How many Boler AMERICANS are out there?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Ted in IN

Add mine to the list. #3105
This is a great thread! I'll be following closely.

Right after Clive Alive's trailer which is #3104.

[rpc101]

Decided to add my serial # here for Roy. I have # 1069 out of the Wichita plant. Still working on it but I'll post pics when I get it further along.

[CliveAlive]

Originally Posted by Ted in IN

Add mine to the list. #3105
This is a great thread! I'll be following closely.

Hey Ted;

I just noticed your post here! Welcome.

It's interesting knowing that the next of kin to my Boler is still out there. And here it is on FGRV.

BTW what is the vent for at the top of the closet in yours?

Thanks

[Donna D.]

Come back Ted! Last Activity: 10-10-2012 10:56 AM

[Ted in IN]

Originally Posted by CliveAlive

Hey Ted;

I just noticed your post here! Welcome.

It's interesting knowing that the next of kin to my Boler is still out there. And here it is on FGRV.

BTW what is the vent for at the top of the closet in yours?

Thanks

Sorry I wandered away. Hey Clive, the vent is for an airconditioner. A previous owner installed it in the top of the closet. Works great!

[Ted in IN]

Someone on another site just told me that NO Bolers were actually made in Wichita. Is that correct?

[CliveAlive]

Originally Posted by Ted in IN

Sorry I wandered away. Hey Clive, the vent is for an airconditioner. A previous owner installed it in the top of the closet. Works great!

Ted: thanks for the reply.

I for one would be very interested in more detailed photos of that A/C install if you ever felt inclined. Perhaps in it's own thread.

[Ted in IN]

okay Clive i'll work on getting some pics as soon as i have her back home. She's out getting re-wired and new tires.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Ted in IN

Someone on another site just told me that NO Bolers were actually made in Wichita. Is that correct?

As far as I have been able determine that is correct. Most of the history has been posted to this thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...nts-26760.html
Internet sleuthing shows boler American (Eleanor International) in a 2nd floor office in Wichita. The location would not be suitable for any kind of industrial fabrication. Scamp has recently added some new history on their site saying that they started making trailers for a "marketing company".

I backed off on my research a few years back when MattH was running around the continent interviewing people for his documentary. We shared a lot of info and I was hoping his efforts would come to fruition and tie the missing pieces together. Since then both Matt and his unfinished documentary slipped below the radar. Occasional posts such as this remind us to ask what happened to both?

I have not yet been able to figure out what happened to boler American in mid 1972. Everybody involved has been quite on the events. Some of those involved have passed on. Most recently was Sandor Dusa, earlier this year. He had designed the boler and was one of the 3 owners that sold the American manufacturing rights to the people based in Wichita.

[CaptJeff]

My 1972 Boler American is Number 5010! SO does this mean it's number 10 off the assembly line?

[DrKyle1]

Well since CaptJeff has chimed in on this 4 year old post thought I would too... I have a Boler American Wichita SN: 1044. Picked up last year

[CaptJeff]

Originally Posted by DrKyle1

Well since CaptJeff has chimed in on this 4 year old post thought I would too... I have a Boler American Wichita SN: 1044. Picked up last year

"IT(the post) LIVES!" This is a pretty interesting side note to the Boler Story, I found an article in a Scamp Owners summer news story, talking about the history of Boler Americans from someone with first hand information, I'd post the Link,But I'm new here so not sure if posting external links is cool? If it's alright let me know!

[Barbe]

My 1972 American made Boler has a serial # of 1001

[Barbe]

additional photos of my Boler & work in progress at a Body Shop

[Barbe]

Found this while surfing the net to find out about Am.made Bolers

A boler becomes a Scamp (and an ECO and a Love Bug and a Pacer)

An article in the Oelwein Daily Register appeared November 27, 1971, reporting that Elenor International Inc. of Wichita Kansas was purchasing Iowa Portable Mill Mfg. Co. which was located in Oelwein, Iowa. “Boler American” was a subsidiary of Elenor International and placed an order with the newly acquired Iowa Portable Mill company for 5,000 trailer frames to be delivered over the next 12 months to production plants in Tripoli, Iowa, Aurora, Nebraska and Backus, Minnesota.

The Manitoba Business Journal published an article in January 1972 with the headline “boler trailers move into US market.” The article reported that boler had sold all US manufacturing rights to Elenor International. Elenor Intl. employees came to Winnipeg to train at the boler plant.

Eco and Love Bug both started in 1972 and made Boler Americans. When Boler American failed, they decided to use the moulds and came up with new names. ECO stands for Eugene-Cal-Owen, the first names of the owners of Century Mfg. Another boler-derived trailer was the Perris Pacer produced in San Jacito, California from 1974 to 1990.

Meanwhile, in July of 1971, Duane Eveland was involved in remodeling damaged mobile homes. A factory representative from the franchisee “Boler American” stopped by and watched. Eventually the boler salesman asked if he would like to manufacture trailers for boler. The boler trailer was designed in Canada and Boler American was a company attempting to develop the US market. Duane was interested and together with his brother Gerald Eveland and sister Gladys Coffland negotiated a contract with Boler American in which Eveland’s Inc. would manufacture trailers and Boler American would market them. Boler American had their own problems and went out of business late in 1972. This left Eveland’s Inc. with moulds but no marketing company. Duane, Gerald and Gladys discussed things, came up with the name Scamp (they used the name Acorn for one year in 1979), and began building and marketing their own trailer.

[scotty]

I just found a boler american shell serial # 5187. Unfortunately it was stripped inside and has a broken frame.

[mtodd5kids]

G'day all! In a serendipitous turn of events, my fiance' and I (well actually just me, with Kev being dragged along for the ride cuz he loves me lol) recently acquired a 1972 Boler American 13' beauty, made at the Backus, MN factory before it became Scamp. We own serial #3030. We are the second official owners, and the funny thing is, ironically, it was originally purchased new by a family in 1972 who live just 8 miles from where I graduated from high school over 30 years ago. Irony #2: the original purchasers were good friends with my grandparents, who are now deceased. I'm 49, but I knew the original owners as a child. Of course I never knew about their Boler. Such a small, small world. So....partially because of the nostalgia and kismet way this cutie came into our lives, and partially because we believe that reviving a piece of rare history like this is a privilege and necessity, Kev and I are attempting to lovingly restore it, learning little by little, just how fortunate we are to have found our little miss, and also just how dang much we DON'T KNOW! Hahaha She's white on top/royal blue on the bottom. Pretty much original except the table top and the curtains. She's in amazingly good shape for her age - she's only a year younger than Kev and myself lol! Anyhow, thought I would share that there's another one still out there and holding her own quite well. With some spit, polish, and serious TLC/new wiring, etc, I think we may have ourselves a sweet little Boler Am. to cozy up in on our lake property. Thanks to all who have taken the time and effort to keep this thread going. I do believe this was very much meant to be! Cheers and all the best from this Aussie/American freshly minted Boler girl ~ Mer

[mtodd5kids]

Whoop whoop!

[CWS]

We just acquired # 5009!

[Maggotbrain]

FYI for those interested...Just acquired a '72 (serial #3017) from North Dakota where apparently she's been all her life according to the PO. Ready to be loved...and rebuilt! Very intrigued about this axle/frame dimension conundrum b/t Canadian vs American build. I guess I'll find out in a hurry. Thanks all!