William (Bill) Overhulser

COMPANY
Del Rey Industries

LOCATION
Michigan

INDUCTED
2016

BIO
In 1952 William (Bill) Overhulser started as a line employee at Richardson Homes, but he had a vision to have his own company. In 1957 he founded Lil’ Sport Coach in Elkhart Indiana, and built travel trailers in the family garage. Bill later renamed his company to Del Rey Industries. Bill’s innovative contributions to the RV industry are legendary. Bill designed and produced iconic models of truck campers which set the pace for the burgeoning industry. By 1968 Del Rey was the largest producer of truck campers in the nation. His invention of the camper jack developed through Bock Industries changed the way truck campers were handled then and to this day. Bill never sought a patent or received a royalty even though these jacks have been sold by the thousands since the early 1960’s. Bill was also one of the founding board members of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). After he sold his company to Gladding Industries in 1969, Bill took an early retirement at 42 years old and entered into self-supported-missionary service as a bush pilot in Guatemala where he flew relief supplies and personnel for the government and other organizations after the earthquake in February, 1976.