1961 Holiday House Geographic Model X Was the Trailer for the Rich, a Futuristic Unicorn

Here is one RV that you can’t find and, even if you did, few could probably afford it. This is the 1961 Holiday House Geographic, also known as Model X (no relation to today’s Model X), and arguably one of the rarest trailers in the world. At the time it was introduced by Medford, Oregon-based company Holiday House, which had been set up in 1959 by President of the Harry & David fruit company, David Holmes, it was aptly described as “the trailer for the rich.”

The Geographic was also futuristic and feature-packed, and stood out from all the other trailers at the time. It was and is, to this day, a unicorn on wheels, with a fiberglass body and an instantly recognizable silhouette. It is a true collectible of which only two examples survive to this day, and both are located in private collections.

The Harry & David fruit company was in the business of selling (duh) fruit. The owners got the idea to expand onto the recreational vehicles market and, in 1959, launched the Holiday House company. For the 1960 and 1961 model years, some 200 units in total were produced, of varied sizes and with various features that appealed to a wide palette of customers. Holiday House trailers were popular, despite the low production numbers so, in mid-1960, the more expensive version was introduced, the Geographic.

Described as the “trailer for the rich,” it was designed by BMW race car designer Chuck Pelly, and it came with a price tag of $8,500, at a time when houses were only a couple thousand more expensive. Consequently, of the two models produced and showcased around the country, neither sold.

The showcase model ended up with a Holiday House employee at a discount, after the company shut down, and was fully restored in 2007, before selling to a private collector and shipping to France a few years later. Reports say that the restoration was true to the original, including the teak woodwork, and kitchen appliances like the Norcold refrigerator, the Magic Chef oven and dual “fold out” Magic Chef cooktops.

The other example was considered lost until 2016. The incomplete examples inside the Holiday House factory, which may have been as few as seven and as many as 11, depending on which account you believe, were destroyed in a factory fire that also spelled the end of the RV business. The molds were saved from the fire, but were destroyed by the owners at a later time.

The lost Geographic, the one that was discovered by chance in 2016, underwent a two-year restoration and upgrade by Flyte Camp in Bend, Oregon, and sold in 2018 for $250,000. It is the one shown in the photo gallery and in the video below, which marks the moment when the original designer, Pelly, set foot in it after six decades. Consider this the reunion you never knew you wanted to see.

The restoration process was incredibly challenging due to the state of the trailer: when it was discovered by mere chance, it had been sitting in a field for more than 15 years, being used as storage for spare parts. It was so covered in green mold it was hardly recognizable.

The team at Flyte Camp conducted the restoration from the frame up, trying to stay true to the original but offering modern upgrades. The unit received new axles, brakes, and wheels with whitewall trailer tires, as well as a vintage-looking awning. The interior was decked in black walnut wood, hardwood floors, marmoleum floor in the bathroom and a teak hardwood shower, stainless steel countertops and finishes. The original light sconces were fitted with LED lights, and some cabinetry was removed to make the space more livable.

Speaking of, the L-shaped couch and the gaucho couch sleep a total of four people when extended, and offer plenty of room to move about when folded. The kitchen is fully functional, with a two-burner cooktop, a sink and a hidden three-way fridge. The bathroom is perhaps the fanciest retro bathroom you’re ever likely to see on a trailer, and that should say it all.

This Geographic doesn’t just look good: there’s an LP on-demand hot water heater, and generous holding tanks for off-grid living, a battery pack with an inverter and solar panel compatibility, air-conditioning, a 32” TV screen, surround sound and DVD / Bluetooth stereo system. All these are ingeniously hidden from view, so that the retro charm isn’t diminished.

Before it sold and went away with its collector owner, this Geographic was featured in several magazines and television shows. Not that its one-of-two status or its sheer beauty weren’t enough to turn it into a proper celebrity.