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rvt0091.jpg

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This 1973 Chinook Class A Mobile Lodge, powered by a massive 413-cubic-inch Chrysler gas engine, was manufactured at exactly the wrong time, 1973. For years, Americans had been guzzling fuel at an alarming rate. In 1972, the average automobile got a mere 14.5 miles per gallon of gas. By the end of 1972, America’s oil reserves were at critically low levels, and by the winter of 1973 there were widespread brownouts. For most Americans, the real crisis came in October 1973 when the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) severely reduced their oil exports, which resulted in long lines at gas stations or simply no gas at all. The ultimate cruelty came during the Christmas season when President Nixon refused to turn on the National Christmas Tree’s lights to save energy. The Chinook pictured here may, according to the owner, have been the last one manufactured. After 1973, Chinook abandoned the manufacture of large RVs and started building Datsun- and Toyota-powered small Class C motorhomes. Eventually, Chinook went bankrupt. The Chinook name is now attached to another company that makes high-end Class A motorhomes. Mike and Deborah Babinetz own this 1973 Chinook. Photographed at Flywheeler’s Park, Avon Park, Florida.