Editing Motorhome (section)

==History==
The origins of the motorhome date back to 1910, when the [[Pierce-Arrow]] motor company introduced the Touring [[landau (carriage)|Landau]] model at the [[Madison Square Garden (1890)|Madison Square Garden]] auto show.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Morrison|first1=Jim|title=Commemorating 100 Years of the RV: For almost as long as there have been automobiles, recreational vehicles have been traversing America|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/commemorating-100-years-of-the-rv-56915006/?no-ist|website=Smithsonian.com|access-date=18 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Pierce-Arrow's entry was specialized for the camper in mind—providing cargo compartments for camping equipment and even an on-board toilet.<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|first1=Roger|title=Home on the Road: The Motor Home in America|url=https://archive.org/details/homeonroadmotorh0000whit|url-access=registration|date=2000|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington D.C.|page=[https://archive.org/details/homeonroadmotorh0000whit/page/8 8]}}</ref> In the 1920s, individual builders and manufactures began to convert panel trucks and buses to be used for camping. Designers patterned these "housecars" after airplanes, boats, and buses.<ref name=White>{{cite book|last1=White|title=Home on the Road|pages=142–143}}</ref> 

RV production was halted during World War Two and would not resume for the domestic market until the 1950s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Meloan|first1=Taylor W.|title=Mobile Homes: The Growth and Business Practices of the Industry|date=1954|publisher= Richard D. Irwin|location=Homewood, IL|page=16}}</ref> When production did begin again, designers began grafting trailer bodies onto truck or bus chassis.<ref name="White" />

Raymond Frank gave these housecars their contemporary name of “motorhome". Following a pattern common in RV history, in 1958 Frank designed and built his first motorhome so his family could take vacations to Florida and the [[mid-west]]; it was {{Convert|27|feet}} long and mounted on a [[Dodge]] chassis. Soon afterwards, other campers took an interest in the design and asked Frank to build them one too. By 1960, the Franks had sold seven motorhomes, and decided to open Frank Motor Homes, Inc. the next year. With the stylish fiberglass construction and contemporary color palette, the Frank motorhomes became an acceptable option for 1960s suburbanites who wanted an RV but scoffed at the [[travel trailer]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|title=Home on the Road|pages=148–151}}</ref>

Soon other firms began to manufacture these mainstream motorhomes. In 1958, one of the most recognizable names{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} in motorhomes was launched—[[Winnebago Industries|Winnebago]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://winnebagoind.com/company/about |title=Winnebago Industries &#124; About Us |publisher=Winnebagoind.com |access-date=2020-01-04}}</ref> Under the direction of John Hanson, Winnebago began to produce nearly all of their motorhomes' components other than the chassis. In ten years, Winnebago had grown from 415 employees to 1,252 in 1969 with over $3 million in sales.<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|title=Home on the Road|pages=166–167}}</ref> While Winnebago was the market leader, other companies were also growing. In 1969 a total of 23,100 motorhomes were sold.<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|title=Home on the Road|page=170}}</ref> While the gas crunch of the 1970s drove many manufacturers out of business—including Frank Motorhomes (then known as Travco)<ref>{{cite journal|title=13 Great Centennial RVs – 4 of 13 (Doge/Travco)|journal=RV Business|date=July 6, 2010|url=http://www.rvbusiness.com/tag/dodgetravco/.}}</ref>—today, the motorhome market continues to be strong. In 2014, 43,900 motorhomes were sold in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Recreational Vehicle Industry Association|title=Year End Review 2007-2014|url=http://www.rvia.org/UniPop.cfm?v=2&OID=3574&CC=4128.|website=www.rvia.org|access-date=11 May 2015}}</ref>