I posted about the new Winnebago Retro Class A Brave over in General, but no one seemed interested, I thought it was very cool. Brave Any way, here is a link to the History of Winnebago. It has the Era in it. Winnebago
Back in those days they were all narrow bodies - 90" wide I think.
Then the wide-bodies became all the rage - 102". Then the slides came. Then getting over 36' in a gas rig became possible.
Those GMC's were cool - much like my Travato, only more huge. Front wheel drive and a low floor, like a van. People that still have them, love 'em. There's quite the business restoring them.
On my way to work, I notice someone is selling a late 80's/early 90's vintage Airstream motor home. Looks big - like bigger than 34' with a tag axle. They want $27k! It's a beaut though, if you like polishing aluminum.
The retro is quite a bit bigger than the original 19 and 22 footers. That was my parents' first RV and then they later bought a GMC which seemed bigger at 24 foot. In retrospect the originals were closer to B size of today (and they didn't have slides.) BTW, they had louder generators back then too. Ask my former neighbors about that when my parents came to visit. :D
The trend for bigger goes across the board it seems (houses, stadium seats, Big Gulps, etc.) Only the airline industry bucks that trend. ;) In reality, I don't think the auto manufacturers make a chassis anymore that you could build as small as the past for a Class A.
Interior is nowhere near as ugly as the 60s and 70s models really were. Using modern finishing techniques and fabrics, styling is more late 20th century Euro than 60s. Drop down bed a big improvement over 60s pipe hammocks.
Doesn't cost them all that much to mold a front cap with eyebrows, to see if it sells.