Inspiration can come from anything and often results in surprising discoveries. In 1934, Hawley Bowlus, a well-known glider pioneer who oversaw the construction of the famed
Spirit of St. Louisplane, was testing airplanes on the California coast in the middle of nowhere.
While attempting to create a travel trailer for himself, Bowlus built a travel trailer the only way an aeronautical engineer could -- out of airplane-grade aluminum, aerodynamically inspired by the very planes he was building. He partnered with a friend to form Bowlus-Teller Manufacturing in San Fernando, California, and built approximately 140 Road Chiefs.
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Bowlus created a sensation by offering the first monocoque-designed body in the industry. (
Monocoqueis French for “single shell.”) Though his “aerodynamic” design actually increased the tow car’s mileage, its modern appear was enthusiastically received at the time. However, it proved pricey, especially during the Great Depression. Even though Bowlus went bankrupt two years later, his futuristic take on camping inspired a host of aluminum competitors, including Airstream, Streamline, Silver Streak, Avion, and Spartan. Wally Byam, founder of Airstream, eventually took over the Bowlus factory and began to produce trailers heavily based on Bowlus’ designs.
Fast forward nearly 70 years to Palm Springs, California: Married Canadian tech entrepreneurs John Long and Helena Mitchell were attending the 2011 Modernism Show with their painstakingly restored 1935 Road Chief, just one of 20 or so to survive. “We’ve been truly overwhelmed by the response to the Bowlus Road Chief,” says Long, who also wrote a book about his experiences with the Road Chief. He secured the trademarks and launching a business building Road Chiefs seemed like a natural step.
Long systematically assembled a team of craftsmen and designers to reverse engineer the Road Chief travel trailer from the original, seamlessly integrating advanced technology with classic American design. Retaining the exterior’s modern riveted (5,000 of them!) and mirror-polished aluminum façade, the interior is awash of clever storage solutions anyone would expect of a modern RV. Like a Swiss army knife, you’ll find bounties of useful amenities, such as pockets for laptops, tablets, and smartphones, complimented by traditional wardrobes and mundane places to store pots and pans. The layout is the same as the classic Road Chief, but with a larger interior ensconced in aluminum and birch similar its distant cousin, the Airstream.
It has 6-foot, 4-inch headroom inside, but is short enough overall to fit under a standard 8-foot-high garage door, and made even shorter by a removable tongue. At 2,000 pounds dry weight, it can be hitched to most any car. Propane tanks, water tanks, and the air conditioner are tucked inside for the ultimate streamlined ride. Even the windows are flush to the fuselage to keep drag to an absolute minimum.
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Made for adventurers, a front-entry door lets surfers, bikers, paddlers, and skiers store long gear inside. But you have a kayak? No problem. The nose-mounted door and galley interior -- coupled with a host of built-in strong point tie downs -- allow storage of a range of items, up to 800 pounds.
The stainless-steel galley-style kitchen is compact but fully equipped with a SMEG Italian two-burner range, complete with a folding glass top to add counter space. The sink’s spray hose extends far enough to reach outside the nearby door, which is convenient for rinsing dirty shoes or equipment. Though there’s no conventional oven, a microwave is standard, as is the 12-volt, marine-grade fridge.
Hidden under the nostalgia of fine Birch wood and polished aluminum are the features that make Bowlus Road Chief a standout. Instead of taking the recent getting-away-from-it-all approach and shunning electronics and communication, the Road Chief embraces intended buyers who will want to tweet and post. In the closet are 120-watt solar panels and the trailer is equipped with two high-capacity AGM batteries. Throughout the Road Chief are power outlets and a built-in inverter. Next to the sofa is a charging station for laptops, tablets, and cellular devices. The Road Chief can be fitted with Wi-Fi routers or countless other devices. And the best part is waste heat from these electronics is passed outside the trailer through a special vent.
Beyond the galley, a full-sized sofa and two armchairs convert into twin beds. The dining table between the two tables is detachable, and can be removed for meals outdoors. The seating is made from a polycarbonate fabric that is easy to clean and very durable.
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The main feature of the bathroom -- made expandable by opening the doors to create more privacy -- is the cassette-style toilet, which ditches standard dump hoses for a sealed container that can be emptied into a regular toilet later.
In the rear, twin V beds can be made into one full-sized bed. These come with Libeco Home linens and a 6-inch thick foam latex mattress. As far as utilities are concerned, there’s a full bathroom with shower and an exterior door that doubles as an emergency exit. The trailer even comes with an awning that can be positioned on either side.
Meanwhile, an 8,000-BTU air conditioner keeps the cabin cool, although, you’ll have to wait to plug it in. Or perhaps you brought with you a 2,000-watt generator, as the solar panels can only go so far.
Underneath rides on an independently suspended single torsion axle. The company claims it’s the lightest 24-foot, fully equipped travel trailer ever produced, and at $100,000, it’s one of the priciest, too.
| The available awning can be mounted on either side easily using a common C-channel mount.
