About the Class C Barth
These Class C advertising photos are of a 1974 19M and a 1976 22M. From this angle, can you tell them apart?
Barth was active between 1963 and 1998, and is mostly known for its range of high-end Class A motorhomes. They also made travel trailers, slide-in truck campers, and even some commercial vehicles, all with aluminum-framed construction. The Class C motorhomes were produced for just six years, from 1973 through 1978, and may have numbered about a hundred, though no-one seems to know. From 1973 to late-1975, Barth Class Cs were called 19M (19-foot Mini), and from mid-1975 through 1978 they were called 22M (22-foot Mini). Almost all Class Cs were on a Chev van chassis with a 350 engine, although there were a few Dodge Sportsmans and apparently a Ford as well. At a glance, the 19Ms have proportionally more overhang behind their rear wheels, than the 22Ms, because of a shorter wheelbase (Chev: 125 inches vs 146 inches). Other than that, most Barth Class Cs are difficult to date without looking at the serial numbers, as each unit seemed to be custom-built with variations between units of the same year (even including the location of the RV door, which could be at the front or back of the passenger side in the 22M, and the generator bay which could be front or back on the driver side). It seems that all Barth Class C units had a flat-silver painted cab (to match the aluminum body) with a horizontal color band to tie it all together; any other color scheme likely indicates an after-market repainting. I believe that all of the Class Cs originally wore the angled-script badge on the back of the RV (photo below, left) high on the drivers side or centred below the rear window. Some older years also had a smaller angled, underlined badge on the front, passenger side (photo below, right). |
Other Barth badges/logos you might see on Barth trailers and motorhomes: the original block-lettered badge; the 'world' logo found on accessories such as mudflaps and tire shrouds; and the more recent nonangled script badge.
For more information, try Barthmobile.com or Facebook.com/groups/623426954490299 .