The RV Built Like a Forklift
Clark is a well known name within the material handling industry as their innovative ideas helped create the forklift industry. However, many people are unaware that in 1963, they branched off and created the Cortez. Though they brought many new ideas to the RV industry, they saw only fifteen years of production.
With only 3,211 units produced, finding a Clark Cortez in decent shape is near impossible. Yet, their cult following exists, working hard to hunt them down and restore the antique RVs to their former glory. These heavy duty RVs are out there solicit attention from Curbside Classic; a website dedicated to documenting the automotive industry and older vehicles still on the road.
"I've often wondered what exactly motivated Clark, which built the world's first seated and counterbalanced forklift in 1917, to enter the risky RV business. But why they chose to build it with front wheel drive is probably easier to answer; forklifts are all fwd! It probably helps explain why the Cortez has a very hefty all-steel unibody."
"Unlike the typically light framed, aluminum skinned RV on a ladder frame, the Cortez is built like a bus, or tank, or... forklift. The whole unitized structure is made up of substantial steel all welded together, including steel external panels." There were two downsides to this: first, the RV weighs a whooping 8,000-9,000 lbs, and second, fighting rust is a never ending challenge as there was little to no rust-inhibiting process used in the welding.
Once inside, the fingerprints of Clark's forklift roots are all over the design, from the all steel dashboard to the proprietary industrial instruments. Theis influence goes further still; as you follow the stick shift down, it leads to a four-speed fully-synchronized trans-axle, which stems from, you guessed it, a forklift. This "is one of Cortez' potential weak spots. Don't expect Aamco to have one in stock."
In forklift fashion, the front suspension is heavy duty. "Front springing was via torsion bars, which connected to the upper control arm, and went forwards from there... The drive shafts used conventional universal joints, not CVs, which means it's best not to make tight turns with anything but minimal power; coasting even, if possible. Binding and premature wear are the consequences of not doing so."
The underside of the Cortez shows off some heavy duty machinery, but one will also notice that "the center section has a nice smooth 'belly pan', except that it's made out of plywood!... Maybe the weight was getting out of control. Or the expenses. Cortezes were not cheap, which is what kept sales down."
"This would be a good time to point out one of the Cortez' best features: thanks to fully independent suspension front and rear, and a very low center of gravity, it had a superb ride and excellent handling. Probably better than some of the cars of the time. And all that weight only added to its 'Cadillac ride'. No comparison to the tall and ponderous motor homes typical of the times."
"Although the Cortez may not have found gold for its makers, it certainly blazed new trails, and did much of the heavy lifting [great poke at Clark's forklift background] for the other front-wheel-drive motor homes that followed it."
While the Cortez was not a big success, Clark is still creating waves in the forklift industry as they enter their one hundredth year producing industrial trucks. Many aspects used in the Cortez, while making for a poor motor home, work excellently to make a forklift built to last. Norlift of Oregon, Inc. is proud to offer Clark products as they charge forth into their next one hundred years.
Sections of this article were reposted from the following source. Read the full article and comments at CurbsideClassic.com .
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