The 1927 Holt Travel Trailer Is an Amazing Piece of RV History, Was Never Used for Camping
People have always camped for fun and relaxation, but the pastime gained great popularity in the late 19th century when more individuals saw it as a great way to escape the urban environment and reconnect with nature.
In this piece, we’re going to shine a spotlight on a remarkable piece of RV history that is mostly unknown to the general public. Meet the Holt Travel Trailer, a recreational vehicle prototype that was developed in 1927 and perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the era, but sadly, it was never actually used for camping.
The name of the trailer is derived from its creator, a certain John Holt from Farmington, Pennsylvania. As it turns out, the man started construction of this one-of-a-kind trailer in his barn in 1927. His intention was to create a prototype that would consequently be mass-produced, but his plans never came to fruition. This unit is the only one ever made. Actually, Mr. Holt never even got to finish the prototype due to the onset of the Great Depression, which entailed serious financial struggles.
The builder drew inspiration for the design from the railroad cars of the time and did register the travel trailer for the road in 1935, at which point it was approximately 90 percent complete. However, he eventually abandoned the project and the unfinished travel trailer has remained in the family’s barn for the following eight decades. Rooms were built around it and Holt’s grandchildren used it as a play house.
It sat on blocks inside that barn, with never a tire on its original wheels, until 2009, when it was pulled out by Mr. Holt’s granddaughter because the family was selling the property. Luckily, it was spotted and bought by vintage travel trailer collectors Steven and Janay Katkowsky.
The Katkowskys lovingly refurbished it, giving it the stunning good looks of the trailers of the 1930s and decorating it with period-correct accoutrements, and put it on display at their private museum near Santa Cruz, California. At some point, the vintage RV was also displayed at the famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Beverly Hills, California, and it was finally donated to the Murphy Auto Museum in 2019.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
We know nothing about Mr. Holt’s background and if he had any previous experience in building campers, but the design for this travel trailer is quite brilliant. Built on an 18′ single-axle chassis, it measures 21 feet in length, 7 feet in width, and 8.3 feet in height, with a weight of approximately 3,000 pounds. It sports a wood-frame construction and a canvas-covered plywood skin, and its underpinnings consist of 1927 Pontiac running gear that includes the axle, leaf springs, and wood-spoke wheels. The trailer has no brakes.
It also boasts a railcar-style covered platform with metal railings at the back, offering enough space for a couple of chairs to provide campers with a front-row seat to stunning views.
During the refurbishment, the trailer was reskinned in 1/4″ plywood, the exterior was painted in two-tone patina-inspired yellow and green with a black canvas-covered roof, and the vintage wheels were wrapped in 475/500-18″ Goodrich Silvertown Cord tires. A hitch was also added during the restoration process, and comes equipped with a cool steamer trunk platform, a trailering harness, a 2″ ball coupler, and a manual tongue jack. Other additions on the outside include running lights, turn signals, and brake lights.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
As charming as the retro exterior might be, the interior will leave you baffled, especially if you’re a vintage travel trailer enthusiast. The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful woodwork inside, from the wood-planked ceilings and walls to the hardwood floors and the period cabinetry.
You can get inside either through a side door or using the second door at the rear, from the covered observation platform. The layout is completely open and as straightforward as they come, with a forward lounge area and an aft kitchenette. There is a sofa and chairs in the lounge, while the kitchen offers a period-correct cooking space accoutered with an Eureka countertop electric range, a Caloric No. 18 two-burner gas stove, and several smaller appliances, such as a toaster and waffle iron.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The people who did the restoration basically brought this amazing piece of history back to life. They cleaned, sanded, and sealed all the wooden elements inside the travel trailer, rewired it and installed a pair of three-bulb overhead fixtures, wall sconces, and an art deco smoking stand with dual lamps, and added a slew of amenities and accessories that transformed it into a time machine. Some of these accessories include a hand-pump fire extinguisher, a console radio, a freestanding electric floor heater, a period canister vacuum cleaner, and a Cunningham clothes iron receptacle.
The Murphy Auto Museum Foundation recently put this unique 1927 Holt Travel Trailer up for sale, and it sold for a meager $41,000, though it had reportedly been appraised at over $100,000.
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