Not Glass but cool!

[kirkman]

New Bowlus Road Chiefs being made.
MEDIA | Bowlus Road Chief

[Ken C]

It's been posted here.

[jen b]

OMG gorgeous and I want. But it's going to bomb - isn't anybody spending that kind of money going for the huge bus size things?

[MillerK]

Makes Airstreams look like a bargain.

[Donna D.]

Cool to look at But, I'm at that point I don't want anything I can't fix... or afford to fix. I don't have the equipment to bend aluminum (think hail storm damage). All molded fiberglass, some good bondo, etc.... while it may not be a perfect fix if I do it... it will be perfect for me!

YMMV

[mszabo]

Starting price 100K

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by mszabo

Starting price 100K

That's about THREE of the best, fully optioned, biggest, ALL currently all molded fiberglassed trailers. NOT for me... YMMV

[deryk]

nah... I dont find the shape appealing. The door on the front with a little deck on the tongue looks interesting, some place to sit at. I think though the airstreams look better.

deryk

[841K9]

It looks like they put the tongue on the wrong end. The rear bed doesn't appear too comfortable for me (6'3").

Other than that, it has a beautiful fit and finish.

[Steve L.]

I find it weirdly proportioned. Too narrow for it's length I think. I also feel like the tongue is on the wrong end, like you're towing it backwards or something.

Not my cup of tea.

[deryk]

Even though the tongue end is rounded around the flat door your going to get a little drag from that. The door would do better at the rear. Yeah it does look a little narrow for the length. I like the weight of it, but makes me wonder how solid is the trailer under it? If I had a 100k to blow I wouldn't spend it on this.

deryk

[deryk]

And if i had money to burn and wanted something in aluminum I would order one of these but long enough for a bathroom with a head and shower. ProtoStoga Update


deryk

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by MillerK

Makes Airstreams look like a bargain.

Originally Posted by deryk

I think though the airstreams look better.

Wally Byam worked for Hawley Bowlus after Bowlus left Ryan Aeronautical Company which built the Spirit of St. Louis in San Diego, California. When Bowlus went bankrupt Byam bought everything, converting the Bowlus-Teller company into the Airstream company. That makes Airstream the new and improved Bowlus.

[kirkman]

Originally Posted by deryk

And if i had money to burn and wanted something in aluminum I would order one of these but long enough for a bathroom with a head and shower. ProtoStoga Update


deryk

Deryk... That ProtoStoga has you written all over it!!!!

[Carol H]

There are a couple of old Bowlus's that attend rallies here in the North West. Here are some photos I took at a rally a couple of years ago of one of them. Inside was even more interesting than the outside.

[Andrew Gibbens]

Originally Posted by deryk

Even though the tongue end is rounded around the flat door your going to get a little drag from that. The door would do better at the rear.

The Bowlus shape is pretty near perfect if you want low aerodynamic drag - rounded front edges (sides and top) with a long, long taper to a point. The only improvement would be to make the trailer cross section more closely match the tow vehicle cross section. Even back when the Bowlus was made, autos weren't nine feet tall and six feet wide.

Sharp fronts to "cut through the air" are pure styling and have no aerodynamic value (assuming you aren't going to tow near the speed of sound....).

Sadly it looks like the new Bowlus has abandoned the original's stunning space-frame internal chassis, mostly made from circular tubing around 1" diameter. But then that chassis did restrict the interior to those longitudinal settee/beds each side since the bed fronts were covering chassis members.

[deryk]

Originally Posted by kirkman

Deryk... That ProtoStoga has you written all over it!!!!

heh yeah, Would love something like that! A much more aero dynamic vardo. But in the Meantime if I keep my speed down I get decent mileage towing my ParkLiner... much better then the lil vardo I built....and I can stand up too!


deryk

[Pam Garlow]

I've been in them and they're beautiful inside. I like them better than Airstreams. I think they have more personality.
BUT I don't like the 'front door' over the tongue and the $$$$ price. Happy with my FG

[DeadEyeDan]

Roll in in one of those and no one would leave you alone...

Still...

[rabbit]

Medieval metal working revisited. Cod head and mackerel tail. Wire spoked wheels. A blast from several pasts.

jack