Reading the
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ops-55751.html thread got my wheels turning about a custom built trailer my Grandfather had made. It was donated to a Museum in 1990 but I hadn't seen it for years prior to that. I had no record of which museum. After contacting a few places I located it at the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They were very kind and helpful in giving me details and even snapping a few camera phone pictures for me. One of the pics was of the info graffic out front but is blurry enough to be almost illegible. I've retyped it for my own records and shared.
"How did this British built trailer end up in Saskatchewan? In 1946, Norman and his brother Victor started building this trailer in the family back yard in Manchester, England. Norman had been an aircraft fitter during the Second World War and new how to work with aluminum. He put Aluminum sheets over a wood frame to make a tight seal on the trailers exterior. The solid wood inside was salvaged from bombed out buildings in his neighbourhood. By 1948 the trailer was complete.
It became a woodland retreat at a campsite in Anglesey, Wales. The trailer was named Cheshire View after the area south-west of Manchester know as Cheshire. In 1953 the family (note: Normans family) left England and used the trailer as container to ship possessions to Lachine, Quebec. The family settled in Medicine hat, Alberta and used the trailer as temporary home while building a house. The trailer then became a cabin at Elkwater Lake in the Cypress Hills (provincial park) and later Waterton Lakes National Park. It was taken to Vancouver in 1957, refitted and moved to Shuswap Lake in British columbia.
In 1979, Norman's son David brought the trailer to Saskatoon. His family used the trailer at Waskesiu (lake) in Prince Albert National Park. He stopped using it because the single
axle made for a rough ride on the highway and it's unique look attracted a steady stream of curiosity seekers. The Western Development Museum acquired the trailer in 1990."
I had the pleasure of camping in this trailer as a young child. The inside is beautifully done. He was craftsman and had experience building furniture. The trailer was outfitted with a couch in the front that slide out into a double bed. An upper bunk would then fold out from the ceiling, like I've seen in some
Bigfoot models. A full Kitchen and table/bed conversion were present. Included many small details like a fold out ironing board (if memory serves correct) and hidden storage. Someday I'll get out to see it again. If anyone else passes through let me know. Feel free to ad pictures too.
1969 Boler
1984 Scamp 5er
Bigfoot B17 CB
1985 U-Haul (Sold) CT
Scamp 16 (current)
Linear Mode
