Tim Heintz did it again, surprising Tin Can Tourist members with a recently completed frame-up restoration of another rare vintage travel trailer. How rare? According to Heintz, his tiny 1959 Ellsworth could possibly be the only example of this trailer type in existence. Including the tongue, the Ellsworth measures eleven feet. The box, however, is only 71/2 feet, so Heintz calls it “the smallest full-size (meaning stand-up headroom) vintage trailer ever manufactured.”
The black, white, and pink Ellsworth made its debut at the Twin Lakes Camp Resort in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, during a small TCT gathering in early October 2021. Heintz was flooded the entire event with people (TCTers as well as regular folk at the campground) wanting to “take a peek inside” the cool trailer. And by cool, I mean cooold! You see, Heintz squeezed a 12,500 BTU air-conditioner inside this small trailer, cleverly hiding it behind varnished wood.
As for the exterior colors, Heintz said he had always wanted to restore a vintage trailer using an overall black paint scheme, and the Ellsworth fit the bill. He purchased aluminum siding with black paint already baked on (a huge time-saver). To contrast the black, Heintz bought aluminum siding with white paint already baked on, then overlaid the white with a delicate lace pattern sprayed on using pink automotive paint and real lace material as a stencil (a method commonly used to customize low-riders in the 1970s). Heintz said learning “how to do automotive lace painting” was a trial-and-error process at which he succeeded.
Heintz scored another home run when it came to purchasing an awning for the Ellsworth. His supplier managed to find new “old” stock of the perfect material to match the unique paint.
The trailer was manufactured by Ellsworth Coach, a division of Morweld Products Company in Ellsworth, Michigan. Unbelievably, the 1959 Ellsworth was advertised as sleeping four people. Imagine that!
Tim Heintz is the owner of Heintz Designs Vintage Trailer Restorations in Panama City, Florida. He is also the Southeast Representative for the Tin Can Tourists, helping to organize and host rallies in the area. Heintz’s work has been featured on The Travel Channel’s Extreme RVs, as well as in numerous publications.
Before Photos:
The known history told by a local resident of Ellsworth, Michigan:
The parent company of ‘Morweld Corporation’ built the Ellsworth Coach. Morweld started in November 1950 in Ellsworth, Michigan (a small town – population 350) in Antrim County – NW Lower Peninsula, Michigan. It was first known as Morray Products and later changed to Morweld Steel Products Corporation. The company was owned by Maurice Manning Taylor, Sr. It was located on the Shore of Ellsworth Lake. The company built artillery steel casings, practice bombs, steel wheels, and even their own line of small travel trailers for a very short time (May 1958-Early 1959). Later the company became known as International Disc Corporation. Their demise came when the government caught them cheating on a contract by using inferior quality steel. The company closed in the early 1980s, left a 20-acre environmental eyesore (PCBs, petroleum compounds, heavy metals). Maurice M. Taylor, Sr., died a pauper and only could claim $2.00 between himself and his wife. Today the plant site is a park and garden on the shores of Lake Ellsworth. His son, Maurice Manning Taylor, Jr., is Chairman and Chief Executive of Titan International, Inc. / Titan Wheel Corporation. He ran as a Republican candidate for President in 1996.
During the short time of existence (May 1958-Early 1959), the Ellsworth Coach Division built two models of travel trailers in an 11’ and 16’ length, including some custom trailers. They also made the trailers that they hauled their travel trailers to market on and were always pulled by Dodge Tucks. Once the Ellsworth Coach Division was closed, the Ellsworth Travel Trailer branding was purchased by Colorado Mobile Homes in Stratton, Colorado who built their own line of smaller canned ham shaped travel trailers known as the ‘Colorado Ellsworth’ (Late 1959-1962), but there was no known connection between the two brands.
Owner: Tim Heintz CEO
Heintz Designs Vintage Trailer Restorations
Panama City, Fl.
www.HeintzDesigns.com
850.481.8339
