JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

All the strange little accessories for your ACVW.

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JLT
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Location: Sacramento CA
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JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:03 pm

I've just refurbished a single-wheel trailer, but i don't know who made it. I'm hoping that the IAC community can help me solve this mystery.

(Two things right up front:
1. I've posted an almost identical missive on the Samba, but this is for people who don't frequent that forum and might still be able to help me.
2. Yes, I've been in communication with Aaron at singlewheel.com, and he's told me that he can't identify it.)

It's close to, but not identical to, an Allstate trailer I saw at BBB XVI last week. It has the same frame, but it also has a spring added to the leaf-spring fork assembly and a pair of swing-down legs at the rear to help stabilize it when it's disconnected from the tow vehicle.

I've put some pictures of it in the Samba's Gallery section under "Accessories" and I'd appreciate your taking a gander at them and telling me what you know about this beast.

This whole thing would be a lot easier if the trailer had the original VIN plate, but it doesn't. Nor does it bear any other marks at all. There was an old, long-expired license plate that came with it, but the California DMV's records don't go back far enough to tell me what was on the original registration form.

Here are some links to the Gallery section showing some bigger pictures:
Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887943

Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887946

Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887945

Since Sears didn't actually make their trailers but bought them from other sources, and since there are a few significant differences between this trailer and the ones in their line, I'm wondering if trailer wasn't made by one of those suppliers under their own name, and with their own configurations.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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Amskeptic
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:15 pm

JLT wrote:I've just refurbished a single-wheel trailer, but i don't know who made it. I'm hoping that the IAC community can help me solve this mystery.

(Two things right up front:
1. I've posted an almost identical missive on the Samba, but this is for people who don't frequent that forum and might still be able to help me.
2. Yes, I've been in communication with Aaron at singlewheel.com, and he's told me that he can't identify it.)

It's close to, but not identical to, an Allstate trailer I saw at BBB XVI last week. It has the same frame, but it also has a spring added to the leaf-spring fork assembly and a pair of swing-down legs at the rear to help stabilize it when it's disconnected from the tow vehicle.

I've put some pictures of it in the Samba's Gallery section under "Accessories" and I'd appreciate your taking a gander at them and telling me what you know about this beast.

This whole thing would be a lot easier if the trailer had the original VIN plate, but it doesn't. Nor does it bear any other marks at all. There was an old, long-expired license plate that came with it, but the California DMV's records don't go back far enough to tell me what was on the original registration form.

Here are some links to the Gallery section showing some bigger pictures:
Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887943

Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887946

Image
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... _id=887945

Since Sears didn't actually make their trailers but bought them from other sources, and since there are a few significant differences between this trailer and the ones in their line, I'm wondering if trailer wasn't made by one of those suppliers under their own name, and with their own configurations.
Way too arcane of a question for me. If you can do a "Google Images" search of "one wheel auto trailer" that might help you.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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JLT
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Location: Sacramento CA
Status: Offline

Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:44 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Way too arcane of a question for me. If you can do a "Google Images" search of "one wheel auto trailer" that might help you.
Colin
First thing I tried, actually.

But based on the research I've done over the past week, I'm willing to bet money that my trailer was made around 1965 by the same people who made the Allstate trailers of that era (1961 to 1975). But I still don't know if it went through Sears. The quest continues....
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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JLT
Old School!
Location: Sacramento CA
Status: Offline

Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:15 am

At the risk of resurrecting a long-dead thread, I'm posting a URL to an essay that describes the history of the various incarnations of the Sears single-wheel trailer. A few of you have them, and I thought it would be nice to make this information to the IAC community.

The link is: http://midtown.net/dragonwing/Sears%20SWT.htm
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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Hippie
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Location: 41º 35' 27" N, 93º 37' 15" W
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by Hippie » Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:33 pm

That's a sweet little trailer. How does it stay upright? Does the hitch arrangement lock it into the vertical and just allow it to move left and right for turning?
I love old Sears stuff, whether the trailer is or not. I have a J.C. Higgins .22 rimfire single shot rifle from there. Turns out Mr. Higgins was some fellow who worked in the accounting department, but Marketing liked his name and thought it was "outdoorsy" and named their sporting goosd line after him.

Did you know Sears marketed a compact car under the Allstate name in the southern USA back in the early '50s? It was a Kaiser-Frazer company, model "Henry J" car with a mild face lift and all Sears Allstate branded ancilliary parts like the battery, spark plugs, etc. in it.
Image

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vdubzen
Getting Hooked!
Location: ABQ, NM 87110
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by vdubzen » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:13 am

have you looked under montgomery ward? i used to have a 60's era trailer from them.
1960 Karmann Ghia
1968 Deluxe Microbus
1973 Super Beetle
1974 Beetle

president, AAAVWclub.com

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JLT
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Location: Sacramento CA
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:21 am

Hippie wrote:That's a sweet little trailer. How does it stay upright? Does the hitch arrangement lock it into the vertical and just allow it to move left and right for turning?
The single-wheel trailer stays upright because it's not connected to the car by the usual ball-and-socket. Instead, it has two tongues that attach to the bumper some distance apart. So the only play at all is vertical.

There's more information at: http://www.singlewheel.com
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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JLT
Old School!
Location: Sacramento CA
Status: Offline

Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:25 am

vdubzen wrote:have you looked under montgomery ward? i used to have a 60's era trailer from them.
I haven't done any research on those trailers, but the singlewheel.com site I referred to in my last post has a bit of information. Look on the side bar for categories starting with "MW" and you may be able to identify your old trailer.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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Hippie
IAC Addict!
Location: 41º 35' 27" N, 93º 37' 15" W
Status: Offline

Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by Hippie » Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:28 pm

Interesting.
(I guess if you carried a spare tire it would almost be overkill, huh? :geek: )
Image

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JLT
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Location: Sacramento CA
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:05 pm

Hippie wrote:Interesting.
(I guess if you carried a spare tire it would almost be overkill, huh? :geek: )
Not really. If you have a flat with a single-wheel trailer, you're just as dead in the water as you'd be with a dual-wheel trailer.

The trouble is getting the spare tire (or, more accurately, the wheel); they just don't make 'em anymore. I carry the tire with me, and hope that the wheel doesn't get too damaged to use.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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Amskeptic
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:44 pm

JLT wrote:
Hippie wrote:Interesting.
(I guess if you carried a spare tire it would almost be overkill, huh? :geek: )
Not really.
I think that was a joke . . . made me laugh . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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JLT
Old School!
Location: Sacramento CA
Status: Offline

Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by JLT » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:50 pm

Amskeptic wrote: I think that was a joke . . . made me laugh . . .
Colin
Yeah, I figured it was. What I'm surprised at is that it took you almost five months to get it...
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
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Re: JLT's Single-Wheel Trailer ... who made it?

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:54 pm

JLT wrote:
Amskeptic wrote: I think that was a joke . . . made me laugh . . .
Colin
Yeah, I figured it was. What I'm surprised at is that it took you almost five months to get it...
I am getting slow, along with my 1970 bus.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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