Part of the ECO Family - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-06-2013, 04:16 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: Loren
Trailer: Hunter
California
Posts: 3
Part of the ECO Family

Hi everyone - I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Loren and my Dad is one of the guys who manufactured all of those great ECO travel trailers back in the 70s. In fact, I worked at his factory during much of that time so if you've got an ECO I probably had a hand in making it.

Who knew that 40 years later those sturdy little trailers would still be loved so much!

Here's a few bits of trivia for you:

ECO - stand for Eugene-Cal-Owen, the first names of the owners of Century Mfg. Cal is my Dad and Owen is his younger brother. All three are still alive - but they didn't even keep a single one of the trailers for themselves.

After the shells were put on the frame the first thing we did was cut out all of the window and door openings, then we installed the foam insulation with a really powerful glue that would make your head swim if you stayed in the trailer too long. Yeah...OSHA wasn't so strong back in those days and we didn't wear respirators :-)

Dad bought the molds from a company in Canada - I think the originals were named Burros but my memory might be shoddy on that.

My uncle Owen and my Dad made a promotional video based on a true story about an ECO owner turning a corner too fast and too short and hitting the curb. Their trailer tipped over and they drug it down the street for a ways before they stopped. They just tipped it back up and went on their way! Tough little guys. Although they did have to bring it back in for some touch up on the gel-coat.

The first year there were only 2 colors if my memory serves me right - avocado green with a white top and all white. Later we added red, light blue and even yellow. We made a few solid color ones but Dad didn't like the look of those so they were only on special order.

We used to keep two of the red/white ones on hand and employees could reserve them for free for weekend camping.

When we put the first ones together we used a hand rivet gun. Ouch! After the first couple of times doing that we went on strike until my Dad bought us air rivet guns. Much faster after that! But we soon discovered it was pretty hysterical to rivet various things that shouldn't have been riveted - like lunchboxes to work benches and tool belts to walls. LOL!

Anyway, just a few things to know about the old ECO trailers. I still see them rolling down the highway once in a while. I always honk and wave!

Let me know if you've got an ECO and how it's doing for you. Maybe one of these days I'll buy one back for myself :-)

Thanks!
lorenber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 04:21 PM   #2
Junior Member
 
Name: Loren
Trailer: Hunter
California
Posts: 3
Boler not Burro

I just remembered the Canadian company was named Boler!
lorenber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 04:25 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Casita 17 ft Spirit Deluxe 2007
Posts: 505
Very interesting, thank you for sharing that bit of history. terry r.
Terry R. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 06:01 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
FTTRV's Avatar
 
Name: Chuck
Trailer: tp
Washington
Posts: 649
I own a 1975 ECO with a toilet in the front. A well built 13ft trailer. Thank you for sharing the History of your company.
Chuck
FTTRV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 06:33 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
WildBirder's Avatar
 
Name: Mark
Trailer: 1969 Boler (Flat Top)
British Columbia
Posts: 530
Registry
Great stuff Thanks for sharing. I see one in your future
__________________
Mark
1969 Boler
(#183)
WildBirder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 06:34 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
Registry
Welcome Loren, to FGRV...
__________________
Jim
Never in doubt, often wrong
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 06:38 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Name: kootenai girl
Trailer: 1976 Trillium 1300
British Columbia
Posts: 1,411
That's such an interesting and informative posting, thank you.
kootenaigirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 07:04 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Thomas G.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 5,112
Loren, thanks so much for dropping in and sharing some history. Do you have any idea of what the yearly sales volumes were or how many ECOs were built?
__________________
UHaul and Burro owners, join the UHaul Campers on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/529276933859491/
Thomas G. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 07:38 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
honda03842's Avatar
 
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
Loren,

What caused the company to cease production?

Thanks for the interesting history.
__________________
Norm and Ginny

2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
honda03842 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 09:01 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
COOL BEANS! Loren thanks so much for adding to the ECO history

I know Deb & Chuck have an ECO... I'm betting they're really interested in the history. Deb told me, theirs is an original 13' with a full (front bathroom). I've seen it, if my rememberer is right the entire trailer is green gelcoat in color.

__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 09:08 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Roy in TO's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by lorenber View Post
Let me know if you've got an ECO and how it's doing for you. Maybe one of these days I'll buy one back for myself :-)
Welcome to FGRV Loren,

I've got a precursor to the ECO, a boler American. I believe your family had one of 3 facilities that were producing these before you ventured out on your own. The other 2 were:
Evelands in Bachus, MN that still makes the Scamp today
Tri-Fab in Tripoli, IA that went on to make the Love Bug, no longer in production.

What you have posted will help fill in some of the holes in this thread:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/egg-history-boler-descendants-26760.html

I'll post a link in that thread back to here.

Then I'll send you a PM.
Roy
Roy in TO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 09:31 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Roy in TO's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by FTTRV View Post
I own a 1975 ECO with a toilet in the front.
That should be in your profile Chuck. Knowing that alters my opinion of you. It means that you do indeed belong here and have not totally crossed over to the dark side of trailerism.
Roy in TO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 09:46 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy in TO View Post
That should be in your profile Chuck. Knowing that alters my opinion of you. It means that you do indeed belong here and have not totally crossed over to the dark side of trailerism.
Huh? Deb & Chuck have a pole barn full of all molded trailers. Their current favorite is a 21' Bigfoot. I've never camped with them when they weren't in something all molded.... they're kinda like CPAHarley... except they don't sell and move along... they KEEP them!
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2013, 10:06 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Roy in TO's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
I guess I've not paid enough attention to the details.

Time to quote Gina, and "go to my room"
Roy in TO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2013, 07:01 PM   #15
Junior Member
 
jeff isaacson's Avatar
 
Trailer: Eco Featherlite 1970 (Circa)
Posts: 25
Registry
Great Info

Quote:
Originally Posted by lorenber View Post
Hi everyone - I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Loren and my Dad is one of the guys who manufactured all of those great ECO travel trailers back in the 70s. In fact, I worked at his factory during much of that time so if you've got an ECO I probably had a hand in making it.

Who knew that 40 years later those sturdy little trailers would still be loved so much!

Here's a few bits of trivia for you:

ECO - stand for Eugene-Cal-Owen, the first names of the owners of Century Mfg. Cal is my Dad and Owen is his younger brother. All three are still alive - but they didn't even keep a single one of the trailers for themselves.

After the shells were put on the frame the first thing we did was cut out all of the window and door openings, then we installed the foam insulation with a really powerful glue that would make your head swim if you stayed in the trailer too long. Yeah...OSHA wasn't so strong back in those days and we didn't wear respirators :-)

Dad bought the molds from a company in Canada - I think the originals were named Burros but my memory might be shoddy on that.

My uncle Owen and my Dad made a promotional video based on a true story about an ECO owner turning a corner too fast and too short and hitting the curb. Their trailer tipped over and they drug it down the street for a ways before they stopped. They just tipped it back up and went on their way! Tough little guys. Although they did have to bring it back in for some touch up on the gel-coat.

The first year there were only 2 colors if my memory serves me right - avocado green with a white top and all white. Later we added red, light blue and even yellow. We made a few solid color ones but Dad didn't like the look of those so they were only on special order.

We used to keep two of the red/white ones on hand and employees could reserve them for free for weekend camping.

When we put the first ones together we used a hand rivet gun. Ouch! After the first couple of times doing that we went on strike until my Dad bought us air rivet guns. Much faster after that! But we soon discovered it was pretty hysterical to rivet various things that shouldn't have been riveted - like lunchboxes to work benches and tool belts to walls. LOL!

Anyway, just a few things to know about the old ECO trailers. I still see them rolling down the highway once in a while. I always honk and wave!

Let me know if you've got an ECO and how it's doing for you. Maybe one of these days I'll buy one back for myself :-)

Thanks!
Loren, What a wonderful bit of history! Thank so much for sharing it with Us....a number of years back, in fact it may of been your own Father, had contacted me on this sight, wondering if I'd had my 1970 ECO FeatherLite for sale. He wanted a red & white one for keeping near his pool for a changing room...hope He eventually found One.
I'm the second owner of this Little Gem. 'It' is still going down the road, faithfully. By the way, when I bought 'It', she had sustained substantial damage to the exterior from a roll over. Who knows it may have been the One on the video...haha
Loren, "Welcome" to the site and do hope nostalgia brings back many fond memories....
Jeff & Diana
jeff isaacson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2013, 07:12 PM   #16
Moderator
 
Pam Garlow's Avatar
 
Trailer: U-Haul 1985
Posts: 3,436
Registry
It would be wonderful if you had some photos of the factory and build process. We don't see much manufacturing history of our eggs. Thanks for sharing with us!
Pam Garlow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2019, 07:19 PM   #17
Junior Member
 
Name: Lisa 1972 tote n tarry
Trailer: tote n tarry 1972
Alabama
Posts: 5
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy in TO View Post
I guess I've not paid enough attention to the details.

Time to quote Gina, and "go to my room"
Mr oy do you have any info on the tote n tarry trailers?
Lisa tote n tarry is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
eco


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
OR: 1974 Eco 13' Thomas G. Referrals: Molded Fiberglass Trailers 0 01-17-2013 02:53 PM
Ice box part time, electric fridge part time? zoshia Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 8 05-17-2012 04:21 PM
74 Eco in CA Camilla Referrals: Molded Fiberglass Trailers 1 10-10-2011 06:18 AM
1973 ECO amado_aguilar Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 12 05-29-2008 07:30 PM
We're already eco CharlynnT General Chat 11 05-22-2007 03:37 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.