Photo: German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) / Wikimedia Commons
Man has always dreamed of being able to travel and, if possible, to do so in comfort and preferably surrounded by all the amenities he would have back home and plenty of people. Despite what tiny home and motorhome makers tell you, this isn’t new.
These past couple of years have seen an unexpected surge in demand for all types of mobile abodes, from the smallest campers and tents to burly overlanders, luxurious motorhomes, and permanent living solutions like tiny homes. As the international health crisis hit in early 2020, it became clear that man (and woman) would need to reevaluate most of the things they’d taken for granted until then, including how they traveled, lived, worked, and experienced the great outdoors.
As a result of this boom in demand, the number of available options has increased – and continues to do so. Today, you can find any type of mobile home you want, depending on your budget and exact needs. That’s a good thing. But it’s not new.
The first motorhomes and RVs came out in the 1890s and were directly inspired by the gypsy caravans that had long wandered the roads, before the automobile even appeared. Like those, they were smaller in size and looked more like crowded spaces in which you threw in everything you needed to get by on the road. Starting with the 1920s, actual motorhomes started popping up, and today’s example of Blast From the Past is believed to be one of the first.
It’s called the Fahrbares Landhaus and it was used to travel around in Germany. The only photo of it dates back to 1922. You can see it attached to this article, courtesy of the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) and Wikimedia Commons.
The Fahrbares Landhaus was not just a caravan, it was an actual, quite complex home constructed on top of a motor vehicle and a single-axle trailer. It was a family home, too, and it was made of a living room, three bedrooms, and a full kitchen. There’s no mention of a bathroom in the description from the German Federal Archive, but these were the early 1920s: it’s safe to assume they were used to going number 1 and 2 in less comfort than we are today.
What stands out about the Fahrbares Landhaus is the incredible attention to detail. It was less like today’s motorhomes, and more like a tiny house, with wood cladding, house-like windows, flower pots outside the same windows, a loft with its own little balcony, a chimney poking out of the roof, and fancy woodwork. Even by today’s standards, this was a complex and impressive build, though it was probably less impressive when it came to hitting the road. But it was probably comfortable for the entire family and, in the end, this probably made all the difference.
As a result of this boom in demand, the number of available options has increased – and continues to do so. Today, you can find any type of mobile home you want, depending on your budget and exact needs. That’s a good thing. But it’s not new.
The first motorhomes and RVs came out in the 1890s and were directly inspired by the gypsy caravans that had long wandered the roads, before the automobile even appeared. Like those, they were smaller in size and looked more like crowded spaces in which you threw in everything you needed to get by on the road. Starting with the 1920s, actual motorhomes started popping up, and today’s example of Blast From the Past is believed to be one of the first.
It’s called the Fahrbares Landhaus and it was used to travel around in Germany. The only photo of it dates back to 1922. You can see it attached to this article, courtesy of the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) and Wikimedia Commons.
The Fahrbares Landhaus was not just a caravan, it was an actual, quite complex home constructed on top of a motor vehicle and a single-axle trailer. It was a family home, too, and it was made of a living room, three bedrooms, and a full kitchen. There’s no mention of a bathroom in the description from the German Federal Archive, but these were the early 1920s: it’s safe to assume they were used to going number 1 and 2 in less comfort than we are today.
What stands out about the Fahrbares Landhaus is the incredible attention to detail. It was less like today’s motorhomes, and more like a tiny house, with wood cladding, house-like windows, flower pots outside the same windows, a loft with its own little balcony, a chimney poking out of the roof, and fancy woodwork. Even by today’s standards, this was a complex and impressive build, though it was probably less impressive when it came to hitting the road. But it was probably comfortable for the entire family and, in the end, this probably made all the difference.
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