Vintage travel trailers have a sort of elegance that modern RVs can’t quite match. These RVs aren’t just a place to lay your head, but something that makes a statement when you roll into a campground. I think I may have found one of the ultimate examples of a showstopper of a trailer. This 1954 Yellowstone 18 has been restored to a state that looks better than new. I would go as far as to say this build is better than any RV built today, but there’s one silly drawback.
As many of you know, I spend a lot of time on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and other places looking at vehicles I want to buy, but usually end up just appreciating from afar. Sometimes, I put my money where my mouth is and do bring something home. Today, I found myself on the familiar pages of Hemmings looking for a cheap Chevy Corvair when I spotted the auction for this trailer. This Yellowstone 18 would normally be Bring a Trailer fodder, but here it is sitting on Hemmings between classic American iron and the occasional import.
I’ve been mesmerized by the polished aluminum and bright red paint ever since. I even love its low reported base weight of just 2,200 pounds.
Yellowstone Coach Co.
There isn’t a ton of readily accessible information out there about the Yellowstone Coach Company, but I have been able to piece together some interesting history.
According to the Tin Can Tourists Vintage Trailer and Camper Club, Yellowstone Coach was formed in 1945 by Elmer Weaver. Back then, soldiers were coming home from World War II and Americans were itching to explore the country by car. Many of those people would hitch a trailer to the back of their vehicles, and companies sprouted up to provide campers to meet that demand.
From what I’ve been able to find on the Internet Archive, Yellowstone Coach took a different approach to what other RV builders were doing in the 1940s. Many builders bragged about the size of their RVs or about their features. Yellowstone Coach saw a place in the market for a trailer that was built specifically to survive rough roads, therefore lasting longer than the competition.
Yellowstone trailers start life as a tube steel frame with undercoating applied at the factory. On top of that frame sat layers of Homasote cellulose-based fiberboard, fiberglass, and plywood. Yellowstone also advertised metal wheel wells. The company believed that this base made for a solid starting point and good protection from the elements.
These trailers featured wood framing, but Yellowstone describes some thick materials. Birch was on the inside wall with an oak perimeter structure. Metal plates are on the inside as well for additional support and there’s a 1-inch fiberglass outer wall with aluminum siding on top. So, a Yellowstone trailer isn’t exactly an Airstream, but they seem more durable than usual.
In its heyday, Yellowstone’s marketing called the trailers “Old Faithful” and “Good on the go and great when you get there.” Another trait that made Yellowstone trailer stand out wat the company’s use of larger residential appliances.
Reportedly, going into the 1960s, Yellowstone got into truck slide-in campers. Later, Yellowstone began production of fifth wheels, park models, and motorhomes. At its peak, Yellowstone Coach Co. had factories in its hometown of Wakarusa, Indiana, and in Sebring, Florida. It’s not said why Yellowstone disappeared, but production ended in 1990.
This Yellowstone 18
The seller of this Yellowstone 18 says this unit was found in a field in Florida. Yellowstone produced a number of 18-foot variations in 1954, but it’s unclear what this example started off as. It is noted that this Yellowstone 18 is one of the rare examples with porthole windows.
Photos in the listing show what the trailer looked like before restoration. It definitely showed its age and wear, but I’ve seen worse.
The trailer went through a total frame-up restoration and along the way, the builders decided to modernize the trailer. This meant inserting modern appliances into the trailer, redoing the trailer’s electrical system, and having everything run on electricity. Finishing touches included red paint, polishing the aluminum, and giving the trailer a mural. That mural has since been changed to the Yellowstone buffalo coin painting that’s on there now.
Something I like about the restoration is the fact that the trailer has largely retained its original look. While the modern air-conditioner breaks your immersion, the builders cleverly hid the new refrigerator behind a door with the face of the new refrigerator. The original stove is also in the trailer. The seller says the original appliances do work, but right now they’re unused. Other new equipment includes an electric heater and a 72-inch bed.
Other parts changed in the restoration include the exterior aluminum, which is now anodized aluminum that was cut using the old metal for reference. The porthole glass is said to be in good shape and it’s been ten years since the trailer’s restoration, but there are still no leaks to speak of. Finally, the seller says that all lights have been converted to LED, the trailer has large brakes, and the wheels wear covers from a classic Cadillac. An anti-sway bar has been added to the trailer’s tongue and it’s said the trailer pulls stable at highway speeds.
You get the whole 18-foot trailer in a package riding on a single axle and leaf springs that the seller says weighs around 2,200 pounds empty. That’s great! So, why do I stop short of calling this better than any new RV? Well, keep flipping through the photos and you’ll notice there’s no bathroom of any kind. Some people don’t care about that, but I like being able to use the restroom in the trailer in the middle of the night.
I suppose it wouldn’t be too hard to add a “shitcase” cassette toilet, but it’ll be a bit harder to get a decent shower in there. Still, if you’re into vintage campers, this one looks like a great pick. The seller even claims that the trailer has “won best of show” awards in every competition it has been entered into.
If you’re interested, the trailer is currently sitting at $3,800 with about 8 days to go on Hemmings. Of course, you’ll have to pick up an old matching land yacht to complement the trailer. Maybe a Cadillac?
(Images: Hemmings Seller, unless otherwise noted.)
In the frame picture – four wheel wells for two wheels?
Anybody tried a dry-flush toilet? If it’s only for middle-of-the-night and middle-of-nowhere, they seem like an alternative to cassette ones and don’t require plumbing. Might be the solution here.
Long ago I took a 2-week 4K mi. drive partway across the country and back, keeping irregular hours and neglecting to eat proper and consistent meals. I had a wonderful time, but at the end of it I swore I would never again do such a trip without carrying my own bathroom along.
Sweet camper. We bought our pop-up without the bath option and go with outhouse or public just fine so we could totally deal with this.
If I don’t find something like this when it’s time for me to RV again, I’ll build something light and cheap out of fiberglass, and likely without a bathroom.
Cassette toilets aren’t bad at all. You simply have to make sure everyone knows how to use them properly. If the weather isn’t too foul, bring a $40 dressing room tent to make yourself a portable outhouse.
Shower tents are available cheaply, too, but I prefer to use camp showers, showers at a truck stop, or just get a hotel room every few days.
Bare aluminum > Painted aluminum IMHO.
Guess you could put a toilet anywhere and visit with folks while you did natures business. That toy toy hauler you reviewed recently employed that concept. Maybe that’s the new up and coming trend in RV’s. This is otherwise a beautiful old trailer. Truth be told, in the old days before indoor plumbing, when it was to cold to go to the outhouse, a covered bucket type receptacle was acceptable to use indoors until the sun came up and it got warmer out.
Looks amazing and since I’m pretty much used to car camping, the lack of a bathroom would not be an issue. If I’m going to tow something, this is the kind of thing I’d want to tow.
Oh man, that is nice. I think I could live with a “shitcase” in this trailer.
That thing has style for miles. I’d take it over a pop-up for twice the price.
You might be able to get a bathroom in there, but (and not without irony) it would be tight and you’d have to give up that back door access.