This Vintage Aluminum Camper Has Been Modernized To Perfection

Buying a vintage camper sometimes comes with headaches. Unobtainable parts break, crusty wiring falls apart, and then there’s all of the hackery done by previous owners. For some, the ideal vintage camper might be one that’s new on the inside, and that’s what you can get with this gorgeous 1967 Boles Aero 220-H. It’s vintage, but also modern enough that you aren’t going to pull your hair out.

The RVs of the past were as much works of art as they were places to lay your head. I stand by what I’ve said in the past: Vintage campers are unmatched in beauty. But vintage campers are also a lot like old cars in that they usually require a dedicated owner. My old U-Haul CT13 had bad wiring from breaks and bad repairs over who knows how many decades. The upholstery was also so fragile that the curtains turned into dust when they were washed.

This 1967 Boles Aero 220-H on Bring a Trailer represents a fine example of the best of both worlds. It’s an old camper that was renovated and apparently re-engineered to work with modern life. It even has built-in USB ports, which is pretty fancy for a rig built before the mobile phone.

An RV Pioneer

A handful of engineers in the 1930s revolutionized the RV industry. In those days, it was common to build campers out of wood, cement board, and Masonite board. These campers got the job done, but they weren’t the most durable units.

The RV industry was turned on its head by the engineers who figured they could apply the fundamentals of aircraft construction to a trailer. In short order, riveted aluminum trailers began appearing around America emblazoned with names like Bowlus, Airstream, and Spartan.

Donald R. Boles was one of these pioneers. As RV Travel writes, in 1939, Boles took part in the Lockheed Apprenticeship Program launched by President Franklin Roosevelt to revitalize America during the recovery from the Great Depression. In this program, Boles spent four years with the Lockheed Aircraft Company learning how to build aluminum aircraft. After his assignment with Lockheed, Boles graduated with a journeyman tool and die degree and enlisted in the Navy.

This marked the start of a new adventure, and Boles might not have even known it. Boles wanted to bring his family with him to the military base, so he purchased a 27-foot travel trailer, packed up the family, and moved. Boles would return home from World War II after V-J Day and pretty much immediately after he took his family on a cross-country road trip using that camper.

Once the vacation was over, Boles returned home and slapped a ‘For Sale’ sign on the camper. Apparently, Boles was shocked when the camper sold quickly. It was then that Boles discovered an opportunity. Americans living in the post-World War II world wanted to get out, stretch their legs, and have fun. Many of those folks were doing so in RVs.

Boles used the lessons he learned with Lockheed to join what was then a hot trend. Like Hawley Bowlus and Wally Byam before him, Donald Boles and his wife Jeanette decided to build campers like aircraft, tossing out the wood for aluminum and rivets.

Boles Manufacturing began production in 1946 out of the Boles one-car garage in Burbank, California. At the time, the company’s financier was Don’s father. As Trailer Life Magazine writes, building campers out of a tiny garage meant that the first Boles units were forced to be 9 feet long. Not long after the construction of the first trailer, Boles joined forces with a friend to create a partnership called B and R Manufacturing. Their camper was to be called the Roadrunner, but the partnership fizzled out due to operating costs. Boles took control of the operation again and renamed the camper to the Boles Aero, which sold for $675.

Now the flame was bright in Boles. It was still 1946 and demand had gotten so high that Boles moved to a large manufacturing facility. Eventually, Don went all-in on building campers full-time. Trailer Life Magazine writes that Boles built 300 units in its first year of operation, which is impressive when you consider it started in a tiny garage.

The RV/MH Hall of Fame notes that Boles is remembered for his innovations in the RV world. Through Lockheed, Boles developed several tools that became used in aluminum fabrication. Boles was also an early pioneer in offering a service facility at his trailer factory and he was also one of the first RV builders to advertise outside of trailer periodicals. In the 1960s, the Boles Aero company would become known for innovations including flush covers for heating devices, recessed door handles, and recessed water fillers. The trailers from Boles Aero lived up to their name with meticulous streamlining.

One interesting note about Boles Aero is that it didn’t cease to exist because it failed. In 1980, Donald and Jeanette decided to retire, and instead of passing the business on, they closed up shop. In a way, that’s a great way for a company to go.

This 1967 Boles Aero 220-H

That brings us to the camper on your screen today.

In the 1960s, Boles Aero marketed itself as a provider of luxury units built to last a long while. The trailers themselves featured dabs of chrome and were adorned in gold-anodized aluminum. This gave Boles Aero trailers a distinctive look, but anodizing was also good for corrosion resistance.

Boles also recognized that it had a lot of fans and responded with the creation of an RV rally and trade show that happened at Dodger Stadium in California each year.

This 1967 Boles Aero 220-H was built in January 1967. In those days, Boles Aero gave customers the option to have a trailer that needed to be hooked up to a campsite or one that that was self-contained. Based on the original order sheet, this one was pretty loaded and was ordered to be self-contained. Amazingly, this trailer has stayed in California for its entire life.

According to the Bring a Trailer listing, the current owner acquired the trailer in 2023 and then began an extensive renovation. The seller didn’t just replace the entirety of the plumbing and electrical systems, but also the floors, all of the cabinetry, the fixtures, and the appliances. The seller even claims to have strengthened the trailer’s metal structure so it’s even stronger than before.

What I love here is that the seller left the exterior largely as it was when the trailer was built. The aluminum body still shines bright and the anodized gold panels look gorgeous. One small addition to the exterior is a set of wooden boards. The seller says that when you’re not using this camper as a place to sleep, you can haul it out to a show, swing out those boards, and use the trailer as a stand for a business.

The biggest visual difference between this camper and what it looked like from the factory is the axles. The refurbishment of the trailer included trashing the old axles for new 3,500-lb units. The plain white wheels don’t really match the rest of the camper, but I can forgive that because the new axles should mean this thing is ready for many more years of service.

The interior is where the magic really happened, and I’ll let Bring a Trailer describe what you’re seeing here:

The interior is outfitted with woodgrain walls, vinyl flooring, LED lighting, and storage cabinets. The forward lounge is furnished with a sofa bed trimmed in green cloth, an area rug, reading lights, and a Dynex flatscreen TV. A Dometic air conditioner is mounted overhead, and other house equipment includes a Fogatti demand-service water heater, power-operated ceiling vents, and holding tanks for fresh water, gray water, and waste. A Discover 200Ah lithium battery system has been installed along with a power converter and a Victron power management system.

The galley is equipped with Canadian red oak countertops and dark blue-painted cabinets as well as a double-basin sink, a Kapas two-burner cooktop, an air fryer, a Keurig coffee maker, and a refrigerator and freezer. The bathroom is located at the rear of the trailer and features a diamond-pattern wall covering, a Dometic toilet, a closet, and a combination bathtub and shower with a tethered sprayer.

It’s noted that the layout you see here is nothing like what this trailer had when new. Instead, it’s a bit more modern. I love how the seller went all of the way with this remodel. It has a proper toilet and a proper bathroom. Sometimes these fancy camper restorations don’t actually consider that you might want to sleep in the thing. The seller says this isn’t the case here because this trailer has seen real use.

Other neat bits noted by the auction is the addition of an air-conditioner, the aforementioned USB ports, the lithium battery, and the solar panels. It even has a second outdoor shower for if you need to wash yourself off before getting into this beauty. The seller notes that like a modern trailer, the 12V system can run off of the battery or the solar panels, but if you want the air-conditioner or a high-power appliance, you’ll want a generator or shore power.

More RVs Like This, Please

We’re told the camper measures in at 23 feet long and it should weigh somewhere in the ballpark of 3,500 pounds. The only bedding onboard is up front, where the sofa transforms into an apparently comfortable queen bed. So, this is best for a couple or maybe a couple and a baby at the most.

If you flip through the pages, it becomes clear that you’re pretty much looking at a modern trailer, but with the body of something vintage.

I love this little build. It seems the seller thought of actually having to use this camper and made sure it was comfortable for that task. Yet, it also looks stunning. As of publishing, bidding is at $1,100 with five days to go on Bring a Trailer. I have no idea what this trailer is worth, but I have no doubt whoever gets it will love it. Hopefully, this little camper will be beloved for years to come.