The last Ferber Coach built, on Larry Ferber’s property last autumn. Photos by author.
Who doesn’t love adventures – especially car adventures? And the path we’re on tracking down hand-built cars (and sometimes other vehicles) across America usually keeps us busy. We chase down cars, history, rumors and are continually surprised at nearly every turn on the path. So starts Ferber Adventure number two.
With the leaves off the trees, access didn’t look too bad.
Last year we had a chance to acquire a mystery vehicle that turned out to be the start of this story. With the help of Hemmings readers, we quickly tracked down the make and the people involved who built Ferber motorhomes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gary Kutzler was the key to finding the right people, and it was because of his help that Craig Johnson and I started on a two-week trip heading north in November to meet Larry Ferber, the son of the founder of the Ferber Coach Company. We called ahead of time and chatted with Larry about our trip, and all of us were looking forward to getting together. So it was in late fall 2016 that we met Larry, learned the secrets of the Ferber motor coach company and took lots of photos, but before we left Gary Kutzler had warned us that there was one last Ferber RV on the Ferber homestead that would be fun to see. You betcha!
We visited Larry twice on our trip – once on the way to Minot, North Dakota to rescue a 1954 Kaiser two-door Manhattan, and then again on the way back with Kaiser in tow. It was on the second visit that we stayed for the day and learned more about the history of Ferber motorhomes. Larry’s father had founded the Ferber Coach Company in the late 1960s. Their business was small, and they produced about 15 motor coaches during the seven or eight years they were operational. Each coach was built on special order and took three to six months to construct based on requirements. The body was made of 1/8 inch plate aluminum, and two sizes were offered – 22 feet and 27 feet – and all were built with dual wheel rear axles, except one – the RV we found in Florida. Their motto shown on each brochure was “Ferber Coach Company….The Aristocrat of Motor Homes.”
Larry Ferber and I during the fall 2016 visit. Sadly, Larry died just three weeks later.
We were intrigued with the RV that Larry had on his property. It, too, was 22 feet long, but of the standard width to accommodate a dual wheel rear axle. Larry said that the last few made used a flat side shape instead of the curved side. He also said to keep in mind that each Coach was different in nearly every respect, due to buyer’s requirements. Larry also shared some additional factory photos, more brochures and other items before walking us around to show the history of their farm and businesses. We talked a bit about “saving” the Ferber RV he had on his property and we agreed to discuss it further in the future. Our day was complete, and we had a ball learning more about what was no longer a “Mystery RV,” so Craig and I packed up and headed back to Tampa, Florida. Sadly, we learned from Gary Kutzler that just three weeks after our visit Larry Ferber passed away. Larry had led a very interesting life working with his father in the RV business, building race cars for various customers, maintaining race cars, and competing himself. We were honored to meet him and learn about the history of this company and pass on the history to others who might enjoy it.
In July 2017, access was a bit more… challenging.
This spring we were making plans to head north again to save some lost cars and visit folks when we touched base with Larry Ferber’s sister Bonnie. Bonnie was a joy to talk with and we explained our interest in learning more about her family’s company, sharing its history through the restoration of the Ferber RV we acquired last year. We also chatted a bit about saving the last Ferber built – the one that Craig and I had seen on their family homestead. Bonnie was very supportive of our quest and we began to make plans to head up to Wisconsin and begin the process of saving this unique piece of history. The problem was that our schedule kept getting pushed out; spring became summer, and summer began looking like late summer. Then we learned that the homestead had been sold and it was time to move the Ferber – quickly – before we could get to Wisconsin. It was time to call in the cavalry, but the trouble was we didn’t know who the cavalry was going to be. Enter Topel’s Towing of Wisconsin.
First, I began by calling RV repair places in and around the area where the Ferber RV was located. I was quickly given Topel’s as the go-to company that had the means to help us retrieve and store this piece of Wisconsin history – and help us get it to us in Tampa, Florida. Danella Radke of Topel’s Towing was kind enough to listen to our unusual request, and retrieving a motor home that hadn’t been moved since 1982 (most of my students are younger than this motorhome) meant that this was going to be a hard sell. Danella explained that they may or may not be able to dedicate a team for this project – something I completely understood. She passed the request and information to the owner of the company and I got a call back from Shawn Topel later in the day. Shawn agreed that it was unusual but we talked through what might go right/wrong and he set his sights on retrieving it the very next day. “Just one more thing,” I said to Shawn, “can you bring a chain saw with you? You’re going to need it to clear some trees that surround the RV on all sides. Some are around 20 feet high.” Shawn didn’t hang up the phone (thankfully) and instead he said he had the perfect person for this job – his son Keegan.
Keegan Topel, equally adept at landscaping and vehicle retrieval.
Ok….I was excited to find the right team to do this but…how would it go? Bodies, frames, chassis, tires, trees, farms, lions, tigers and bears – oh my. All of these words were swirling around my head the next day when I got a text from Shawn around lunch time, accompanied by 15 photos showing how the Ferber Coach had been retrieved successfully. To boot, he had a friend who hauled back and forth from Wisconsin to Florida and could probably take the Ferber RV to us in Tampa.
As I always say, I’d rather be lucky than good.
So…it’s about 1am on the day our Ferber was retrieved as I write the last of this story. I’m excited about saving a piece of history and getting to know they people who make this possible. I wonder (warily) how many other Ferber Coaches may still be out there – a question to ponder later. But a thought strikes me. We’re a great country with fantastic stories about small businesses that are family driven – Ferber Coaches is one example and Topel’s Towing is another. These companies make a difference in the lives of those they meet each and every day. In this case, the story of the Ferber and how Topel’s Towing came to the rescue is a reminder of the backbone of small businesses across America. And it’s those stories and achievements that our Undiscovered Classics teams strives to find, capture, save and share as both inspirations of our past and encouragement for the future.
Oh….and before I sign off did I tell you that I found another Ferber custom built vehicle that wasn’t an RV? More about that in the next story of the Ferber Coach Company – Mysterious no more.
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