I must really be out of the loop on travel trailers, price-wise. In looking at the photos of this gorgeous 1967 Aristocrat Land-Commander trailer, I would just assume that it’s worth much more than the $6,800 bid price that it has reached here on eBay – although, the reserve isn’t met. It’s located in Bountiful, Utah and the seller has a $10,000 buy-it-now price listed. Let’s check out this beauty.
This isn’t a flashy trailer, it’s not a polished-to-a-mirror-like-finish Airstream which is all the rage today. It’s not a colorful model with sleek styling and bold colors and features. What it is, is… it’s a very, very nice-looking solid trailer and to paraphrase Carnac the Magnificant, “As a child of four can plainly see, this trailer has been hermetically sealed. It has been kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnalls’ porch since 1967. NO ONE has a finer trailer for sale today.”
Aristocrat made several trailer models in different sizes with, as you’d expect, various options and features. This is one of the bigger models, the Land-Commander. At 16-feet, it was between the 15-foot Mainliner and 15-foot Lo Liner, and 17-foot S-T Lo Liner. There was also a 20-foot Land-Liner (the hyphen appears and disappears even in company literature) and a pickup camper. Flashy is fun but solid and well-maintained is much better in my world.
I have seen examples of the Aristocrat trailer where owners have painted over the paneling and it really looks great. I’d most likely keep everything as original as possible here if it were mine. Everything looks almost like-new which is amazing after over five decades of use. One drawback of this example is that it doesn’t appear to have a bathroom. The “closet” on the right side in the photo above is just that, a closet. Although, they mention that there’s a porta-potty but I don’t see a photo of it anywhere.
The kitchen looks great with avocado appliances, a three-burner propane cooktop and oven, and an actual icebox. I may upgrade that to a gas/electric refrigerator but otherwise, I’m not sure if I would change too much here. There is sleeping for six in the rear seating area, the dinette, and overhead compartment, and it’s ready to go. Have any of you owned a travel trailer from this era or do you have one now?
Note to author, don’t encourage these people with 5 figure price tags on this stuff. He knows I’m kidding, and this IS a remarkable find. There are those folks that keep their things like new. I’m not one of those people. There were literally hundreds of trailer manufacturers, all with pretty much the same features. While some may shudder in horror, NO BATHROOM?? NO REFRIGERATOR?? We have become a nation of spoiled crybabies, but I remember when a camper was for sleeping and eating, or waiting out a storm, but it was the outdoors we came to see, not Wendy Williams at 11am in a slide out living room. Campgrounds weren’t the “motorhome meccas” they are today, they were generally rustic, with little or no amenities, and campers, like this, had to be self contained. I remember camping with no electric, and the sink had a hand pump. Ice box was the only way to keep things cool, and ice was available at most campgrounds or gas stations. It was a daily thing to get ice. You crapped in the woods, if need be, was no big deal. I’m sorry, I still think $10g’s is out of line here, it’s clean, but a basic camper.
Side note, anyone else ever run into the bottom pane of those windows that crank out? Smarts, don’t it? Great find.
Bet you pulled it with horses and ate grits too…
You’ve visited some rustic campgrounds, Howard. My parents took me camping with the rest of the family from when I was an infant, not long after this particular trailer was built. We had an 18′ Avalon travel trailer. It had a refrigerator and a bathroom, and it wasn’t a fancy or new trailer. We frequented state parks and other campgrounds with bath houses, so we only used the woods in an emergency. This was typical camping for my family in the 1970s.
The trailer was, as you noted, not a place we hung out. It was for sleeping and cooking (it was bad enough we took the kitchen on vacation with us – Mom was not about to cook over an open fire). Only a thunderstorm could chase us into the trailer. We put a screened tent over the picnic table, so we usually sat at the picnic table and played games when it rained.
My mother had three sisters, and the typical family camping trip involved the four families getting side-by-side campsites. In the evenings, it wasn’t unusual for 20 of us to be gathered around the campfire.
My grandmother, bless her heart, had a habit of getting lost on the way back from the bath house. Someone would ask, “where’s Grandma?” and we’d all sigh and start searching. We would invariably find her sitting with other campers around their fire. She wasn’t senile, she just figured she was easier to find if she stayed put.
Great memories!
The Land-Commander, what a great name. Nice and clean, really surprised someone has not hit the bin button already. I have a small port a jon that I would have to fab up a place to store it. When you gotta go, you gotta go! That, and after the Packers drubbing by the Saints, the curtains would have to go.
I’d like to get a little camp trailer, but this is not the one for me. I prefer those little oval shaped things where the back folds out for a Coleman cooker and food prep area with sleeping inside the small pod and propane tanks on front. An awning on the side would be nice for shade and a folding chair. Light weight and easy to pull. No toilet needed in the woods anyway, but keep a bountiful supply of toilet paper and water.
God bless America
You are referring to “Tear drop” trailers, which were popular in the 50’s, but fell out of favor for units like this, as hp increased. They have recently been introduced again, because with smaller cars today, they are easy to pull. Heck, I think some modern motorcycles could pull them. The biggest disadvantage is, inside, it’s just a bed, they don’t offer any place to ride out a storm. Aside from a tent camper, it’s about the cheapest way to camp today.
In 1969, my grandparents purchased a brand new Aristocrat tandem axle. It was full of orange and green colors and they lovingly christened it “Hombe”. They pulled that trailer for almost three decades anywhere the road beckoned them. My grandfather was a amateur photographer and cataloged many of the trips that they took. When they would visit, he would set up his slide projector, we would all gather around, turn off the lights, and he would proceed to tell us of their marvelous travels and the places they had been. He would capture all our imaginations and wonder at the pictures we saw. It was truly wonderful as a boy. I would not trade it for anything. Everyone loved them dearly, Hombe included. Such a wonderful time. Every time I see a Aristocrat traveler trailer, all of these memories come flooding back. Thank you Barnfinds. It was a good day today. :)
I had a 16 ft. 1962 Shasta camper in the oval shape with the silver wings on the back. It had a fridge (propane powered) as well as A furnace, and a bathroom along with a kitchenette stove and sink. It was fully wood paneled inside, and could sleep 6! I completely restored it while making it roadworthy. I’ll never forget the year we pulled it from our regular campground, where it was parked for weekend getaways, in NE Ohio, up to Long Lake far up in the Adirondacks, for the fall foliage season (late September.) The weather was glorious on the day we setup camp, right on the shore of Long Lake, with all of the trees in crimson orange and yellow, colors that have to be seen to be believed! Anyway we awoke the next morning to A blanket of snow 6 inches deep!! The little Shasta’s furnace kept us toasty warm, and we didn’t have to go out at all because we even had the bathroom. We watched as all the other campers in a frenzy to get away, gradually emptied the campground!
Notice how he hide the licence plate… a second use for theses!
Peabody, set the Wayback Machine to 1967!
Ahem, it’s “MR. PEABODY” to you, and it was ” Sherman, set the wayback machine for 1967′,,I bet most have no idea what we’re talking about.
I stand corrected. (Hey, it’s been 60 years since I watched Rocky & Bullwinkle!)
I like how they rattle can painted front frame AND the wheel on the front jack.
Right? There’s overspray on the trailer, too.
The porta-potty could be in the closet.
And if you buy it you can take a “Trip to Bountiful’
Man how times have changed, doesn’t seam like that long ago I would charge people $50 to $100 bucks to haul old travel trailers off their property. I would take them back to my property and dismantle them and recycle the metal. Burn the wood in the shop over the winter months. Sometimes I would rework the rolling frame into a utility trailer and sell it off. Other times I would cut it down to use the steel for other projects. If I would have any thought they might be worth this kind of money today I would have stored them and sold them off.
A while back a company I worked for for 20yrs provided us with 53 ton campers Could make your own parking space except for swamp and deep water. Came equipped with comfortable fenders and back deck. Company even provided food of questionable packed in little cardboard boxes and hunting equipment if we given the time. Had heaters except for winter as for washing we had metal bowels that could double for hats. Toilets were of the early model composting type. Miss the campouts with the M60/48 series camper!
I have owned 2 trailers and my parents had 2. My second trailer was very much like this one. It was 18′ single axle but mine had a bathroom with tub and shower.
Not sure of the brand for my parents first one but it was a teardrop, nothing like today’s teardrops and their second was a Shasta with the wings.
Great memories
I think this trailer’s pretty cool. I mean it’s really going to be a chick magnet at CKOA. Especially to y’all that are over 50. I mean, what else ya got to offer? They’re are clueless to the cars of your era. But we all know a ‘52 Chevrolet 4-door would haul this in style. So gather up your piggy bank stuffed with your Social Security checks. Cruise Sun City, pack up your Samsonite, spray tan and little blue pills. And there you are. Heaven on earth.
Maybe he will get his price but he has competition from the newbies.
We hauled a Sears pop up behind mom’s Falcon wagon all over until dad bought a Nimrod and that new SWB rancoon red FE powered Ford in 1968 – still looking for that pic…..
Here at Galveston beach camping.
Ended:Sep 17, 2021 , 11:00AM
Winning bid:
US $7,100.00
[ 16 bids ]
Thanks, Mike!
It looks like it was relisted and then sold for $9,000!
You know Scotty, I think thats a good buy. Take care.
Is the Aristocrat Land-Commander still for sale?
Hey, is it possible to include a picture of the electric box insides? My trailer was sabotaged and I need to see what inside the box looked like to know what’s missing and how to rewire it. I would so very much appreciate it!!! I have a 1967 Land Commander, looks JUST like this one. Thanks!!!