Yesterday on the way into a luncheon meeting for work, I spotted a small aluminum "canned ham" travel trailer along the way. On the way home, I stopped to check it out, and ended up hauling it home on the spot. Lucky me, had the stinger in the back of the wagon for just such an occaion. It's a 50's something "Tini-Home" trailer, and it smells worse than it looks. Luckily, it's so rotten there won't be anything left but the aluminum skin when it's done, as the rest of it will literally be thrown away. The sidewalls are only 3/4" thick as it's framed (or was, before it all rotted away) in 3/4" plywood. My wife actually likes it! We now have 3 old trailers, as we bought a 40's something "Silverdome" at the car show last weekend, although we haven't gotten it home yet. It's a mess too, so they're sort of a matched pair. Now, if I get one more, we'll have one trailer for every car. Maybe a Mullins will fall into my lap for the '36 Fordillac!
I would like to see some progress pix as you tear into it. I just bought a 1966 Scotty Serro that needs some work on the roof. I have been kicking around stripping whole thing down and redoing it with some hard wood plywood so I can stain the interior walls.
I've always been a*****er for those. However...if I ever do find one, it better be in great shape....because my wife will be so pissed I'll have to sleep in it for a while, hahaha.
I have a 47 Kit Camper teardrop which is outside the building in the country waiting to dismantled so all new plywood can be cut and replaced to get it back on the road. I have an eye on a 60s Scotty style trailer which now needs serious woodwork since the A/C which was in the rear window hole rotted away and exposed the entire rear section to rain, and critters. Ought be cheap because it will need a complete teardown too. Dream trailer of course is a Spartan in the 20-26 foot range. Saw a longer one a couple years ago on the freeway which had been made into a motohome...very trick.
Check out "Ynot Camper Restoration" website in Jackson, MI. Guys name is Tony Secreto, great site and lays out his way of doing these very cheaply built little trailers. It's how this one will get done. Brian
Has it got that "old camper smell" not that it stinks, it's just all them old campers smelled the same.
If you change your mind on restoring that thing, let me know. Im local, and have been sortof looking for one similar...
A couple years back we were allowed into a "closed" junkyard. Interesting place, but nothing special along the lines of HAMBable cars. There was an aluminum trailer there, definitely in need of restoration, but the main problem appeared to be the wood needed replacing and a couple or three windows also needed replacing. About an 18'-22' and looked to be a competitor to Airstream. Nose was somewhat triangular and it had large front windows - I think the dinette went there. Along similar lines, at the 2008 Route 66 Fun Run Saturday car show, there was a 29 highboy roadster running SBC and pulling one of the new small Airstreams. About 12'-16' I believe. Cool setup, never did catch up to the guy to see how well it towed etc., but the 29 had plenty of power for both vehicles. Probably a crate 350 and that would do it pretty good far as I know. I used to haul three dirt bikes - one an XR75 and the other two full sized - in my short bed 63 Chevy pickup with Corvette 4 speed (with a too-high low gear in 1st) and an 18' house trailer. Engine was a 327, stock with small 4 bbl. No problems even in desert headwinds....
The wife and I started building one about three years ago. We got about 80% of the way done with it in one summer. The next summer we were too busy to finish it (wedding stuff) and then we lost out storage for it and had to tuck it into the front of the garage where we can't even get at it to work on anymore. I'd still love to finish it but we can't get it out with all of the other projects squirreled away around it. They are soooooo cool, though. I'd also considered it a place to live if the wife ever tossed me out of the house. Guess that's reason enough to get it finished up! Jay
Wife and I redid a 47 Kit teardrop. Small and cozy use to pull it behind my 51. Size wise your new "tiny" seems palatial next to our teardrop. You will have a lot of fun redoing it. great find.
Just some wandering thoughts. I have not seen many old, small trailers in good shape. Most that look good are rotted out in the walls. To solve that problem, it wouldn't be difficult to build one of those from scratch. You would need a door or two and a few windows. The frame could be made up with square tubing, axel and related stuff from trailer store. Aluminum sheeting from airplane parts store. The rest would be plywood and ripped 2 X 4's. Easier then restoration since there is no disassembly. Not that I need another project but it gets me to thinking. Neal
That thing is in great shape to the only ones I've found lately. Thats the perfect size. Although my wife would stab me in the face if I brought one home. Nice find.
We had just discussed that. I opined that it'd be easier, cleaner, and less work than dismantling and rebuilding one like this. Then, I found this, and for the price, I can save 99% of the skin, have the door, all the windows, everything for inside but a fridge, axle, frame, and so on. The framing is totally gone, but when I saw YNot's method of simply throwing everything away, it looks pretty easy. Especially this small size. I'll keep a build journal of it when I start. Brian
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