The Story of Trailer and It's Actors; As a Mobile Home Case _ Nur Gülgör Thesis

50. Woodmansey, A. (2022). Recreational Vehicles: A
World History 1872–1939. Pen & Sword Books Limited.
51. ii
Figure 26: The Adams Motorbungalo USA, 1920
Figure 27: Curtiss and Aerocar built for Graves of Pittsfield
with Graves’ Cadillac. Florida, USA, 1929
On the contrary, in the 1920s, after people from different industries
entered the trailer industry, the first examples of designs that were close to
today’s technical and visual aspects emerged. Glenn Curtiss, who works in
the aviation industry, played one of the key roles in the travel trailer typology.
His half-brother George Carl Adams founded his trailer brand, The Adam
Trailer Corporation, in 1917. Curtiss designed a camping car for his brother’s
company. The car is the Adams Motorbungalo, produced in 1919 and it has
fold-out beds, a kitchenette, and electric lighting. 50 Like the previous camping
car examples, the Motorbungalo was a trailer unit attached to the Ford T. It
can be described as one of the last hybrid vehicles in trailer history before war.
Although Curtiss’ design offered the optimum space organization despite his
limited resources, it was costly to produce. Motorbungalo was expensive for
Ford T owners and not luxurious enough for the rich on the other side.
Ford T was an affordable option for Americans. Its mass production
enabled it to be produced quickly and reduced costs, making it accessible
to middle and low-income groups. Unlike Ford T, Motorbungalo did not
appeal to most of Ford T owners. After The Motorbungalo was produced
for five years, the company declared bankruptcy, and Curtiss and Adam split
up. Curtiss continued his career alone under the brand of his name, with his
own experience from the aviation industry and commercial experience in
motorbungalo, and he launched his design, “Aerocar,” in 1928.
Curtiss used the aviation industry’s lightweight materials and
lightweight construction principles in Aerocar design. Compared to previous
hybrid trailers, no fabric was used in the final product, and it was finished
with a single material, aluminum like a car. In previous examples, fabric was
used as a method for folding surface beds of trailers. After parking the trailer,
they opened their foldable parts and reached their maximum volume. In
contrast, the Aerocar did not need to be stopped and folded out and was
suitable for accommodation even on the go. Another innovative feature was
the fifth wheel, which Curtis added. It improves the trailer’s stability and
creates safer use at higher speeds. According to Carl G. Fisher, a businessman
and Curtiss’ friend who wrote about the Aerocar in 1928, Glenn Curtiss has
created the most excellent trailer ever constructed in America. Although
the precise manufacturing numbers are unknown, estimations indicate that
between 1928 and 1940, up to 1,000 Aerocars were produced. 51 The Great
Depression trailer in the 1930s impacted trailers and the owners tried to
generate income by transforming them into different functions. Various
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