The three-axle 1959 Spartan Carousel trailer is the Holy Grail of travel trailers, and one is for sale. Called “Eames in a box,” they don’t come any cooler than this for mid-century modern connoisseurs. The “Carousel” in the name comes from its circular kitchen crowned with the iconic Sputnik chandelier, so it’s both spacious and curvaceous!

There was nothing like the Spartan Carousel when new, and very few still exist. Besides the sheer audacity of the trailer, they felt like being in a traditional framed house as it featured almost 50 windows. So you had a panoramic view of your surroundings. And the circular kitchen had a snack bar. 

In most Carousel trailers, both the kitchen and bathroom fixtures and appliances were pink. Countertops were originally white Formica with gold speckles, perfect for that hip 1950s “little woman.”. The 10-foot by 50-foot trailer also featured blond birch paneling inside. 

Being 10 feet wide, you’ll need DOT permits before setting out for an adventure. But that’s such a minor step when traveling with one of these three-axle mansions. And all six wheels feature electric brakes. 

Tulsa’s Spartan Aircraft Company manufactured fabulous trailers from just after WWII to the early-1960s. Before and during the war, it had a rich history of cranking out Spartan NP-1 Navy trainers. After the war, there were lots of aircraft manufacturers and not enough government or commercial contracts for all of them to continue producing planes. Spartan found itself with lots of unused manufacturing capacity. 

But demand for housing after the war was high. J Paul Getty, who purchased Spartan before the war, built trailers to capitalize on post-war needs. Much of what it used for plane manufacturing, like aluminum covering and semi-monocoque construction, was applied to the new trailers. 

So there was weight saving with the generous use of aluminum for both the body and the frame. That’s why even abused Spartan trailers have held up well and are very restorable today. And, of course, they’re very collectible. 

And Spartan didn’t call them trailers, instead naming them “homes.” With their built-in appliances and home-like amenities, they were really more like homes. They were also priced more like homes as well. While a typical home in the early to mid-1950s was around $8,000 to $12,000, the lowest-priced Spartan trailer was $4,000. 

And that became a problem. In the late-1950s, Spartan began offering smaller, more simplified trailers. They lacked the compound curves, windows, and general flamboyant character of its larger homes. But it didn’t help, and in 1962 Spartan got into the insurance business, renamed Minnhoma Insurance Company. 

If you don’t have $225,000 to pony up for the Spartan just now for sale but want to experience the Carousel, there are a couple of places where you can stay in one overnight. There is Dos Palmas in Patagonia, Arizona, and Enchanted Trail RV Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.