Home-A-Long Trailer History*
[History provided and shared by Susan Webster as told to Toni Miltenberger]
There are times when the most amazing connections happen when you least expect them. The Buellton Bash Vintage Trailer Rally 2016 had ended, we had driven away to go home and stopped to see someone’s "new" vintage trailer they had recently acquired -- but, while passing through Buellton on the way back, we decided to stay one more night at the resort. Chuck was approached by a lovely lady at our trailer. Our vintage trailer caught the lady's eye. She shared some wonderful vintage pictures of a relative who manufactured and sold trailers in an earlier time. Susan's husband's grandfather was a manufacturer of trailers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the late 1930s (maybe until his passing in 1947). Our old trailer reminded her of the pictures she had which had been handed down from her husband’s ancestral line; she became the keeper of the family tree and the memories it held. Sometimes one just gets lucky by being in the right place at the right time — it is my deep pleasure to share these fantastic pictures with other trailerites.
Norman Hampson (1887 - 1947) manufactured and sold the Home-A-Long trailer in Toronto, Canada. He married Margaret Scott. They had two sons and a daughter, Verna (who married William Webster). Norman is survived by his grandsons, Dan & Richard Webster (Susan is married to Richard).
Norman Hampson The Hampson family in front of their Home-A-Long trailer. Verna is the lady with the hat (mother of Richard). The man in the hat is Norman Hampson.
Margaret Hampson and a son
“Manufacturers of mobile homes”
Home-A-Long Trailers and other Hampson Products factory and store. 1392 Dufferin St.,Toronto, (Ontario) Canada
“Custom and commercial coaches . . . specially built to order" ”
“Home-A-Long, Airflo and caravan coaches with all the appointments of modern homes”
Showing Home-A-Long trailers . . .
Here is a picture postcard of a Home-A-Long trailer (note the special window over the door):
The Home-A-Long trailer had many uses besides camping . . .
The “radio car” was used and rented out by the Hampson’s but unsure if it was manufactured by Hampson Products . . .
If anyone has more information on the history of the Home-A-Long trailer, [we and] Susan would love to hear from them.
*Go to vintagecampertrailers.com to order the November-December 2016, Issue: 28 of the Vintage Camper Trailers magazine which contains a polished rendition of this article . . . *