This 1954 Spartan Royal Mansion Trailer Is a Retro House on Wheels, It Can Be Yours

The Spartan Trailer Company isn't exactly famous nowadays, but it's a name every trailer enthusiast knew back in the 1950s. Established in 1945 by wealthy industrialist J. Paul Getty, the Spartan Trailer Company was reminiscent of Spartan Aircraft, an aviation company. Getty converted the aircraft factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to build luxury trailers for wealthy customers and the Royal Mansion, born in 1948, was the first to come off the assembly line.

The massive trailer was awfully expensive back in the day, costing as much as a small house with all options included, but the quality of the materials and the construction were top-notch. Spartan soon earned a reputation as one of the industry's leading companies, and the Royal Mansion became known as the Cadillac of the trailer market.

Nearly 70 years later and these trailers are among the rarest out there. Especially if we're talking about a "double ender" model. Unlike the regular Mansion, which comes with larger windows just in the front of the camper, where the living room is, the "double ender" features similar windows in the back too. That's where the bedroom is. "Double ender" Royal Mansions are quite rare, with only a few known to still exist. Spartan didn't keep records, but the owner of this camper says he found only three of them out there.

So what makes the Royal Mansion special on top of being a massive, stylish, and hard-to-find trailer-camper? Well, it's a nice and fancy place to spend time in, even for 2021 standards. It has a roomy bedroom with a large bed, a spacious living room with a sizeable couch, and a kitchen that can seat up to four people.

There's a stove, a sink, and a refrigerator, while the bathroom includes a modernized shower. All the wood furniture is still original, a testament to the craftsmanship that Spartan put into this trailer. The original tile floor was replaced with oak, but it doesn't look out of place. It actually adds more class to the mobile home.

Surprisingly enough, there's not a lot of rust to worry about. The roof has been sealed and the frame doesn't have any issues beyond a bit of surface rust. And aside from a few dents, the aluminum body is in excellent condition. For a 70-year-old trailer, this Royal Mansion still looks the part.

Purchased by the seller from the original owners in 2006, the camper spent its recent years as an Airbnb rental place. And it was quite popular too, which means it could be a great investment even if you're not planning on living in it full-time.

So why is the current owner looking to get rid of it? Well, apparently, he bought a property on a mountain-top in California, and the steep, hairpin turns are too tight for the camper. This thing comes in at 37 feet (11.3 meters) long, so it's not exactly suited for twisty backroads. Something you should probably keep in mind too.

The Royal Mansion is currently being auction off by eBay seller "sugartide" at no reserve. Bidding is at $17,000 with more than four days to go, but things could go wild toward the end because these trailers are rare and expensive.

Back in 2019, a fully restored 1951 Spartan with modern features went under the hammer for a whopping $351,500. Granted, this Royal Mansion might not be that expensive, but it could fetch anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000.