Antique Tow Vehicles...

[TRfour]

My family left Stoneham Ma on a 4,376 mile trek across this beautiful country of ours to California back in 1952. Not an every day undertaking back in those very wonderful days with a custom built 46' trailer in tow to facilitate lodging for our large group, as in Mom, Dad and us 9 children at the time.

Now, the horse that did the heavy leg work that towed us up and over the Black Hills in the Dakota's and on up and, by the way, The Largest trailer to cross over the Rocky Mountains at the time, was a 1949 Buick Road Master with a straight 8 and a dynaflow automatic transmission.

The rig weighed 7.5 Tons, only after we all got out and steped aside so's we didn't brake the scales.

You can find more of this story in another thread here with links to the 1953 Life Magazine story that covered out trip...
Hope you will all enjoy!
Terry

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...tml#post786057

[Kevin245]

That's a long rig there. Here's a lengthy thread on the subject of vintage tow vehicles.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...light=vehicles

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by Kevin245

That's a long rig there. Here's a lengthy thread on the subject of vintage tow vehicles.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...light=vehicles

Thank you Kevin... I was reluctant to post outside of the off topic forum here cause our trailer was not an AirStream!

Although, being an gear-head from birth, and traveling over 48 states, Canada, Germany and South America, my eye's always lit-Up when I saw an AirStream along the way!!

I was doing some research and found this wonderful website and I am very much looking farward to adding my 2 cents worth...

Thanks again for you're help.!

[Kevin245]

Originally Posted by TRfour

I was reluctant to post outside of the off topic forum here cause our trailer was not an AirStream!

Many here own vintage kin and others brands, and most of us have a soft spot for vintages trailers and anything with rivets .

We look forward to your participation.

Kevin

[ROBERT CROSS]

That must have been quite an adventure.

Cant' imagine how it was riding in that rig while underway. I know that Roadmaster is BIG, but not 12 big.

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by Kevin245

Many here own vintage kin and others brands, and most of us have a soft spot for vintages trailers and anything with rivets .

We look forward to your participation.

Kevin

OH, I got Rivets, just wanted to stay within... AirStream is after all the focal point of these forums and I'm not out here to interfere... Just wanted to add to the vintage tow vehicles, and some adventures, 'on the side.'

I very much appreciate you're help!
Terry

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

That must have been quite an adventure.

Cant' imagine how it was riding in that rig while underway. I know that Roadmaster is BIG, but not 12 big.

Thank you Robert, even though I'm kind'a lost in the many thousands out here, I catch you're drift! ten-four?...

Hey, any time that you can get a bunch of us trailering folk together 'in one place', you are talking MEGA stories! The Umpire state building ain't got noth'in on US!

GO'IN on... Hap'nin, what say?...


PS... I just noticed that I got riveted... Buckshot just bounces off so far... Although I have never been Riveted before. I hope that this is a good thing...

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

That must have been quite an adventure.

Cant' imagine how it was riding in that rig while underway. I know that Roadmaster is BIG, but not 12 big.

Hi Robert, just to clarify... We had two Buicks, a 1948 Roadmaster that my oldest brother Fred drove pulling a 12' luggage trailer. Both the Buicks were four door sedans with more than ample room for us all.

My Dad wouldn't let any of us ride in the big trailer, as it was against the law for anyone to ride in a towed vehicle.

Happy New Year Everyone!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by TRfour

Hi Robert, just to clarify... We had two Buicks, a 1948 Roadmaster that my oldest brother Fred drove pulling a 12' luggage trailer. Both the Buicks were four door sedans with more than ample room for us all.

My Dad wouldn't let any of us ride in the big trailer, as it was against the law for anyone to ride in a towed vehicle.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Was wonder'n 'bout that.... must have been quite a convoy.

Thanx for posting..

[tallytwo1994]

Ok Terry, now tell us how that many people slept and ate in a 46 ft. trailer.

Carol

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by tallytwo1994

Ok Terry, now tell us how that many people slept and ate in a 46 ft. trailer.

Carol

Hi Carol,

My Dad made a modle that shows the floor plan of the Magic Carpet that we still have. I will take a picture and post it out here. In the meantime, here is a family photo taken by Life Magazine.

[TRfour]

Floor plan... My Dad crafted this model of our 46' ( custom built for us ) house trailer back in the 19 and fifties, from balsa wood, and my Mom added her special touch with the upholstering of the interior. Now, you need to understand that this model was not perfectly to scale, and there was much more room inside of the actual trailer.

Also, the pictures that you are about to view could have been better if I had set up my tripod, however I think that they can shed some light on how 11 of us could have survived our 4,376 mile trek, and beyond.

Keep in mind that the livingroom couch folded out into a double bed as well, just in case we had company that needed to stay over night. , and we often did!

[Silverfoxrae]

This really blows my mind! I'm in awe. That had to have been one amazing adventure. Where were/are you in the lineup of kids? Wow! Are you planning on a similar adventure with a family of your own?

[TRfour]

Originally Posted by Silverfoxrae

This really blows my mind! I'm in awe. That had to have been one amazing adventure. Where were/are you in the lineup of kids? Wow! Are you planning on a similar adventure with a family of your own?

First of all, this is and was MyFamily...
Oh ya, I'm just getting started out here though... I've owned a 28' TravelMate, and my Family use to travel up to my property in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island right on the Cabot Trail and spend two weeks at a time twice a year there.

I also owned a 34' double deck fifth wheel. Again Oh ya, 'I got hooked on the Conestoga at 7 years old'!

Hey, I just dicovered this wonderful website! And will be back to post some more!

[TRfour]

At 64', less the water bag on the front bumper, we were a target to get pulled over for overlength in each and every one of the twenty States that we covered over our trip.

Photo taken by a Life Magazine photographer from his 1949 Ford ragtop, 1952.

[Minnie's Mate]

What amazes me is that nine kids and parents all fit in that Buick!

[TRfour]

We had two Buicks. My oldest brother Fred drove the 1948 pulling the luggage trailer.

[newroswell]

I'm looking for something like this, but with a lot more towing capacity.