Changing trailers - need recommendations

[OurStuff4You]

My husband is still talking about selling our Benroy (sighs). He still wants something vintage, but that could sleep not only us, but our two children as well. Still setting up a tent along with the tear is a pain in the neck to him. Me, I will miss my little tear ... but I do see his point. Anyway, staying vintage ... any suggestions???

Rhonda

[Nick Taylor]

Rhonda,

I just sold my Benroy and moved up to a Ken-Skill. Still not enough room for four people though. I'm also looking at buying a traditional travel trailer. But one that is fairly small.

This is the cycle of camping.

Have you thought about changing your tow vehicle instead of your trailer? Maybe a conversion van or small motorhome.

If you do end up selling the Benroy, let me know. I know someone looking for original ones.

Nick.

[tdthinker]

I can design a larger tear for all 4 of you. I am quite shure I could make it work. Just tell me what is the largest size you want, I only draw 6x12 thought, it is to big otherwise. I can put a queen size bed in it and 2 small seperate beds for the kids. Sound impossible? I can do it, I already have ideas, plus it will look vintage, bye.

[Nick Taylor]

Here is a 6x11 tear that has an interesting interior with a bunk.



Click here for more pictures and information on it.

Nick.

[Gage]

Rhonda, What you need to do is go out in the country and look in peoples back yards, behind barns and out in the fields. Also check out small towns and get yourself a small travel trailer (1950's). And if you have room, don't get rid of the teardrop. There is a place for both and you'll enjoy both. If you look, you can get a small (15 footer) for much less than a teardrop and will cost about the same to restore. I got lucky with my Dalton. It cost me $300 and all I had to do to it at the time was clean the inside and paint the outside. Most likely the ones that are in a little better shape are here in California but who knows. I know of a couple of web sites that offer vintage travel trailers for sale, but like that, they are in California.

Have a good day,
Gage
http://gages-56.com/trailr.html

[beverlyt]

Hi Rhonda!
I can understand the reasoning with needing a larger trailer with kids. My brother uses a really large pop-up. He has a set of quintuplets, 1 boy and 4 girls...ages 5!
I also love my teardrop but at times wish I also had a vintage 10' (or a little bigger) Scotty or Shasta trailer. The older trailers just have so much more appeal I think. The Scottys are my favorite. Seems to me that one could bunk the kids in one of these?
Thank you for your comment on a earlier thread that you like our teardrop. We're quite happy with it and if we're ever out East, we'll try to look you up!
One nice thought we've come up with for our teardrop is if we ever get the small cabin built on our property in Tennessee, the teardrop would make a good little "guest" bedroom.
Keep us posted on what new trailer you guys decide on!
Bev

[tbow]

Gage I just bought a small camper that is very similar to your dalton it is a 1959 but still trying to find out more info on it. Also waiting for the guy I bought it from to send title. I plan on restoring it after I finish building my teardrop

[Gage]

tbow, do you have any pictures yet. You'll find that in 1959 a lot of the trailer mfg's started changing the shape of the travel trailer to a more boxier shape. Just a few stay'd with the more rounded shape for a couple more years. It was around 1959 when the mfg's went into more of a production mode and a lot of the fine detail was replaced with 'assembly line' type work and started becoming just blaaa travel trailers. Even the Dalton changed in appearence in 1959.

Have a good day and enjoy your new/old trailer.
Gage

[sftiggee]

are you willing to restore? I know of a late 60s Tow-Low trailer that tows easy with a van or pickup. I used it on several outings. Sleeps six, has double sink, fridge, stovetop, and oven. also has a dinette, water tank, and a propane latern inside. cranks up and down. very cool trailer. i loved it. will need some restoration eventually, but we drug it all over and it was good. interested? (it's in SE Minnesota)

Jolene

[tbow]

Gage I will get some taken this week. The inside is even similar to your dalton. The only thing that is changed is the the sink and stove are reversed. Your photos will be helpful in my restoration

[OurStuff4You]

Jolene - do you have pictures of it? We'll be in Hastings, Minnesota in July to attend a car show (Nash Metropolitan).

I REALLY want to keep our Benroy. We had contacted Bennet about it and he called and we had a lovely conversation. It was very cool. We've found though that we're so busy with the car hobby in the summer that we're restricted on when we can get out in the tear. We have roasted in the summer in it, which isn't fun. We don't want to modify it though cause it's so original. So, I am reluctantly agreeing with my hubby to move on to something else.

We wouldn't mind restoring if it's not too bad. We're both novices when it comes to this stuff. The cars are relatively easy mechanically. My husband is going to start tearing apart my Met this fall though and I'm afraid if he has a couple of projects my car won't be done by spring. Since I drive it almost every day I can't have that!

Feel free to pass my info along to anyone you know who is looking for original. The problem is we're in Michigan. I know we'd find something in a heartbeat if we were out west. Here we're in the rust zone ... makes things more difficult.

We want a trailer that is still in the tear or canned ham style I think. We like the curves rather than the squared off look of some of the trailers. We looked at quite a few trailers at the Tin Can Tourists gathering in May, but there weren't a lot in the style we're thinking. That Dalton you have Gage is very cool. Much more along the lines of what we were thinking. A larger tear might even work, but again, we like vintage and don't have the time (or space .. or tools .. or knowledge) to build it ourselves.

We tow the trailer locally with our Met. Obviously this doesn't work long-distances. Right now we have a hitch on the truck, but could throw one on the minivan if need be. The kids could always sleep in the back of the van ...

[mikeschn]

I should sell you my 5x10 Baja Benroy!!! LOL

Mike...

[tdthinker]

We have a nice little canned ham that dosnt need restored from what I can see. It looks to be all ariganale to me. I was thinking about buying it but if you would like it just give me a hollar.

[OurStuff4You]

Ryan - I just emailed you off-list.

Mike - we should connect at some point. Would love to see your trailer in person. We're in White Lake, just down the road from you.

Rhonda

[mikeschn]

Rhonda,

Absoletely... heck, you could even pop in to Hayes St Park for a day and check out tears by Bev, myself, and possibly others... What are you doing the weekend of the July 9th?

Mike...