One of the earliest motorized vehicles equipped for camping was called the Touring Landau, built by the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company beginning in 1910. This chauffeur-driven luxury auto included such deluxe camping appointments as a folding washbasin attached to the back of the front seat; a holding tank for fresh water; a toilet (chamber pot-style — a predecessor to the portable potty) under one rear seat and a box containing a luncheon kit under the other side; storage boxes in place of the usual running boards; and a rear seat that could be folded down to make a bed.
These vehicles sold for $8,250 plus all accessories, at a time when the common Model T Ford could be purchased for well under $1,000.
These vehicles sold for $8,250 plus all accessories, at a time when the common Model T Ford could be purchased for well under $1,000.