Tag: roulotte

A 1926 Home Built Camper Truck

~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

An early tiny house on wheels… and a family selfie.

W.M. O'Donnell & family of Detroit in bungalow auto, 2/1/26.
W.M. O’Donnell & family of Detroit in bungalow auto, 2/1/26.

The Library of Congress has some pretty amazing stuff.  I rarely find what I came for but I always find something pretty spectacular.  This house (click to enlarge) is quite a piece of woodworking.  Shingle siding all glass door, sturdy balcony, beautiful windows, under storage, and what I think is a pull out pan box on the back.  The O’Donnell’s were certainly traveling in style.

The amount of joinery that went into the door and windows is probably more than found in most houses today.
W.M. O’Donnell & family of Detroit in bungalow auto, 2/1/26

The amount of joinery that went into the door and windows is probably more than is found in most houses today.  I really like the old basement windows used as storage access underneath.  As usual, I could find no interior photos but I suspect it was well appointed.

Original files can be found: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008007978/and http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008007936/

If this isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.

Oh, and nearby photo caught my eye in the Library:

Mlle. Rae with garter flask, 1/26/26.
Mlle. Rae with garter flask, 1/26/26.

I’ve never known a woman with a garter flask before…

Finally…

~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

A perfect rolling home.

And a place for everything!

Bundesarchiv. Bild 183-1987-1002-510 Foto 1 November 1922.
Bundesarchiv. Bild 183-1987-1002-510 Foto 1 November 1922.

The details here are remarkable including the decorative framing around the windows and planter boxes … with plants!  I believe this sits on solid rubber teeth-rattling tires.  You can probably tell from the caption but this is apparently from Germany in 1922.  I wish I knew what the function of the trailer was; workshop, spare bedroom, animals, kitchen?

Another Look

~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

Here’s another look at an image I posted quite a while ago.  I really like this photo.  These Scottish Travellers give a glimpse of some less-than-stereotypical living waggons (sic).  Very few wanderers could afford the classic Dunton Reading wagon but made do with more affordable accommodations; possibly even owner-built.

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Click image for link.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Click HERE for the source.

All three of the caravans pictured have mollycrofts for light and air but are of a pretty simple variety.  I am struck by the one on the right mostly by how plain it is (plank siding without exposed ribs) and it’s very small proportions.  I suspect there were many more of this variety than the elite, custom-built wagons on the roads in Britain in the heyday.

A few more Vardos (sort of) from Around the Web

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

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I’m always keeping an eye out on the web for interesting living vehicles, rolling homes, and related Traveller – Modern Nomad stuff.  The right key words and a little luck on historic image sites land a lot of photos, but often with little real information about the vehicle in question.  As I was rummaging through my old image files over the weekend I decided to start throwing some of the images up here; for inspiration and ideas if nothing else.  Where possible, I’ve linked to the source where I found it.

carnieconversion
This is an interesting conversion for a Carnival or Circus worker. Wood burning stove, mollycroft, and transom windows. I like it.
earlycaravan
I’ve posted this innovative little beast on Facebook.

I like this early fifth-wheel design for several reasons, not the least of which is the hitch.  This is the earliest image I have of a “slide-out” expandable space.  I suspect they actually fold up but they already deal with increasing space while keeping the traveling width narrow.  The final feature is the dogtrot effect created by the opposing doors.  I think this caravan was built with summer travel in mind.

coffee
Recycled “canned-ham” caravan.
Interesting propulsion. Looks like post-apocalyptic servitude?
Interesting propulsion. Looks like post-apocalyptic servitude?
Atkisson's Wagon.
Atkisson’s Wagon.

The above wagon aesthetic has a Persian feel to the decorations.  From the pillows right down to the slippers.  Click the photo for an article about this wagon.

Found over at the Voice of the Monkey.
Found over at the Voice of the Monkey.  An eclectic image blog.

Okay, I just posted this cool little goat wagon as I would have loved this as a kid.  Who wouldn’t?  There is a clear attention to detail on this one down to the wheel spokes and fine paint work.  Apparently there is some tie to Kansas City.   Maybe a carriage maker’s model?

And finally, the best part of all… exploring a 1914 Dunton Waggon, Part 1 with historian John Pokkett.  You can find the next parts on Youtube if they don’t auto-follow.

Even More About Sheep Wagons!

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

A Tumblr follower spotted my interest in sheep wagons and other classic mobile lifestyles.  They sent me this excellent link to a short (20 minute) documentary from faircompanies.com.  It’s a nice overview of sheep wagon design old and new by a couple making and selling old-fashioned Sheep Camps.

And here are a few older posts I’ve made about the American sheep wagons.  They’re all you need out here in the west.  Click the photos to learn more.

A Sheep Wagon in a Modern Setting
Growing Up in a Sheep Wagon
A Sheepherder Wagon Community
Sheep Camps are Alive and Well in the West

Have a look at a little bit of nearly lost American history.

A Classic Sheep Wagon in a Modern Setting

~ George Crawford ~ 1 Comment
Classic sheep wagon; Dutch door, wash pan hanging out of the way but handy, and an offset door.

I love these old sheep camps.  There are many on ranches from New Mexico to Idaho and beyond in old sheep and cattle country.  They aren’t highway capable but it seems they could provide a real housing alternative for low-income minimalists.  For many of us, living this way would be far better than a housing complex or apartment.

Cook stove and kitchen box.

I took a fair amount of design inspiration from these wagons but added a bit of class along the way.  I wouldn’t mind having a cook stove like this one though.

A nice stove cap. I need to make something classy like this some time.

Off-the-shelf or build it yourself?  I love these details in hand-built structures.  This stove pipe cap has a classy look.

A double bed, cooking area, and a place to relax out of the weather. The essentials are covered.
A double bed, cooking area, and a place to relax out of the weather. The essentials are covered.

A short piece about Lorna’s wagon can be found here on the Tiny House Blog.

Sheepherders’ Camps

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

Here are a few classic Sheep Camps from the Wyoming Tales and Trails webpage. There are some great photos and some good information on their web page.  I personally took a lot of inspiration from these resourceful and low-cost housing solutions.

Fiddling on the prairie.  I could spend much of my life like this!
Out on the range. Looking at my Vardo, you can see my inspiration for the offset door and stove.
Again, the offset door. I get asked about this a lot. It gives a large amount of room on one side.

There’s a lot of other information and photos of western history here too.  Have a look around.

http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/