How the Winnebago Shaped Americans’ Passion for Road Trips

Americans have shared a love for packing up a travel trailer or motorhome and taking entire families on road trips for generations.  With a surge of popularity in the 1960’s, “let’s take out the Winnie” became a common phrase sure to bring smiles to young and old alike.  How did this one RV company gain such notoriety?

It all began back in Forest City, Iowa in the 1950’s.  At that time, Iowa, like many rural American states, was desperately looking for ways to give more people employment.  An avid businessman, John Hanson, came up with a novel idea.  In his own free time, Hanson enjoyed taking his family on vacation in their modest Aljo travel trailer.  Why not build a company right there in Iowa that would employ local people to produce affordable travel trailers so more Middle Americans could enjoy this same pastime with their families?

On February 12, 1958, Modernistic Industries was born.  Their production doors opened with only 17 employees but that was sufficient to be the beginning of something great.  Their first 15-foot towable travel trailer was released with a sticker price of $895.  In 1961, Modernistic Industries changed its name to Winnebago Industries, Inc.

Hanson’s idea was spot on.  During the 1960’s, families across the United States flocked to campsites with packed travel trailers in droves.  As an illustration, Winnebago delivered approximately $1 million worth of RVs to dealers during all of 1961.  By 1968, demand required them to deliver that same amount to dealers each day.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia about Winnebago.  Did you know the original Winnebago models were built on pickup truck chassis?  In 1966, Winnebago released their first motorhome, the F19, with a design built on a Ford Chassis.  The next year, the D22 was built on a Dodge chassis.  Their design was strong, affordable, and sustainable.

Winnebago has achieved continued success in the RV market due to their intense customer-centric model.  Their vision is to be the trusted leader in outdoor lifestyle solutions by providing unmatched innovation, quality, and service in the industries they engage.  Today, the Winnebago logo on an RV continues to be widely recognizable and brings families together in a shared love for adventure and the outdoors.

Keep your investment safe with DuraFlap Winnebago RV Mudflaps

Regardless of the make and model of the RV you have chosen for your family, DuraFlap is here to help keep it safe and sound on the road.  Properly fitting Winnebago RV mudflaps are essential to keep dirt, mud, or snow from collecting in the wheel wells and undercarriage, as well as preventing rocks and debris from kicking up and damaging your RV or toad.

Our wheel well mud flaps are constructed of high-quality polyethylene/rubber material and custom made to fit our customer’s specifications.  Rear mud flaps feature 14-gauge galvanized backing plates with a reinforcement bend to optimize strength and protection against road hazards.

DuraFlap carries many original equipment manufacturer designed mudflaps or we can easily incorporate your own custom artwork.

Order now and save money!

To make adding RV mudflaps even easier, we’re offering a 10% discount on your mudflap purchase with coupon code “Staying Home.”  Offer available for a limited time, so contact us today!