The Ford House-Car

 This  is one of only six Ford House-cars said to have  been made per year in the mid-30's at the Ford  plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, according  to an article in a 1993 "Old Cars"  magazine. Very  few others--perhaps none--remain on the road and  certainly not in such amazing original  condition! When  discovered in a garage under a heavy cover in  northern Minnesota in  August of 2001, it had only 19,000 miles on the  odometer and the owner's manual was still in the  glove box in like-new condition!
The RV  had always been garaged and treated with much  'TLC' as a collector vehicle.
The all  wood lined interior was still the way it  appeared in the '30's complete with framed  photos of the original owner on his travels,  mainly to Florida ,  and his cabin in the North Woods. It also had  other memorabilia from that  era. The  Ford House-car was built on a '37 Ford Pickup  frame and cowling and was powered by a 60 horse  power, flat head V-8 with aluminum heads. The  rear framing is all wood, with the metal skin  wrapped around it. The roof structure is all  wood over which the heavy, waterproofed canvas  top is still very securely fitted. The structure  of the body is solid, appearing to be all oak  hardwood and it's still in a remarkably  unaltered, undamaged  condition! The  door frames are thick, solid oak as are the  window frames although those have been painted  over.
This House-car was a big hit at  this campground once we got that great old  'flattie' V-8 hummin'! Note the expanding roof  (it's that 'extra' roof piece barely visible in  the picture) and the original dark green color,  which has been repainted. All four side windows  open while the back one tilts out in three  positions. The windshield also tilts open at the  bottom for 'natural' AC while  driving.  Here  are a few shots of the Ford House-car on the  road... 

 

 Here's  a look at the interior. It's  a slice right out of 1930's just as the original  owner had it. All  the windows have curtains for privacy and there  are pull-down shades on the back window, as well  as on the driver's and passenger door windows.  Note the wide  storage cabinet under the  bed. 

 

 The  wood headliner gives the 'cabin' a warm and  inviting rustic feel. You can also see it has a  ceiling vent and the canvas expanding roof  portion visible in this picture. Four wood  pieces securely support the expansion when it's  in the 'up' position, while clamps secure it  when it's down while  traveling. 

 

 Note  the cedar branches hanging in the corners to  give the cabin a natural, north woods aroma.  Cabinets and the aluminum sink, that includes a  wooden cover insert, are visible on the left.  All the antiques inside, as well as on the  walls, came along for the ride. Also note the  collapsible table behind the driver's  seat. 

 

Thanks Randy