1948 Prototype Traveling Salesman’s Trailer

This one is wayyyyyyyyyyy too cool. On the outside, it looks like a pregnant canned ham. The inside however, is just spectacular. All teak wood.

We believe that this trailer was built as a traveling salesman’s trailer. In the closets there are special places to hang slacks and ties. In the back, next to the bed, there is a small desk and office area.

I found this one when I was visiting a friend in Santa Ana, California and this was sitting in the corner of his shop. Jenay was with me. We glanced at it and neither had much of a response. Unable to resist the urge, we looked inside and saw pretty much exactly what you are looking at. Once again, just planning to visit a friend, with a near empty checkbook, we pushed it out, hooked it up and had another trailer.

There was only one panel of wood to replace in the back. When I broke it out, to my amazement, the previous owners had signed the back of this particular piece of plywood and dated it. What a great discovery to authenticate it. And, it was built in southern California, most likely never leaving the area where I found it.

In my other trailer stories, you will hear about my good trailer buddy Desmond, who has helped me pick up several trailers over the years. This trailer was my first introduction to Desmond.

After taking this trailer on a long camping trip, Jenay persuaded me to sell it, since it didn’t have a bathroom. I told a friend of mine who sold trailers in Arizona about this trailer and he gave me a woman’s number. I called and she was interested in a trailer. Her husband raced motorcycles and he had given his new wife instructions to look for an old toy hauler. She came up to check this trailer out, not quite understanding what a toy hauler was. This one was old, like he had asked for. Laurie fell in love with it. I gave her a price and she said she would have to bring her new husband Desmond over to see it. Well, Desmond came with her to check it out. Not quite what he was expecting. He went under it, inside it, kicked the tires and asked me how much? I told him, and he nearly snapped his neck turning to his pretty new bride. ”That’s not what you told me.” She answered, “You wouldn’t have come to see it if I told you what he wanted. I love it” Well my soon to be lifelong friend Desmond looked at her, turned to look at me nose to nose and said “I’m screwed, I’ll take it.” And he still is.

In addition to this trailer, he now owns another vintage trailer that I found for him that he named “Eugene”. I forgot to tell you, he named this one “Gertie”. And, now they are looking for a third trailer.

Take a close look at the interior. I’ve never seen another trailer with teakwood interior. It’s awesome!

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