NEWS RELEASES
Festival Marks Boler Camper’s 50th Anniversary
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through Global News Canada's website.
MANITOBA, Canada — Global News reports that owners of the quirky Boler Camper are gathering in Winnipeg Aug. 15-19, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Manitoba-made trailer that, in retrospect, was clearly ahead of its time. Long before the vintage trailer movement, the Boler made camping available on a budget. It also pioneered a process of constructing RVs from fiberglass still used by more than a dozen manufacturers today.
According to the story festival organizer (and Boler owner) Ian Giles told the Global News, Canadian Ray Olecko invented the Boler back in 1968. Olecko was selling fiberglass septic tanks at the time, and one day had a thought — if he turned them over and put wheels on them, the tanks would make nice little camper trailers. The fiberglass towables proved to be light, watertight, easy to handle — and durable. Many are still on the road some 50 years later, and have now inspired a cult-like following among fans.
Some 450 Bolers have gathered at Winnipeg’s Red River Exhibition Park through Sunday and camping is officially sold out. However, members of the public are invited to an open house on Saturday, Aug. 18, with food, entertainment and plenty of open doors on the trailers so you can take a peek inside. Tickets are $10 at the gate.
For more information on Bolers, visit the Boler website, or the Boler 50th Anniversary website for information on the open house.