thunderbolt85
Thursday, September 20, 2018 7:01:00 AM
Wanted to start a discussion on unusual or unique trailer mounted rides, shows, or anything else that you all have seen or moved out there.

I know we had an unusual trailer mounted Tilt, it was a straight truck/trailer combo. Some of the tubs, bonnets, center and some other stuff was racked on the truck, with the track, bull plates, and everything else on the trailer load. The trailer front would drop down on the ground as the center with track built up around, then the bull plates which were racked on top of each other would slide off on the track one by one as they were lowered. We had a nice entry with a hard roof on the back of the trailer, but no signs/lights around the fence line. I think another show had one like this as well with the trailer being an old horse trailer.

I have seen a few trailer mounted Puss's as well with the trailer dropping down and the center up in the air like a Tempest (not as high though).

Childress built in house a really nice trailer mounted Pony Carts as well, looked sharp and very quick up and down.

Saw a unique trailer mounted bumper car on AofA back in the 80s, not sure who built it, but it didn't look anything like the models from today. Seems I remember that it was still at trailer height when set up. Would like to see another picture of that one.

Spoke of it before, but Nova had a Wisdom coaster and starjet ride racked on one load, Reithoffer bought it, but I think its off the road as well. Reithoffer had a neat double umbrella ride on one load as well.

Could talk about "home built" stuff as well, I have seen some shows around here before with a lot of home built stuff, now this was a long time ago, kiddie rides and such, not too much big stuff.
ridejocky
Thursday, September 20, 2018 7:27:46 AM
Atlas had what (I think) was a homemade center-drive RoundUp called the “Gyro”

Never saw another one or any photos of another one.

I think it was faster to up and down than the RoundUp but may have been a little smaller.

Sometimes (I think) we pulled a Hampton behind it.
Ride the Zipper?
ridejocky
Thursday, September 20, 2018 7:30:03 AM
Atlas had a POC Dodge-em that might have been homemade. It was on the 2nd unit so I only saw it a few times.
Ride the Zipper?
Bill P
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Thursday, September 20, 2018 4:38:52 PM
In the 70's Reithoffer had a two trailer bumper car ride that stayed at full trailer height. The trailers parked side by side and floors folded down between them to make a larger ride. It kind of looked homemade.
Bill P
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Thursday, September 20, 2018 4:39:51 PM
In the 70's Reithoffer had a two trailer bumper car ride that stayed at full trailer height. The trailers parked side by side and floors folded down between them to make a larger ride. It kind of looked homemade.

Gillette has 2 Hamptons on one trailer and also 2 Zamperla kiddies mounted to a trailer.
ridejocky
Thursday, September 20, 2018 9:37:09 PM
Originally Posted by: Bill P 

In the 70's Reithoffer had a two trailer bumper car ride that stayed at full trailer height. The trailers parked side by side and floors folded down between them to make a larger ride. It kind of looked homemade.



This sounds the same as the Atlas piece.

Steel plates that screwed in where the sides folded down?


Ride the Zipper?
johnroach100
Friday, September 21, 2018 12:04:48 AM
Search Bucyrus 1957 on YouTube. See if that's not the same bumper cars at about 6:17 into the video. It was on Key City in the late 60's when I was a kid
thunderbolt85
Friday, September 21, 2018 6:58:43 AM
Originally Posted by: Bill P 

In the 70's Reithoffer had a two trailer bumper car ride that stayed at full trailer height. The trailers parked side by side and floors folded down between them to make a larger ride. It kind of looked homemade.



Wow, sounds interesting, never did see that one at the Piedmont interstate fair. But they were and are great at making stuff easy to move or trailer mounted. I think they had the first trailer mounted venture river (and maybe the only).
Tornado
Friday, September 21, 2018 1:00:34 PM
Yes, Reithoffer had some unique trailer mounted pieces over the years:

At one point they had 2 or 3 double Hampton sets (possible Gillette may have gotten their from them) and still have one of them on the orange unit.

They also had 3 of the wisdom coasters with another ride on the front of the trailer (Super-Jet, Go-Gator & Caterpillar).

And they did have a nice trailer mounted Venture River. Someone bought it and made a stage out of it years ago.

And let’s not forget Dream Land has 3 or 4 Mangle’s kiddie rides (Fire Truck, Pony Cart, Whip, etc.) that are nicely trailer mounted…

And some mid-west show(s) have trailer mounted rides like the Bear Affair and other such items
Bill P
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Friday, September 21, 2018 9:12:05 PM
Bates has a variety of trailer mounted kiddie rides in Ohio. cars tubs of fun old venture type rides, etc.

The Reithoffer bumper cars were very similar to the one shown in Bucyrus 1957 on you tube.
IndianaTED
Sunday, September 23, 2018 9:31:49 PM
Originally Posted by: Tornado 

Yes, Reithoffer had some unique trailer mounted pieces over the years:

At one point they had 2 or 3 double Hampton sets (possible Gillette may have gotten their from them) and still have one of them on the orange unit.

They also had 3 of the wisdom coasters with another ride on the front of the trailer (Super-Jet, Go-Gator & Caterpillar).

And they did have a nice trailer mounted Venture River. Someone bought it and made a stage out of it years ago.

And let’s not forget Dream Land has 3 or 4 Mangle’s kiddie rides (Fire Truck, Pony Cart, Whip, etc.) that are nicely trailer mounted…

And some mid-west show(s) have trailer mounted rides like the Bear Affair and other such items



Saw part of the Reithoffer Orange Unit in 2007, and at that time, they had a double Hampton. I think one of them was a motorcycle on an undulating track, and a combo on a flat platform.

I've never been "with it", just been an interested observer of carnivals for more than 50 years.
Johnny's United Shows..."A Family Tradition" and "All for Fun, Fun for All".
The carnival of my youth, which had roots that originated in my hometown.