Who is Geneva Long and how did she start Bowlus?

Geneva Long is the CEO and founder of Bowlus. She made the decision to revive the brand at 21 years old while finishing her degree at Wharton, inspired by a cross country trip in a restored 1935 Bowlus Road Chief her family had purchased and restored years earlier.

Who was Hawley Bowlus and what did he create?

Hawley Bowlus was an American designer, engineer, and aircraft builder who introduced the Bowlus Road Chief in 1934, the world's first riveted aluminum travel trailer. The design was so advanced that more than a dozen companies attempted to copy it without success. Bowlus closed the trailer business during World War II to support the aerospace industry, but more than half of the trailers he built in the 1930s are still in use today.

What was the deeper motivation behind reviving the brand?

Geneva wanted to build something that would last generations in a world where most products are designed to be replaced. Her goal was to bring aerospace and yacht level standards to RVs and prove that an American company could produce something so well engineered it could compete with anything made anywhere in the world.

Did Geneva have a manufacturing background when she started?

No. She assembled a team of designers, structural engineers, aluminum specialists, aircraft builders, race car and sailboat craftspeople, and experienced service technicians to provide that expertise. She also brought her parents out of retirement, who contributed a significant technology background.

What is the connection between the original 1930s Bowlus and the trailers built today?

The connection is engineering, not nostalgia. The aerodynamic shape Hawley designed in the 1930s remains the most aerodynamic in the RV world, and the lightweight construction philosophy is the reason modern Bowlus owners achieve the longest EV range and best fuel economy of any full size travel trailer on the market.

Where is Bowlus designed and built today?

Bowlus designs and builds in Oxnard, California, with a multi generational team of craftspeople. The company is family held, with its only showroom in Santa Barbara and a fully mobile service network supporting owners across every state and internationally.

Who were the first Bowlus owners and why does that matter?

One of the first modern Bowluses went to a couple who had previously owned another aluminum travel trailer and wanted more. They took a significant leap of faith buying from a brand that had not produced a trailer in seven decades and from a founder who had just graduated from school. Geneva describes the trust they extended as the foundation the company is built on.