Really Old Camper

[Zollinger]

I really think this might be my campers brother. There is not much known about the Zollinger Trailer Co.. We have the same siding, windows, screen door. The layout and door handles appear to be different. A couple of years ago we were at the "Midwest Vintage Trailer Rally" and met Al Hesselbart of the RV Motorhome musuem in Elkart, IN. He was telling us that in the 50's their we numerious mom & pop trailer companies that used what they had on had to build their trailers. Rob (my camper's name) had slotted screws holding him together rather than rivets. Here is a pic of the street side while we were putting new tires on him.

[reo-ron]

I think your first thoughts were correct. I'm betting on a Boles Aero. That missing tag is the exact shape, size and location of the tag that was on my 1948 Boles. When you pull the interior paneling off you will find aluminum studs as this trailer is one of the few all aluminum early trailers manufactured. Mr and Mrs Boles are still around ( or they were last year) and they have the original build sheets on many of the trailers they built!! Check the tounge area for a stamped number and if you find it they can provide great info. There is also a Boles Areo club . Congrats on the find!!
Ron in Tulsa

[dakotamouse]

Gage would know what it is...........but whatever it is I like it!

[Anita Rae]

I’m sorry that I haven’t been back to reply. We have been putting in 16 hour days trying to get things caught up so we can start working on this little trailer.

I did put some paint stripper on the tongue looking for a number…4 coats. The tongue had something that looked like tar on it, and then it had some really hard silver paint underneath the tar. I don’t see any signs of a number on the tongue.

We bought this trailer from a very nice couple in Palm Bay. They picked it up about 2 years ago from someone in Indialantic. They intended to rebuild it and use it as a cabana around the pool, but events in their life happened and then now have to move. We asked about a title but they said that it was built before trailers were titled??? We do have a registration for it.

The couple that we got the trailer from was adamant that this is a factory built trailer even though the registration says homemade. He has been in contact with someone at a museum in Elkhart Indiana who seems to think it is dated it in the 30s or 40s. And more than likely this trailer came from the Elkhart area, and as some have mentioned here there were many small companies making this style trailer during that time frame.

Indialantic is a small beach town so I think that some of the wear might have come from exposure to salt air. At one time there were several trailer parks along A1A which is right on the beach.

The trailer has electricity but DH, the electrician, says it has 2? instead of 3? No ground and that is not safe. I’m sorry, I don’t know the terminology, but that’s why I married an electrician. Hehe

So far what little bit of research that we have done has shown several trailers that could be like this one, but nothing that definite. There are little differences. We might never know exactly where it came from, or what model it is, and that is OK if that is the way it turns out… even though I would love to know.

It could be a Boles, but every Boles that I have seen pictures of has a small outside door (storage) on the curb side. Ours does not have that. And we are beginning to think that there isn’t an aluminum frame. We think that it was put together with some funky looking part screw part nail things instead of rivets. We will know more when we start taking it apart.

It could be a C. D. Barger, but we can’t find much info on them.

It could be an Owosso, but we also haven’t been able to find much info in them.

It looks a lot like the Zollinger. Again we haven’t found much info. And we know that the axel is not original so we think that the exterior wheel wells have been cut to accommodate the bigger tires.

We also found a company called Sports Craft that made this body style trailer here in Clearwater, Fl, and a company called Mobile Sportsman from Michigan.

Another possibility is the Kit Companion, but the search goes on. Hopefully when we start working on it we will find something definitive.

I want to thank everyone who has commented and offered support. We appreciate it very much and we will probably drive all of you crazy with questions when we start working on this. You guys are the BEST!

[Red Diamond Ranch]

[quote="Anita Rae"]Pictures

Sliding off the Roll Back


Well the ones around here that age have more bullet holes than rivets. So you definitely lucked out and got a good 'un.


Mike

[Anita Rae]

An update. Hubby had surgery so that kept us from doing much but so far I have removed most of the old paint from the trailer; 5 different colors of paint. I think some of that stuff must have been made of nuclear waste or something because it took several coats of stripper, some scraping and even a scrub brush to remove it. I haven’t polished it yet but I did take a small spot and rubbed a little polish on it and I think it will be OK. Yep, it has a few extra holes and dings, but that gives it character.

Some lessons learned about stripper, it will burn if it touches your skin and keep your mouth closed when you are working with it. Who knew? Stripper tastes sweet. LOL But the most important lesson that I learned is that I shouldn’t leave a gallon in the back floorboard of my SUV. About a half gallon of it spilled and I had quite a mess.

We built a shelter so that we have something to keep the hot Fl sun off of us while we work. I am a red head so that sun just cooks me.

We are starting to remove the nuts and bolts from under the trailer. Once the trailer is out we will take it to someone and see if it is worth repairing or if it needs to be rebuilt. We found square nuts holding the trailer to the floor. I will probably never know the make or exact date on this trailer but it seems that the square nuts and bolts are a very, very small clue as to the age of this ol’ girl.

I have pictures of her now that she is nekked, but I need to get them off my camera and get them uploaded….later.

[doris s.]

Anita,

Great update. Glad it is stripped down. Sorry about the stripper spilling in the trunk of your car. I can't wait to see the pictures. This is going to be a lovely restored camper when you are finished.

But the most important of all...is your hubby healing well? Send him my get well wishes.

Doris

[sschevel]

No posts in some time.
I am also trying to identify a trailer. Close in shape to the silver one posted in this thread. However my running lights are much higher on the sides.
The one common thing I am really interested in; No wheel cutout, just a straight body line.
Its something I am not seeing in the hundreds of images I am looking through. A somewhat rare occurrence which you might think would help identify the trailer.
I have some sort of tag or sticker saying;
M
MALLOY
Kingston NH

Not sure if this was a dealer or the maker............