Throughout most of RV history, the most well-equipped motorhomes have been gargantuan, boring boxes on wheels. This sucks if you want a coach that has everything but also want it to be small enough to fit in a garage. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Jones didn’t let that stop him and he built two amazing small RVs with his hands. This 1976 Star Streak II motorhome is the second of his builds, and it took the style and bones of a Cadillac Eldorado and combined them with the luxuries normally found in larger motorhomes. The result is easily one of the coolest coaches you’ll ever see.
The 2024 Thor Open House ended last week, but there’s still a great reason to go to Elkhart, Indiana. Located directly next to the grounds for the Thor Open House is the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum. This museum is dedicated to preserving the history of RV pioneers and innovators from over a century ago to the modern day. Part of the museum’s mission is educating the public about the people and the vehicles that helped shape both recreational vehicles and manufactured housing.
At the museum you can learn how the typical RV is built and then take a stroll through over a century of unique RVs you won’t see anywhere else. When you’re done, you can walk across the hall and then go through over a century of manufactured housing, starting with covered wagons and glorious Spartan trailers to today’s manufactured houses.
Small Yet Ostentatious
I found a lot to love in the museum, but the RV that caught my attention the most was the Star Streak II. This wasn’t the creation of a startup or a big company, but a man who was fed up.
As the California Automobile Museum notes, the story starts with Lt. Col. Paul Jones. He retired from the Air Force and in the 1980s, Jones decided to hit the road with his spouse. Lt. Col. Jones started off by checking out the existing market of RVs and was disappointed in what he found. Well-equipped coaches were too big to fit in his garage and the smaller ones were comparatively bare inside. Jones was experienced in aeronautical engineering, so he cracked his knuckles and got to work building his own RV.
The first build by Jones was the Star Streak, a coach that started life as a 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado before Jones constructed his own custom body on top. The Star Streak features a hand-formed aluminum body, hand-made glass, and trim from Cadillacs. He then filled it with the equipment expected in a much larger motorhome.
The California Automobile Museum notes that Jones built the Star Streak in his Florida garage, yet the quality of the engineering and materials are above and beyond typical garage builds. Jones fitted the first Star Streak with a television, stereo, skylight, sink, and stove, plus a dashboard resembling a flight deck. The museum goes on to note the first Star Streak also features hot and cold water, a heater, air-conditioning, and even a central vacuum cleaner system. There’s even a hidden bathroom onboard complete with a shower. Somehow, Jones even baked in enough storage for a barbeque grill, bicycles, and folding chairs.
The California Automobile Museum goes on to say that Jones then took the Star Streak around America, racking up 100,000 miles, often with his highly customized Crosley Hotshot in tow.
The Cadillac Of Motorhomes
Now, this would be a great story for any guy, but then Lt. Col. Jones doubled down. In 1988, he decided to build a sequel to the Star Streak, which is what I saw at the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum and you’re looking at now.
The 1976 Star Streak II started life as a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado with the powertrain from a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado. That gave the Star Streak a 455 cubic inch V8, good for 215 HP and 370 lb-ft of torque. The front-wheel-drive layout was crucial as it allowed Jones to build both of his coaches with low floors, permitting his goal of a coach that fits in a garage.
With that said, the Star Streak II will not fit in every garage. Its 6.9-foot height is just perfect, but its 22.5-foot length may leave its glorious tailfins poking out of the garage.
Still, the Star Streak II is just as impressive as the first. Once again, you’re looking at custom aluminum metalwork, custom windows, a custom interior, and awesome paint. The attention to detail is incredible down to the smallest bits. Jones even managed to keep the weight down to 5,400 pounds, which isn’t too bad!
The Star Streak II is similar to the first coach, down to the paint color choices and the interior equipment. That includes a double-basin sink, stove, Formica countertop, refrigerator, and a dinette that transforms into a bed. The coaches are different, especially when you study their exteriors and dashboards. Reportedly, Jones used polystyrene foam for insulation and bullet-resistant glass for its insulation and scratch-resistant properties. The Star Streak II is also a little longer, wider, and more refined than its predecessor.
It should be noted that you cannot fully stand in either motorhome, but that’s the price you pay for a fixed-roof coach that fits in a garage.
If you’re even slightly interested in the weird ideas of RV innovators, the RV/MH Hall Of Fame Museum can be found in Elkhart and it’s currently open daily. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for kids and teens, and free for kids 5 years old and younger. Seniors 60 and over pay $15 while families with 3 or more kids pay $45.
The Paul and Maureen Jones family donated the Star Streak II to the RV/MH Hall Of Fame while the original Star Streak remains in the hands of the California Automobile Museum. While Lt. Col. Paul Jones may not have been an RV pioneer, I think he was definitely a visionary. His motorhomes look like nothing else on the road and I bet they stopped the show at every campground he went to. Both Star Streak coaches are fantastic examples of the kind of camping equipment you can get when you think outside of the box.
(Images: Author)
A drone tour of the museum, for your viewing pleasure:
Fly-through the RV Hall of Fame | My tiny camper studio conversion (youtube.com)
Hopefully the link will work for you. If not, search for Ken Heron.
Tks for the suggestion.
I found this to be a low key fun video. in it there is a drone pilot getting a ‘flying tour of tour of rv museum with one of the museum attendants in kinda of a loose interview foemat and the drone pilot flies through the interior of many of them.
This magnificent beast is on my list of museum destination draws. I have no interest in going to California, but Indiana? Sure. He did a great job of translating Cadillac styling into RV metal, but keeping the weight under three tons? That’s genius.
Are you telling me this is not AI generated ????
These beasts have been featured in these pages before, and have been making the rounds of the internet since before AI was a thing in any way.
I should have added a smiley, my bad. I new that if it’s featured here, it’s real ! 🙂
But i find so weirdly retro modern fascinating that it reminds of some steam punk AI generated pictures you can see everywhere now.
I’ve grown accustomed to front ends on RV’s and all sorts of vehicles, but that front end is one only a mother could love. I still like this thing though…it’s pretty awesome
The real Wagon Queen Family Truckster
I have the opposite of any interest in owning an RV of any kind, but I love this thing
At 22 feet, this thing still manages to weigh less than the majority of EVs. It also weighs the same as a new M5. That’s properly light for what this is!
Attention to detail: The wiper arms are color keyed to the body!
Ok, seeing the thumbnail for this I legit thought it was a Bishop article
I find it interesting that Air Force Lt. Col. Jones put an emblem of West Point, an Army institution, on his creation. Wonder what the story is there.
The Air Force Academy didn’t graduate its first class until ’59 so there is a good chance he went to West Point because AFA wasn’t an option (depending on his age). I’m guessing this guy was originally in the AF when it was part of the Army.
If he is a bit younger, he could also be tied up in the weird early AF years. The early period of formally breaking out the USAF from the Army was super systematic. The AF essentially had to stick with Army protocol/customs/etc until the AF established their own. At that time lots of AF officers were educated at West Point until the AF could create its own Academy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_University_(United_States_Air_Force) was also a pre-existing military educational system that started out within the Army but was one of the earliest to formally be spun out under the Air Force. I think (I could be wrong) was the primary way the AF had to educate officers until the Academy was created.
Also, he could have also done an inter service transfer between Army & Air Force at some point in his career – it’s not super common, but also not exactly rare.
I’m sure there are a bunch of other options that I don’t know of either.
Good points! I hadn’t considered his age. I know a lot of AF guys and they’d rather drink jet fuel than give props to Army. All in the spirit of friendly rivalry, of course.
He retired in the 80s. It’s not likely he was in the Army first as the AF split off in 1947. Not many people do 40 years in the military. I’m guessing you’re right that he attended West Point though.
I agree. I didn’t read anything about him so I had no idea when he retired or his age, I was just taking wild guesses and assumed he was older than he apparently was/is.
Yeah Mercedes mentioned that they took to the road in the 80s, after he retired so I interpret that to mean he also retired in the 80s, but I could be wrong.
Wow, what google can find.. Not sure where West Point comes in, but he had a son in he military?:
Lt Col Paul G. Jones, USAF Ret., of Eastampton died Friday, April 17, 2015. He was born in East Bernstadt, KY. Lt Col Jones entered the Army Air Corps in 1940 as a Private. In 1943, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. After World War II, he was assigned to various Air Defense installations in the US. Overseas assignments included Suwon, Korea and Tachikawa, Japan. In 1965, he retired from McGuire AFB where he had been assigned as the Commander, Field Maintenance Squadron.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn S. Jones; a daughter, Dr. Kathleen S. Jones; two sons, Richard S. Jones, Lt Col David L. Jones; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Lt Col Jones was a member of the Medford United Methodist Church, The Retired Officers Association, McGuire Officers Club, Rod and Gun Club, and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He was active in volunteer work with the Retirees Medical Activities Office, Walson Air Force Clinic.
I wonder how they worked out the steering and suspension since the cockpit is moved from behind to above the engine
If I ever wanted an RV, this would be the one for me! It looks like something out of Fallout.
I thought it looked familiar, and I was right! I saw the Star Streak at the California Automobile Museum a few years ago. Definitely a fabuluous looking vehicle! We were holding a VW show nearby, so stopped in.
We can now add the Cadillac of motorhomes to the list of “Things Lighter than the 2025 BMW M5”.
It’s cool and all, and I love a Caddy, but nah. I don’t mean to be, well, mean, but that thing?
There are better ways to spend Detroit Lions playoff tickets.
Just the fact that someone made this one off is impressive, but the attention to detail is incredible. The retro styling would certainly get attention. Leave off the retro, why can’t someone make something like this that isn’t the cost of a mortgage and is of low quality.
Very interesting but I’m not sure you haven’t shown us better
I am lucky enough to see that as it’s just a handful a mile away from me. They hace some great interesting cars in there as well.
My kind of person and these things are amazing! Incredible that he even did glass himself. I assume the second one uses polycarbonate, but the first, is it tempered glass?
the article says he used bulletproof glass in the second one for its insualting and anti-scratch properties
Right, and the first one had “hand made glass”, which is why I wondered if it was tempered on what the deal was because hand making tempered glass like most automotive non-windshield glass isn’t a normal thing people DIY. Might be another reason he went with PC for the next one besides the other benefits.
I wonder why it has a Toronado drivetrain? Eldo’s had the same set up, just with caddy motors.
Sadly, there isn’t a ton more history about these out there. However, given that the Caddy was 12 years old at the time I wonder if he bought one that was wrecked or had a bad engine.
Could be! Or maybe he wanted the gas sipping efficiency of the 455 vs the 500 that came with the Eldo.
Parts, probably. My wild guess would be that Olds 455 parts would be more widely available and cheaper than Caddy parts.
I know the Olds 455 was pretty legendary as a big block performance motor by the time these were built. They were available in a lot of different cars, and some even came stock with forged rods and aluminum pistons.
The Cadillac 500’s later arrival means it was choked by smog regulation by the time it was in wide use, so while it can also be a big block monster, it’s reputation is much more modest.
I’m guessing that it was weight. If I remember correctly, the Olds and Buick big blocks used a different, thin-wall casting technique, that resulted in a lighter engine with comparable power.
The Olds is a porker right up there with the Caddy. The Buick weights about the same as a sbc and produces more torque than either iirc.
I am in error on this assertion. The three are within 25 pounds of each other. The buick weights 50 lbs more than the SBC.
That interior looks fantastic, much better finished and thought out than typical for even the more ambitious home built rigs (and, obviously, a major step up from the basement rec room paneling, plaid benches, and sickly flower print curtains of the typical factory built ’70s RV).
“….plaid benches, and sickly flower print curtains…”
Nothing wrong with plaid and flowers –
Sure beats the greige marine vinyl that’s ubiquitous in today’s RVs.
There was lot wrong with the ones used in the ’70s
Next you’ll tell us you don’t like shag carpet….
Just Wow
Ditto.
Wasn’t there a 23′ version of the GMC motorhome? That one had a bathroom.
Don’t want to be too negative, because this thing looks awesome. I just think every motorhome build should start with the bathroom.
There was! However, a GMC Motorhome is about a foot too high for Paul’s specific demand that the RV had to be able to park in a garage.
Then get a taller garage.
Save the Shitters!
But the GM version was 8’-1” to 9’-2” high, so it would take a special garage to fit it. That said, I’d love to have a nice example of a GM coach. I doubt they got much worse fuel mileage than the olds/caddy they were based on.
Every now and then I shop for them. I would love to have one, but definitely don’t have the time to use it.
I always wonder why nobody installs fuel injection on them. It’s probably not going to make it actually efficient, but should be good for a few MPG, which count when you’re driving the thing long distances.
Pushing a big box down the road at 60-70mph is gonna require a certain minimum amount of fuel. At cruising speed, carburetors have been pretty good. I wouldn’t expect a more than 2mpg improvement from FI, but around town and cold starts would be a big improvement. I think that a multi gear transmission would also help, but that would never happen in today’s world. Even my 3.5 ecoboost w/10 speed transmission does better at towing my travel trailer in 7th or 8th gear than 10th. The GMC was a brilliant design, again abandoned, in typical GM fashion, about the time that the market was catching up to it.