Source: Airstream
Lately I have become slightly obsessed with the tiny home movement and living in a vintage trailer. I mean I already live in a tiny apartment (450 sq feet for 2 people) and so I figure..I could do this living in a small home thing. UNTIL I remember that a lot of my personal items are living at my parents. So no vintage trailer for me BUT a vintage gal can dream right?
So for today’s post, I’m going to showcase some vintage trailer advertising from the 1930s to the 1960s (because the designs were so very cool), that might inspire you for your vintage trailer remodel or just help you dream.
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Vintage Trailer Advertising
1930’s – 1960’s
Source: Retro Planet
Spartan Trailers:
About (excerpt from 50 Campfires):
Vintage Spartan Trailers. When William G. Skelly purchased the struggling Mid-Continent Aircraft Manufacturing Company of Tulast in 1928, it was unlikely that he had a vision for what his personal airplane company would become just a few short decades later.
Following the end of World War II, Spartan decided to take its sights off the skies – and focus on the growing number of recreational campers popping up around the country with a taste for exploration. While they recognized the future of the camper and RV markets in the United States, the overlooked their price point. With Spartan Trailers clocking in at prices up to $4,000, it’s no wonder the company couldn’t survive.
While many of us would gladly shell out $4,000 today for a Vintage Spartan Trailer – the average home cost in the US at the same time was about $8,000 – making them extremely expensive, and a purchase that only the most wealthy Americans could afford.
Source: 50 Campfires
“Have you met Miss Spartanette” ” A Young Beauty”. WOW! So cool!
Source: 50 Campfires
1959 Flamingo travel trailer. “The travel trailer for ‘59.” I want this only because it has the word flamingo in it. Hahaha.
1949 “12” Aljoa Trailer.
ABOUT (Expert from Old Trailer.com):
In 1945, C.T. McCreary setup a simple shop in Watts, California (at 109th and Central) to start manufacturing his “Aljoa” family travel trailers. Like many compact trailer styles of the 1950’s (Shasta, DeVille, Rod-N-Reel, Oasis, Aloha…), McCreary’s Aljoa trailers followed the standard “canned ham” profile. This “canned ham” design was an efficient use of interior space and was fairly easy to construct, unlike the more complex “aircraft” designs that were being riveted together by Airstream, Avion and others.
McCreary chose the name “Aljo” after his friend’s boat named the “Al-Jo”, and was then convinced to add an “a” to the end so the name sounded more “Californian”.
Unfortunately, in the 50’s McCreary was forced to drop the trailing “a” when the Alcoa Aluminum company noticed advertisements for McCreary’s “All Aluminum Aljoa Trailers”, and sued for copyright infringement because they felt that “Aljoa” was too similar to “Alcoa”. So starting with model year 1957, the travel trailers rolling out of the Modernistic Industries factory were emblazoned with the new “Aljo” name.
Aljoa/Aljo trailers were manufactured in several different models and lengths (the 15ft. model could be ordered with an optional toilet and shower!) from 1945 into the 1960’s. They retained the classic rounded “canned ham” shape until 1964 when the new models debuted with a more “squared-off” profile.
Source: Do It Yourself RV.com
1950s vintage photo of a woman / model sweeping inside an Aljoa Trailer at a show.
Source: Pinterest
Travel with a Trotwood– 1936 Trotwood travel trailer camper ad.
About: Trotwood Corporation was originally founded as Trotwood Trailers back in 1932 by Ray Kuntz, Warren Wagner, and Joseph Flora. Trotwood led the industry, producing some of the first side-door entry recreational vehicles as well as some of the first classic “Canned Ham” travel trailers. The production floor was streamlined so as many as a dozen trailers could be completely fabricated in a day! (Source)
Source: Pinterest
“Travel with a Trotwood”. Fun tropical theme to this ad.
Source: Vintage Trailer Camp
Glider Trailer Company-Founded in 1932 and they originally called their trailers “Handy Homes” (Source).
Source: Tin Can Tourists
Silver Streak Trailers-For those who love to travel. Silver Streak Trailer Company started in 1949 in suburban El Monte, just 12 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and targeted Airstream as its competition (Source).
Source: Pinterest
Silver Streak Trailer Co, 1953 Model vintage ad.
Airstream-The name that EVERYONE knows and honestly you can’t miss the distinctive shape of their rounded and polished aluminum coachwork ( I just adore them!).
The History of Airstream is quite extensive, starting in the 1920s. Read all about it on their website HERE and see the highlights below.
Source: Roadtrippers
1930s Airstream trailer ad.
Source: Airstream
The Pan-American Panoramic RV ad, “America’s Finest Home on Wheels!”
Source: Remarkably Retro
Shasta Airflyte early 1960s trailer advertising. This model featured the rearward entry, fully self-contained with shower. WOW!
Source: Pinterest
Want to take wear your own vintage trailer? Then check out these adorable 1950s Earrings for Sale on Etsy. Too Cute (at time of posting).
Source: Etsy
Lastly, on my “Vintage Travel To-Do List” is ‘The Vintages Trailer Resort‘ in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Stay in a remodeled vintage trailer! Count me in! Check out the video below. (Video Link)
Question Time: Do you own a vintage trailer? Would you stay in a refurbished one like the park above? What was your favourite trailer posted above? Share in your thoughts in the comments below!
Further Reading:
- Vintage Advertising 1920s-1960s (Archived Blog Posts)
- Home in a Can: When Trailers Offered a Compact Version of the American Dream from Collectors Weekly.
Make sure you also check out…”Eames in a Box: A 1959 Spartan Carousel trailer with a fantastic circular kitchen“. The kitchen is worth the click! Yooza!
Liz
