1948 masonite survivor. 100% original

handkey
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1964 Forester 14

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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 5:01:35 GMT -8 64mobilescout likes this

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 5:01:35 GMT -8

My background: Minnesota frame up builder of vintage trailers. Current specialty, 1962-1968 Forester trailers. Campurist.com

I was approached to purchase this trailer from a fellow Forester camper devotee. Needless to say, I bought it!

It was built 25 miles from Foresters Forest city Iowa plant and pre-dates Foresters by 10 years. The only information I have found about the company is a small newspaper ad placed in 1947. I have the original title from 1955 when it was put into "non use" . It sat somewhat protected in a Minnesota barn for almost half a century! Nothing has been altered on the trailer aside from the tin roof applied over the shot masonite roof. It still has its factory two tone paint and pinstripes. Factory rims, moons, appliances, upholstery , counter, fixtures, blinds , linoleum etc etc etc!

I want this to be an authentic yet useable trailer, not a museum piece!

Here are some questions. Im looking for anyone that has tackled a masonite trailer. your thoughts/ opinions:

The Masonite is shot. I feel I would be preserving history better to skin it in aluminum and duplicate the paint scheme rather than give it new masonite.

Asbestos: The heater has a back heat shield lined with asbestos . I can bend a new heat shield and get rid of the asbestos .

The heater is going to stay but as it is non vented and will not get a gas line

Wheel wells: They are masonite lined with what could either be cement board or asbestos . Anyone familiar with this on masonite trailers?

Construction:

It is not stick framed. The walls appear to be 3/4" plywood with 1/4" pine plywood interior. Sound right?

Ceiling appears to be 1/4" pine plywood. The only area i can guage ceiling thickness is water damaged so it may be puffy and actually 1/8" ?

Campurist.com "1948 Fairway Deluxe Trailer Coach" by Campurist, on Flickr

danrhodes Global Moderator Posts: 2,906 Likes: 1,142 1965 Field and Stream Currently Offline	1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 6:01:22 GMT -8 via Tapatalk Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by danrhodes on Sept 21, 2017 6:01:22 GMT -8 That Masonite looks pretty good for 70 years old...with proper maintenance it probably would still be ok. Are you just nervous about using a new material?
	See the full rebuild blog here: 1965fieldandstream.blogspot.com/

64mobilescout
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 6:35:32 GMT -8

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Post by 64mobilescout on Sept 21, 2017 6:35:32 GMT -8

Wow. How cool it that. What a find. My father started building a masonite trailer in the early 1950's. I have a photo of it in our back yard. It is a tough call about using masonite to repair it. I have read that it was a pretty good material to use. Not as good as metal but OK. Keep us informed.
Steve

handkey
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 7:08:47 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 7:08:47 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 6:01:22 GMT -8 danrhodes said:

That Masonite looks pretty good for 70 years old...with proper maintenance it probably would still be ok. Are you just nervous about using a new material?

[

I have worked with Masonite before on interiors . As a material, Masonite would be much faster and cheaper than aluminum to work with. No fear there. more concerned about being period correct and balancing longevity. I will put many months into this and would like it to go another 70+ years . A paint scratch in Masonite becomes a breach for water 💦.

handkey
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 7:25:16 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 7:25:16 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 6:35:32 GMT -8 64mobilescout said:

Wow. How cool it that. What a find. My father started building a masonite trailer in the early 1950's. I have a photo of it in our back yard. It is a tough call about using masonite to repair it. I have read that it was a pretty good material to use. Not as good as metal but OK. Keep us informed.
Steve

Im leaning toward aluminum. I will be taking it down to the metal frame and restoring it . This trailer is not a Masterbilt , but Flytcamp restored one and replaced the Masonite siding with aluminum to make the trailer more durable. it did not hurt the restored value. As far as timing on this one I'm over a year out building frame up Forester restorations. This One is going into storage and it's going to kill me not to work on it !

ruderunner
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 15:48:39 GMT -8

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Post by ruderunner on Sept 21, 2017 15:48:39 GMT -8

I vote Masonite. It lasted this long and touching up the paint isn't hard. I would compromise on a metal roof.

Can the heater be reworked to be vented? That's just too cool looking to not be functional. Maybe install newer guts?

mobiltec
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 16:16:48 GMT -8

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Post by mobiltec on Sept 21, 2017 16:16:48 GMT -8

Hey I have that exact same tongue jack on my 47 Main-Line Silver Lodger. It also has the exact same Goucho in the rear. This trailer is aluminum over 1/2 inch plywood though. To be factory correct for a museum piece I would go with the masonite once again. For actual use as your own trailer I would go with aluminum. You have a beautiful antique there. Can't wait to see the build. Hope you share that with us...

God grant me the strength to restore the trailers I can,
The courage to strip the parts off the ones I can't,
And the wisdom to know the difference...

www.cannedhamtrailers.com

handkey
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1964 Forester 14

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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 16:35:42 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 16:35:42 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 15:48:39 GMT -8 ruderunner said:

I vote Masonite. It lasted this long and touching up the paint isn't hard. I would compromise on a metal roof.

Can the heater be reworked to be vented? That's just too cool looking to not be functional. Maybe install newer guts?

Well Masonite seems to be the favorite path ! I plan to hang onto this guy so if I see signs of trouble I can always reskin it .

I was thinking same on heater. Maybe a little buddy or electric hidden behind that gothic Victorian grill !

handkey
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 16:48:49 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 16:48:49 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 16:16:48 GMT -8 mobiltec said:

Hey I have that exact same tongue jack on my 47 Main-Line Silver Lodger. It also has the exact same Goucho in the rear. This trailer is aluminum over 1/2 inch plywood though. To be factory correct for a museum piece I would go with the masonite once again. For actual use as your own trailer I would go with aluminum. You have a beautiful antique there. Can't wait to see the build. Hope you share that with us...

That jack is so easy to crank! I was amazed . I do want to use it . I think when I dig into it . That may give me enough info to vomit ( spell check! I wanted to say commit but that works to!) commit to aluminum or Masonite... and thank you ! I love the curves on this one ! I will share but it's going to be a while before I can start . I'm going to check out your 47!

handkey
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 17:24:55 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:24:55 GMT -8

Looked at the 47 main line . Wow! I hope after a few thousand hours , mine looks like that . That looks camp ready . This one literally had a 1/4" of barn dust and I can put my finger through the pine roof panel, and touch the Masonite. The stated weight on title is 1600 lbs so I hope it's 1/2 plywood in walls . Is your ceiling 1/4" pine plywood?

shastatom
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Shasta 54,57 1500 58 Airflyte

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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 17:27:58 GMT -8

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Post by shastatom on Sept 21, 2017 17:27:58 GMT -8

Love the camper. It is interesting that Keister had a population of 541 in 1950.

I am an 1.5 hours down the road from Keister near Rochester. I would love to stop by someday when I am up in White Bear Lake and see this gem.

Tom

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handkey
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 17:47:59 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:47:59 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 17:27:58 GMT -8 shastatom said:

Love the camper. It is interesting that Keister had a population of 541 in 1950.

I am an 1.5 hours down the road from Keister near Rochester. I would love to stop by someday when I am up in White Bear Lake and see this gem.

There was a little hotbed of trailer building going on down there I. The late 40s !

handkey Active Member Posts: 217 Likes: 83 1964 Forester 14 Currently Offline	1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 17:49:47 GMT -8 via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:49:47 GMT -8 Yes . Swing in ! Hoping my shop grows before the ground freezes.

mobiltec
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1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 18:36:10 GMT -8 handkey likes this

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Post by mobiltec on Sept 21, 2017 18:36:10 GMT -8

Sept 21, 2017 17:24:55 GMT -8 handkey said:

Looked at the 47 main line . Wow! I hope after a few thousand hours , mine looks like that . That looks camp ready . This one literally had a 1/4" of barn dust and I can put my finger through the pine roof panel, and touch the Masonite. The stated weight on title is 1600 lbs so I hope it's 1/2 plywood in walls . Is your ceiling 1/4" pine plywood?

The roof is 1/4 inch plywood but I still need to find out what that and the walls are made from. Going to do that real soon here because I'm ready to remove the walls now. I'll let you know.

I towed this trailer 450 miles over mountains to get it here and even camped in it for a night. It was very comfortable. But as you can see once I got the metal off the plywood was on it's last legs.

God grant me the strength to restore the trailers I can,
The courage to strip the parts off the ones I can't,
And the wisdom to know the difference...

www.cannedhamtrailers.com

handkey Active Member Posts: 217 Likes: 83 1964 Forester 14 Currently Offline	1948 masonite survivor. 100% original Sept 21, 2017 19:25:10 GMT -8 via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 19:25:10 GMT -8 I put this one on a flat bed trailer . Curbside leaf spring is shot . Fabric is very similar to yours . Horse hair stuffing! Ceiling height is just 6 ft at max .

1948 masonite survivor. 100% original

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 5:01:35 GMT -8

Post by danrhodes on Sept 21, 2017 6:01:22 GMT -8

Post by 64mobilescout on Sept 21, 2017 6:35:32 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 7:08:47 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 7:25:16 GMT -8

Post by ruderunner on Sept 21, 2017 15:48:39 GMT -8

Post by mobiltec on Sept 21, 2017 16:16:48 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 16:35:42 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 16:48:49 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:24:55 GMT -8

Post by shastatom on Sept 21, 2017 17:27:58 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:47:59 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 17:49:47 GMT -8

Post by mobiltec on Sept 21, 2017 18:36:10 GMT -8

Post by handkey on Sept 21, 2017 19:25:10 GMT -8