Some vintage trailers are charming. This 1954 Ranger is charming and oddly important.
At the Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, California, David Neal points to a camper that helped start a style people now take for granted. The trailer came from Anaheim, California, and was built for only two years. That short run is part of why the Ranger popup camper still grabs attention.
We get a closer look in the video at the end of this post from Fireball Tim.
A short-lived idea ahead of its time
Neal describes the Ranger as rare, and for good reason. He says it was the first fiberglass crank-up trailer, a design that feels normal now but was a new idea in the mid-1950s. Ranger got there first, even if other companies later refined the concept.
The price did not help. Neal says a new Ranger cost $1,500 in the 1950s, or about $13,000 in today’s money. For many buyers, that was a lot to spend on a trailer meant mostly for summer use. He also jokes that it was not bear-proof, which says plenty about how limited its appeal could feel at the time.
Production never got far. Neal estimates that maybe 200 were made, and not many are known to survive now. The example at the museum was also offered for sale because it could not make an upcoming move with other museum changes. That adds one more layer to its story, because it is both a museum piece and a rare chance for a buyer. [Since the video was from 2019, and the Murphy Auto Museum does not list it on its website, we assume it’s being enjoyed by its newest owner.]
The 1954 details that make this one more collectible
This Ranger has one styling cue that matters to collectors. It carries a spear over the wheel well on both sides, and Neal says that only happened in 1954. By 1955, that detail was gone.
Inside, the layout is compact but smart. Beds run along both sides over the wheel wells, so the parents could sleep lengthwise in the trailer. A second bed in the rear runs across the trailer for the kids, and that same area also works as storage while the trailer is moving.
There is also an ice box. The stove was not on display during the walkaround, but he notes where it would sit. Even the side panels had some flexibility, because campers could add or remove sections based on where the breeze was coming from.
The Jay Leno moment and the taillight surprise
One of Neal’s best stories involves Jay Leno, who showed up at the museum unannounced about two years earlier. The Ranger was sitting out front on display, and Neal pointed out its unusual taillights.
Leno recognized them right away as 1954 Ford parts. Neal says that if someone owned a big 1954 Ford wagon or car, the taillights would match this trailer. That little detail gives the Ranger extra personality on the road.
What sticks with this Ranger is not size or luxury. It is the fact that this small camper tried something early, looked different doing it, but sadly didn’t survive long enough to tell the tale.
YOU WILL ALSO LIKE:
- RV tour of an awesome restored vintage 1959 Mobil Scout
- If you see these valuable vintage RVs, buy them!
- Tour a 1987 vintage, classic Cadet fiberglass travel trailer
- Tour an original vintage 1960 Spartan Carousel trailer
- Tour a rare vintage fiberglass U-Haul travel trailer
- Tour 4 rarely seen vintage travel trailers
RVDT2894
