Feature Trailer
Rosie the Riveted
WORDS & PHOTOS LISA MORA
It’s been five years since I first
spotted that little silver bubble
from across the road at the Hot
August Nights Swap Meet in Reno
in 2012.
It was across the road in the Salvation
Army sale lot and initially I just intended
to take a photo of it. At that stage I didn’t
even live here yet, but when I saw the
price tag of $1,000 in the window, I knew
it had to be mine.
“We’ll think about it”, my boyfriend said.
But there are some things you just don’t
“think about” and I knew this was one of
those things. It was a 1949 Crown 12-foot
trailer with the original badge that said
“Made expressly for Al Rose, the Trailer
King, El Monte, CA” riveted onto the side
near the door. Inside was a bit rotted and
it had a massive dent in the back but it
was the cutest thing I had ever seen and
I was in love.
I offered them $500 and they surprisingly
accepted. I quickly called my sister in
Oregon to make sure we could store it at
the big shed at her place and thankfully
she said she would.
“Rosie” as she was promptly named had
only just been brought in that morning
on thirty year-old tires. In the time it took
for us to go to Les Schwab and get some
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