The Bowlus Road Chief, the original riveted travel trailer designed by Hawley Bowlus in 1934 inspired a host of aluminum competitors including Airstream, Streamline, Silver Streak, Avion and Spartan. There’s a mad brilliance to what designer John Long has accomplished in resurrecting the Bowlus Road Chief to make it the most aerodynamic,
lightweight, luxury travel trailer available today.
Last year, Long officially launched the new Bowlus Road Chief, which features the classic streamline, moderne riveted aluminum design updated with luxurious interior finishes along with every convenience to support an active, digital life.
“The new Bowlus Road Chief will inspire people to rethink luxury travel,” said Long, at the time on the road with his family in the Road Chief. The path to the launch of the Bowlus Road Chief began when Long embarked on a painstaking 10-year restoration on his own 1935 Bowlus Road Chief. His passions led to writing a book on the Road Chief history along with securing the rights to the brand.
Launching the Bowlus Road Chief as a business was the natural next step for Long and his family who are backed by two decades of entrepreneurial success in the design and technology fields along with a shared passion for vintage automobiles, photography and design. “We’ve been truly overwhelmed by the response to the new Bowlus Road Chief,” says Long.
The original Bowlus trailer was the brainchild of Hawley Bowlus, who started his career designing sailplanes and is well known for building Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. His fascination with aircraft construction led him to design and build the first all aluminum riveted travel trailer.
Long and a carefully assembled team of craftspeople and designers have now embarked on the second leg of the Bowlus journey seamlessly integrating advanced technology with classic American design. The new Bowlus Road Chief includes clever storage options for laptops, and tablets and sports gear such as bikes and paddleboards. It has all the luxuries expected of today’s adventurer including solar panels, central heating, indoor/outdoor showers and a cook’s kitchen. The new Bowlus Road Chief is rolling art, and is all you need whether you’re escaping for an afternoon of
inspiration or an ambitious adventure cross country.
