Boles Aero?

 

So you've never heard of Boles Aero, don't worry neither had I. They manufactured about 18,000 aluminum trailers in Burbank, California from about 1946 to 1980. I found out they are not as well known as the Airstream line (who hasn't heard of Airstream) but they are well-regarded among the vintage trailer crowd.

There's a short history of the Boles Manufacturing Company here and here.

These trailers predate Vehicle ID Numbers (VIN) and in fact during this period people ordered and built lots of kit trailers that had no serial number and apparently were not "licensed". I've read that for these old trailers the DMV accepts the serial number as the VIN. My trailer is serial number 1448366. I've read that Boles Aero used the 3rd and 4th digits correspond to the year of manufacture. That would make mine a 1948. I conjecture that the "14" stands for the trailer body length and the 366 corresponds to unit number 366 manufactured in 1948 ("14" "48" "366").

Of the few I've found online the condition of my trailer seems to be pretty normal for a 1948 model, i.e. neglected and water damaged. I read about one that had been transformed into a utility trailer before it was rescued! There are however a few that have been restored and they are quite beautiful:

The size of Boles Aero models grew over the years and by the 1960's they were quite large compared to my modest 14 foot model. But they also lost that "aero aluminum" look. These models are still sought after but distinctly different.

1963 Boles Aero

I don't plan a full-on restoration, rather I plan to do a "reimagined" restoration. Apparently "dry camping" wasn't a thing in the 1940's. This trailer is meant to be hooked up to water and power, in fact there is no lighting if it isn't hooked up to power. It also seems people spent more time inside the trailer vs enjoying the outdoors. The dinette and kitchenette areas are allocated a lot more floor space than a modern camper of this size.

What I have in mind is to keep the body looking vintage and build new custom cabinetry similar to the originals. I'll allocate the space slightly differently, install modern appliances, and install an camouflaged off-grid solar and water system. I'll also install modern safety features. If I'm successful it will have the feel of the original with nonobtrusive modern touches.