This week’s “Museum Feature of the Week”, is a Camper! This special camper is a pop-up style placed on a trailer for easy maneuvering. Built in 1925, it was originally sold by the Jones & Van Doran Motor Camping Outfitters in New York City sold for $348. Records indicate that it travelled over 1800 miles each summer between 1946 and 1961. It included two beds, an icebox, a propane stove, a ventilation hood, and two benches. The wheels are “wood artillery wheels” revolving on Timkin bearings with Ford Model T tires. The springs and wheels are interchangeable with Model T parts.
Upon arrival at a campsite, it can be ready for use in two minutes. The body is a 24 gauge metal and the tent frame is steel reinforced basswood with a total weight of 900 lbs. A couple from Brewer, Maine, purchased it in 1986 from a resident of Gouldsboro, Maine. It had been stored there for more than 20 years. Using a 1932 Ford Model B pickup as the tow vehicle, they took it to a Maine Obsolete Auto League show in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and spent the weekend in it. They described the experience as comfortable and that it never leaked a drop even during a downpour.
Unfortunately, this artifact was damaged by an oil leak in June 2022 and is currently being cleaned before being put back on display.