A Trailer Finds Us
Sometimes we find our trailers by actively looking for them, and other times, the trailer finds us. A friend of ours plows snow in the winter and received this trailer as a trade for his plowing services. He thought it looked like something that might be worthy of restoration and contacted us to see if we were interested.
We weren’t sure about it at first, since it’s much newer than the campers we typically restore, but there was something about the lines of the camper that we really liked, so after a little research online we made him an offer and took it home with us.
The Burro
The history of the Burro and the company that created it is somewhat nebulous, and involves the company operations being moved multiple times, lawsuits, and even rumors that the fiberglass shell molds ended up Mexico. Eventually the company went out of business around the end of 1999, which is ironic considering one of their last marketing campaigns advertised the Burro as the trailer of the new millennium. Today, no one knows what happened to the molds, despite the popularity of these trailers.
Similar to the construction style of a Scamp trailer, these fiberglass trailers are very popular. We actually like the body of the early 80s Burro better than the Scamp, with its retro styling around the tail lights and roof. You wouldn’t think an eighties camper would have such style, but it’s possible the manufacturer jumped in on the 50s throwback movement that happened in the 1980s, when this shell was designed.
Burro - before
A Burro advertisement
Example of interior (before)
Another before view
Customization
For the exterior, we chose a metallic paint job in a sea glass color to highlight its curves, and new tires and hub caps were mounted. Custom running and tail lights were designed for the back.
The interior layout is a slight variation of the original plan, with a center kitchenette, and a double bed in back, with a modification to add a two-person booth in the front. We removed the carpet (!) from the ceiling, and all new upholstery was added as well. Updates included new curtains, a refurbished fridge, new cabinet doors and shelving, new flooring, and new lighting.
