Desert Book - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

... trailers have created a new way of life
and a desert field trip usually finds
several travel trailers parked at the
base camp.
Trailer caravans, some with more
than 200 units participating, are becoming
very popular. The larger caravans,
usually sponsored by trailer
manufacturers, are planned months in
advance. One of the best known caravan
promoters is Wally Byam, president
of the Airstream Trailer Company.
He has led caravans to the far
corners of America as well as into
Canada and Mexico. His most ambitious
expedition is the one which leaves
the end of June—a trailer tour of
Africa and Europe. Special ships will
provide the over-water transportation
for this trip.
Caravans
For the past two years the Trailer
Coach Association has sponsored a
Seafair Caravan in August from Los
Angeles to Seattle. Last year the Santa
Fe Trailer Company held a very successful
100-trailer caravan from Los
Angeles to Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
State and National parks and forests
have felt the trailer boom. Trailer
hook-up facilities at these recreation
locales are increasing, but the demand
far exceeds present availability, especially
during the summer vacationing
months. Desert trailerists are not as
dependent on these and private overnight
facilities as are people in other
sections of the country. There are
thousands of turnoffs leading into the
public domain along Southwestern
highways where it is possible to park
for the night.
Transients
Few trailer parks have space available
for transients, for usually they are
filled with permanent mobile home
residents. But an increasing number
of park owners are recognizing the
travel trailerists' needs, and are setting
aside sections in their courts for the
exclusive use of overnight guests.
Charges for these accommodations,
which include use of the park's electrical
and sewer hook-up facilities,
range from $1 to $2.50 per night.
Matching the growing popularity of
travel trailers is that of the mobile
home. Almost 1,000,000 Westerners
now live in mobile homes! It is predicted
that by 1970, one out of every
10 Americans will call a trailer coach
home.
Why do people live in mobile
homes? There are four basic reasons:
1. Mobile home living is a way of
life. These people like the feeling of
being mobile—they appreciate the fact
that they can quickly and easily move
to a new location if they so desire.
2. Mobile home living is more
suited to those of more mature age.
The children have all grown up and
left home, and the big house no longer
is needed. At the trailer park there
is fellowship and organized recreation
—dancing, swimming, dinners, shuffleboard
tournaments, horseshoes, sewing
circles. For those in poor health, severe
extremes in weather can be
avoided by making seasonal moves—
and a house trailer is much easier to
keep tidy than a house.
3. Mobile home living is much less
expensive than renting conventional
housing.
4. For those whose occupations require
much moving, a mobile home
provides assurance of adequate housing
when they are relocated.
Mobile homes come completely
equipped and ready to move in to. All
that is required are dishes, sheets,
blankets and personal items. Some
of the deluxe models even have wallto-wall
carpeting, dishwashers, television,
built-in hi-fi sets, and washerdryer
combinations.
Price Factors
Initial purchase price of a mobile
home will vary depending on the
length and width of the unit, as well
as the interior furnishings and equipment
desired. A rough approximation
of cost is $100-$ 125 per foot of
length — the standard 45-foot coach
costing around $5000.
Until recently, the legal allowable
width of a trailer in certain states was
eight feet. Most states have relaxed
this requirement so that units 10-feet
wide can be transported over the public
highways, but state-issued permits
still are necessary for such moves.
Rental charge for a trailer space
varies considerably according to the
type of park, location and facilities
offered. A general average charge is
$35 monthly. In resort areas it is
closer to $50 or $60 a month. In some
cases, the park pays the cost of utilities,
in others the tenants must pay.
Some parks insist on six or 12 month
leases, others require only week-toweek
or month-to-month rental commitments.
A complete listing of mobile home
and travel trailer publications can be
obtained from the Trail-R-Club of
America, Box 1376, Beverly Hills,
California. Among the many books
available are a directory of State and
National park trailer facilities; a compendium
of highway information especially
written for travel trailerists; and
outline of state motor vehicle laws affecting
trailer coaches.—END
Street scene in a Palm Springs,
California, mobile home village.
18 DESERT MAGAZINE