Beyond the Cutoff: Exploring Diverse Trailer Types
In addition to traditional vintage trailers, the community also embraces other types of trailers that enrich the hobby. This includes teardrop trailers, which have a compact and aerodynamic design that harkens back to the early days of camping. These trailers may be small in size but are big on character and functionality, making them beloved among minimalist campers and vintage enthusiasts alike.
Furthermore, reissued trailers (1961 Shastas) that faithfully recreate designs from past decades appeal to those who appreciate vintage aesthetics but prefer modern amenities. These trailers blend classic style with contemporary comfort, offering a nostalgic experience without sacrificing convenience.

Post-WWII production found many manufacturers, like Westcraft, using aluminum or metal for the shells of their trailers. This change in design allowed for a sturdier product that could withstand the elements and the test of time. While this was undoubtedly an advancement, Westcraft and other manufacturers wanted to implement color as a selling point. Therefore, they began painting the aluminum exteriors of their products in bold, often two-toned color schemes to stand out from their competitors and differentiate their brands. Bold color schemes became the craze of the 1950s in trailers and automobiles, allowing people to express their style in a multitude of ways in the Mid-Century Modern era.

​On April 1st, 2022, Nicole Young, a member of Bitches with Hitches of northern California, pulled her 1977 Cardinal, Love Bird, “Oopsy Daisey” into Ann Lockett’s 3-acre field for the annual Poppy Fest campout. Little did Nicole know that her trip to Poppy Fest was about to change the life of Oopsy Daisy forever.   

The Bitches are a hands-on group of women who camp together all summer long throughout northern California. Several of us noticed that Oopsy’s rear end was being held together with packing tape, foam, and yes, even hot glue. The rear cargo doors were pretty much non-functional. The rear, door side, and passenger side of the trailer bowed out like someone was kicking them out from the inside. Looking at her, it became obvious that Oopsy needed some serious repairs. Several suggestions for fixing her were tossed out there. I was asked to take a look at her and give my suggestion for repairing Oopsie. Kathy Lawson sent us this story for the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine and appears in issue #63. Click on the "Read More" link below to read the rest of the post.​

Issue #63 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine features a 1947 Aero Flite on the cover. We tracked down Michael Rieth of RIETH CREATIONS who fabricated a 1947 Aero Flite in 1/48 scale.

Michael Rieth watched the gas station scene from the 1979 movie “1941” what seemed like hundreds of times to gather information for the diorama. He did additional research online, gathering information on everything from the trailer, the buildings, the 1939 Ford pick-up truck, and even the vintage gas pumps (1939 Tokheim). He spent quite some time on the Gilmore Gasoline and Lion Head Motor oil signs and recreated the artwork that matched the signs in the movie. 

Everything is scratch-built except for the Hasegawa P-40E and the cab of the Wespe Models Ford 917, converted to a 1939 Ford pick-up truck. The scene was made from several screen grabs from the movie using known measurements like door height. Michael was able to create scale CAD drawings, which were used to laser cut the buildings, gas pumps, signs, pick-up truck bed, reptile farm fence and cages, and the 1947 Aero Flite Falcon Travel Trailer. He made signage artwork using Photoshop Elements. Click here for more details on the build.

Michael wasn’t going to include the Aero Flite in the diorama, but he had some dead space to fill. Michael said, “I thought, well, maybe if I can find some info on the internet, I’d build the travel trailer.” Micheal found dimensions, patent sketches, and photos of restored campers online, enough to do some CAD drawings and laser cut the parts from .0625” acrylic and .020” sheet styrene.  Click here for more details on this project.​​

This is an excerpt from an article by John Palmer in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.
Photos by Hal Thoms

​The Vintage Trailer hobby is just over twenty years old.  I have been active in the hobby for the past twelve years and have witnessed extensive growth.  For example, we now have lots of vintage rallies to choose from attending within a day’s driving distance.  In California this past month, we had three very large Vintage Rally’s scheduled on the same weekend!   We now have The VCT print magazine, we have had T.V. shows about our hobby and vintage trailer rebuilding, we have our annual Boot Camp Learning Experience “sold out” each year, and companies are now opening that specialize in the restoration of vintage campertrailers.  We have parts vendors that have invested their resources into the tooling necessary to build reproduction parts to help save our old trailers.  Major insurance companies are developing special policies targeted to our specific vintage trailer insurance needs.  You cannot watch a primetime T.V. show or a T.V. commercial without seeing a vintage trailer used as a prop in the background.  Mainline R.V. companies have tried to jump on the vintage bandwagon by releasing modern versions of the old Vintage Trailer designs.  

Anyone remotely watching this hobby has already seen the significant increase in prices for restorable camper trailers, only to find them already sold when you call. ​So, what are your options to just accepting the increase in cost and limited availability of core trailers to rebuild that are in popular camper sizes?  How about building your own hand built vintage trailer? Read the intire article in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

Click "Read More" below for more pictures.

​Vintage trailering can be a very inexpensive hobby. If you are resourceful and somewhat handy, rescuing and restoring a vintage trailer may be right up your alley. Finding a great deal on an old camper, or better yet, inheriting a family heirloom may be the first step of joining in a vintage trailer rally. Whether you are combing the VCT Classifieds, cruising Craigslist, or sifting through Marketplace, your persistence will pay off. We suggest letting everyone that you know that you are looking for a camper trailer. Using your network of friends and family increases your eyes in the field. If you are willing to knock on some doors, you may even find one someone wants to have hauled away. Keep your eyes peeled and take a different route home through neighborhoods or down streets you don't usually travel. Who knows what you may find!

​When we were kids looking for hot rods, we would put one guy in the truck's bed (standing up) and drive down alleys. From the vantage point of a lifted pick-up, the spotter could see otherwise hidden possibilities in the back yards. Today, the profile of a vintage trailer is a little easier to spot peaking up over a fence if you are looking.

Commissioning a custom build by a professional vintage trailer restorer is reserved for those that have the financial resources. An extraordinary vintage trailer build takes the time and talent of skilled professionals or a VERY proficient owner/builder. Many of the parts must be sourced or custom-crafted. Modern amenities like air-conditioning and adding bathrooms to trailers that didn't have them initially can start the price of the investment climbing. Stunning trailers updated with all the creature comforts can end up costing more than your first home. Here are a half dozen trailers that crest the six-figure threshold.

This 1950 Westcraft Capistrano is the brilliant result of more than a decade of meticulous restoration, craftsmanship, and modernization. It is the largest and most rare model that Westcraft ever offered. The 'Capistrano' is 33 feet long and features a Pullman roof (commonly referred to as a trolley top). The owner invested over $600,000 in this build and recently "Sold" it at auction to the high bidder in that price range. The bidder never completed the purchase, so the trailer goes back on the block. -more information and photos.

The subsequent three trailers on the list were built at the cost of about $550,000. The owner's ambitious vision to create a multi-room tiny house with vintage trailers required each of these three beauties to be restored with a unique floor plan to create a home when joined together with a common area patio and outdoor bathhouse. The 1949 Westcraft Trolley Top sleeps 6. The 1954 Spartan Imperial Mansion is a master bedroom suite and living room. The 1946 Spartan Manor is a gourmet kitchen and dining room. If this trailer looks a little different, that's because it is. The entire body was lifted 10" to give more headroom inside the coach. Best-Laid plans did not foresee permit issues, and the trailers can not be used on the owner's property. These trailers are currently for sale at a loss to the owner of nearly $200,000!

​Professionally restored and rebuilt for the discriminating trailerite. New, never camped in, stored in a climate-controlled building. Don't wait a year or more to restore an Airstream; this 1959 Airstream Tradewind is available immediately. Styled with a 1950's martini/wine bar, the current owners wanted to capture a mid-century feeling with modern amenities. Appraised at well above its $130,000 asking price, this one-of-a-kind Airstream trailer may be a good investment. 

Having traded hands a couple of times since Flyte Camp restored this 1961 Holiday House Geographic, it is hard to say exactly what the value of this trailer may be. Based on the original asking price and making an educated guess, I'd place the value north of $200,000. Only three of these trailers are known to exist and one collector in the USA owns this one and another one. The third was shipped to a collector in France over a decade ago. I don’t think he is willing to part with them at any price.

​Curious to know how to determine the value of a vintage trailer? Click here for our blog on how we value them. 

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR SLIDESHOW

​The pre-war Kozy Coach featured here is owned by Barry Weisse.  A “Storage Wars” favorite, and Barrys own show, “Barry’d Treasure.”  The “Storage Wars” spinoff premiered in March of 2014 on A&E and made a short run. The series features Weiss as he embarked on a cross-country trip unearthing some of the nation’s rarest and most fascinating collectibles. Maybe Barry will be traveling in his Kozy Coach!? ​Featured in Issue #13 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

Soon to be featured on the cover of issue #57 of The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine coming in September in both print and digital formats. For almost 10 years subscribers to the magazine have recived their issues in their mailbox on-time, as promised. If you are a subscriber look forward to more photos of this recent build. If you'd like to subscribe now, click here to see several offers starting at $24.

From the late 1920’s to the onset of World War II, one segment of the transportation world that was growing, despite economic woes, was the travel trailer industry. A leader in this growing world was Kozy Coach located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their advertising effectively told prospective buyers that “You’re Ahead with a Kozy Coach Behind”, or “Favorite of the Road-Wise”. They started with a welded steel chassis to prevent sagging, side-sway, and assure quiet operation and perfect alignment. In 1937 three models were offered, the Junior, the Standard, and the Deluxe, which offered all the comforts of a home away from home. Kozy Coaches were among the best trailers on the market and survived well into the 1950’s. A well preserved time capsule, featuring an original condition example of pre-war art deco and hand-crafted workmanship. Featured in Issue #20 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

In 1929 Arthur Sherman constructed a prototype 9x6x5’ “Box on Wheels” (after an uncomfortable rainy camping experience with a Clare Tent Trailer.) By 1935 Sherman sells 400 “Deluxe” 15 ft. trailers with a total output of 1134 Trailers. “Pioneers in Field”-1936. Some Deluxe exteriors are leather. In 1936 Sherman pre-orders hundreds of 6 foot axles when other trailer manufactures expanded their width to 8 feet. Sales dropped and depression woes set in. 
World War II changed operations at Covered Wagon greatly, as it converted its production efforts to wartime needs. Sherman makes truck parts for the war effort. The company produced truck cargo bodies and was granted the Army-Navy “E” award for high achievement in war production in the spring of 1945. Additionally, forty-two Covered Wagon employees served in the armed forces during the war and one was killed in action in the Pacific. ​

Following the Allied victory in Europe, the War Department decreased its order for truck bodies from Covered Wagon. The company was apparently idled in mid-1945. By September of that year the plant was leased to the Ironrite Ironer Company, and by December, 1945, Ironrite ironers (and not travel trailers) were rolling off the assembly line. Covered Wagon officials expressed their intentions to resume trailer production after re-evaluating the company’s position, but this never occurred. The Covered Wagon Company passed into the pages of Mount Clemens history. With union problems, a lockout, bankruptcy with reorganization, and a shortage of materials, Sherman closes shop. 
In 1958 Herbert Reeves Jr. visited the Arthur Sherman family and acquired the rights to the name and logos of the Covered Wagon Company. It had been the largest manufacturer in the industry and the first national giant. Reeves reestablished the Covered Wagon brand as a travel trailer manufacturer. He owned and operated the second generation Covered Wagon Trailer Company in Elkhart, IN from 1958 through the 60’s establishing several industry firsts such as developing the sewer line storage in the rear bumper and the rear access storage trunk. Reeves sold the manufacturing company in 1965 and it apparently produced “Covered Wagons” for a few more years. Reeves then opened the Arrowhead Park Campground in southern Michigan. With his widely varied career now over 30 years old, Herb Reeves was recognized for his years of dedicated service to the growth of the industry by induction into the RV/MH Hall of Fame in the class of 1979.

Do you have an interesting trailer that you would like to be featured in the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine? Share your high resolution photos and a bit about your vintage  journey with us. EMAIL VCT

NAME: Hannah Weber
TITLE: Owner/Boss Lady
COMPANY NAME: Hannah's Granny Crafts
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 4 years officially - However, I started selling in the 3rd grade
WEBSITE URL: hannahsgrannycrafts.com

Tell us about your business. 
My business is centered around handmade crochet products. I focus on baby items and home decor. My target audience is the busy woman looking to gift high-quality, handcrafted products effortlessly.
 
What does being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
Being a business owner means the absolute world to me. It means I can build a life of my dreams. A life of financial independence, flexibility to make my own schedule, and the ability to make my own rules. It means I will be able to stay home with my future children while also running a business.

What or who has been your most significant influence in business and why?
My mom is the most amazing influence in my business. A considerable part of the reason I was so willing to jump into the life of entrepreneurship is that my mom owns several businesses in our small hometown, and I have grown up right in the heart of those businesses. I have seen the pros and cons of being a businesswoman, and I know that, for me, the pros outshine the cons in SO many ways. From a very young age, I have known that I wanted to be my own boss, and my mom has played a huge role in helping me achieve that goal - for instance, allowing me to sell some of my products in her gift shop starting in just the 3rd grade.
Another huge influence in my life is my grandma - "Grammy." Both women have overcome considerable obstacles in life and have used hard work and perseverance to overcome these obstacles. Grammy is such a massive influence in my life I based the branding of my business around her.

What have been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?
Showing up. Simple as that. I mostly use Instagram and Facebook to market my business. Consistency is key. Show up for your audience - in stories, posts, everywhere possible. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be planned - just show up.
 
What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?
It sounds cliche, but your failures are not as detrimental as they seem "in the moment." You will move on from them, and some of your greatest successes will come out of your biggest failures. I have come to love failure (ok, not LOVE it, but appreciate it) because it only helps me improve in the long run.
 
Do you have any new projects coming up? 
I don't have any huge projects coming up at the moment. I am focusing more on perfecting some of the smaller "behind the scenes" mechanics of my business to get things running just a little smoother :)

What do you do for fun/relaxation? 
We are lucky enough to live in the center of Montana, surrounded by mountains. My favorite way to spend the weekends is in the mountains in my camper, my boyfriend and the dogs. I can crochet and take in the fresh mountain air - nothing better! I also love to hunt, which is so accessible to us because of where we live. We are truly blessed!
 
What is the number one business goal you plan to accomplish over the next year?
My number one goal for 2021 is expanding the amount of in-store places Hannah's Granny Crafts items are sold around the state and possibly beyond!
 
What would your book be about if you were to write one?
The adventures you can find in small-town Montana while running a business from it. I live in a town of 300-ish people, and I think many people think it's "boring." It is the farthest thing from that, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
  
What is the best way to connect with you?
I am most active on my Instagram account - @hannahsgrannycrafts. I am also on Facebook as Hannah's Granny Crafts, and you can check out my website hannahsgrannycrafts.com to find out more and look at items to purchase! So with that, I'll leave you with "Good Going" - a phrase Grammy says to me often. It means, "good luck, I'm in your corner rooting for you."

Paul Simon may have been on to something in 1975 with his hit song 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover. You don't need to discuss much if you were going to board one of these beauties. Just drop off the key, Lee, And get yourself free.

Above: Inside the 1948 Greyhound. (The conversion was done decades ago.)

(Slide show above) Magpul, though, decided that they wanted to conduct their business in a more high-class environment, elegantly restoring a 1950’s era bus to do the job . . . 
The boys in grey started with a 1952 Flxible Sightseer bus, then added all the bells and whistles that would possibly fit. All of the original badges and logos have been replaced with retro-stylized Magpul logos, including the embroidered leather trim on the driver’s chair. The interior of the bus has been completely restored, although as Drew says the bus wasn’t in that bad of shape to begin with when they started. 
The passenger area of the bus is finished in a rich red leather with soft and comfortable cushions. There’s a typical bus-esque seating area right behind the driver, and then a bar area just behind that with a fully stocked and operational bar. e a pair of love seats, and then there’s the baggage compartment. The back of the bus holds some treasures. Complete article and photos featured in issue #18 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

1948 Flxible​ Owned by Matt and Tiffany. Spotted at the Mt. Baker Rally in 2018