a little 70s boler renovation: part one
A look inside renovating my 1970s boler travel trailer
I won’t bore you with the history behind boler campers, but if you’re curious, like me, here’s a great link that explains the history- its actually pretty interesting!
My boler story:
Those of you that have been following the Whilom brand since the beginning may remember that I actually bought an old camper back in 2018 with the plan to turn it into a mobile shop. I stumbled across the current brick and mortar in Richmond right around the same time we realized the camper had extensive water damage and would need to be completely rebuilt. Since I now had a storefront, the need for a mobile shop wasn’t necessary and I ending up scrapping the project.
Fast forward to 2021 I began looking for a vintage camper again, not for a mobile store, but to travel. After doing a little research, I knew that I wanted a fiberglass camper because they’re extremely light and can be towed by a smaller SUV (some even by a car). Fiberglass trailers also maintain their value really well and are less prone to leaks over time, unlike metal campers.
So I started stalking the fiberglass classified ads (yes, there’s a whole website/group dedicated to fiberglass camper owners). I found that any of the fiberglass trailers in decent shape under $10k would sell within hours of being posted and most of the campers for sale were on the west coast or midwest; but the stars aligned one day and a 70s boler was posted for sale in the Eastern Shore in Virginia, listed at only $3k. I emailed the owner with interest and he responded letting me know that he had already received several offers, however no one who lived in Virginia. He graciously held the camper for me until I could get a hitch installed on my car and make it to Onancock to take a look (Thanks Mike!). Two weeks later I drove to the Eastern Shore and bought the camper as soon as I saw it (it was love at first sight).
The camper had several owners over the years and so many changes had been made to the original structure, this was how it looked when I bought it in May 2021. The person I purchased it from was planning to use the trailer to haul and store mountain bikes. He had the boler lifted so it could travel on rougher terrain, typically they sit pretty low to the ground. I never wanted to restore the camper back to its original design and instead wanted to work with what was already built. I really liked that it was completely different than other bolers I’ve seen and I liked the quirky existing elements, like the wavy cut boards under the windows.
I tried to keep this project as cost effective as possible. The biggest splurges were the mattress and the butcher’s block counter.
The first project was adding a kitchen area to the camper. The small sink is the perfect size for brushing your teeth and washing small dishes. The faucet is rechargeable and pumps the water from jugs stored underneath, so no foot pump is necessary. I opted not to add a stovetop because I’ll be doing the majority of the cooking outside on a small grill or over the fire. I also opted not to wire the camper for electric, this could change over time but for now I haven’t found the need for it. I’ll be buying a solar generator to keep on hand if needed.
Other projects included: adding wood trim to the all the windows and ceiling vent, building out a wall to create a closet for storage, cutting the foam mattress to fit the camper, adding flooring and trim, changing out the taillights, replacing the door bolts, and painting the unfinished wood (+ a bunch of little things I know I’m forgetting).
I haven’t painted the exterior of the boler yet, mainly because I was so undecided on a color. The longer I waited though the more the kelly green grew on me, I’m not sure I could picture it any other color now. When I do paint it, it will likely just be to refresh the existing colors.
Check out Part Two to see how it all turned out!