Opinion ID: 1666688
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: trailers

Text: The prototype of the trailer had its advent in the mid-1920's. The 1920 trailer was a small, recreational vehicle which was easily transportable and simple in design; this vehicle was no wider than eight feet and varied in length from ten to twelve feet. By the 1940's the trailer was more widely used; these trailers remained relatively compact, retaining the eight-foot width and slightly extending its overall length. The trailers of this era provided makeshift accommodations primarily designed for ease of movement and travel. These trailers were in no way designed to be permanently located at one campsite; therefore, they were not provided with utility connections or plumbing facilities. A negative stigma became associated with trailers during this period due to the transient, gypsy image that was the stereotype of the poorly maintained communal campsites. These gathering areas created special health and sanitation problems which predictably resulted from the densely populated campsites with inadequate water supply and waste disposal. For the most part, trailer users tended to be migrant and transitory workers from lower socio-economic groups. Communities regarded such transients as undesirables who were not interested in the well-being of the community; therefore, many municipalities adopted a thirty-day rule restricting the period in which a trailer could park within the community to no longer than thirty days. Consequently, as a result of social pressure, as well as structure and design, the trailer of the 1940's strictly provided highly mobile and temporary accommodations. In the 1940 census the United States Bureau of Census grouped trailers along with railroad cars, tents, and shacks rather than with single-unit family housing. [2] The modern trailer has developed substantially in design and social acceptance. Trailers now encompass a large category of vehicles, including hauling trailers, camping trailers, tent-trailers, and other recreational vehicles. However, each of these vehicles retains the characteristics of the 1940 trailer. Mobility remains the central feature that controls the trailer's design and utilization. The trailers of the 1970's continue to be designed in size and weight so that they can be easily drawn by an average or ordinary automobile without requiring special trucks or highway permits. These trailers are not designed for affixation to the ground or permanent connection to utilities or sewerage. They are widely utilized for recreation, travel, and camping. This court noted the seasonal use of trailers in County of Cameron v. Wilson, 160 Tex. 25, 326 S.W.2d 162, 167 (1959), wherein the court allowed the issuance of revenue bonds to fund the addition of trailer park facilities to an existing recreational park. The court noted that the trailer park would not create a residential area within the park but would constitute ... a place where parking space, sanitary facilities and electricity are supplied to those who make use of house trailers while traveling about the country for recreational or business purposes.  [Emphasis added.] Therefore, in terms of function, mobility, size, and costs the trailer has attained a particular and distinct status.