The lure of the open road has been a part of the human psyche since Grog and Zronk put a couple of stone wheels together, grabbed their clubs, and headed across the prehistoric landscape in search of a Starbucks. Before too long, they found one. Actually, it turns out that there was also another one on the adjacent corner, some things never change. This beautiful, historic gem is a 1954 Kom-Pak Sportsman trailer and it’s listed here on eBay in beautiful, equally-historic San Luis Obispo, California. The seller is asking $6,300 or you can make an offer.
As if a 1950s travel trailer wasn’t cool enough, this one has a built-in fishing boat on top! Genius! For $1,595, the company, which was based in Medford, Oregon, would sell you a fiberglass trailer with a fiberglass fishing boat on top. When the boat was in use, there were support bows and a canvas covering to put over the open trailer. This one has repacked wheel bearings and new tires.
Just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, check out the cooking area on the back. It looks like this one has an icebox on the right side. And those taillights. If the rear end looks familiar, it’s because it was based on the 1952/1953/1954 Ford and there were reportedly fewer than 20 of them made with only around a handful of them still in existence today. I think that this would be the ultimate camp/boat trailer to have, which is something that I have never said before. I never thought I’d want a combination camping trailer/fishing boat as much as I do right now.
They were all fiberglass and removable rollers helped a person remove the boat from the top. There should be a spot on the trailer tongue to mount an outboard motor while traveling and the whole trailer combo weighed 1,180 pounds.
There are no engine photos… er… just kidding, for once. Normally I’m lamenting about the lack of engine photos at this point, but more photos would have been nice to see here, too. They do show a few interior photos and it looks good inside, overall. You can see the canvas roof supports and the canvas in the photo above and they say that it’s original and in perfect condition. I think this would be incredibly fun to own and restore. Have any of you heard of the Kom-Pak Sportsman trailer?
See? This is what I’m talkin’ bout, Scotty just has an eye for this stuff. I’m no fisherperson ( I’m sure fisher “MAN” is inappropriate today) but would seem like a novel idea. Not sure how manhandling, oops, there I go again, person handling a rowboat like that would be, but it is really cool. Campers and boats have come a long way, even camper/boats featured here, but this, nostalgia aside, is really kind of useless, for me, anyway. Just shows the ingenuity people came up with and actually marketed it. America!!!
Fisherman is appropriate if your are referring to yourself and that’s how you identify I guess. Me? “fisherman, woman, person” are professionals, I and my friends just go fishing.
Back to the adult pack-n-play, I remember seeing one of these when I was younger, but I just thought someone cut up a Ford sedan delivery and stuck a boat on top (which I recall was both horrifying and awesome to me at the same time). This would be sweet behind a ’54 Country Squire.
This is why the barnfinds site is worth visiting every day. For items like this, that I wouldn’t go looking for, but appreciate when they are brought to my attention.
Rare doesn’t always mean valuable or desirable, but in this case – it does mean “mid century modern”, kitschy and cool.
Bill Harrah had one of these in his car museum in Reno in the ’70s. All painted and trimmed out they are pretty good looking rigs. Lot going on in a small package.
These are starting to pop up with increasing frequency, listed below are two in less than the past 24 months.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1953-kom-pak-sportsman-camper/ Bid to $7,200 on 6/20/2020 N/S
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1953-kompak-sportsman/ Sold for $9,777 on 3/19/2019
Either of the two you found on Bat Moparman would be a much better choice for the coin. Crazy, if six left, half are posted here.
Neat find! Not hard to understand why it didn’t get much traction in the market, though. You could strap a boat to the top of a regular camper or the tow vehicle and not have to fuss with bows and a canvas top.
so – is the trailer “roofless” when the boat is off. I see the center spars for the boat on the ceiling of the trailer?
Kind of, there was a canvas cover and bows when the boat was removed.
Hemmings did a story about one, you can see it with the canvas top. Also, they came with an ultra rare( I never heard of it) “folding suitcase” Johnson motor.
https://www.hemmings.com/users/277107/gallery/5852.html
When I saw the ‘boat’ feature with this trailer the first thing I thought about for a small compact motor for it was the Johnson 3hp folding outboard. I still have the one my parents bought new back in the early ’60’s for the dinghy on our cruiser.
The one photo with the red and white Ford Wagon is cool. That would make a nice set up.
Rusty…
If you read through the first or second paragraph in this posting. It states that when the boat is in use there ar slats an a Canvas cover to put over the top.
Imo …I’d have a different, more durable material cover made with sections of Tent window mesh sewn into it ,for better fresh air ventilation and make (same solid fabric) removable cover pieces with Velcro/ or zippers, that cover the mesh sections when weather requires them to be in place(rain ,wind ,etc) .
Red Green had a humorous “Handyman’s Corner” episode where he made an Airstream out of a trailer, a boat, and some appliances. I know know where he found his inspiration.
Great concept. It’s basically a swoopier-looking teardrop trailer with a boat on top. What’s not to like? Like the teardrop this is not very foul-weather friendly with the cooking setup, but it weighs about as much as my 4×8 trailer plus 12 sheets of drywall. I’d pull it behind my 4WD 1967 IH Travelall… if I had one. Thanks for bringing this to BarnFinds.com, Scotty!
At least once at some car show in the past 20 years I have seen a surf green 1952-54 Ford wagon pulling one of these in the same color. I don’t recall the pull vehicle being a Squire. Just a Ranch Wagon or whatever they were called without faux wood paneling. Also, I believe the car was a two door wagon. Somewhere I have a non-digital picture(s).
You’re right! I used to see the rig at “Back To The Fifties” in St. Paul, Minnesota about twenty years ago. Both the trailer and wagon were immaculate and it always drew a crowd! I know I took of it pictures too but I could never find them now,
You’re right! I used to see the rig at “Back To The Fifties” in St. Paul, Minnesota about twenty years ago. Both the trailer and wagon were immaculate and it always drew a crowd! I know I took of it pictures too but I could never find them now.
I have no idea why I am so attracted to this “Frankenfish” creation but I am. Do I want to go camping? Fishing? Wait, I can do both with one tow hitch. Brilliant!
For sure you will not see yourself at the next “Cars and Cod” get together…
The camper is kool, but 6,300 kool? Put some paint on it, gee what is with old weathered looking things. One collectable comes up for sale for some crazy number and everyone with one now thinks they have one also and it has magical power.
There are businesses with things like this around the country called salvage yards. Or their used to be before being zoned out of existence.
Swell idea, nostalgia item that no one will use for intended purpose. Car show museum piece, real value is what someone will pay. Would I buy it? Sure but 6,300, not even close.
Hey Mike! This camper would look great
being pulled behind the ’66 Ford wagon
shown above, or my Charger. Been doing
some lot driving with my neice. She’s getting better at it every day. Won’t be long before she’s ready for driving school
where she’ll do just fine.
Great to hear about your neice Ken! You gotta get her behind the wheel of the Charger and take her to the strip! The camper would be right at home behind my old Willy also. Keep up the good work with your neice Brother. Hang in there Bro, Mike.
$50
There is a great section on one of the “Industry on Parade” filmstrips from 1954, shows a slightly battered 1951 Pontiac Convertible pulling one of these behind it. The Industry on Parade videos are available free on YouTube. There is also a video from the 1950s showing a couple pulling into a campsite and removing the boat from the trailer, then putting up the canopy.
Very spiffy, but I’ll stick with my 5th wheel /slide outs. In some states a boat trailer can be double towed!
cool find , thanks, wish I could get it. Yes, I’ve seen a few dif ones like this and even thought about doing my own but those days r past now :-(
They made over 3500 of these trailers 20 is incorrect.
Well I am fixing to put my 56 wagon on ebay, Maybe I can cut it up and make one of these and get more money for it! Mine would have to have the solid roof. If you wanted to tow a boat, you would have to get the roof rack I gave away when I sold my canoe.
Saw one of these this summer in a gift shop/private car museum in Lincoln, NH. Fully restored. First saw it there about 15 years ago. The owner has several unique and interesting cars in his little museum on the back of the shop and a Crosley station wagon and a Reliant Robin in the parking lot. I took pictures of the lot but darned if I can figure out how to move them from my smart phone to this dumb computer. Nuts!
Brian, search on Google for instructions on moving the pictures.
Thanks. I have only been off of my flip phone for seven months and my smart phone’s IQ is apparently higher than mine. It’s also less than a year old and I’m approaching 76. It’s a i-Phone and, like a lot of apple products, doesn’t seem to play well with others. Thanks again for the suggestion. I WILL figure this out before I die. Of course I’ve said that about finishing the Sprite, Herald and TR 7 too. Better get moving.
At the risk of sounding like a smart-a** , Brian M. — Use the iPhone charge cable and plug the USB side into your computer. Presume you have a USB port on the side of your PC or laptop. The iPhone will “play well” by showing up on your screen as another drive location like a C drive or external thumbdrive, etc. Once you click on it, every photo you’ve ever taken with or saved onto the iPhone will be shown in a list with its thumbnail. If I remember correctly, an iPhone will also store every photo for you until it gets filled then ask you to back up your pic files to the cloud. Lettuce know what you find out. :) :) :)
In a dream life , this would be great , pulled by an old fifties , car, truck, pickup or convertible but in reality, the new vehicules and rv’s are wayyy better than this …
Hi, Peter here from New Zealand. I own a 1954 Ford Skyliner (in fact it is the vehicle that is pictured in the ‘interior photo’ link). I would love to own one of these trailers to match the Skyliner. If there are any out there please feel free to contact me. Thanks
There appears to be more than 6. There are 8 on the internet and does not include my Dads.
I know a guy that owns one with matching car . Both in immaculate shape too! Show car worthy