Just bought a Boler!

[Melady]

Hi, my name is Melady. I am very excited to be the proud owner of a 1974 Boler! I am going to pick it up in a couple of days. I have never towed anything before and I also need to have a trailer hitch put on my van before I start, so I am having it taken on a flatbed from the previous owner to where the Boler will spend the spring/summer in my daughter's backyard. She is having a baby at the end of February (her first) and I live on an island in the Gulf with five little dogs, who can't be left alone. My plan is to stay in the trailer with my pups in the backyard for a couple of days at a time to help her with baby stuff without being in the way. First worries: Can I move the Boler around myself if needed? Should I get one of those wheeled tongue thingies? It will be on a brick paved pad. I have been looking at ways to protect it from the sun (haha in Vancouver there didn't used to be much, but....climate change, heat dome, etc. has changed that). I have a 14x14 sun sail that is supposed to protect against UV rays, just need to figure out how to put it up, is that a good idea? the other option is to cover it with a breathable car cover when I'm away. Any other recommendations for backyard camping? I will bring it home to the island and keep it in the garage over the winter. My garage door is 7ft 6inches, will I need to deflate the tires?
Haha...these are only some of my worries so far.

[Glenn Baglo]

Your boler has survived almost 50 years. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Dave Fish]

You may or may not be able to move it without a dolly. My trailer is similar size and I can move it around the carport easily. Bricks are another matter, both for the front wheel and for the axle tires. I would wait to see how it works and whether you actually need to move it before spending the money (better to spend the money on getting your hitch installed.)

I live south of you in the Salish Sea. I wouldn't worry too much about the sun although the sun shade might help with cooling during the summer. We keep ours under cover because of the rain and the tree sap. If you do get a cover, definitely get a vented one. They make them in various sizes for trailers that might even have a zipper to give access to your door without taking it off.

BTW: Congrats on becoming a new grandma.

[Patty-wagon]

Congratulations on the boler & the baby! I’m a recent 1st time grandmother myself, only downfall is it does make one want to stick closer to home.

I would get the trailer jack (your wheeled tongue thing), it’s easy to install & can’t imagine camping without it. I installed mine, I’m 67 & not mechanical at all. When I read the repairs some of you people are doing, I’m green with envy.

As for moving it around, yes, with your hitch it should be no problem. Cost a fortunate though if you’re ferrying it to the island! I practised backing up in empty parking lots. I like the feeling of pulling into a campsite & backing my trillium in with ease. I actually received a standing ovation from a neighbouring campsite! (The dinner invitation was an added bonus)

I was born on Vanc. Island but live in Ontario now…..I cover my trillium with a tarp & clear off snow when it gets too heavy. I leave her bare in summer & we get a lot more sun that BC. The sun sail sounds good though, especially if you have no trees for shade & are on pavement.
As for the garage, find out the height of your trailer & measure. My trailer is 4 inches too high for my garage but I’ll be damned if I’m going to remove the tires every year, so I leave her outside. That way I can give her a wink & a pat when I walk by….or shovel the 3 ft of snow.

Good Luck! Having a trailer opens up a whole new world of adventures, whether near or far.

[van de Kamper]

About fitting your trailer into your garage. Ian from Bolercamping.ca uses smaller wheels with the correct bolt pattern to fit his Boler indoors each winter.

[Kenny Strong]

I have a set 0f rims with no tires on them. Takes a few minutes in the drive way to change .

[Borden]

Congratulations on your new toy

[Borden]

My wife used to be able to move our boler on the flat area of the drive when she was younger; if the two propane tanks were off. We refer to it as our 17' cottage.