then and Now
Motorhome conveniences have certainly expanded over four decades. In 1972, the D-18, or the "Minnie Winnie" as it was better known, slept four and featured vinyl flooring. It had a spare tire carrier, 110v outlets and paneling. The kitchen included an oven, refrigerator and sink. The bathroom had a toilet and shower. If you wanted air conditioning, it had to be purchased as an option. Awnings, luggage racks, headrests, carpeting, and tinted windows were all options as well.
Today's Winnebago motor homes make AC standard. In fact, the powerful air conditioning units even come with an energy management system. Galleys include both ovens and microwaves. Refrigerator/freezer units typically have ice makers. GPS navigation is a modern technology utterly unknown to the RV buyer forty years ago. Aerodynamics are vastly improved, and current motorhomes are far more miserly with fuel. Sofas can be converted to beds at the touch of a button. Rear view, and even side view, camera monitoring is now possible.
Even the used motorhomes for sale in the Winnebage market are highly sought after and still garner a lot of attention.
Would John K. Hanson and his partners in Forest City a half-century ago have ever been able to imagine what today's Winnebagos offer?
It did not take long for inventive types to imagine that automobiles could be used for more than getting from point A to point B. The notion of bringing along a bed or other conveniences quickly caught on. Pictures of "homes on wheels" date back to the early 1900s.
Busch; More Than Beer
Anheuser-Busch is more often associated with Clydesdale horses than motorized transportation, but the iconic brewery actually entered the "motorhome" market way back in the 1920s. The "Lansteed Kampkar" was mounted upon a Model T chassis. This very early recreational vehicle was priced to sell at $535. The Kampkar - camp car - was Anheuser-Busch's only foray into the market. The decision was born of necessity when prohibition discouraged the company's primary activity. After prohibition ended, the company proceeded to concentrate on brewing beer instead, and with reasonable success.
The 1950s Motorhome
The recreational vehicle idea was anything but cohesive until the 1950s. In 1953, Ray Frank built a motorhome on a Dodge truck chassis. He dubbed it a "motorhome." He partnered with Chrysler to build Frank-Dodge motorhomes. These were the first actual motorhomes for sale. The design later evolved into the Dodge Travco.
Winnebago Is Born
The story of Winnebago Industries is in part a story of the resurrection of a small town Iowa in the 1950s. Forest City had long existed to serve the agrarian economy of the area, but a downturn in farming saw younger citizens leaving the area in droves in search of better opportunity.
In 1958, a local businessman named John K. Hanson persuaded a company in California to open a factory in the city where travel trailers would be manufactured. Success was more than elusive at first. Five Forest City residents eventually bought the factory, and it was re-established in 1960 as Winnebago Industries with Mr. Hansen as the first president. The innovative venture quickly gained credibility in the industry by manufacturing its own furniture and other elements were designed solely for the travel trailers that it made in Forest City.
This was quickly followed by another innovation, the Thermo-Panel sidewall, which was lightweight while offering excellent insulating ability. In 1966, the first Winnebago motor homes were produced in Forest City. It was a 19-ft vehicle built on a Ford P-350 chassis. Assembly line construction lowered costs to the point that these "Winnebagos" sold for half of what competitors were charging.
The company was first listed on the NYSE in 1970. The following year its stock rose 462 percent in value. This bettered the performance of every other NYSE stock that year. In the mid-70s, the 100,000th unit was sold. By then, the company's motorhomes for sale had become so popular that the term "Winnebago" became synonymous with "motorhome."
Still, new chapters in the success story of Winnebago were to be written. In 1986, Winnebago Industries became a Fortune 500 company as it sold its 200,000th unit. By the early 21st century, Winnebago's annual sales had topped $1 billion, and in 2008, the 400,000th unit was sold.
Conveniences Then and Now
Motorhome conveniences have certainly expanded over four decades. In 1972, the D-18, or the "Minnie Winnie" as it was better known, slept four and featured vinyl flooring. It had a spare tire carrier, 110v outlets and paneling. The kitchen included an oven, refrigerator and sink. The bathroom had a toilet and shower. If you wanted air conditioning, it had to be purchased as an option. Awnings, luggage racks, headrests, carpeting, and tinted windows were all options as well.
Today's Winnebago motor homes make AC standard. In fact, the powerful air conditioning units even come with an energy management system. Galleys include both ovens and microwaves. Refrigerator/freezer units typically have ice makers. GPS navigation is a modern technology utterly unknown to the RV buyer forty years ago. Aerodynamics are vastly improved, and current motorhomes are far more miserly with fuel. Sofas can be converted to beds at the touch of a button. Rear view, and even side view, camera monitoring is now possible.
Even the used motorhomes for sale in the Winnebage market are highly sought after and still garner a lot of attention.
Would John K. Hanson and his partners in Forest City a half-century ago have ever been able to imagine what today's Winnebagos offer?
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