1968 Sears Tent Trailer 'Granpa-Campa' Build

[88SporTruck]

Did you request a trailer plate number of all zeros or did you just get lucky and end up with it?

[Automan2164]

Did you request a trailer plate number of all zeros or did you just get lucky and end up with it?

 

He's really good at photochopping them up.

 

Rob L.

[JACKED88]

There's not much real info out there on the Sears Trailers,

but the Apache's have a huge following, message boards, etc.

Seems like they're still considered the gold standard of this type of trailer.

 

Got any pics?

 

Nope, I don't have any pix but I'm sure my mother does. The one my parents bought new was a 1962 Apache Eagle. The best I'm gonna be able to do are these brochure pix I found on the web. It had the additional canopy.

I had forgotten that mechanical problems weren't the only reason my mother finally had to let it go. A tree fell on it forcing her to get rid of it. She cried as she watched it get loaded onto a trailer headed for the scrap yard. Needless to say there were lots of good memories in that thing.

 

(see pages 2 & 4)

http://www.popupcamperhistory.com/apach ... hure.html#

 

Here's a brochure of a 1969 Mesa like I bought for my family sometime in the early 80's.

 

(see pages 4, 5, 6 without drawers & 7)

http://www.popupcamperhistory.com/apach ... hure.html#

 

Our 69 Mesa didnt have the stove or sink. It did have the table and benches that made into another bed and a storage cabinet that flipped up to be a counter top.

[jpnjim]

There's not much real info out there on the Sears Trailers,

but the Apache's have a huge following, message boards, etc.

Seems like they're still considered the gold standard of this type of trailer.

 

Got any pics?

 

Nope, I don't have any pix but I'm sure my mother does. The one my parents bought new was a 1962 Apache Eagle. The best I'm gonna be able to do are these brochure pix I found on the web. It had the additional canopy.

I had forgotten that mechanical problems weren't the only reason my mother finally had to let it go. A tree fell on it forcing her to get rid of it. She cried as she watched it get loaded onto a trailer headed for the scrap yard. Needless to say there were lots of good memories in that thing.

 

(see pages 2 & 4)

http://www.popupcamperhistory.com/apach ... hure.html#

 

Here's a brochure of a 1969 Mesa like I bought for my family sometime in the early 80's.

 

(see pages 4, 5, 6 without drawers & 7)

http://www.popupcamperhistory.com/apach ... hure.html#

 

Our 69 Mesa didnt have the stove or sink. It did have the table and benches that made into another bed and a storage cabinet that flipped up to be a counter top.

 

Thanks for posting the brochures :thumbsup:

 

Awesome to look at that stuff.

(great link :banana: )

 

I saw a couple of other small trailers for sale

(this one would be awesome behind a Samurai)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Travlite ... 1f1a#v4-35

 

and one like mine, but newer:

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... 223747378#

[jpnjim]

I figure, on my trip to GA coming soon, and return to TX, then back to GA, it would pay for itself in hotel rooms. Although I might be a bit stinky. I was an Infantryman for 12 years so I can deal with stinky since there's no shower....unless I got one of those hang up bag showers. Maybe I'll camp at a KOA, they have showers....anyway, I emailed them....still waiting for a reply.

 

The site we went to last week was a KOA,

everyone was awesome, and even the stuff at the little general store was reasonably priced/not inflated.

 

Did you decide what you were gonna do?

[jpnjim]

Last post for tonight,

seems 99% sealed up now (soaked it down tonight),

 

and I ordered a dent & scratch 86 Qt EdgeStar 12v/120v refrig/freezer.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWNX:IT

I only hope it's not to big once it's on the floor of the trailer (20.9"h x 28.7"w x 23.62"d)

 

To update this,

 

86qt edgestar is huge, would be tough to fit the camper.

 

Doesn't matter either way, since mine only worked sporadically upon delivery.

It would to work for anywhere from a few minutes, to 48 hours,

 

then do this (on the temperature display):

 

 

and this (5c is really SC: Short Circuit)

 

I'm still working things out with them, since the replacement I got from them doesn't work either. :shake:

 

I guess that explains why they have so many 'scratch & dents' to send out (former failed units that were returned and 'fixed').

 

I took some pics of the trailer underside if anyone is interested:

I was going to try to store it for the winter, on it's end like this, but decided against it for now.

 

I was measuring to see if I could fit the tall fridge in the camper by cutting a section out of the plywood.

(newp).

[bigalpha]

My wife and I originally bought a pop up but the canvas was toasted so we bought a 70's era Shasta camper with the intention of fixing it up. Ended up selling it due to other priorities.

 

 

Link to Pics

[jpnjim]

Looks like I found the great great grandpa to the granpa-campa.

 

 

Sears & Wards started selling Ben Hur trailers in the 1940's.

(Ben Hur Manufacturing had made WWII military trailers)

 

 

 

 

Then at some point Sears/David Bradley started offering a "Jiffy Camper' to go inside them:

 

 

 

 

 

Image Not Found

 

 

All pics from this thread (camper on page 10):

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74865

 

 

Makes me want to dig the granpa-campa out of the snowpile it's in, to start working on it again. :yes:

[alleydog]

We camped in pop ups and a tent in the back of my 41 ford and had a lot of fun. Now we have a big camper with slide out and a nice truck to pull it, and I think about the old days and really miss them.

[Dirteatr717]

Seeing all these cool trailers just makes me want to build a trailer out of a manche bed 10x more! I'd put a junk cap on it and have even more camping/ storage room!

[jpnjim]

Seeing all these cool trailers just makes me want to build a trailer out of a manche bed 10x more! I'd put a junk cap on it and have even more camping/ storage room!

 

I made one out of a SOA Longbed:

 

Never got around to triangulating the hitch,

and never ended up using it for anything. :( (beyond yard storage)

 

If you build one,

hopefully you'll get more use out of yours than I did.

[HOrnbrod]

Hey Jim, can you send me a copy of the erection instructions? I could use the help. :D

 

[xjrev10]

o-boy :rotf:

[jpnjim]

Hey Jim, can you send me a copy of the erection instructions? I could use the help. :D

 

:doh: :rotf: :rotfl2:

 

You had me for a second there Don. :yes:

[HOrnbrod]

You had me for a second there Don. :yes:

 

:cheers: :clapping:

[jpnjim]

Well,

time to put the Grampa-Campa away for the winter.

 

The paint is already pretty faded,

didn't want it getting any worse,

so I made a simple wood frame:

 

 

got an 11'4" x 15'6" tarp,

and wrapped it up like a giant birthday present:

 

hopefully it'll look a little better once the wrinkles go away,

but here it is in all it's W.T. glory:

 

 

Whatdaya think,

OK, or O-crap?

 

 

Sorry for the crappy resolution,

I tried texting cell phone pics to Photobucket...

doesn't work so great.

[HOrnbrod]

Looks great to me. It will be safe and warm over the sure-to-be crappy Boston winter.

 

Off topic: Speaking of crappy, how 'bout the September Sox el-foldo. Reminds me of the not-so-great teams of the past. Management I think will regret losing Tito, especially when he starts kicking their butts next year as the manager of the "other" Sox in Chicago.......

[jpnjim]

Horrible horrible horrible.

for me, losing Tito is worse than not making the playoffs,

 

All water under the bridge tho now,

but I've never seen the wheels come off a bus this bad before.

 

50 feet from the finish line,

the wheels came off,

we hit a tree, rolled twice,

went off a cliff, then exploded. :ack:

 

No injury excuses this year tho,

other than Buc,

none should have been deal breakers (like last year).

 

Oh well,

sad that the team with almost all the hitting records & production for the year has pitching that looks good on paper,

while producing some of the worst numbers in the league,

and is sitting home in October. :(

 

only good note for the year,

with VMart playing for the Tigers, and Beltre on the Rangers,

I have two teams left to root for. :thumbsup:

[jeepjerry]

Wow. that thing is cool!

[500 MJ]

It'll do the job until the sun beats down on the tarp enough to break it down. Then you'll have tarp shreds all over your driveway.

[jpnjim]

It'll do the job until the sun beats down on the tarp enough to break it down. Then you'll have tarp shreds all over your driveway.

:yes:

The original tarp on my first car port biodegraded like that.

 

It took 4-5 years,

but one snowfall, the snow won. :ack:

 

Wow. that thing is cool!

 

Thanks. :D

It's really fun to camp in & use

 

only good note for the year,

with VMart playing for the Tigers, and Beltre on the Rangers,

I have two teams left to root for. :thumbsup:

 

And VMart goes on to play Beltre in the ALCS. :yes:

(pretty quiet crowd tonight in da bronx)

[HOrnbrod]

And VMart goes on to play Beltre in the ALCS. :yes:

(pretty quiet crowd tonight in da bronx)

 

Yep, gotta love it. Did you see all those poor saps crying in the Bronx? :clapping:

 

I'm liking the Tigers for the AL champs now. They should handle the Rangers with their superior pitching. So long as Nolan doesn't come out of retirement and suit up. :D

[jpnjim]

And VMart goes on to play Beltre in the ALCS. :yes:

(pretty quiet crowd tonight in da bronx)

 

Yep, gotta love it. Did you see all those poor saps crying in the Bronx? :clapping:

 

I'm liking the Tigers for the AL champs now. They should handle the Rangers with their superior pitching. So long as Nolan doesn't come out of retirement and suit up. :D

 

 

Either team in the WS makes me happy,

but I'd rather see Texas there.

 

(besides, I don't think Detroit could stand the riots if they won ;) )

[danmonk]

Hi all!

 

My girlfriend and I just purchased a 1968 Sears VII trailer also! Really great condition for a killer price of 100$! Could anyone offer any information on where we can find the VIN number for the trailer? I searched all over this thing, but I can't seem to find it. 

 

Thank you soooooo much for posting the instructions, you have saved us!

 

Dan,

 

call or text (925) 726-14 two nine

[87Chief]

This might help..

 

1.