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The Practical Motorhome Hall of Fame: the Hunt Housecar (1937-1945)

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There are some disputed statistics concerning this inductee into the Hall of Fame.

What is indisputable is that these shiny silver A-class motorhomes were designed and fitted out under the supervision of famous Hollywood cameraman Roy Hunt.

Officially J. Roy Hunt, it appears that he didn’t ever use his first name ‘John’ professionally.

Originally a movie theatre (cinema) owner, he was always fascinated by cinematography and later became renowned for his attention-to-detail and sophisticated camera techniques. Shooting movie film was a lengthy affair 90 years ago with many nights spent on location, often in rather uncomfortable accommodation.

This was the catalyst for him to design and build his first Housecar – an early name for what became known as RVs (Recreational Vehicles). He applied aeronautical design techniques to the coachwork, which was riveted aluminium over a spaceframe. The interior cabinetry was all handmade from birch ply.

The interior of a Hunt Housecar
Beautifully finished interior has all mod-cons including an early cathode-ray monitor, not used for broadcast TV but for film editing. This example is on public view at the RV Museum, Elkhart, Indiana, USA

This was stained and then coated in a gloss lacquer not unlike today’s yacht varnish. Unsurprisingly, the original Housecar received a lot of admiration, and as a result, a production run was commissioned.

It is widely regarded in America as the first commercial motorcaravan with a working shower. Quoted production numbers vary between 20 and 50.

Don’t miss two other recent inductees either, the Manhattan Motorcoaches Tardis (2001-2003) and the Ford Thames 400E Airborne (1960-1965).

Spec of the Hunt Housecar by J Roy Hunt.

  • Manufactured 1937-1945 in Southern California, USA.
  • Ford (truck) ladder chassis, A-class integral body.
  • Mercury V8 ‘flat-head’ petrol engine, manual gearbox, rear-wheel-drive.
  • Overall length: 5.49m (18’ 0”).
  • Unladen weight: 2500kg.

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