1966 Simplify Travel Home Motorhome Listed for Sale

A 1966 Simplify Travel Home motorhome has been listed for sale. The rare aluminum-bodied recreational vehicle is based on a Ford chassis and powered by a big block Ford 428 FE V8 engine.

This 30-foot example appears to remain in largely original condition. Simplify built both RVs and travel trailers, never achieving the fame of Airstream or Winnebago but becoming a major industry player. Their aluminum creations are now considered highly collectible.

The Simplify Company's History

The Simplify Trailer Company operated from El Monte, California, for 17 years. Founder James Victor "Pat" Patterson had previously worked for the Curtis Wright Company, where Airstream's Wally Byam designed a trailer. After Curtis Wright closed, Patterson and partners bought the rights to the Clipper travel trailer design and formed the Silver Streak Trailer Company.

Patterson was bought out in 1957. He then founded the Simplify Trailer Manufacturing Company with Harry Lovett. Simplify trailers featured rounded, riveted aluminum shells with distinctive gold anodized trim. The company sponsored an owners' club called the Simplify Royal Rovers, which organized caravans.

The Travel Home Motorhome

The Travel Home motorhome debuted in the mid-1960s. It placed the company's signature aluminum body onto a conventional one-ton Ford chassis with a gasoline V8 engine. A common model was the 30-footer on a 193-inch Ford wheelbase.

Karl Blade, who later took over the Newell company, said the motorhomes were not big sellers for Simplify. Marque experts estimate total production at roughly 70 to 80 units.

In 1967, Simplify sold its Travel Home division to L.K. Newell, an Oklahoma concrete-block manufacturer. Newell's first priority was eliminating the Ford front-engine chassis. He introduced a rear-engine coach in 1971 and a rear-engine diesel in 1972 before selling the firm in 1973. The Simplify trailer company continued until early 1974.

This 1966 Example

This specific 1966 Simplify Travel Home reportedly spent its early years in California and Arizona with its first owner. It moved to Washington in 1990, where it sat off the road for over two decades. The seller purchased it from the original owner's son and moved it to North Carolina in 2024 for recommissioning. The odometer shows approximately 58,000 miles.

Substantial mechanical work has been completed since 2024. This includes carburetor repairs, a re-cored radiator, and rebuilt starter and alternator. New water and fuel pumps, replacement fuel tanks, and new ignition components were installed. The FMX automatic transmission was rebuilt, and brake work was performed.

The interior retains a largely period-original cabin. It features a convertible sofa, a booth dinette, a rear bed, and a kitchenette. Twin front captain's chairs, a CB radio, and a Sanyo cassette stereo are installed. The kitchen contains a Magic Chef oven and four-burner cooktop, a double sink, and an electric/propane refrigerator. The bathroom includes a toilet, sink, and a combined shower and tub.

The seller suggests the interior could use a significant refresh, describing it as a rolling restoration rather than a turnkey RV. The vehicle is offered for sale from Morganton, North Carolina, with a clean North Carolina title.