Serro Scotty Travel Trailers
Serro Scotty Travel Trailers
ITEM E484
By Paul Hecht
John Serro was on to something when he branded the tag line, ''Travel Right, Travel Light, The Scotty Way.'' In fact, he was way ahead of his time when he designed and built an affordable, easy to tow, totally self-contained travel trailer in his garage in 1956. By the 1990s the Serro Scotty brand had exploded into a full line of trailers including fifth wheels, 50-foot park models and eventually a line of motorhomes. But in 1997 the bright light of the Serro Scotty trailer company took a dark turn when its plant in Irwin, Pennsylvania, burned down, marking the end of the production line. Eventually, in 2007, Serro Scotty Worldwide was formed and a new version modeled after John Serro's original vision was back on the market and can be spotted alongside its older sibling in campgrounds around the country.
Softbound, 218 illustrations, 8.5”x11”, 128 pages
While the typical Vintage Truck reader is mostly interested in the vehicle itself, this publication invites readers to consider what a vintage truck could pull. Paul Hecht’s softbound book suggests a Serro Scotty travel trailer. Writing in 2013, Hecht chronicled his own affection for the Serro Scotty trailer that dates to his grandfather Louis’ purchase of a 1979 Serro Scotty HiLander in 2012 that the author fully restored. A detailed, two-page timeline starts in 1956 with John Serro building his first Scotty trailer in his rural Pennsylvania barn and ends in 2007. That first trailer’s failure to find buyers led Serro to create a 13-foot trailer that proved a hit. By the mid-1990s, the Serro Scotty brand also included fifth-wheels, 50-foot park models, and a line of motorhomes. However, the factory burned down in 1997, ending trailer production. Copies of vintage brochures for Scottyland USA, the campground Serro created in 1963, and company newsletters offer readers a nostalgic trip. A 70-page collection of black-and-white images of promotional material, as well as a 32-page, photo-filled chapter showcasing a variety of exterior and interior photographs that pays homage to current owners, concludes the coverage.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
