A Boler trailer — a little fiberglass egg on wheels has been shooting up in popularity among campers, a Winnipeg report says.
Created in Winnipeg back in 1968, the camper was a cult favorite, a lightweight, oval escape pod. Only 10,000 were made, making it a highly valuable commodity. Recently, people have been finding refurbished models and renting them out.
The trailer’s origins are in the Manitoba capital, where in the late 1960s a man named Ray Olecko went camping or hunting with his family in an old canvas tent, with many nights rained or snowed out, according to a detailed history of the Boler compiled by Tom McMahon, a local Boler enthusiast and the former general counsel for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Olecko spent “countless” hours designing the fiberglass trailer. It featured a bed and two-bunks layout that he created for his family. Sandor Dusa was a Winnipeg Structural Glass colleague who helped Olecko to create a wooden mockup and later, a master mold to use as a template for his fiberglass trailer. Dusa, originally from Hungary, created the specifications. Soon, the prototype was 13 feet long and 800 pounds in weight. It is light enough to tow a regular sedan with minimal expertise and set-up. Insulated fiberglass makes it leak-proof and rust-proof.
Their families were product testers. Over time Olecko and Dusa experimented with products. In June 1968, they set up a plant at Higgins Avenue and mortaged their homes to get $5,000 bank loans. They then started Boler Manufacturing Ltd.
In July 1968, the Free Press published their first Boler ads. They sold for $1,495 (a 1968 ad shows a price at $1,595). According to Olecko, nine Bolers were manufactured per week at a larger warehouse in Dufferin by 1969. This was to meet high demand. The Boler received a Manitoba Design Award.
Olecko and his company had already negotiated franchised manufacturing rights in Ontario and Alberta by 1971. They also struck a deal in the United States with Elenor International, a Kansas-based conglomerate, to begin production at three plants in the northern states. According to McMahon’s history, Olecko and Dusa sold their shares to Jim Pattison in 1973. With production at full swing in Winnipeg, as well as other plants, Krieg also sold his share in the company.
Olecko stated in 1971 that “we’re the only North American company producing fiberglass trailers.” “I wouldn’t be surprised to see this idea revolutionize the trailer industry.”
In 1988, the last Boler was made in Midhurst, Ont. Most enthusiasts believe that about 10,000 Bolers were produced. This is due to their limited production and their simplicity, low maintenance, and long-lasting materials.
They don’t leak. They are extremely lightweight. They are retro-looking. They’re retro-looking. A well-maintained unit would have sold for around $3,500 a decade ago. “Now wrecks go for that price,” states McCahon, a reseller of refurbished Boler models.
According to the report, he also said that there has been a subculture for lightweight fiberglass trailer enthusiasts for over 50 years. “I believe COVID has drastically increased it.”
The report credits this to the growing enthusiasm for camping and local tourism. It also means that it is more difficult to find campground space. McMahon said that many boomers don’t want to deal in difficult weather or tent setup, nor do newbie campers who are scared of the possibility of getting bitten by mosquitoes or having their tents ruined.
In April, a National Geographic report stated that “as travel opens up, glamping is helping ‘indoorsy’ families get outside.”
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Dale Podaima is another Boler owner who has lived in Winnipeg for 25+ years. She saw rental ads in July and decided that her 1973 Boler model, “Peace”, could be rented. She says, “I had it booked within a day for three weeks.” She explains that there are no gaps in her schedule because camping spots like Boler trailers are so popular.
Torres, one of the refurbished Bowler owners introduced in the report isn’t concerned about the decline in popularity of his rental fleet. His renovations will meet the needs of a broad and growing audience of customers, Torres says. He doesn’t sound like Ray Olecko and says that his models, which he rents for $75-$90 per night, are durable. He also plans to purchase more units and expand My Little Boler in the new year.
He says, “Camping was popular long before the pandemic and I hope that all of us have learned that we must get out and explore more.”
He has received numerous offers to purchase the models that have been renovated. His fiancee, who has initially criticized the trailer has changed her mind since the first model arrived on her driveway in January.
Torres said that “now” she won’t allow me to sell them.
