As one ad from the start of the mobile boom noted, “Everything is modern as can be! Smart furnishings, planned by decorators, are the kind you’re proud to show your friends.”
And it wasn’t just the homes themselves that were being pitched — it was the whole suburban lifestyle. The marketers promoted the mobile home park’s neighborly feel, community resources and activities.
“The new mobile home parks are fine neighborhoods, with beautiful landscaping, recreational facilities like swimming pools. Outside in the yard, you can set out a white picket fence… plant a rose garden… do some informal entertaining.”
And it worked. These manufactured homes were parked across the country in “trailer estates” by the millions, which — as it was later noted — often negatively impacted the infrastructure of the area due to congestion and inadequate utilities.
Still, as of 1958, the marketing literature noted, “Now three million people, including young marrieds, engineers, graduate students, construction and industrial workers, professional and military men, retired couples, live in mobile homes.”
Showing off the wonderful life at mobile home parks (1958)
This is typical of the most modern mobile home parks — one reason mobile homes are America’s new way to live!
This new, fast-growing type of suburb really makes for good living. There’s the beautiful landscaping. Recreational facilities like the swimming pool. In the backyards, you’ll see lilac trees, rose gardens, people grilling steaks with the neighbors.
Belonging to a community like this means the privacy — and pride — of owning your own home. Plus smart modern furnishings, the latest-style major appliances, draperies, and carpeting. All this is included in the price of your home, and you may pay only $76 a month.
You can have a waist-level range and oven, garbage disposal, large-capacity refrigerator. There’s a complete bathroom with tub and shower. Other features are automatic heat, air-conditioning, washer-dryer, and television if you like.
Today’s mobile homes are very roomy too. Many measure 10′ by 40′ or more. You can get extra living space with a porch or cabana.
ALSO SEE: 150 vintage 50s house plans used to build millions of mid-century homes we still live in today
1950s mobile home parks
Up-to-date furnishings in every room come with your mobile home
No extra financing needed for appliances, draperies or furniture
A pink mobile home with a patio cover
Trailer homes from 1959
You’re completely “at home” the first day! Attractive suburban life: There are many new mobile home parks with beautiful landscaping, recreational facilities, even swimming pools.
In these friendly communities, you have your own back yard for barbecues, sunbathing, gardening. Buy a mobile home now — have your tulips in bloom this spring!
Ad from the Mobile Homes Manufacturers Assn (MHMA) and the Trailer Coach Association of the West (TCA)
ALSO SEE: Vintage concrete block walls offered privacy & light for mid-century modern homes in the 50s & 60s
Modern housing trend: Luxury mobile living
Now — three million Americans have chosen this modern housing trend: The mobile home
This is the “luxury year” for mobile living. Today’s mobile home is longer, wider, plusher, with more comforts and conveniences than ever before.
A home that’s all modern… all furnished… all your own!
With a Mobile Home, you can start enjoying comfortable, up-to-date living in your own home now . . . this week. And without buying a stick of furniture!
Here’s why: the home plus complete furnishings and appliances for every room are all included in one easy-to-pay price. You may pay only $75 a month or less. There’s no heavy, long-term debt.
Today’s mobile homes are even more modern than many ordinary homes. They have smart, decorator-styled furnishings, contemporary in design.
A kitchen a woman can really be proud of — with a new large-capacity refrigerator, built-in range and oven, twin sinks, Formica counters, disposal. There’s a complete bathroom with tub and shower. Automatic heat, air-conditioning, automatic washer-dryer, built-in TV if you choose.
MORE: See the vintage card tables & folding furniture almost everyone used to have
More and more young couples, military and professional men, students, industrial and construction workers, and retired couples are moving into mobile homes. You can find dealers in your area in the classified ads of your newspapers or yellow pages of your phone book under “Mobile Homes,” “Trailers-House,” or “Trailers-Coach.”
Vintage trailer home park in 1955
Is your bathroom this modern?
MORE: Vintage accordion folding doors divided rooms & filled doorways
Here’s suburban living without long-term debt
A growing living trend with good-looking property, up-to-date homes
It’s a good life in these modern friendly communities. The new mobile home parks offer beautiful landscaping, recreational facilities, even swimming pools in some places.
You have your own backyard — for anything from croquet to growing your own peonies. Mobile homes have the best features of a new ranch home. Smart furnishings, the most modern kitchens.
And mobile homes are roomy — many measure 10′ by 50′. You pay for your home, furnishings, and appliances in one price. It may cost you only $75 a month or less. You avoid large long-term debt.
The most up-to-date kitchen comes with the mobile home
New business opportunities in mobile home parks
Last year 1 out of 10 housing starts was a mobile home. For people who want to own and operate or to invest only, mobile home parks offer steady, increasing returns.
New modern parks are needed today in cities and towns of all sizes throughout the United States, from those of a few thousand to those of a million or more.
Parks of various sizes are needed — 10 to 50 units, 75 to 100, 250 and up. Investment in large parks offers outstanding profits — up to 25%. Or if you’re planning to retire, owning and operating a small park gives you a fine source of supplemental income.
Moreover, it provides a personal interest for you, as well as a good place to live and meet people. Send NOW for information on planning and building a modern park.
MORE: What did a 1950s suburban house look like? Feast your eyes on this fab prefab home built in 1958
Mobile homes in the 1960s
Your own new home and today’s most modern home furnishings and appliances. All this is included in the one easy-to-pay price of a mobile home. You may pay only $75 a month or even less.
And here are the other up-to-date features of this new living trend:
1. Your major appliances. You can have a built-in or conventional oven-range and large capacity refrigerator-freezer, a latest-model automatic washer-dryer.
2. Smart furnishing styles — a wide variety from which to choose. Living room and bedroom furniture, drapes, carpeting, lamps, even TV can be included.
3. Really convenient kitchen designs. Twin sinks with disposal, counter areas and cupboards in just the right places, along with your up-to-date appliances.
4. Attractive bathrooms — tiled, complete with tub and shower.
5. Automatic heat– and air-conditioning, if you like.
6. Plenty of room! Mobile homes measure up to 10′ x 50′ (and more). You can have from 1 to 3 bedrooms.
7. Modern friendly suburban life.
8. Your own yard, with room for a good-sized lawn, a garden, barbecues, even a white picket fence!
9. Easy “shopping”! Browse through new homes at local dealers, listed in the yellow pages of your phone book and classified newspaper section under “Mobile Homes,” “Trailers-House,” or “Trailers-Coach.”
All over the country, you’ll find new mobile home parks … beautifully landscaped, complete communities. Many have their own shopping centers.
Mobile Homes Manufacturers Assn., Chicago, Illinois – Please send 1960 Edition MOBILE LIFE, with information on models of 75 manufacturers, mobile home parks and living.
A trailer park swimming pool from the 60s (1965)
Right now… see the most modern furnishing styles in The New Mobile Home
Vintage 60s mobile home parks in Rhode Island and California
1960s mobile home neighborhood fun and recreation (1966)
Enjoy carefree living in a V.I.I. mobile home! (1960)
MORE: See the mid-century modern Scholz Mark ’60 home from 1960, inside & out
All ready for the bride! Furniture & appliances included
Mobile single-wide home with patio cover and carport
Today’s easy-to-own mobile home: Complete with furnishings, brand-name appliances (1965)
NOW SEE THIS: See 125 vintage 60s home plans used to design & build millions of mid-century houses across America
13 Responses
Question; Do you know the length of the average single-wide small two-bedroom trailer was in 1957-58? Curious, 40 or 50 feet?
Our Travelo was 36′ long. It was bought in 1948. Then in 1958 we bought a General that was still two bedroom. and 45′ long. Sometimes, the lots in the trailer parks determined length allowed. Each era brought longer trailer pads. Some older parks were limited if they couldn’t obtain the land to expand for longer pad/lots.
I have a 10 x 40 mobile home manufactured by J_S mobile homes 18033 S. santa fe ave. compton ca. trying to find info on manufacture for building dept. thanks for any help
I have a 1957 Pan Am mobile home. I am looking for door latch (es). The home is set in a gated campground in Washington State. Has original wood through-out the kitchen and both bedrooms (that is why we have not taken it out and replaced it with something newer and more modern). Up grades have been minimum and sparse. Want to keep it’s fine lines. I have plans to update single pane windows with double pane sliders. Three overheads vents that don’t work are to be converted to skylights. The original stove top and separate oven were replaced by a range/oven piece (looks great with it’s black and stainless). I am looking for info on salvage yards and suppliers that still manufacture obsolete parts. Stay safe
There are metal 3D printers out there nowadays (that use metal powder instead of plastic filament as used for standard 3D printing), and if you can find a machine shop or 3D printing service that has one, they could possibly scan/digitize your existing latch (or design/model a new STL file from scratch to print from) and be able to “print” a new one up for you from it.
what was the ceiling made of in the 50s and 60s mobile homes and did they contain asbestos
I want to know how the mobile home roofs were made..I have a leak and want to know what I might find.
Iam looking. For a mobile trailer. From 1960. To. 1967. Single. Wide. Please. Respond iam working. On a project.
Thank. You.
I have a 1965 Melody 2 bdrm (not in great shape now) that I need to find the original (or a round about average) price for… cant find the title… 12×54 or 60. trying to evaluate the depreciation value.
I have a 1957 flamingo 44′ needing full restoration. It is located in Buellton Ca. along the coast. Taking offers. All reasonable offers accepted. Pictures available.
I have a 1965 Presidential mobile home in North East Florida. It has a title, but not much information is on it. Does anyone know anything about these? It’s a 2/1
I have a 30’ish foot travel trailer, manufactured in 1957, that I want to find the manufacturer. The front and rear have rounded off ends; the front and back doors have round windows. Inside, the cabinetry all have rounded corners; the shower was separated from the sink and toilet by a shower curtain and the entire inside of the trailer has a real wood Ash veneer. It is not an Airstream but kind of reminds you of that style. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.
After my father came back from Europe in 1945, he purchased ( what I was told ) either a TVA worker’s trailer, or one that was used by Southern Railway construction crews. As best I remember, there was a pull-out on either side. I seem to remember cables that were used to extend or retract the slide-outs. It would have been around eight feet wide and twenty something feet long. It had a small kitchen at the back end with a back door. No bathroom.
The construction was thick fiberboard in some areas ( as remembered by a five year old ) and my father painted it yearly with aluminum paint.
I have a picture of me sitting on the trailer tongue where I think the propane tank(s) were located.
I’m trying to find more information ( manufacturer and pictures ) of my first home . It was probably the cheapest housing my father could find. My father was just back from the war and jobs were probably hard to find.
I would appreciate any help finding more about this trailer from 1946.
Don Roden Huntsville, Alabama