Carla and Arkie (Robert) Beaver of Sullivan, MO, are part of the “Midwest Glampers” group and longtime subscribers and supporters of Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine. As often happens, I learn as much from our readers as we try to share with them in each issue. I’ve always envisioned this magazine as being “of the people,” relying on the thousands of vintage trailer admirers, collectors, and dreamers to contribute interesting and insightful information about the hobby. The variety is what makes it so engaging.
Here’s an email we received from the Beavers:
“We have been subscribers since your first few copies (when it was still a tabloid newspaper). It’s come a long way and is my favorite item in the mailbox! Just loved your Jan/Feb issue with the 1937 Covered Wagon article. Didn’t know if you were aware of the ‘rest of the story’ on Covered Wagons…”
The Beavers came across their 1967 Covered Wagon for sale and purchased it in January 2015. They’ve made some custom modifications while leaving about 80% of it in original condition. Of course, they had to go with a Western theme—and may very well have the only camper in the world with its own saloon doors!
The history they shared is supported by RV industry historian Al Hesselbart and records from the RV Hall of Fame Museum:
World War II significantly changed operations at Covered Wagon, as the company shifted production to support the war effort. They manufactured truck cargo bodies and received the Army-Navy “E” Award for high achievement in war production in the spring of 1945. Forty-two Covered Wagon employees served in the armed forces during the war; sadly, one was killed in action in the Pacific.
After the Allied victory in Europe, the War Department reduced its orders, and Covered Wagon was apparently idled by mid-1945. By September, the plant was leased to the Ironrite Ironer Company. By December of that year, Ironrite ironers—rather than travel trailers—were rolling off the assembly line. Although Covered Wagon officials expressed an intention to resume trailer production after reassessing the company’s position, this never came to pass. The Covered Wagon Company passed into Mount Clemens’ history.
In 1958, Herbert Reeves Jr. visited the Arthur Sherman family and acquired the rights to the Covered Wagon name and logos. Once the largest manufacturer in the industry and the first national giant, Covered Wagon was reborn under Reeves’ leadership. He operated the second-generation Covered Wagon Trailer Company in Elkhart, IN, from 1958 through the 1960s, introducing several industry firsts—including sewer line storage in the rear bumper and a rear-access storage trunk. Reeves sold the company in 1965, though trailers under the Covered Wagon name continued to be produced for a few more years.
He later opened Arrowhead Park Campground in southern Michigan. With a career spanning over three decades, Herb Reeves was honored for his contributions to the RV industry with induction into the RV/MH Hall of Fame in the Class of 1979.
