Mr Higgins

Higgins Camp Trailer c.1948
Mr. Higgins is an oldie. A vintage unit made of aircraft aluminum, the folks who made him are known worldwide as the company who built the landing craft in WWII– A.J. Higgins of New Orleans, LA. (You will find a bit of history HERE.)
This is how Mr Higgins looked when we brought him home. He was a bit rough around the edges, two rotted places in his roof, the bug screens in need of replacement. We ordered new canvas (it’s still available!) and set to work redoing the roof and reworking the door.
Mr Higgins can rough it over four-wheel roads with aplomb (gets a tad dusty inside though!). He puts up with anything we ask. His Coleman Green canvas tent doesn’t keep us very warm, but he shelters us in those off-the-beaten-track places and keeps us off the ground. We think he is terrific! Higgins can follow us faithfully wherever we dare drive Zuzu.
Adventure, here we come! What a find! Mr Higgins is a conversation- starter everywhere he goes. How lucky we are to have such a wonderful, faithful, old pal.
Happy trails,
Clark & 9ah

@ Alabama Hills- Winter 2011

Once we had acquired Zuzu, our 4WD adventure/tow vehicle, we searched for the perfect high-ground-clearance trailer. It had to be VERY affordable. One morning, Clark came across a very unusual tent trailer on CraigsList. It looked intriguing... and it was less than an hour away in Stockton! I was unable to find any information at all on the web about Higgins Camp Trailers, so we hopped into Zuzu to get a closer look at this most different trailer.
... Opening the Higgins in the backyard of the owner, we discovered the tent roof had rotted in two places. Hmmm, it needed canvaswork. It had marginal tires, but they were 600 series! There were heavy duty leaf springs and amazing ground clearance. The interior offered little in the way of comfort, being completely fashioned of cold aircraft aluminum. Curiously, there was a removable two-compartment ice box that could be accessed from outside the trailer when it is closed.
... Very interested, we hooked it up to Zuzu and towed it around the block. The trailer was so lightweight that we didn’t even feel it! We made a deal with the owner, who sent us on our way with a vintage ad as part of the package. Way cool.

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Vintage ad

Photographs © 2010-2013

Clark Wagaman & Nina Courtney Wagaman

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