Uncle-Pekka Posted June 14, 2015 Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 (edited) Saw the below photo originally on "Shorpy's" web pages. Camping trailers made by Kaunitz family business, Bay City, Michigan; in the mid to late 1930's (perharps onwards to 40's, 50's...?) They were originally in boat building but obviously expanded to custom coach building. Does anyone here know these? Has any of the trailers survived until present? This would be the ultimate styling, nothing even comes close.s Edited June 15, 2015 by Uncle-Pekka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd B Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 can't get the pics to open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted June 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Something odd, I linked them from Shorpy's... Just edited above - can you see it now?The other in below: The gentlemen from left to right: Mr. Kaunitz Jr. and Sr., owners & leaders of the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 those are quite nice looking compared tot he boxes built today...would suspect they weigh in a bit though...actual bumpers with overriders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 You might want to check the Tin Can Tourist web site. Though mostly concerned with 13 to 20 foot metal sided trailers, sometimes like this forum folks come on and post items like that they they have come across. I believe that site has a link the goes to a site that has a list and quite a few pictures of the many manufacturers that were around back in the day. You could also see the Bay City Michigan has a historical society that may have more information on local manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulu Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) Wow! I love these things. In 1963, Mom & Dad bought a 1959 Spartan 50' trailer. It was all silver aluminum with airplane rivets and a little red trim, and 3 big curved plexiglas windows in front (which was my bedroom.) It had rounded rectangular "portholes" in the doors. It had 16" split rims too, & I helped Dad change the tires by hand. We put two air conditioners on top & we lived in it in the desert near Luke AFB outside Phoenix. It was not quite so stylized as the one posted above, but it had Baby Moons & real mahogany and maple inside with real parquet (!) on the walls and most floors. None of that "beaver-board" (masonite) crap paneling, but real varnished aircraft grade hard-wood plywood paneling, and built in maple drawers and cabinets. It came with a matched set of steel jacks too, so none of that cinder block nonsense when you park it. I hung a telescope from my bunkbed, behind those plexiglas windows, and that was my observatory when I was 8 years old. Edited June 16, 2015 by Ulu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi Ulu, Thanks for sharing your childhood memories - Sounds like you guys had a great time camping in your Spartan. Especially I like the image of your observatory, studying the night sky from the trailer bunk. Was the Spartan similar to the one below? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulu Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi Ulu, Thanks for sharing your childhood memories - Sounds like you guys had a great time camping in your Spartan. Especially I like the image of your observatory, studying the night sky from the trailer bunk. Was the Spartan similar to the one below? Yes, almost the same except 10' longer with dual axles and a "back" door same as the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Here's dual axel version with two doors, but the text stated it would be 1953, thus may be still different from what you had? When I googled for the big Spartan, I also ran across the below one. It said "built by Wagemaker Co., builder of Wolverine boats" - looks a bit like the Kaunitz trailers above, but obviously newer. What's in common wit the Kaunitz, both companies were boat builders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulu Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Oh, that's nice.... Spartan was a aircraft builder, and our trailer matched the first one you posted in detail, just a different model. I think ours was the Executive Mansionette, but not quite sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulu Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) OK, I was wrong. Ours was a '56 and looked like this: The only red was on the Spartan badges, which were the same as those on the tail of the plane. <edit> It looked like this, and this year, but it's not the exact model either. Ours had the living room in the middle and this one had it in the front. My bedroom had the front windows. </edit> Edited June 27, 2015 by Ulu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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