Vintage campers can be an exciting way to travel the country. Forget acres of flat walls and swoopy graphics when you can arrive in something that will grab an entire campground of attention. This 1948 Palace Royale travel trailer for auction on Hemmings is dripping with style. Even better, you can pair it with a matching 1952 Chevrolet Suburban.
Palace Travel Coach Corporation opened in 1929 by David D Arehart in Flint, Michigan, notes MLive News. Arehart not only built travel trailers but filed patents for inventions related to trailers. One, for example, was what appears to be a weight-distributing trailer hitch, designed with campers in mind. The company claimed to be the number two producer of travel trailers in the 1930s before going on to build mobile temporary housing units for the military in World War II.
After the war, Palace came out with the Royale travel trailer like the one you see for auction today.
The Royale is said to be one of the first all-metal trailer designs utilising an aluminium skin. It also boasted large windows full-height doors and a lot of ventilation thanks to a roof styled like an attic fan.
This 1948 Palace Royale is said to be fully restored inside and out. The exterior is finished in green over cream. It measures in at 5.79 m-long and comes with a neat awning. The theme continues inside:
Inside, the walls are stainless steel and green vinyl upholstery adds a splash of colour. The seller says that they wanted to give the trailer an Art Deco feel, and I think they accomplished the goal.
The restoration also included some upgrades to make the trailer work in the modern day. It has modern appliances and fixtures, an air-conditioner, hot water, a 12-Volt electrical system and LED lights.
Electronic brakes stop the 1,588 kg beauty and everything is said to work as it should. It’s said to be a museum quality restoration job. The seller says that they’re only giving up on the gorgeous trailer because they’re moving to Maine from Arizona.
Like I said earlier, this thing has tons of style. You can’t tow it with just any vehicle. In a separate auction, the seller is letting go a 1952 Chevrolet Suburban painted to match the trailer. And yes, it too was given the same kind of quality restoration.
Palace later renamed itself to Palace Corporation and continued making trailers. They built the Palace Expando trailer for the military, that expanded out on both sides like an early RV slide system. Sadly, the operation only lasted until the 1960s, where it joined the long line of camper manufacturers that didn’t survive to the modern day.
If you want a piece of camping history, the 1948 Palace Royale is currently bidding at $35,000 with 9 days to go on Hemmings. Reserve isn’t met, so this will probably sell for a lot. The matching Suburban is $14,286 with 9 days to go.