AUTO-KAMP Trailer

[BUSHMIKE]

I am trying to help the seller arrive at a fair price for this AUTO-KAMP camping trailer. I would rate it at very good to excellent condition. Any thoughts?

[JohnM]

They are only original once! It has been very well cared for. It's hard to imagine canvas that age looking that good. I hope it finds a good home where it is preserved.

[dobro1956]

Mike I am very interested in the trailer. I will send you an e-mail. I have been looking for an original one to use in our vintage camping.

[dobro1956]

E-mail sent. My e-mail is dobro @ artelco.com
With no spaces in address

[Rich Eagle]

What a treat to see.
Thanks for posting the nice pictures of it.
Rich

[Matt in California]

With my purchase of the Tourist Kitchenette, I have got more intrigued by Model T era camping stuff:
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic. ... 95#p300295

You don’t exactly live down the street. But I must say put a old camper trailer on my bucket list. With what appears to be original canvas I would think that this would be great museum piece. It looks like it is in amazing shape. One would have to be quite careful to use it.

Do a message a couple days ago. I would really appreciate more photos including inside. Is it correct that that table was originally a sold with the trailer?

Matt

[babychadwick]

. . .With what appears to be original canvas I would think that this would be great museum piece. . .

I would have to disagree, far better to use it as a pattern and make several. Then once the information is gained it can go behind ropes in the museum.

[Dan Haynes]

swap-meet-21.jpg (64.92 KiB) Viewed 5871 times

Auto Kamp trailer in the wild

[Dan Haynes]

[dobro1956]

Chad. I partially agree with use it as a pattern. If I was able to purchase this one I would make a new canvas top for it and structurally restore and conserver the rest of it. Then gently use it looking as-is. As mentioned before, they are only original once. The patina they gain thru years of use just can not be easily re-created. I have tried to contact bushmike but no return yet.

[dobro1956]

Well I have had no results in trying to contact BUSHMIKE. So does anyone have any leads on a trailer similar to this one. Dan, do you have any contact info on the trailers you posted? I am in the market to find a rebuildable original unit. The better the condition is great but will consider any trailer. Thanks

[BUSHMIKE]

Dobro,
PM sent

[dobro1956]

Bushmike, I received your message. I sent a return message.

[Dan Haynes]

Donnie -
The trailers I posted are mine.
About 50+ years ago I found a trailer at a local ranch being used to haul irrigation pipes into the fields. It had curvy old-timey springs and Model T wheels and I had to see if I could get it. To my surprise the farmer sold it to me, a kid on a bike, for $15.

I disassembled the chassis and cleaned it all up and painted it, only to have it stolen right out of the fenced back yard. I still had the camping box which carried a brass tag; "The Auto - Kamp Trailer" made by the Auto Kamp equipment Company in Saginaw, Michigan. The stolen chassis is still missing in action but I still have the box.

Cut ahead about 45 years and there, at the last Bakersfield swap meet, was a familiar looking trailer. It was ANOTHER Auto - Kamp trailer and I had to have it. The boxes are the same and, as I remembered, the chassis were the same except my first one had 30 x 3-1/2 demountable wheels and the Bakersfield one has 30 x 3 non-demountables.

The other trailer boxes stacked like Russian dolls in the picture are home-made ones and one of them is a pickup box.

[dobro1956]

Dan, looks like you have enough to build a nice camp trailer. I have seen a few of these through the years. Wish I had bought one now. I received a response from Bushmike so I'm still hoping the one he asked about is available. Bushmike asked about what the one he posted photos of may be worth. I would also like to know a good fair market value. I have an idea what they are selling for but others thoughts on the value would be nice.

[Adam]

Mike, Is it Rick’s trailer?

[babychadwick]

At the last motorcamp. .

Screenshot_20231019-073323~2.png (245.47 KiB) Viewed 5104 times

I also have pictures of it being taken down.

[Linus Tremaine]

I follow the auto camp hobby pretty closely and watch all the trailers that I can find and see what they sell for.

recently an early camp trailer was for sale and I was contacted to advise a price. I suggested 4500 and the trailer was advertised for 7500. It was a 1916.

The trailer ended up selling for 4500. It was not in poor shape, but it was not in great shape. Alot of the wood needs to be replaced and the original mechanism for the canvas is missing and the existing stuff is home made and the canvas is not correct.

This auto kamp looks more original and complete. I would suggest that 5500 would be reasonable for all parties.

I paid 4200 for my gilkie about 5 years ago.

[OilyBill]

Does anyone know if dimensioned drawings exist anywhere?

Is there anyone who can supply a set so someone could duplicate a trailer for regular use? (I agree it would be a bad idea to use an original, if it's possible to make a duplicate to use, so you don't cry if something happens when you are out camping with it.) Also, that old canvas is probably NOT going to last long in modern weather. One season's actual use and it will probably be too tattered to even be used as a pattern.

Has anyone in the T Camping tribe ever put out any plans or documentation?

Is there any kind of guidebook to Model T camping equipment? (like the manuals on rebuilding your starter or rear axle that have been put out over the years?)

[Linus Tremaine]

Bill
I collect auto camp literature and I really have never seen a good plan for a period type collapsable trailer. Suggestions of the basic idea are common but no detail of brackets or mechanisms. I have some issues of "Motor Camper and Tourist" that I have not really looked at yet - there could be something there but I doubt it. I have a book called touring with tent and trailer, and even there I do not see any real plans.

One thing that might be interesting is to look into the google patents that might be online for various brands of trailer. Lyon, autokamp, gilkie, kozykamp, lippman, etc.


As far as a book - No. I have not seen a modern book that is any sort of encyclopedia of auto camp era equipment. Most of what I know is because I have collected period catalogs and things that give me some idea of what was available. Even so, I have seen many pieces of period camping equipment and even auto camp specific equipment that I have never seen in a catalog. The Ideal auto camp shovel for example. It appears in advertisements in magazines, but not in any auto camp catalog I have seen. The Darrah auto camp lantern is another.

IF you are on facebook, I have a group called the antique auto camping collective and there is another called the amalgamated order of motor campers. Between these groups and all our members we share almost every piece of information that we possess that relates to early auto camp.

Otherwise, this forum has been one of the most useful places to find information and I have been fortunate to locate through this group some good equipment. If you have any specific questions, ask away.

Linus

[Mark Nunn]

This is not so much as additional information about the trailer but I like these campers from 1922.

[Lessumner]

This is my AutoKamp trailer. It was gifted to me by the daughter of the original purchaser.Along with it was a diary and photographs of several camping trips they made. I restored it using all original fasteners , wood and brackets. I made the tent myself using remnents of the original. Les

[modeltspaz]

The Coleman Lamp and Stove Company published a booklet called The Coleman Motor Camper's Manual in 1926. It was authored by Frank E. Brimmer, who was an authority on motor camping in that era.

Although the booklet does not show any specific brand of tent topped camp trailers or tents, it does give recommended equipment for motor camping. It serves as a good vehicle for advertising Coleman camping equipment, most of which I own. There are recipes and such for food preparation on the road.

These booklets come available from time to time on Tbay, which is exactly where I purchased mine. They're a pretty accurate look into the past of motor camping.

Mike.

[dobro1956]

Linus I also have lots of original literature. All of the tent/trailers I have info on, never had fenders. The one shown in this post appears to have car fenders bolted on its sides. Other than the fenders it is a nice surviver. I am waiting to hear from the owner. Hoping it may be possible to add it to our family's vintage camping gear. ....

[OilyBill]

Linus, Lee, Mark, and Donnie!

Thanks very much for the informative replies!! You gave me plenty of places to start looking. I will have to keep my eyes peeled at swap meets. I really like the little trailers, and I've seen more of them in the forum pics than I have ever seen in real life! I find I am getting increasingly interested in such pioneer auto-camping

Why, it's just like the Conestoga wagon and horse days, except cooking a hot dog on your exhaust manifold is WAY more futuristic!!

[Lessumner]

The Motor camping Book is a good reference for early camping. 1921. Les

[Matt in California]

Just suppose someone had the opportunity to buy an old tent trailer that needed to be restored. What would it cost to replace the canvas?

Also suppose it was a Gilkie, is it hard to get the plans if there is no canvas?

Matt

[TRDxB2]

Just suppose someone had the opportunity to buy an old tent trailer that needed to be restored. What would it cost to replace the canvas?

Also suppose it was a Gilkie, is it hard to get the plans if there is no canvas?

Matt

Duck Canvas appears to be very inexpensive material - having it made to order may cost. Some show a price about $1,000
https://www.google.com/search?q=made+to ... s-wiz-serp