Those were the days

[Gardner Yeaw]

Ralph,
I can't agree with you more about the innovations found on an
early Bluebird. The airline style storage compartments are so
perfect for the application. The whole interior is so easy to keep
clean as well.

When I look at some of the interiors on the latest high end
coaches, you would need a full time maid to keep it clean and
looking good. Perhaps they will come out with one that has servents
quarters. Now that would be innovative!

Gardner
78FC


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph L. Fullenwider"
wrote:
>
> Good morning everyone, from frozen Oklahoma:
>
> The 60's were the years of wondrous developments in so many
fields. In the
> RV industry, leaps and bounds came on line veering away from the
tear drop
> trailers, one wheel tag along and Airstreams (the Cadillac of
bumper tow
> campers.)
>
> Several innovative and new style RV's were in the making, mainly a
new
> class called the Class A or Coach. Until this era, the only
Coach's were
> conversion busses done in the back yard, so to speak. Then Blue
Bird came
> out with the Wanderlodge, Newell, Barth and even Cortez were in
the mix of
> the time. There were several others but the main stream Coaches or
high
> line Coaches jumped out in front with innovations that were
seemingly new
> technology. Wanderlodge, Newell and Barth were the leaders and all
good
> Coaches that captured the ooh's and ahh's at the RV trade shows.
Then
> Wanderlodge broke ground with more than the latest and greatest
with
> technology that were heretofore unheard of in the industry, and so
remained
> that way with all the others scrambling to catch up.
>
> What Wanderlodge did, was to bring in designers from the air craft
> industry, who demanded and got technology from their suppliers
that were
> truely innovative. PMMI went to work and brought in electronic
technology
> to the Wanderlodge that were years ahead of everyone else, and it
was awe
> inspiring. But only the upper elite could afford such luxury and
Winnabago,
> built on Dodge chassis got into the mix for the middle class
affordability.
> Cortez did not have the finances to keep up, and that was a shame
because
> it was a good coach, Newell found the financing to keep up and
even Barth
> managed to stay in the market but was dropping behind.
>
> Yes interesting years to say the least. Then the market called for
more and
> more, people would mention, "wouldn't it be nice if we had?" and
> Wanderlodge designed it, demanded from the suppliers to furnish it
and got
> it! Things like a back up camera system so you could see behind
you and
> then turn into a color tv when the coach was shut down. What a
wonderful
> thing that was.
>
> Now were into "new technology" sort of, multiplexing for instance,
is new
> to RV technology, but innovative? not hardly. Multiplexing has
been in
> other industries for years as they got away from the old relay
logic, so
> the RV industry is now relegated to what the suppliers have on the
shelf
> instead of designing new systems. And in this world of "one up-man-
ship"
> are calling this new stuff innovative. As I see it, the only
really new
> things has been the satellite systems for RV's and other things
like Data
> Storm for TV and up link and down link systems, which were coupled
with
> plasma tv's via an off the shelf mother board and with
multiplexing brought
> pic in a pic technology so one could search on the web while
watching a
> program on tv.
>
> Un fortunately, the chassis has had a hard time keeping up with
all this
> new weighty stuff and other industries such as tire manufacturers
are
> trying to keep up.
>
> This of course is only my "opinion" and nothing more. I just
thought it
> interesting and a topic for discusion.
>
> Safe travels,
>
> Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
> 84FC35
> Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
>