The Sisemore Brothers Talk About Creating A Museum And Running One Of The Oldest RV Dealerships In Texas
For over 40 years ,a 7-acre lot in Amarillo, Texas just off Interstate 27 and a short drive south from its intersection with Interstate 40, has been home to Jack Sisemore Traveland, the oldest RV dealership in Texas. Founder Jack Sisemore originally started renting RVs out of his service station after having his first child and deciding a regular car no longer suited his needs.
“[My daughter] was born in May of ’74, and I didn’t want to travel in a regular car anymore so I bought an RV [and] started renting it out to pay for it,” Jack recalls. “The first time we got ready to use it, it was busy. So I bought another one. And every [other] time I wanted one they were all gone. So I just kept buying them until I had enough that I could have one for myself.”
This continuous buying pattern eventually developed into an 11,000 square foot dealership showroom with over 200 RVs on display and ready for purchase. Jack had built a flourishing business but wasn’t quite ready to stop at that. In the background for more than 30 years, he along with his son Trent Sisemore cultivated an idea around their hobby of collecting and refurbishing old RVs. In 2012, their vision came to fruition when they opened the doors to an original RV museum showcasing their private collection of recreational vehicles, camping equipment, and one of a kind motorcycles along with each era’s historical relics.
The idea was initially intended to entertain clients waiting in the lobby, but it evolved into quite an attraction for the quaint Texan town. Entry to the museum itself is completely free and “strictly for people to come and enjoy.” Since opening, the museum has received visitors from every continent except Antarctica and now average between 50-75 guests a day.
Guests to the 10,200 square foot museum can expect to take a true step back in time as each of the 20 different RV exhibits are accompanied by memorabilia relevant to the RV’s time period. “Every trailer or motorhome has all the games of that era sitting in there, cans of the kind of coffee they made in those days, and even the boxes of cereal they had,” described Sisemore. “It’s just like you’re walking back into real life.”
The museum’s RV collection is nothing less than historic and many have a story to tell. One of such is a 1936 Alma that was found in a barn 20-miles away from the Alma factory. Although it was physically in a barn from 1955 until its time being displayed at the museum, it has never been restored and all of it’s original makings are still in tact and in excellent condition. The museum also has the very first, serial number one, Itasca motorhome ever built as well as a 1953 Fleetwood, the oldest one known in existence.
Although Jack and Trent don’t remodel every RV that they purchase, Jack told The Buzz about the origin behind the labor-intensive restoration of a 1953 Fleetwood RV, which took 224 man-hours from start to finish. The trailer caught their eye as they were driving past a gas station. It belonged to an 85-year woman who sold it on the spot. Jack recalled that, “it was all to pieces” but the restoration process readied it to be displayed.
The RV museum is also home to the oldest Airstream known to date, a 1935 Airstream Torpedo that has logged over 500,000 miles…and the family has the documentation to prove it. “A doctor out of Panama City, Florida had it for 81-years,” explains Jack, who also managed to obtain the man’s travel log of his time touring in the RV.
Many of the RVs have a backstory, but one of the better-recognized exhibits is the original 1948 Flxible Bus used by the Gornike family in the 2006 movie “RV” starring Robin Williams. Trent found it at a movie studio after having been looking for a similar one to remodel. “We still get it out once in awhile and drive it around the block,” said Jack.
Jack also expressed that the team at Jack Sisemore’s Traveland is always looking to add to their current collection and already have over 20 more RVs in a storage facility that are ready to display “when the mood hits,” but that their current facility is at capacity. “We go from Maine to California looking for stuff at yard sales, garage sales, junk stores, and [we] find all different kinds of stuff,” elaborates Jack. “We never go anywhere that we aren’t looking for something for the museum.”
Over the years, RV Travel, in this way, has become quite nostalgic. While symbolizing freedom and family values beyond a weekend camping trip, RVing has integrated its way into family traditions and lifelong memories. While this may be an RV museum for some, for others, a museum of this fashion elicits the same emotions felt in childhood and flashes back through cherished memories.
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both for FOX and ASA Electronics. She enjoys traveling and whitewater rafting.
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RV Museum, a 10,200 square foot museum where guests can expect to take a true step back in time as each of the 20 different RV exhibits are accompanied by memorabilia relevant to the RV’s time period.