Day Trips: Jack Sisemore RV Museum, Amarillo

Photos by Gerald E. McLeod

Jack Sisemore RV Museum in Amarillo takes visitors on a journey through the history of Americans' love affair with the open road and the outdoors. It's amazing to see the creature comforts that went into these homes away from home, some of which are nearly 100 years old.

In 1978, Sisemore opened the first Winnebago dealership in Texas after renting motor homes and travel trailers at his Amarillo gas station. In the 1980s he began collecting and restoring old recreational vehicles, adding to his collection of vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles. After almost 50 years in the RV business, the Sisemores sold the dealership, but retained ownership of the museum pieces.

Now under the management of the Jack's son, Trent, the museum has moved to a warehouse on I-27 south of Amarillo.

In the museum, you're stepping through a timeline of American recreational vehicles. The collection features teardrop trailers, pop-up trailers, tricked-out buses, and luxury motor homes.

The most famous member of the collection is the 1948 Flxible bus named "Happy Max" that appeared in the Robin Williams movie RV. There also is the custom motor coach owned by Max Factor Jr., president of Max Factor Cosmetics.

Among the rare items in the collection are a 1936 Alma camping trailer and a 1962 Airstream "Bambi" trailer with all original equipment, including the bedspreads. In a corner of the museum is the world's oldest Airstream, a 1935 Torpedo.

The Jack Sisemore RV Museum has been combined with the Amarillo Area Motorsports Hall of Fame's collection of vintage race cars. Admission is free to the gallery that is open Thursday through Saturday, 10am-3pm. The museum, at 14501 I-27, is closed from December to March and on major holidays. For more information, call 806/690-3377.

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