A Thin Piece of Canvas: What Two Trips to the RV/MH Hall of Fame Taught Me About My Own Road

I’ve been to the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana, twice now. The first time was in August with my friend Jennifer Schillaci. Two weeks later I went back with my friends the Silbersteins, who run the channel On the Road with A & O. I wanted to show them some of what I’d seen, help them get content for their channel, and see the parts I missed the first time around.

If you watched my video from the first trip, you’ve already walked through the museum with me. This post is about what stuck with me after I got back in the driver’s seat.

The Rig That Always Stops Me

Every time I walk in, it’s the same two rigs that stop me in my tracks: the covered wagon and the sheep wagon.

Think about what those folks faced in the 1800s and early 1900s. A trip west that takes us three or four days today took them six to nine months, with oxen, mules, or horses doing the pulling. There was no getting out of the weather. Cold, rain, heat, snow, and the only thing between them and all of it was a thin piece of canvas.

Today, when the weather turns, I close Bertie Bea’s door and turn up the heat. Those people didn’t have walls. They kept going anyway.

Standing in front of that wagon, you realize the urge to travel this way, carrying your home with you, isn’t new. It’s as old as the country.

What I Missed the First Time

On the second trip, I made it into the Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame, which I didn’t get to with Jennifer. I also found a couple of halls I hadn’t seen before, with modern all-electric Class B motorhomes.

So in one building, you can stand in front of a wagon pulled by oxen and then walk over to a motorhome that runs on a battery. That’s quite a span.

The Library

I think I got just about everything on video, but there’s one place I could have spent a whole lot longer: the library.

If you want to research anything RV, that’s where you go. They have just about every published RV periodical from the 1950s forward. I really appreciate the history that’s curated and maintained there, not only in the library but in every rig on that museum floor. Somebody cared enough to save all of it.

Next time I’m back in Elkhart, I’m donating a set of my Rolling Smooth books to that library.

Something Missing

Bertie Bea is a Tiffin, so it was telling that there wasn’t a Tiffin in the museum. That could be because Tiffins are built in Red Bay, Alabama, not Elkhart, Indiana.

My Own Little Museum

Walking through all that history, I couldn’t help thinking about my own rigs.

The RV story started small. Rigs grew as people got comfortable with what these recreational vehicles could do. Mine went the same way. In 2020 I started out in Bessie, a 25-foot Class C with no slides. Then came Bertha, a 32-foot Class C. Now it’s Bertie Bea, a Class A that measures 36 feet 6 inches, with Rosie riding along behind.

Six years and 100,000 miles later, I’m still learning, just like everybody who came before me in that building. The covered wagon folks learned the hard way. Hopefully we can learn a little easier by sharing what we know.

If You’re Passing Through Elkhart

• Give it time. Plan on four to six hours to see everything in the museum.
• Bring the big rig. There’s plenty of parking, with room for big rigs to stop and spend the night.
• Don’t skip the library if you love RV history.

Safe travels, my friends, and remember: not all who wander are lost.

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If you want the lessons I’ve learned on my own road, from Bessie to Bertie Bea, they’re in my Rolling Smooth books: https://bit.ly/rollingsmooth