Mark and I enjoyed our week trip to Barthland. Thanks to all who planned and executed a wonderful experience. Probably won't make the Florida trip this year, maybe next, but will certainly be looking forward to "Milford III" in 2014! Safe travels to all. Mark and Pat, 1998 Regency

I certainly enjoyed being your next door neighbor and hope we didn't keep you up all night with our loud late night parties We certainly enjoyed meeting up with friends we had met before and meeting new friends that we hope to see again.

To all at the Milford Rally on 6-12 to 6-15-2012

I was asked to participate in your rally as a past Employee of Barth and GM. Nick Cagle confirmed my participation and I did come out on Friday 6-13-2012. I met some of you informally and left several items with Mr. Cagle to share with you including a large picture of the original New Styling of the Barth Motorhome which I managed in 1974. My disappointment is that I find nothing on your website or have personally received to acknowledge that I ever was there or to even thank me for the items I left with Mr. Cagle which in your club are rare items. I would hope that the large picture ends up in the RV Museum in Elkhart, IN. and the other items were shared with the club members. I regret I could not be there on Saturday but I had prior plans for that Day.
Regretfully

Walter Bartkowiak
Former Vice President of Operations, Barth Motor Homes and RV Class A platform Engineer for GM 1970 /1972

Dear Sir,

I am sorry that you were disappointed and that you did not receive personal acknowledgement of your visit. It was much appreciated that you found time from your personal life to bring and share those items.

Your visit was discussed at length among us and I guess everyone thought someone else had thanked you.

I am sure I speak for all the Barth owners that were there when I say Thank You very much and we appreciate the participation of you and the other Barth employees.

It is very evident that Barth employees cared about there product.

Again, I apologize if you were offended in any way as it was surely an oversight on our part.

Dear Walt,

I did get a chance to chat with you at the GTG. would like to thank you for taking the time to come and giving us some insight into the P-30 M.H. chassie. I am sure all that got a chance to talk to you apreciated it. Again I like to say thanks and thanks to all the Employees and family that took time to come to the GTG.

Nick has not been home since the GTG. He left Millford for the west coast and has not made it back home yet. We will be looking forward to his post after he returns home.

Doorman

I spoke with Walt and greatly appreciated his insight into the GM P30 days. Many thanks from all of us.

Be assured, all items were highly prized and will always remain in Barth archives somewhere!

Nick is still on his way back, facing some family health issues. I'm sure we'll hear again soon.

Hi Walt,

I wish we’d been able to make it to Milford, I’ve been green with envy for months (leading up to, during and after).

For as much as I would have loved meeting all the Barthmobile and Ranger members and seeing all the wonderful vintage Barths, I really would have loved meeting and talking with you and your colleagues and learning about these amazing machines and the people who engineered and built them.

You and your contemporaries are the remaining knowledge base for all the Barth design, engineering and manufacturing history. You know all the secrets, what was done and why, the reasons they were so well engineered and stoutly constructed, the parts that were used and the decisions that were made.

I regret missing the opportunity to meet and talk with you, your colleagues and all my fellow Barth fanatics and I hope my wife and I are fortunate enough to make it to Milford in 2014. We hope to meet you and some of your fellow Barth design and manufacturing team members and to thank you all personally for an exceptional job well done and for setting such a remarkably high standard for our Barth’s.

Thank You! We love our 15 year old Barth!
Wally

Walt, hey, we really appreciated your coming out and sharing your knowledge. Now, I can attach a real person to my 1979 model. Milford II was my 1st gathering and I enjoyed it so much.

Hey there Walt,

Nick Cagle decided to head West and was taking his time getting back home when a family health matter took over from his intended trip. I'm not at liberty to say what happened as it is a private matter, all I can tell you is that Nick will get this stuff posted on our site shortly.

We had a very long talk about your involvement and he told me about several things that were coming my way... But, his family emergency trumps our little corner of the web.

As the "Current Caretaker" of the Barthmobile Website I would like to thank you for your time. Back in 74 I'm sure these larger windshields was a big step for the motorhomes we've all come to love.

Perhaps you can educate us on some things... Would you happen to know what the short front windshields came out of originally?

So far, we haven't been able to source these and one creative person decided to section out his windshield to make it work. If you look closely you'll see 4 windows taking the place of the original 2 front windshields.



We've been able to determine what the larger windshields were from.

Here is a 1969 GMC Astro. As you know, these were used by GMC from 1968 to 1988 in the Astro 95 and Chevrolet Titan 90 Cab Over Tractor Trailer Trucks



I've been trying to determine when this transpired. Here's what we've been able to piece together.

Coach 7307 1381 MC25 (pictured) had the short windshields. Last one we've been able to find. Build Date: 7/2/73



Then, Barth started to put out the Class C M19's at around this same time. 7308 1409 M19 (pictured) Build Date: 8/6/73



The first coach we could find, with the larger windshields is 7311 1485 MC33 T-A (pictured) Build Date: 11/16/73



You'll be happy to know, these 3 coaches are still on the road today. Coach 1485 is also the first instance we've found of a lengthened Barth with an increased payload & an axle added - looks like it was done by the good people at McCormick Motors. Yes, we try to do our homework here.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you told me that you recognized these coaches. They are beauties aren't they?

Please, if you wouldn't mind, perhaps you would like to start your own blog or post on our site? You'll get a lot of questions and perhaps you can fill in the blanks for our members who weren't able to attend. It would be greatly appreciated by all!!!

Keep in mind, the coaches you saw in Milford isn't all of them. You've got a Barth GTG here every day on our website. We really are a very active and close knit group here.

I'm just sorry that I couldn't attend myself.

Walter, I was there with S.O.B.
I'm ashamed that you did not hear the gratitude you deserved. Everybody must have thought "somebody else" did it.
Though it be several weeks late, please accept my appreciation for your contributions to the rally, along with that of the other family and workers who were there.

HI
Sorry I have not responded to your many posts earlier, but I was off sailing on Lake Michigan most of the summer. I am sorry to hear about Nick Cagle's health issues and hope I have not offended any of you. I was just so surprised that I read nothing on your posts that even recognized my being there.
I am writing at this time to inform you that my cohert from GM Wendell ( Jake ) Jacobson passed away two days ago from cancer. He was the one who asked me to attend your Ralley in Goshen, IN. Jake was a close friend and replaced me in the RV Class A. Chassis activity at GM after I left there in 1972 and went to Barth. Please keep Jake's family in your thoughts and prayers. As for the question related to the larger windshield you are correct. It was used on the GM astro 95. The manufacturer was and probably still is Guardian Glass Corporation. I personally went to GM to get permission to be able to purchase these windshields direct from Guardian since they were designed by GM. The old windshield came to Barth via Sheller Globe Corp, A corporation that no longer exists.. I will post more about Jake's Obituary when I get more information from our Chevrolet Engineering Retirement Club.


Walt Bartkowiak

Am posting data on Jake Jacobson. for your information. He was one of your strongest supporters in the Auto Industry Obituaries
Wendell L. Jacobson
Died: Monday, July 30, 2012
Age: 78
Former Grosse Pointe Park resident Wendell L. Jake Jacobson, 78, passed away Monday, July 30, 2012. Many in the area may remember him as the tall, bearded man wearing the Detroit Tigers or University of Michigan cap, ready at a moments notice to discuss his 36 years with Chevrolet.

He was born Aug. 6, 1933, in Muskegon to M. Helen Jacobson (nee Ashcraft) and A. Russell Jacobson. He graduated in 1956 from General Motors Institute, now Kettering University, with a degree in mechanical engineering, after rejecting scholarships to the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his career with Chevrolet, he and two friends started Automotive Systems Technology, providing design services and acting as manufacturers representatives to the automotive industry.

Over the years, Mr. Jacobson patented several of his designs. He was active in clubs and organizations relating to the automotive industry, acting as chairman of several.
I was wrong about the time of his death.

Thanks for the information,and I'm sorry you lost your friend and associate.

In searching I came across this picture of an International Cabover truck. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8054595@N02/3550240494
Apparently these were made from the late 50's until the bigger windshilds were introduced. Perhaps someone can check with International and get some measurements to compare. They may still be available.

Hi Walt,

Sorry to hear of the death of your friend and colleague.

You should take great pride and satisfaction in the knowledge that the wonderful coaches you and he were responsible for decades ago are still safely being driven and enjoyed by families young and old all over our country.

We all read the posts and looked at the photos earlier this summer as one of our members packed up his young family in his trusty old Barth and headed out across the heartland and over the high continental divide in the Rockies. They clearly had great confidence and trust in their Barth!

Everyone here is in agreement that all of you who worked so hard on these great machines did an exceptional job.

Well done! We and our families thank you all.

Wally and Connie