Byerly RV Stories - For the Rest of Your Life - St. Louis, MO
In the 1980's Russ Patton began a series of radio commercials and Outpost Magazine articles which told the story of some great RVing adventures. Some of the best stories are collected here.
For over 77 years, Byerly RV has been more than just a dealership—it’s been a trusted partner in helping families discover the joy of RV travel. From its humble beginnings as a trailer manufacturer to becoming a nationally recognized Top 50 RV Dealer, Byerly’s legacy is built on quality, service, and a deep connection to the RV lifestyle.
Today, Byerly RV continues to innovate with new facilities, including a state-of-the-art 16-bay service center, outdoor RV self-storage, and an 88,000 sq. ft. indoor climate-controlled storage facility. As the only Priority RV Network member in Missouri, Byerly offers nationwide emergency service support for its customers. Whether you're a seasoned RVer or just starting your journey, Byerly RV is here to help you make memories that last “for the rest of your life.”
Adventures and Quality Time in a Byerly RV
Back in the 1940’s Walter Byerly, a cabinetmaker, decided to build house trailers, an original type of RVs.
In 1954 the Warren family purchased a 16’ Byerly travel trailer. Every summer Carter Carburetor would close down for three weeks and the Warren family went on vacation. So began a 25-year odyssey covering 47 states. Hardly a national park or road side monument was missed. Their adventures were documented with hundreds of slides and detailed records of their expenses, like $6.06 for groceries, $3.69 for 10 gallons of gas and overnight camping for $1.50.
An adventure in an original Byerly RV travel trailer:
Disneyland, Wyoming, Seattle, and more!
Years later, Russ Patton, owner of Byerly RV, married Adrienne Warren and they set out across the country with the trailer pulled by a 1954 Studebaker. But that’s another story.
RVs have changed and costs have risen, but all of those beautiful places are still there. And RVing is still the most economical, enjoyable and memorable way to visit them. You are not limited to two “carry-ons.” Instead of peanuts and pop, your refrigerator is filled with food! Legroom, bathroom, bedroom, and the chances of being stripped search are minimal.
But the best part is traveling at your own pace with family and friends with all the comforts of home. It’s the journey, not just the destination that is most rewarding. Byerly RV, in Eureka, has an RV for you…for rent or for sale. Visit Byerly and see the original 1954 Byerly RV on display. Check us out on Facebook. Just 15 minutes west of I-270 on I-44 in St. Louis, MO.
Byerly Trailer – Old Trails Revisited
The Byerly Trailer built by Walter Byerly in St. Louis, MO.
The old 1954 Byerly trailer had been a good nanny to the Warren children and one would think it deserved retirement. But another generation arrived and one could almost hear the trailer anxiously whisper, “I have more stories to tell, things to show you, and miles to go before I sleep.”
This time the old Byerly would be escorted by a 1951 Studebaker. A three week adventure in which the intrepid travelers, Russ and Adrienne Patton, would encounter the heat of the southwestern desert and the cold blizzard of the northern plateau.
The Studebaker performed admirably. She huffed and puffed up the mountains, blowing off steam occasionally like a whale gasping for air. The old trailer compensated her efforts by helping to push her down the other side of the mountains.
Former Owner and President of Byerly RV, Russ Patton, gets
the Studebaker ready to pull the Byerly trailer on it’s last adventure.
The old Byerly is really built, but it’s heavy. Overheating was a problem. We drove through the desert with the windows open and the heater on! A Studebaker heater is like a small radiator located under the front seat. Adrienne sought relief in the slightly cooler back seat.
The brakes were another story. I’m sure the trailer brakes saved us a couple of times. We headed into a blizzard in Wyoming and Kansas. The mountain passes were closed behind us so we decided to drive on through the storm. The trailer breaks kept us on the road when many cars were sliding off.
But between the two extremes our journey was pleasant adventure. But the old trailer, built by Mr. Byerly, did finally retire and can be seen at Byerly RV’s location in Eureka, Missouri. To read more about the history of the trailer and the numerous adventures of the Warren family pick up a copy of the whole story at Byerly RV.
RV Adventure – But Don’t Be Late For School
The homemade RV “Rosinante” carried Byerly RV's former owner
Russ Patton, and his brother Guy across the country in style.
A tale of RV Adventure from the desk of Russ Patton, owner of Byerly RV in Eureka, MO:
“When you set out for Ithaka
Ask that your way be long,
Full of adventure, full of instruction.
……
Have Ithaka always in your mind,
Your arrival there is what you are desired for.
But don’t in the least hurry the journey.”
Rosinante was an old 1963 Dodge post office truck which I converted into a fine motorhome with my little brother Guy who kept urging me to finish so we could go camping. Finally, in late August, we went “camping.” I didn’t tell our parents where we were going. For days we chased the sun until we couldn’t go any farther. From San Clemente State Park in California we looked down on the Pacific Ocean. But along the way we fought the winds across Kansas, saw the Grand Canyon, Cave of the Winds, Oak Creek Canyon and Disneyland.
We traveled in luxury…sort of. Our 48-square-feet of floor space included a sofa/gaucho bed, a bathroom with recirculating toilet, a kitchen with refrigerator and sink and a furnace. The rear roll-up door opened up to a fold-down platform shaded by an awning. Our RV adventure took a little over two weeks, quite a feat since Rosinante couldn’t go over 50 mph. But we made it back from our RV adventure…two days after school started.
America calls. Share it with your family and take an RV adventure. Buy a new RV or used RV, or rent an RV from Byerly RV in Eureka, but don’t be late for school!
Byerly RV – Quantity Time In An RV
Quantity Time is what we all really want. Escape in an RV from
Byerly in Eureka, MO and build your quantity time with your family.
We hear so much about quality time. But it’s the quantity of time we really want. As quality usurps quantity there is so little time to enjoy the freedom that makes America the envy of the world.
I knew a family that didn’t have a lot of “quantity” measured by money and things. But every summer when Carter Carburetor closed down for three weeks, the family would pack up everything into their Byerly trailer and head out. Over 20 years, they visited Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, the Everglades, Mesa Verde, Mackinaw Island, the Calgary Stampede and more. Campgrounds weren’t like they are now, but the Warrens traveled in relative luxury in their 1954, 16 foot, Byerly Mansion. Spending quantity time together.
Today we don’t have to rough it. New RVs and Campgrounds make traveling a breeze. But, what an experience! You can’t explain the feeling of the warmth of the sun on the top half of your body while the bottom shivers from the cold of the glacier you are standing on. You can’t understand “improvise” until you build a s’more campfire from nothing more than nitrogen rich dried up cow pies! You can’t explain the relativity of comfort until you’ve bathed in a Colorado stream with icicles hanging from the overhanging vegetation. You can’t really “feel” America until you’ve spend quantity time walking the walk, sharing the vistas and hitting the open road.
The Byerly RVer Who Came In From The Cold
The adventure of a Byerly RV rental Class C, camping in
the winter across Illinois and Indiana
Most RVers in December are heading south or storing their RV, but not Adrienne. She is heading for Harmonie State Park in Indiana. Piddle here, piddle there, but finally at 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 she’s off. Her first stop is at Quality Times RV Park in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. So far, so good except she couldn’t get hot water. She calls service in the morning. How many ways can you turn three bypass valves until you get hot water?
She continues down Highway 64 from Mt. Vernon and turns south at Carmi following the banks of the Wabash River toward New Harmony. New Harmony is one of those places that was out of the way a hundred years ago and is still out of the way. But people find it and pay tribute to its charm and uniqueness. Harmonie State Park is still open. Hiking trails are the attraction for Adrienne. In the evening she listens to CDs until the batteries die in the second act of “Carmen!”
She calls to report that the weather is OK, but a little cloudy and the house battery is dead. Sunday night the rain starts and continues for 14 hours. When she calls I comment “you are lucky it isn’t snow.” She replies: “I know. It’s cold here and the campground is almost flooded. I better get out of here before everything turns to ice.” But she did find the kill switch for the house battery.
The weather gets worse. I can imagine the tenseness of driving through snow driven by 40 mph winds and a wind chill of zero degrees. She calls. “I’m 27 miles from St. Louis according to the last sign. I didn’t stop over in Mt. Vernon. The motorhome is warm inside, except when I switch from heat to defrost. Then my feet get cold. I am at a rest area. I should be home in about an hour.” I felt like the guy in the light house trying to coax a ship to shore during a storm, except I got no light!
About 7:05 p.m. on the longest day, the Four Winds creeps down our narrow Kirkwood street. Adrienne deftly backs into grandma’s level driveway and just sits in the driver’s seat letting the adrenaline bleed off. I approach the motorhome, “Have a nice trip?” She replies, “Yeah, let’s go in and see mom and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Mom” has traveled through 47 states since the 1950s in their 1954 Byerly trailer. The two veteran RVers talk about the adventure like it was just another trip. As for me, I was glad the ordeal was over, and I didn’t even go!
America The Great
Enjoy the amazing outdoors of this great country. America
has tons to offer the adventure seeker. Get started on
your RV experience at Byerly RV in St. Louis, MO
From the desk of Russ Patton, Byerly RV, Eureka, MO
America is great, has been great, and will always be great. In the real America the Great, tourism trumps terrorism. Have any doubts? Hit the road in an RV and find out. Or ask any immigrant. They come here to work and be free, just like our ancestors. We enjoy the benefits of our predecessors’ hard work. We work hard, fix things, pay taxes, support our local communities and still contribute more to the needy than any country in the world.
Americans across the country open their arms to welcome visitors and show off their communities and natural resources. They say the millennials tend to invest more in experiences than spend money for things. What better adventure than exploring America the Great in an RV. See why the great middle should be referred to as the “stopover” zone rather than the “flyover” zone. RV sales and rentals are a great way to explore the great country we live in. Our National Parks are over 100 years old; plan now to get your RV adventure ready!
Little did Walter Byerly, a cabinet maker in the 1940s, know that he was a pioneer in the RV industry. He would be amazed to visit the web and see how Byerly RV has grown. Check out our motorhome rental and trailer rental packages.
Few dealers offer such a selection of RVs for sale: over 15 brands of RVs ranging from under $15,000 to MSRP’s over $500,000! Over 20 RVs for under $200 per month*. And we always have a good supply of traded in preowned RVs. Explore the greatest, safest, most beautiful country in the world, in the most enjoyable, family fun way – the RV way.
Diversify Into Your Dreams
Luxury motorhomes, 5th wheels, and travel trailers await.
Diversify your life and get into an RV. Visit Byerly RV in Eureka, MO
Diversify Into Your Dreams
From the desk of Russ Patton, Owner & President of Byerly RV
We hear so much about quality time, but it’s the quantity of time that we really want. If we could only unplug, disengage and spend quality time together. Well, we can in an RV, travel trailers close to nature or motorhomes as complete as a luxury condo.
With the stock market bouncing around and uncertainty abound, why not diversify by turning any paper profits into something tangible like that RV you have been dreaming about? Or you can hedge your bets by playing the spread and converting just enough cast to make a healthy down payment and win either way.
Why watch your money fluctuate when you can put make it work for
your own enjoyment. Visit Byerly RV in Eureka, MO
“Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road/Healthy, free, the world’s for me/The long brown path before me leading/Wherever I choose.”
Thus spoke Walt Whitman over 100 years ago and that spirit still stirs Americans. Well, maybe not afoot, maybe not brown paths, but we can travel in comfort in an RV. Whether that’s a luxurious diesel Class A motorhome, a family friendly travel trailer, or any of the many sizes and styles of 5th wheels, diversify into your dreams and give Byerly RV in Eureka, MO a call at 636-938-2000, text through our website, email us directly or just check out our content on the website, Facebook or YouTube.
When you diversify into your dreams, Byerly RV in St. Louis, Missouri can help guide you down the road.
RV’s Hot Now, But Always Cool
by Russ Patton – Former Owner & President, Byerly RV in St. Louis, MO
It’s fun owning a company with so much history. We still hear from people about the travel trailers Walter Byerly built in the 40s and 50s. We found a 1958 model in great shape; and after a little refurbishing, it’s ready to hit the road again. Another man sent me a picture with a caption: “All I remember is that my grandpa lived in it and grandma would bring him dinner every night from the front house.” I bet there’s more to that story.
We hear so much about quality time. But it’s more quantity of time that we really want. Every family member gets enlisted in so many activities. As quality usurps quantity, there is so little time to enjoy the freedoms and places that make America the envy of the world. If we could only unplug, disengage and spend more time together. Well, in an RV we can. Escape into a whole new world in an RV from Byerly RV in Eureka, MO. From travel trailers to Class A motorhomes as complete as a luxury condo, wherever you go, you are always at home in a Byerly RV.
Byerly RV restored this travel trailer which had originally
been built by Byerly in 1958.
Back in the mid-fifties the Warren family purchased a 1954 trailer built by Mr. Byerly. Thus began a 20 year odyssey covering 47 states. Every summer the Warrens hit the road. Hardly a national park or monument was bypassed. Their journeys were documented with hundreds of slides and detailed expense records, such as: six dollars and six cents for groceries and three dollars and sixty-nine cents for thirteen gallons of gas. You can see the Warren's trailer on display at Byerly and compare how much things have changed in 60 years. Imagine the stories you could create in an RV from Byerly in Eureka, Missouri.
When Byerly RV Celebrated 50 Years in Saint Louis
Byerly RV in Saint Louis, Missouri has been serving RVers since 1948. Here’s a look back at one of our anniversaries and a bit of history of Byerly RV in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In 1998 Byerly RV celebrated 50 Years in business.
In 1998 Byerly RV partnered with Outpost Magazine and published our 50th Anniversary issue. In additional to great RV Parts, Motorhome, and Travel Trailer deals inside, the 50th Anniversary issue featured a lot of information on the history of Byerly RV in Saint Louis.
Byerly RV started as an RV manufacturer in 1948.
A couple of Byerly’s original campers are still on
display at Byerly RV in Eureka, MO.
Originally named Byerly Trailer & Manufacturing Co Inc, Byerly RV has grown in the Saint Louis, Missouri since 1948. Originally Byerly was based in Kirkwood, MO, then Manchester, MO, and now Eureka, MO. In 1998 we hadn’t yet finished our building in Eureka, and our RV dealership was still located on Manchester Road.
One of the vehicles on display at Byerly RV in
Eureka, Missouri is the Byerly trailer the
Warren family used to visit 47 states.
In each issue of the Byerly RV edition of Outpost Magazine, Russ Patton, our owner, would have a column written by him. He covered topics like the history of RVs, the history of Byerly, or new trends that were happening in the local and national RV markets.
The RV lifestyle has always been a part of Byerly RV
whether as a manufacturer or a dealer
The RV lifestyle is about adventure, about freedom, and about the open road. But it is also about family togetherness and making memories. Byerly RV has always been about carrying the best RVs, motorhomes, travel trailers, 5th Wheels, etc to help our customers in Saint Louis enjoy their time together building memories.