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The first post-World War II year of 1946 was noteworthy on many fronts, like the birth of three U.S. presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Donald J. Trump), the first Tupperware sales and Elvis getting his first guitar. He was 11. The baby boom was launched, and manufacturers of war-time equipment adjusted their products to appeal to the everyday folk.
One such company … American Aircraft Products or Aircraft Products/Rolling Homes … turned to crafting a small travel trailer, possibly a forerunner to the recreational vehicle (RV) industry of today. Dubbed the Rolling Homes Invader and apparently only manufactured for two years, this little, now-vintage, travel trailer measures about 10 to 15 feet long. It was built with aircraft-style lightweight aluminum framing and riveted panels.
A New River Valley couple bought their 1946 Invader in rough condition at an online auction about four years ago. It had been sitting a long time, owned by relatives of the original owner. It is rumored to have been built for migrant worker housing, easy to move from job site to job site. Deciding they wanted to use their wee camper, the pair took it to Luke and Madison Underwood, owners of Nomadic Camper and RV Repair in Christiansburg.
“This camper came to us needing everything,” Madison relates, “and we mean EVERYTHING. Rot, water damage, failing floors and systems – most people would have called it done, but we, along with the owners, saw the potential right away.”
Luke and his team went to work. “We stripped it down to the bones, removing the damaged structure, rebuilding the floor system, reframing sections, replacing insulation, updating electrical and installing plumbing. We started the renovation fresh all the way down to a brand-new frame, working our way up,” Luke reports.
And he adds: “This wasn’t just a repair. This was a full resurrection of a 1946 classic. Every project like this takes a team, and we have a wonderful one.” Tanner Jenkins and Tyler Brust were as excited as Luke and Madison to revive this rare, vintage camper.
Tanner handled most of the carpentry and rebuild alongside Luke, while Tyler was the man behind all the systems. From running new electrical and plumbing to installing the furnace, an A/C unit and small refrigerator, Tyler contributed to make it fully functional again. The new frame and axles were made by Radford Welding, and the camper was then outfitted with:
All new wiring and electrical
New frig replacing old ice box
Subfloor and flooring
Furnace (where there was none)
A/C (replacing 12V fan in ceiling)
Custom crafted interior wood walls
Insulation
Restored original metal cabinets
Added propane
Installed new windows
It might be one small travel trailer, but this was one mighty big project. The Invader is, after all, 80 years old and had not been tended to for a long time. “Projects like this contain a lot of problem-solving, and that’s what we loved about it,” states Luke. The only piece of original wood still on the Invader is the screen door. “The tricky part of handcrafting all the wood interior is simply that nothing is square, nothing is standard,” Tanner explains.
On the wiring side of things, Tyler was ultra challenged with the running lights. The company which made them is out of business, and he strived to keep the vintage aesthetic in grinding down a couple lights and converting others to LED. “Wiring from scratch with a couple extra features and amenities and getting to see it all work for the first time was very satisfying,” Tyler declares.
The team at Nomadic Camper and RV Repair reconstructed almost everything, modernized the systems, and added the beautiful wood interior with their goal of “keeping that vintage soul”. The newly scuffed original metal cabinets and original exterior shell contribute to retaining the vintage vibe.
The owners then installed a towel rack and custom cushions and hauled it out for a test run. “We love it,” they declare in unison. No regrets for the auction buy, and all of them – owners and Nomadic’s hard-working, highly-skilled team — are “beyond proud of how it turned out.”
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos by Madison Underwood
Photos by Madison Underwood
