By Tim Heintz – Southeast TCT Regional Representative
So many brands copied one another and can look identical….can you tell the differences? If you can then tell us which ones are which brands
They are all between 1958-1962 and they even all use the exact same style and size of rectangle cast brand emblem in the exact same place
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Sunset was built in Goshen and Yellowstone was built not too far away in Wakarusa….The two are very similar but I have never found any connection between the two brands
Kemberly Coaches were just as similar in design to Yellowstones and they were also built in Wakarusa so seems everyone close by was copying Yellowstone.
I didn’t see any airfloats !
We need to remember. These start up RV builders were just common factory workers. Many had carpentry skills! There was no design department. My brother was a plumber by trade. His partner was a bookkeeper. They went from building their first unit in a 2 stall garage in Elkhart in a time period of a few months. To building 10 units a day. Time span? Maybe 1 year! They did everything. They worked the line. They sold units at trailer shows. They even delivered the units. There was no magical formula! Just HARD work! I started working for them when I turned 16. After school 2PM-10PM. Come in clean the shop and build cabinets for the morning workers. My uncle was part owner of Yellowstone! I would bet he had something to do with Kemberly also. A friends dad worked for Skyline in the 60s. He Started his own company. A few short years and a lot of HARD work and he sold his company for millions. Lots of millionaires made in Elkhart Indiana. And the joke was…. they were all funny dressers. Loud plaids sport coats and white shoes. Remember! There were just bunches of RV makers here! Very few made a go of it!