RV Mods - RV Guides - RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV

  • Builds
  • Guides
  • Gear
  • Mods
  • Travel
  • Vintage
  • Shop
  • More
    • About Us
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Submit Content
    • Rent an RV
    • Disclosure
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
  • Videos
  • Search

This Camper Bird House Is Based On A Real Life 1953 Bell Trailer

Original 1973 Bell travel trailer

1973 Bell Travel Trailer Turned Into A Stunning Beauty

Get A Look Inside The Dreamiest New Travel Trailer

Discover Your Camping Style With This 1 Short Quiz

Mobile RV Cup Holder and Trash Bag: Scrap-Ma-Bob

5 Ingenious European Camper In A Box Designs Transform A Basic Van into a Micro Camper

This Harmon Shadow Trailer Had An Innovative Hitch Design But It Wasn’t Popular

DoItYourselfRV

By DoItYourselfRV Trailers, Videos, Vintage RV

Harmon Industries pioneered a unique fifth wheel-type trailer in the mid-1970s. It used a hitch that mounted to the roof of a small tow car.
497
SHARES
7973
VIEWS
ShareTweet

Not all genius designs make an impact with the general public. Such was the case of Harmon’s unique and innovative Shadow trailer.

Harmon Industries made the Shadow at their plant in Warrensburg, Missouri in the mid-1970s. The trailer’s unique fifth wheel-inspired design allowed small, compact cars to pull the trailer through a hitch mounted on the tow car’s roof.

Harmon Shadow and a small tow car.

Harmon Shadow and a small tow car

By placing the hitch on the roof of the car, as opposed to the rear, you could turn the tow car through a full 360 degrees while still hitched to the trailer. You’d never have trouble backing in the Harmon Shadow.

Unfortunately, the Shadow trailer concept never caught on with the buying public, and it quickly faded away into obscurity. No one knows the main reasons why RVers decided not to purchase, but general safety concerns and possible damage to the tow car caused by the roof-mounted hitch may have been the main issues.

Here’s what one Harmon Industries worker said,

[It]…was made by Harmon Industries in Warrensburg Missouri back in the 70’s.  I used to work there putting them together. If I recall correctly the roof mounted system caused damage to the rear end of a vehicle so they didn’t last long.

Here’s a few more reasons why it may have fallen out of favor, from another RV industry insider,

I worked in building RV’s for a long time. Three issues that come out of this ‘concept’ as to why you don’t see it now: 1. All car roofs are different, and where an Impala’s roof may have been strong enough to pull it, a Chevelle’s may not have been. 2. Get the trailer stuck, start abusing the car to unstick the trailer, and watch your roof turn into corrugated paper. Probably damages the A-pillars by the windshield, too. 3. Hit a tree, roof mount slides, instant slide-hammer on you.

This ad from Harmon Industries shows how the fifth wheel hitch mounted to the top of the tow car.

Popular Mechanics featuring the Harmon Shadow in May 1972

Here’s the text if you can’t read it:

Fifth-Wheel Trailers usually hitch onto a pickup-truck cargo bed, but this new Shadow design from Harmon Industries, Warrensburg, Mo. tags onto a passenger-car rooftop. A removable steel plate, bolted to brackets along the roof gutters, take advantage of the roll-resistance built into modern roofs to firmly anchor the trailer hitch. Great maneuverability and easy tow handling are claimed for these rigs. Models of 18, 23, and 27 feet are being produced, and unfinished units are available for extra savings. Shell for the Shadow 18-foot Mini will start at about $1700; price is $6500 for the completed 27-footer fully equipped. Driver reports indicate the design is aerodynamically suitable and does not buffet at speed or in strong winds.

 

Most Shadow trailers are lost to history, but every once in a while one pops up.

Harmon Industries Shadow Trailer

Niki Rose

Vintage Harmon Shadow fifth wheel trailer

Niki Rose

Sales booklet for the Harmon Shadow.

Sales booklet for the Harmon Shadow

The Harmon Shadow came in three different models, ranging in length from 18 to 27 feet.

The Harmon Shadow came in three different models

The Shadow wasn’t without top-of-the-line amenities of the time, such as a King-sized bed with a 6″ thick foam mattress.

More details on the Harmon Shadow fifth wheel trailer

Shadow trailer advertising materials

Back cover of Harmon Industries Shadow marketing brochure

Watch a Volkswagen Beetle maneuver this Harmon trailer in a video from 1974.

▶ 1974 Volkswagen pulls fifth wheel travel trailer!

 

The trailers were evidently popular enough that the game show Let’s Make a Deal offered one as a prize in the early 70s.

Let’s Make a Deal unveiling their prize: a new Harmon Shadow trailer.

Bizarre Camping Trailer – Have you ever seen anything like this?

 

Whoa, that Shadow definitely got a few seconds (and feet) of airtime in the demo video. It’s too bad the engineers couldn’t get this design right. Maybe in the future, with new and stronger materials, they’ll be able to make a similar design that catches on.

Source: Blogspot and Hemmings and Starling Travel

497
SHARES
7973
VIEWS
ShareTweet

Comments

  1. AvatarRon says

    25 May, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    I agree with the first comment, with this kind of innovation, educating the potential buyers would be important.

    As for stopping issues… That could have been mitigated with electric brakes. And paint problems, a coating of some sort for protection.

    I think this was a great idea!

Search

How level is level enough for an RV refrigerator

How To Know If Your Rig Is Level Enough For Your RV Refrigerator To Work Properly

Where To Travel For St. Patrick’s Day

Driving The Ring Road In Iceland [Video]

Whiskey Tango Kitchen Trailer: Pop Up RV Kitchen

How To Find The Right Campground For Your Family

Tony and his 1977 GMC motorhome

This 1977 GMC Motorhome Will Make You Long For the Days of Old.

dash cam

Should You Get A Dash Cam For Your RV?

Step Into Canadian Wilderness At This Provincial Park

RSS RV Mods – RV Guides – RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV

  • DIY Solar Power: How Much Do You Need?
  • What You Need To Know About Visiting Disney World
  • Search Online for RV-Friendly Rural Lots

RSS Boating Information and Entertainment | BoatBible

  • This Crazy Fast Homemade Speed Boat Will Astonish You
  • This Aging And Poorly-Kept Pontoon Boat Got A Fabulous DIY Upgrade
  • Pond King Mini Pontoon Boat Fits In The Back Of A Pickup Truck

RSS CampZing

  • Here’s How You Can Safely Change The Color of Your Campfire
  • 7 Simple Camping Hacks That Might Just Save Your Life
  • This Inflatable Solar Powered Camping Lantern Takes Up Almost Zero Space

RSS Unpack | DoItYourselfRV

  • Magnetic 100 Minute Timer For Easy RV Cooking
  • Manual Solar Panel Positioner
  • Custom Made Tent For Prius Car

RSS Small Homes | Simple Living | SnugShack

  • This Hobbit Hole Tiny House Will Make You Want To Squeeze Right In
  • Charming Cottage Built By Couple With Own Hands Over 6 Years
  • This Tiny Chapel Puts A Whole New Spin On Small Weddings

Copyright © 2019 · DIYRV on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Logo Mobile Logo
497
SHARES
7973
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterGooglePinterest