Tradition and an unwavering commitment to customer service is what made Lloyd Bridges Traveland successful in the past and it’s these elements that Jerry (left) and Charlie Bridges know will work in the future as these second generation RV dealers break ground for a modern new facility that includes an 18,000-square-foot indoor showroom in Chelsea, Michigan.

Jerry and Charlie Bridges grew up enjoying travel, camping, and the RV lifestyle with their parents, Lloyd and Barbara and speak fondly of those early trips all over the United States. Today, the brothers operate a dynamic RV dealership in the small Southeastern Michigan village of Chelsea, located about half way between Jackson and Ann Arbor. 

In 1961 Lloyd owned a Dodge dealership in Walled Lake, Michigan, but a series of events were about to take place that would put the Bridges family squarely into the RV industry. 

In 1961 Chrysler Corporation officials sent an innovative RV manufacturer by the name of Ray Frank to see Lloyd Bridges. Frank wanted to buy 100 truck chassis, and since Chrysler had no provisions at the time to sell chassis direct to RV manufacturers they sent him to an area dealer. 

"When Ray Frank from Brown City, Michigan, approached my father and wanted to buy a fleet of truck chassis Dad was happy to oblige." Jerry said. "Frank had an idea. He wanted to build what was to become the first production line ‘housecar,’ which he labeled the Frank Motor Home." 

Jerry is very proud of his dealership’s relationship with one of the RV industry pioneers—Ray Frank. Frank built what was to become the Dodge (later Travco) Motorhome, and Lloyd Bridges became one of the original dealers for Frank Industries, putting them into the RV business. Incidentally, Ray Frank is credited with popularizing the term motorhome as the then new identity for motorized RVs. 

In 1973, Lloyd Bridges sold his Dodge dealership and moved the RV business into a Chevrolet dealership that he acquired in Chelsea, Michigan. 

In 1980, Lloyd tried to retire and sold the dealership to a businessman from Florida. However, the buyer, who according to Jerry tried to operate the little country store like a big city operation, was unable to make his payments, so Lloyd and Jerry, who had just graduated from college, took over part of the building and returned to the RV part of the operation. 

"We started over with just the two of us and a bookkeeper and 5 or 10 units," Jerry said. 

Jerry learned the business from his father and credits him with giving him the foundation that has lead to success today. 

He said, "I’ve never found a better salesman than my father. I also learned from him how to think on my feet, how to negotiate, and how to be fair. Whatever patience I have, I got from him." 

By 1982, Charlie had graduated from college and joined the family team. Slowly the Bridges and the dynamic success on the RV side of the business simply pushed the faltering Chevrolet operation off the lot. Lloyd Bridges Traveland is still in business at that location today. 

In 1990, Lloyd again retired and turned the business over to Jerry and Charlie.