Art & Inspiration It's Trailer Time...

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

It's Trailer Time...

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Your right,these things are cool.

I wanted a old Shasta like my grandparents had when I was a kid and finally found one a few years ago,unfortunately it's like most of the cars I end up building,it's a basket case but given enough time I hope to bring it back. HRP

 

Have a soft spot for these things. In the 50s, Popular Mechanics magz had some plans for a teardrop that I wanted to build,but never got to it. I did years later get a trailible sailboat that was a good over niter an work as a tow camper too. I did have in the early 1960s a one wheel{casterwheel} bumper clamp trailer our CC Scavenger's used to go camping with tents,hammiks an stuff loaded up and very small diggy{boat}upside down on top of it as well. This photo of Steve,Peter,Terry an me kind of camping out beside the road,plus trying to fix a broken rear axle in Steve's "A"sedan hotrod "Scarlet Fever"shows my little trailer at the back.

 

Great photo's Dana! HRP

 

Not a great picture of my '58 Shasta, but I took this picture at the Meltdown Drags this last summer. We camped at a IL state park about 6 miles down the road.

 

We have this 1962 Santa Fe

Plus a 1958 28 foot Silver Streak that is Chicks studio.
Plus a 1970 Avion that is our guest house
And in the 80's I built a larger than normal teardrop that we took from Texas to Bonneville to Billet Proof to Mooneyes Christmas show to Pomona Swap to El Mirage. In the end we sold the trailer to Hollywood where it was used in the movie Runaways, and it got a lot of screen time

 

My 1956 Shasta 1500 project,I intend to paint it to match the Ranch Wagon. HRP

 

I have often thought about a teardrop trailer to pull be hind my Studebaker pickup. I am not sure that I would fit in such a confined space anymore, however.

 

Air Stream Clipper has to be one of the coolest!

 

Our 1947 Kit

 

Teardrops are great. A bed, a bar, and space to haul swap and flea market finds.

The day I picked up my Modernistic:


One of its many outings in the past two years since it was rebuilt:

 

I say go big or don't go at all. my brother has 3 of these Spartan Manor trailers in various states of disrepair.
if I were more energetic I think it would be cool to put one on the back of my falling apart motorhome.

 

Our teardrop

I built it on a 5 X 8 utility trailer that I had. It gave instant frame and title. It also gave us more room inside. The cozy inside was the size of a queen bed which allowed for sleeping and getting out of the weather (snow in Fort Stockton Texas and the wind at wind at El Mirage. I also added enough head room for sitting upright. I also double the walls for 3/4 insulation which cut sound and temp. Like a normal tear it had the kitchen in the back. I just upscaled the original teardrop design. And it towed like a dream usually loaded with art and swap meet supplies.

 

Here's some pics of the 1947 KIT "Sportsman" teardrop camper trailer that we were going to tow behind our full-fendered '32 Roadster and/or the HEMI32 coupe:

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We added some "matching" tires & rims** and started the initial "bodywork" ... but I kinda lost interest in the project ... and eventually sold it in 1991.

** NOTE: our '32 Roadster ran a set of chromed 1950-60 Chrysler (Motor Rim) wire wheels (with repro 1932 Ford V8 hubcaps) ... so for the trailer we also opted for Chrysler wires ... except we painted them '56 Cadillac Mandan Red (same as the HEMI32 coupe) ... and added some stainless beauty rings off of a later model Volvo.

 

Here's some pics of Randy (@randingo8) Perez' 1955 Airstream Bubble (towed by his 1955 Hudson Rambler Wagon):

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We have a stalled 61 Alumalite. The plans for the future, near or far, are painting it the same as the 57 wagon.

 

Hey @Jive-Bomber, any chance you can upload a bigger version of that cutaway/construction picture? It's neat to look at.

 

You should be able to down load this to your computer and enlarge it. HRP

 

There are a number of Tear Drop sites, and they have the above drawings.
The best one is the from Hot Rod Mehinx magazine Tex Smith.

 

From last weekend and Trailerfest 2015 in Lodi, CA.

 

sixinarow.....Nice save, Love the '55 Plymouth Grille!~

 

Himi32 was this trailer unsprung and mounted on a T chassis??

 

yep built my teardrop about 8 yrs ago we go all over with it.

 

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the real king of the road ....

..1953, Desi and Lucy go shopping for a "Long Long Trailer'












And what better to pull that with
than a New Mercury Monterey Convertible with
255 cubic inches of Flathead V8












The steep hills and 110 degree weather didn't stop that Mercury from.....






..From Morphing into a Lincoln Capri
painted with fake silver mercury side trim and badges (and hood ornament)

.

 

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I did a little digging around and found that
Desi and Lucy's Long Long Trailer was a
36-foot 1953 Redman New Moon bumper pull....












..Which was more than double the length of their Mercury Monterey











.

















.

 

^^ Did the trailer lose an axle going up that hill? And what is that under the hitch?

 

We've been shopping teardrops for a while, mostly just figuring out cost versus how much it will actually get used. We're going to get a new one though (instead of restoring a vintage model), like a SoCal Teardrop or Little Guy or something like that. Our needs are simple, a teardrop is simple, it's a perfect match.

 

For more vintage trailer pics & info, checkout these older H.A.M.B. threads:

• Show us your "traditional" TEARDROP CAMPER... (started in January 2004 by @Junkyard Dog 32)
• TJJ: Vintage Trailers (started in April 2006 by @Django)
• Teardrop camping? kinda OT... (started in October 2007 by @dorksrock)
• hotrods and camping (started in April 2008 by @booboo)
• A Couple Of Camper/Hot Rod Questions....... (started in July 2008 by @Tman)
• How To Restore/Build A Teardrop Trailer (started in June 2011 by @flt-blk)

 

Since he sold his almost 25 years ago, and I still have mine, I'll step in here. My '47 Kit (and his) were both mounted on a really simple tube frame and the suspension is a basic torsion spring set-up.