The Imperial sits in the upper part of the Holiday Rambler catalogue: the company lists it among its Class A motorhomes, and the same name is used for one of its fifth wheels. The video on this page shows a 1991 Crown Imperial being walked around, from the years when the brand belonged to Harley-Davidson.
Holiday Rambler Imperial at a glance
| Maker | Holiday Rambler Corporation, Indiana, United States |
|---|---|
| Company founded | 1953, by Richard Klingler |
| Model type | Class A motorhome and fifth wheel |
| Class A size | up to 45 feet (14 m) long and 12.5 feet high |
| Class A capacity | up to 100 US gallons (380 L) of water and of diesel |
| Class A weight | up to 50,000 pounds loaded |
| Fifth wheel capacity | up to 70 US gallons (260 L) of water |
| Fifth wheel weight | up to 17,000 pounds loaded |
| Shown in the video | a 1991 Crown Imperial walkaround |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on Holiday Rambler, which lists the model without a separate page. No free photographs of the Imperial were found, so the article keeps the existing picture.
History of the Holiday Rambler Imperial
From trailers to motorhomes
Holiday Rambler was founded by Richard Klingler, who began by making trailer parts in a chicken coop and assembling trailers outdoors in Wakarusa, Indiana, in the 1950s. The area around Elkhart and Wakarusa became the recreational vehicle capital of the United States after the Second World War, and the first Holiday Rambler vehicle, a travel trailer, was presented to the public in 1953 by the Klingler Corporation; a restored example is now in the RV museum in Elkhart. In 1961 the firm introduced aluminium body framing, the Alumaframe, which set the standard for lighter, stronger RVs for forty years. Among the company’s other firsts were built-in refrigerators, holding tanks and aerodynamic radiused corners, and as it moved into motorhomes it was first with tag axles and with the kitchen slide-out.
The Imperial in the Class A list
Holiday Rambler builds motorhomes, which travel on their own power, and towables, designed to be pulled by another vehicle. The Imperial appears under Class A motorhomes together with the Traveler, Navigator, Scepter, Endeavor, Ambassador, Neptune, Vacationer, Admiral, Arista, Aluma-Lite, Trip, Limited, Invicta and Armada, and it is also listed as a fifth wheel. Class A motorhomes have a large frame similar to that of a bus, built on their own specialised chassis; they can be 45 feet (14 m) long and 12.5 feet high, carry up to 100 US gallons (380 L) of water and 100 US gallons of diesel, and reach 50,000 pounds when fully loaded. A fifth wheel, by contrast, connects over the towing vehicle between the front and rear axles, usually through a receiver in the bed of a pickup, carries up to 70 US gallons (260 L) of water and weighs up to 17,000 pounds loaded.
Ownership under Harley-Davidson and Monaco
The company was acquired by Harley-Davidson in December 1986, at a time when its recreational vehicle division competed mainly in the mid to premium part of the market. On 4 March 1996 the Monaco Coach Corporation of Oregon bought the assets, paying $21.5 million in cash plus redeemable preferred stock that was later converted into common stock, and taking on most of the liabilities; it also bought ten Holiday World dealerships for $13.0 million. After Monaco filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June 2009, its factories, inventory, brands and intellectual property were sold to Navistar International for $47 million. In May 2013 Navistar sold Holiday Rambler to Allied Specialty Vehicles. Richard Klingler died on 16 August 2024, aged 97.
Design and features
- Class A motorhome: the Imperial belongs to the largest Holiday Rambler class, with a bus-like frame on its own chassis.
- Also a fifth wheel: the same name is used for a towable that carries up to 70 US gallons of water.
- Aluminium-framed construction: the maker’s aluminium framing of 1961 became a standard for lighter, stronger bodies.
- Early motorhome innovation: the firm was first with tag axles and with the kitchen slide-out.
Holiday Rambler Imperial versions
- Imperial Class A: the motorhome version, up to 45 feet long and 50,000 pounds loaded.
- Imperial fifth wheel: the towable version with a hitch over the pickup bed.
- Crown Imperial: the 1991 example shown in the video.
The Imperial shares its range with the Holiday Rambler Endeavor and the Holiday Rambler Vacationer. More vehicles are in the Holiday Rambler collection.
Sources
- Holiday Rambler, English Wikipedia: company history, model lists, class descriptions, ownership
