50 Years of “Boling”: Boler Fibreglass Camping Trailers – A Winnipeg and Canadian Success Story

Abstract

Lightweight fibreglass camping trailers are very popular and have a niche following among Recreational Vehicle owners. Perhaps the most influential of all lightweight trailers was the Boler trailer invented by Ray Olecko of Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 1960s. This paper recounts the history of the Boler trailer drawing directly from one of the original three Boler partners, Erwin Krieg and close family members of the other two partners, Ray Olecko and Sandor Dusa. This paper also draws from newspaper and journal articles of the era and recent interviews with other manufacturers who continue to manufacture lightweight fibreglass trailers with origins that can be traced back to the boler.

Keywords: History, Canadian History, Manitoba History, Manufacturing, Fiberglass, Trailers, Recreational Vehicles, Olecko, Boler