My travel trailer, new to me.

[yetibone]

I bought this old Spartan Royal Mansion 33' travel trailer off Craigslist, 1950 model, with a full bath, and kitchen. All of the appliances, and fixtures are original and intact, except for the furnace. The birch paneling needs some attention, the wiring is all original cloth insulated single strand, and connected to a two breaker, 15 amp service with no ground, so that will need to be upgraded. There's a soft spot in the floor beneath the toilet, and it predates travel trailers with holding tanks, so I need to add a fresh water tank beneath the bed in back, then the grey water, and sewr tanks somewhere.

Streetside front



Cool wrap around front windows




Kitchen and dinette



Kitchen



"Observation Lounge"



Bay window in front



The bedroom windows actually roll down. The PO told me that he thought the regulators were Ford passenger car parts from the '40s, and that the window cranks were late '40s Ford pieces.



My plan is to first go thru all of the utilities and upgrade to some modern hardware. I'll install the fresh water tank, a pump, a 10 gal RV water heater, and new fixtures for the kitchen sink, the bath tub, and bathroom sink. I'll probably keep the toilet though, because it's old and cool looking with all of it's 3 gallon per flush goodness.



I'll have to check out the cooker to be sure it works. It's a small size, but has 4 burners, and once again, looks cool a $#!+.



Next, brakes, trailer wiring, running lights, front jack, tires, etc... Whatever it needs to tow safely. I work on a lot of utility trailers at my job, so this isn't a major thing.

I might have to sell the 928 to fund a tow vehicle though. My '82 Toyota isn't well suited for the task.

[porsche4life]

Thats so cool. Gunna be an awesome camper when you are done... I bet that thing pulls like a ton of bricks...

[yetibone]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Thats so cool. Gunna be an awesome camper when you are done... I bet that thing pulls like a ton of bricks...

I'm about to find out actually. I haven't hauled it home yet because the seller is getting some safer tires to go on it. He said that he pulled it about 100 miles on the set that was on there, but that was 6 years ago. This weekend I'll go get it, and bring it home, which is around 100 miles one way also. I got a friend that's going to loan me his 3/4 ton Chevy to haul it. The advertised weight is 5800 lbs, but after adding water tanks, pump, and heater, plus an AC, it will likely be more like 6300 when I'm done with it.

[Laneco]

Oh I LOVE old aluminum trailers!!!

As for the front windows - they are awesome, but you might want to think about protection for them when towing. A nice bent aluminum panel to cover them would be terrific. I suspect they could prove expensive to replace when the tow vehicle pitches a rock up at them.

angela

[trekkor]

Awesome trailer!

What did it cost?


KT

[dmcummins]

I have been working on a old trailer myself. There really is not that much to them. I replaced most of my copper plumbing with pex, very easy to work with. I also do not have a grey water tank. I have a black water tank that is directly below the toilet and the grey water t's in below a valve after that. The grey water just poured on the ground. For now I just bought a portable tank for the grey water to go to.

I love the wood paneling in those old trailers. And the exterior looks to be in great shape also. That will really stand out between the new white boxes.

[Bill Douglas]

It would be an ass of a job polishing that thing to a high sheen, but it sure would look good.

[911boost]

Very very nice.

I'd think twice about putting the fresh water tank in the back. Is there something closer to the front you can put it under?

Bill

[herr_oberst]

I would like to have a giant pole barn for all my stuff and tools, and a big ass aluminum trailer just like that in the corner to live in.

For some reason, I can't excite many women about that idea.

Nice find, and have a blast restoring it!

[Evans, Marv]

Very cool. I remember in 1948, when my family first came to CA, my parents bought a 25 ft. trailer that the 5 of us lived in for awhile next to Hwy. 99 in the San Joaquin Valley. Next to us was one of those. To us it seemed like a true mansion of metal. I remember the warm glow of the inside lights against the paneling. Damn, that was a long time ago.

[porsche4life]

Is that sink and part of the counter integrated? I'd try to save that....

[jyl]

Damn. That is gorgeous. So very very cool.

[s_morrison57]

very nice , what did you pay for something like that?

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Is that sink and part of the counter integrated? I'd try to save that....

It looks that way. It should polish up nicely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The whole thing is an absolute dream. Beautiful in so many ways.

Lots of work to do but you already know that.
I see these as being more practical than restoring a boat.
Once they're finished you just enjoy them... Not a lot of on going maintenance.

That reminds me of a streamlined trailer in a Clint Eastwood movie.
Can't remember the title but I think Kevin Costner played a crim on the run.

I remember it was all shinny and polished. It looked brand new and beautiful.

EDIT: Just found the movie... A Perfect World. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107808/

[desertt5]

Extremely cool. I am surprised at how lightweight it says it is. My 2009 28" trailer with fiberglass sides weighs that much.

[GH85Carrera]

That refrigerator is cool. You really need to keep that in there. It will cost more to fit it than replace it, but it great.

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

in that shape, they sell from $free to hauyl off, to $2,500.00.

The toilet can be saved. I raised mine 2 inches to make room for plumbing adapeters uned the floor. It is all cast iron under there, and you cut and break till you can fit a rubber adapter collar on it to the toilet.

Its a park model, so yu really will have a problem with tanks. You will have to remove some of the under insulation panels to get to a space.

go to yahoo groups for spartantrailercoaches.

lot of work ahead of you there, id say about 3 years of hard work.

try not to get too nostalgic about the old crap.

wait till you see the insulation.......wear a mask@@

check those floors, then buy some wood.

the aluminum screws and rivets...... good luck!

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

wheels from a mid eighties chevy 4wd fit the bolt pattern

[Jim Bremner]

I think that both of theses could fit a 8.2 chevy bigblock in them.

try to place the water tanks plus grey and black closer to the axles.

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

use a soft scrubbrush and soap solution mopped on top to clean the rivets, they can be damaged and begin to leak if you are too vigouous.