The ‘50s Kom-Pak Sportsman: A Trailer With an Integrated Boat, Perfect for the Entire Fam

What if camping wasn’t the only possibility for a family-friendly vacation? The Kom-Pak Sportsman wanted to offer another side of camping to families in the early ‘50s, by integrating a boat into the construction of the trailer. It was, in short, a combo towable that bundled basic home comforts with the ability to move on water, while also being able to match said towable to your towing vehicle – as long as the latter was a Ford of the ‘53 or ‘54 model years, from which it borrowed the trim and lights.

If the name Kom-Pak doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because it’s one of the most obscure camping alternatives of all time. It was never very popular in its home country, the U.S., but has since attained cult status, especially with the recent boom for RV-ing. Strangely enough, the Kom-Pak was never popular enough to outlive the original, short production timeline, but it still spanned at least three replicas in the following decades.

Today, the Kom-Pak, occasionally spelled Kompac or Kompak, is a unicorn of vintage trailers. Only some 16 to 20 units were ever produced, presumably between 1952 and 1954, and less than 10 are believed to have survived. The consensus is that six is a more likely number for survivors – at least as regards those in decent or fully restored condition.

These days, when wanderlust and vanlife are peaking, and everyone and their mama seems to be toying with the idea of trying a more nomadic lifestyle, a Kom-Pak is a rare sight. Every few years or so, one emerges for sale on specialized sites, and that’s the only time when they’re seen in public. More than a rarity, the Kom-Pak is a piece of U.S. RV-ing history, one that shows the never-ending fascination of man for multi-purpose, preferably amphibious vehicles.

The most spectacular thing about the Kom-Pak was the fact that it integrated a fully-functional boat into the construction. In fact, the boat was the roof of the trailer, which meant you could remove it at camp by using a sliding system and two pairs of strong arms, and go fishing. With the boat removed, the trailer had a canvas that served as a roof, much like a convertible, offering protection from the elements.

Compared to similarly boat-integrating RVs we’ve covered on separate occasions, like the MINI CaraBoat or the FaWaBoo trailer, the Kom-Pak was basic in design and features. Built with a lightweight fiberglass, it offered sleeping for two adults or a family of three, assuming they didn’t mind some extra cuddling time at night. There was ample storage throughout, including a wardrobe of sorts on the tongue of the trailer, and a kitchen in the rear.

Looking at this trailer through 2023-tinted glasses, “basic” is a huge overstatement. It was one step above camping in a tent or sleeping in the car, but it was still preferable to either variant. For one, the galley in the tailgate included a two-burner portable stove, an 8.4-gallon (31.8-liter) water tank that gravity-fed a stainless steel sink, considerable storage, counter space, and even a 5.4 cubic foot (153-liter) ice box. The sleeping area was a tight squeeze, but there was plenty of room for clothes and vacation stuff and, most importantly, it was not sleeping on the ground.

The entire rig weighed 1,180 lbs (535 kg), which meant it could be towed easily. The boat was 16 feet (4.8 meters) long, with a 54-inch (137 cm) beam and a depth of 23 inches (58.5 cm), and weighed 135 lbs. (61 kg), without the outboard of your choice. Though the idea of using a boat for a roof could get you thinking of water ingress due to poor sealing, the Kom-Pak was allegedly very sturdy and well-made.

The original Sportsman was manufactured in Medford, OR, and replicas would emerge in the following years all over the country. Those that best resemble the original came from the Washington-based Car Twin Trailers and Trailorboat Manufacturing from California, while American Dream did a less sleek, boxier version. Not a single one of these companies is still operating, because all variants had a very short production life.

If you ever get a chance to see a Kom-Pak Sportsman trailer in the flesh fiberglass, make sure to get a good look at it, because you’ve just been in the presence of a unicorn: a U.S.-built trailer with a boat for a roof, with enough room and amenities for a perfect family vacation, by ‘50s standards.