'73 Holiday Rambler

Dklingler wrote:

Holiday Rambler produced 5 series of travels in 1973. These where the Holiday Vacationer, Holiday Traveler, Holiday Rambler, Royal Holiday and the Holiday Rambler Park Model. All models where very well built with the Holiday Rambler, Royal and Park Model having Aluminum frame construction and the Traveler had Aluminum frame construction as an option other wise it was a wood frame trailer. The vacationer series was a wood frame but it had the distinction with in the industry of not using what is called stick and tin construction.

What I can tell you about their products is they where very strong and well built. All frames at that time use heavy wall 6" box steel from the hitch to the rear bumper with heavy cross member from front to rear. Solid floor construction with insulated underbelly except on the Vacationer. The side wall use Holidays rambler Alumaframe Construction, which is made up of an aluminum frame that increased strength, eliminated the problem of wood rot and improved drastically the ability to heat and cool the unit. To the aluminum frame was laminated a 1/2" fome-cor insulation, vapor and frost barrier to the inside of the coach and a thermolite barrier to the outside with the aluminum skin mechanically fasten to the frame. In the cavity between the studs would be filled with fiberglass insulation that specially made to not sage over time. It made for a quiet and warm or cool unit to be in. In 1973 all exterior surfaces on all Holiday products had side walls, roof front and rear caps and underbelly of aluminum.

My spec book for 1973 shows that the 31' holiday Rambler had a weight of 5145lbs from the factory and a hitch weight of 680 lbs. The fresh water system at this time used a pressure tank instead of a demand pump like units being built today. Typical these water tanks where 30 gallons but there was an option for a larger tank of 45 gallons. The black and gray tanks where 30 galloons and the water heater was 8 gallons.

I would think this trailer has had modification made to over the years and I would expect the appliances to ether have been changed or show a pretty good amount of use by now. The advantage you have is the structure of this coach will be strong even after nearly 40 years of use and should give you many year of service into the future with some care. Frankly if the price is right and it looks good I wouldn't hesitate to make the purchase.

I have the complete product information books on Holiday Rambler product of this year and all the technical drawing and many of the build orders at my finger tips if you find you need more information.

Doug

Hello Doug and anyone with information.

We just purchased what I believe to be a rare unit to fix up and use full time. From what little I can find out it is a 32 foot 1976 Holiday Rambler Park Model with two tip outs? It is completely intact, has been in two parks here in south Florida all of its life! Probably towed less than 15 miles over 36 years!

We have fulltimed it for the last year in a 2001 Coachman 28 foot bunk house. Our family consist of 4, me, my wife and our two son 14 and 3. We quickly discovered the Coachman is way too small! We do like the simpler less cluttered lifestyle and this opportunity arose to buy the classic Holiday Rambler Park.

I found one sheet from an old magazine with a picture of the outside, that is all I can find as in history and facts on these units, any light is a plus.

It is structurally sound, all the skin and underbelly is intact, the interior needs painted and some tile and carpet. The ceiling is in very good shape, the roof appears to have been well maintained, so no leaks. The floors are all solid, the kitchen cabinets and hall cabinets are original. The stove, refrigerator and instant water heater have been replaced in the last couple of years with modern equivalents.

The living room has a sliding glass door that appear original?? There appears to have not been any built in in the living room or back bedroom? What was there originally to make good use of the space?? The living room tilt out is almost 4 foot deep and 99 inch long, the bedroom tilt out is the same dept but 65 inches long. The tip out appear to be fiberglass?

We will be setting it up on our lot this weekend and will know a lot more. It does have a conventional toilet with sewer hook up for all drainage It looks almost like a travel trailer but has a higher front roof, tip outs and convention plumbing and non rv frig and bigger propane stove and oven.

We hope to restore it and preserve a strange little bit of the Seventies Travel Trailer Industry. I will post picture soon

Dennis