Southern California has long been known for the beauty and diversity of its landscape. Our majestic mountains, colorful deserts and sandy beaches all hold a special allure for both residents and visitors alike. Combined, these natural wonders have made the Los Angeles area one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country since the earliest days of the automobile. From the mid-teens through the 1930s, the increasing number of vacationers traveling by car created a healthy market for specialized camping trailers and other recreational equipment. The demand for increasingly comfortable and sophisticated accoutrements grew at a rapid pace until the United States entered World War II. But when the war ended and Americans could again freely enjoy leisure-time pursuits such as motor touring, they picked up where they left off and took to the road with a vengeance.

During the first quarter century after World War II, a large number of enterprising individuals and organizations offered a dizzying array of vehicles and equipment intended to catch the eye of vacationers looking for something special to make their camping experiences more enjoyable. Many camping trailers and much of the related equipment were built in the Los Angeles area. But regardless of their origin, a large percentage of the vehicles, trailers and equipment that plied American highways during this time could be counted upon to make an appearance in Southern California. From the staid and typical to the quirky and bizarre, such vehicles were taken by fun-seekers on countless holidays and are today as well remembered as the workaday cars, trucks and station wagons that were used for daily living.

The roots of modern camping vehicles can be traced back to the years immediately following World War II. In late-1945 American manufacturers were shifting back to the production of civilian automobiles after more than three straight years of producing only tanks, jeeps, battleships and bombers. These manufacturers experienced an unprecedented “buyers market” and for several years there was no need for them to offer anything more than a few popular—and profitable—models. Those buyers who desired specialized recreational vehicles were forced to buy standard assembly-line cars, trucks or station wagons and have them custom built, modified or outfitted by a coachbuilder or engineering firm. One engineering firm, for example, that became well known during this period for its four-wheel-drive conversions was Marmon-Herrington. Though the labor-intensive work required for a four-wheel-drive conversion almost doubled the price of the vehicle, Marmon-Herrington had no shortage of customers. Despite the fact that such vehicles were intended primarily for use by businesses with ties to the outdoors and by government agencies such as national parks, it did not take long for the general population to realize that their added utility could be used to make their leisure time activities even more fulfilling by allowing them access to back-road destinations that were not reachable by any other means. Today they are regarded as the forerunners of the modern SUV.

As supply caught up with demand and auto manufacturers began to seek ways to make their products more appealing, many of them developed versions of existing vehicles that were specially tailored to satisfy the needs of vacationers. Because of their obvious utility and adaptability, station wagons achieved great popularity during this time. When manufacturers discovered that they could make large numbers of station wagons more cheaply out of metal than wood, their prices plummeted and their popularity soared. Soon stylish wagons were marketed to middle-class families in factory promotional literature that showed their roof racks laden with luggage and sports equipment and cargo areas stuffed with beach blankets and picnic supplies. They were also frequently illustrated towing large travel trailers in an effort to demonstrate their powerful engines and robust construction. Trailer-towing packages were frequently seen options and camping tents designed to sit on top or beside the vehicle could be specially ordered through dealers or one of the growing number of camping equipment retailers.

While station wagons emerged as the preferred mode of transportation for a large number of vacation travelers, almost any vehicle could be adapted for use in camping, either by the owner, a specialized conversion firm or the manufacturer itself. Nash offered cars with front- and rear-bench seats that could be configured into a double bed while Kaiser and DeSoto produced multi-purpose utility sedans during the late 1940s and early 1950s with wide-opening rear decklids and cavernous cargo areas that could be extended from the trunk into the passenger compartment by folding down the rear seats. Pickup trucks were a natural choice for many travelers because they could be used for hauling cargo during the week and a “piggy-back” camper on weekends. And taking note of the growing popularity of Volkswagen campers, a large number of American firms during the 1960s entered the business of transforming otherwise standard vans into little bungalows on wheels, complete with beds, skylights, dining tables, and kitchenettes equipped with stoves, sinks with running water.

Regardless of the type of vehicle chosen for vacation travel, its usefulness could be immeasurably enhanced by hitching a travel trailer to it. Whether rigid or foldout, there was a trailer suitable for virtually any type of vehicle—even motorcycles. Travel trailers provided the convenience, cleanliness and spaciousness of a snug cabin, yet could be unhitched, allowing the tow car to be used for day trips and other excursions. Dozens of manufacturers sprang up to meet the demands of a growing number of vacationers, many of whom were newlyweds of modest means with young families who reasoned that they could amortize the initial cost of their trailer over several year’s worth of vacation trips. By the mid-1950s Southern California had become a center of travel-trailer production and names like Airstream, Shasta and Kenskill came to be associated with good times on the open road.

Combining the advantages of a roomy, self-contained trailer with the drivability and maneuverability of a small truck, motor homes evolved from the homebuilt “house cars” of the 1920s and 1930s. Early motor homes resembled trailers mounted on truck or bus chassis and were expensive compared to car/trailer rigs because of their dual-purpose nature. Rare during the 1940s and 1950s, motor homes gradually gained acceptance and Chrysler became the first major auto manufacturer to sell motor homes when it began retailing them through Dodge dealers in 1961. Two years later, they brought the first fiberglass motor home to market. In 1962 Ford debuted its own motor home called the Condor. Priced at almost twice the cost of a contemporary Cadillac, they were strictly for the affluent. About the size of a milk truck, smaller motor homes costing half the price of a contemporary Dodge or Condor were introduced by Winnebago in 1965. Consumers responded favorably and the market for motor homes expanded rapidly during the 1960s and early 1970s. But the enthusiasm was short lived.

At about the time General Motors introduced its large and sophisticated GMC motor home in 1973, the combination of the Arab oil embargo, concerns about inflation and a weak stock market brought about a sharp decline in the sales of motor homes. Suddenly, it became irresponsible to drive a vehicle or rig that got a mere eight or 10 miles per gallon. Although the golden age of the recreational vehicle appeared to be over, a new era in the history of RVs began in the 1980s as vacationers rediscovered the joys of exploring America’s scenic highways and back roads. This renewed interest in camping contributed to a renewed appreciation for the recreational vehicles of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. As it did with hot rods and customs, nostalgia has lead to a growing interest among “baby boomers” for the vehicles and camping equipment and accoutrements that they associate with the well-remembered vacation experiences of their youth. Vacationland USA! celebrates Los Angeles as one of the most popular leisure destinations for motoring vacationers and helps visitors capture the feeling of what it might have been like to take a road trip in Southern California during an optimistic and carefree era.—Leslie Kendall, Curator

The exhibition Southern California: Vacationland U.S.A . will be on view from September 25, 2004 th rough April 3, 2005.