Bowlus Explained

Bowlus is an American luxury travel trailer with a front door, aerodynamic shape and polished aluminum body.[1]

Hawley Bowlus designed and built the travel trailer using his knowledge of aircraft construction.[2] Aspects of the design were used on the first aluminum-body Airstream[3] trailers, the Airstream Clipper. Bowlus stopped producing the trailers in 1936. Production of a modernized, enlarged travel trailer resumed in 2013 in Oxnard, California.[4]

History

Founding and early years

The first Bowlus was designed and built by Hawley Bowlus in 1934.[5] Bowlus was a designer, aerospace engineer and the builder of the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft.[6] From 1934 to 1936, over eighty Bowlus were built at Bowlus’ family ranch in San Fernando, California. In 1936, Wally Byam[7] who founded Airstream[8] adapted the design for the Airstream Clipper after selling Bowlus trailers.[9] [10] [11]

In November 1936, Bowlus stopped building travel trailers and did not transfer assets to another party.[12]

Approximately half of the original Bowlus travel trailers have survived.[13] In a Scottsdale Gooding & Company auction, a vintage Bowlus Road Chief sold for $187,000.

Modern Era

Bowlus was revived by Geneva Long and her family in 2014.[14] The modern travel trailers are longer, wider and taller than the originals and are lightweight. The new Endless Highways model is described as being the most advanced travel trailer in the world.[15]

The modern-era company is headquartered in Oxnard, California. Each travel trailer is made with birch wood,[16] 2024 T3 aluminum[17] and stainless steel countertops.[18] The company manufactures several versions of the trailer, including the Endless Highways, Endless Highways Performance Edition and the Terra Firma

Technology

The Endless Highway was the first travel trailer to use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries.[19] Endless Highways travel trailers can run for up to two weeks without hookups.

Appearances

A Bowlus Road Chief appeared in the 1935 Hollywood movie Red Salute.[20]

In 2016, Bowlus partnered with Bentley[21] for the launch of the Bentley Bentayga during Monterey Car Week.

In 2017, a Bowlus Endless Highways appeared in a Squarespace commercial that was part of a Super Bowl Advertising Campaign with Keanu Reeves.[22]

Notes and References

  1. News: The Road Chief Is the Ultimate Camper. Neil. Dan. 2015-09-16. The Wall Street Journal. 2019-09-15.
  2. News: On the Road Again. Green. Penelope. 2013-02-13. The New York Times. 2019-09-15.
  3. News: The Bowlus and the Clipper. Schwamborn. Dale. 2015-04-16. 2019-09-15. Airstream blog.
  4. Web site: '30s-inspired aluminum trailer can go off-grid for a week. Barber. Megan. 2017-11-14. Curbed. en. 2019-09-22.
  5. Web site: The Trailer That Inspired the Airstream Is Back, Better Than Ever. Brody. Reuben. 2016-08-15. InsideHook. en-US. 2019-09-30.
  6. News: William Hawley Bowlus (1954). Fogel. Gary. 2016-09-07. Unpublished. 2019-09-23.
  7. Web site: Our Favorite Mobile Device. July 2015 .
  8. Web site: Heritage | Airstream History.
  9. Web site: Peplinski . Joe . A Brief History of the Airstream Company . 18 July 2024.
  10. News: The Road Chief Rides Again: The Lightweight and Modern Trailer with Vintage Roots. Ewing. Mark. 2016-01-27. Forbes.
  11. Web site: Silver Streaks: Wally Byam and Airstream Keep on Rolling. 27 June 2014.
  12. Web site: Airstream inspiration Road Chief puts an off-grid luxury camper on the road. Brown. Bruce. www.digitaltrends.com. 24 June 2019. 2019-09-30.
  13. News: $100,000 Bowlus Road Chief – Sleeker than an Airstream. Arsenovic. Aleksandra. 2013-02-11. Extravaganzi. 2019-09-23.
  14. News: '30s-inspired aluminum trailer can go off-grid for a week. Barber. Megan. 2017-11-14. Curbed. 2019-09-23.
  15. News: Electrified trailer glamps off-grid for days and charges your Tesla, too. Weiss. C.C.. 2016-11-11. New Atlas. 2019-09-23.
  16. News: Bowlus Road Chief updates 1930s classic caravan. Szondy. David. 2013-02-16. New Atlas. 2019-09-23.
  17. News: The Bowlus Road Chief may be the ultimate travel trailer; here's why. Vaughn. Mark. 2016-02-13. Autoweek.
  18. News: How a 20-Something Revived the Bowlus Road Chief. Potter. Everett. 2018-12-11. Forbes.
  19. News: Bowlus Road Chief Lithium+, Is The World's First Lithium Powered Travel Trailer. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170302181844/http://carhoots.com/article/bowlus-road-chief-lithium-is-the-worlds-first-lithium-powered-travel-trailer/. 2017-03-02.
  20. Web site: Bowlus Road Chief Continues Legacy of Longevity. Barger. Ron. 2019-09-30. RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News. en-US. 2019-09-30.
  21. News: Bowlus Road Chief Lithium + Teams With Bentley Bentayga For Monterey Car Week. Ewing. Mark. 2016-09-01. Forbes. 2019-09-23.
  22. Web site: 3 February 2018. Meet the Super Bowlus, the Ultimate Tailgating Aluminum Trailer. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201019160242/https://www.themanual.com/culture/super-bowlus-road-chief-aluminum-trailer/ . 2020-10-19 . 2021-01-25. www.themanual.com.

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