The derogatory epithet “trailer trash” didn’t exist in the 1920s when the
first mobile homes—“trailers”—became popular in the U.S.
In fact, the trailer initially was a rich man’s toy in the
then-blooming Age of the Automobile. The first trailers had a lofty price tag,
often came with amenities like wood paneling, and were designed to be towed (hence,
“trailer”!) by folks who could afford to travel for private pleasure, and
wanted to travel in comfort before there was any blooming of motels and other
modern roadside accommodations.
They really haven’t been "trailers" for almost 75 years.
GIs returning home after World War II helped fuel the demand for
moderately priced, simple-to-build homes that could be moved around as their
owners were re-assigned, thus, the “mobile home”….but many of them ended up on
blocks.
Beginning in 1976, when federal safety and design regulations kicked
in, the accepted nomenclature became "manufactured homes."
And by the way, there are about 8.6 million of these babies in the U.S.
now, and most of them never move from the spot where they were first delivered.
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