Greetings... which Boler (?) did i buy?

[Roy in TO]

Me thinks that S = short form for serial # on all the various tags. So not a problem.

One of each of the labels for water, propane, electricity, tow vehicle connection. Red letters on gold?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by spue

i don't think the propane was added after manufacture, the CA tags are probably something the dealer had to add to sell it in CA. all the extra laws we live with here.

Yes but it could have been built at one of the other Boler America facilities outside of California and been shipped to the dealer and as you suggest they had the appliances checked and marked to show they meet California requirements.

[Roy in TO]

It is also possible that there were other manufactures.

Roger C H has posted in A Short Boler History, some archived newspaper articles, from which I take select quotes:

Winnipeg Free Press, Wednesday, February 12, 1969
International Business Established ‘Overnight’
[boler] can barely keep up with demand in the local area and are setting up several franchises in both the US and Canada.

Winnipeg Free Press, Wednesday, April 28, 1971
Manitoba Trailer Hot Export
Lists franchised manufacturers in Los Angeles, Minneapolis with another soon in Central US. Ray Olecko negotiating with three other companies, one in New York.

The Oelwein Daily Register – Saturday, November 27, 1971
Kansas firm purchases Iowa Portable Mill
Iowa Portable Mill Mfg Co, Oelwein, acquired by Eleanor International, Inc, Wichita, KS. Boler American Corporation, a subsidiary of Eleanor and marketer in the US of a FG camping and travel trailer ... Frames will be shipped to production plants at Tripoli, IA, Aurora, NE and Backus, MN.
From My research:

The State of Kansas Business Entity search provides this info:

Eleanor International registered June 6, 1971
Current Status: FORFEITED - FAILED TO TIMELY FILE A/R
Forfeiture Date: 00/00/0000

Boler American Corporation registered September 10, 1971
Current Status: FORFEITED - FAILED TO TIMELY FILE A/R
Forfeiture Date: 10/15/1973

The Manitoba Business Journal, January 1972 http://www.bolerama.org/bolerbusiness.html
says Elenor (SIC) International’s first three plants will be going into three north central states in January … an executive of Elenor (SIC) saw a Boler unit in California last summer.

From all of this, it appears that bolers may have been made in the Los Angeles area as early as April of 1971, where Boler American was only formed in September of 1971 with production starting in 1972. Other sources indicate boler American production ceased in mid 1972.

Spue might even have a trailer that predates the boler American.

[spue]

put up some more pix on the photobucket: Pictures by Wild_Oak - Photobucket

ROY, to compare w/ yours, my tail light lenses say 'pathfinder no. 575'
http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/...k/P6070008.jpg

here is a picture of the drain vent cover... it has a horse on it.
http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/...k/P6070002.jpg

there are stickers on the side windows that look original too:
http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/...k/P6070006.jpg

there are also a couple of pics of the electrical hook up info plates. they are red lettering on gold, but with some paint over them too.

as you mentioned the linoleum is the same. so the question is: How much difference is there in the Bolers made in different factories? i assume that all the trailers made in the same factory would have the same flooring, lenses etc., but ones made in factories in different parts of the country would use 'local-er' parts for the trim, lenses etc.

[Roy in TO]

I think the difference between factories would be based on Branding. I assume the 3 boler American plants would all try to use the same parts. We had different plants up here in Canada producing bolers at the same time, but they didn't have the same parts. The key differences would be the Tex-Air electrical components and the notched wheel well under the sink.

Many parts are national or international (tail lights, marker lights, water pumps etc.). There might be local diffences based on availability and local pricing. Some influence might be based on what the local supplier carries.

[Roy in TO]

In humour, the wheely wheels got me to thinking about this video.

Redneck Dragster - YouTube

[Davidmulvaney]

I have an american Boler made in witchita,Kansas looks very similiar to this one

[Gcross]

Minit and Boler were models built by Beta Design Co. (formerly Beta Boat Co.) of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif, in 1971.

[Donna D.]

Hi Grace, welcome to FiberglassRV! We're glad you're here.

And thanks for adding to the history files!

Cool!

[Barbara Gardin]

The inside of the door is identical to our 72 Boler manufactured in Earlton.

[Rick Mooyman]

I question the "Original Owner" part, if she was the original it would have been properly registered with the proper Manufacture. And not the FBSTS as you say it says. I find that many of our campers are registered with the wrong info over the years and lots of changes made by DMV people as they change hands over the years. I have been lucky with both of my Bolers to get the proper tags on the body and proper paper trails so both were registered right.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Gcross

Minit and Boler were models built by Beta Design Co. (formerly Beta Boat Co.) of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif, in 1971.

Hi Grace,
The time frame is right for the boler American. Do you have anything or references that might confirm that? I've been researching the history of the boler American and have been trying to find a California and Oregon connection.
Roy

[Roy in TO]

I've been in contact with a government official in Califorina that is helping me research this. Any info someone might have would be very helpful at this time.
Thanks