Thanks to Retro Shasta Airflyte for pointing out this vintage 1948 Aljoa trailer that recently sold on eBay for $2,600.
The seller describes the camper as,
Used. 60 years old. Has plenty dings, dents, flaws, blemishes, scars, holes, leaks, ripples, bends, tweaks, wear & tear.
It’s also got a lot of character.
The Aljoa company was started in 1945 by C.T. McCreary in Watts, California. As with most trailers of the era (Shasta, DeVille, Aloha, and others) the Aljoa trailers had a ‘Canned Ham’ profile that was easy to build and maximized interior space.
McCreary had to drop the last ‘a’ on the Aljoa name in the 1950s because the Alcoa aluminum company sued for copyright infringement. Alcoa thought ‘Aljoa’ was too similar to their own company name.
Alcoa won, and starting in 1957 Aljoa changed its name to ‘Aljo’.
The trailer below is the 12 foot long model, and her owners call her ‘Polky’.
Here’s more of the refreshingly-honest description,
She could be used today. Tows like a dream and all the lights work. Tires are 195R14C radials and are like new. I wouldn’t hesitate to tow this little honey all the way across the country. Being small and light-weight, it is not equipped with brakes. It has a “flat 4” wire connector and a 2 inch hitch (you’ll need a 2 inch ball to tow). She is covered in character. That’s a kind way of saying she has plenty dings, dents, flaws, blemishes, scars, holes, leaks, ripples, bends, tweaks, wear & tear…..pretty sure I didn’t miss anything there 🙂 The paint is crappy and is over a few previous crappy coats of paint.
Take the quick photo tour below.
Vintage 1948 Aljoa trailer off a country road.
The rear lights work and the trailer has no brakes (it’s pretty light).
The owner calls her ‘Polky’ because she’s covered in polka-dots (inside and out).
Comes with a picture of Audrey Hepburn on the wall.
The owner was going to make her ‘yard art’ but she’s still road worthy. Almost all of the interior items are included in the sale. That includes the bedding, pillows, coffee pot, brand new hot plate, wall hangers, foam mattress, and curtains.
Mattress inside the vintage Aljoa camper.
The current owner was quite honest and said that the interior isn’t leak-free. But she’s kept indoors so it’s not a big problem.
The owner said,
She’s old. She’s seen a long life of use and has plenty of blemishes. She’s a long way from perfection, call it character. You probably have some flaws too, maybe you can relate. Paint is crappy, it is a very old wood-framed trailer that was originally nailed together. Most of the nails have been replaced with screws. I can’t imagine that rear jalousie window, installed at such a steep angle, not inviting leaks. We’ve kept her covered and the new owner should also. All 4 windows open fine, but one of the window cranks is missing.
The floor is made of sparkles, glitter, and star-bursts over black garage floor paint and coated with industrial clear.
Looking toward the door.
Old Aljoa camper ad.
Camping on the driveway in the Aljoa.
No way – it’s pulled by a Smart Car!
It’s so neat that you can pull these light, vintage trailers with just a Smart Car.
Source: eBay and OldTrailer
Via: Retro Shasta Airflyte
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