This is a beautifully restored 1947 Westcraft Sequoia 28′ travel trailer that keeps all of its vintage charm, but now offers a surprisingly modern living experience thanks to new fittings and appliances throughout.
The Westcraft Sequoia was one of the most beautiful mid-century travel trailers that money could buy, more than an equal for Airstream. Relatively few have survived to the current day, and those that have are typically highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors.
The Westcraft Sequoia was one of the most beautiful mid-century travel trailers that money could buy, more than an equal for Airstream. Relatively few have survived to the current day, and those that have are typically highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors. Image courtesy of Westcraft Travel Trailers.
History Speedrun: Westcraft Travel Trailers
Westcraft was founded in 1932 as the George T. Hall Company out of 3221 San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, California. Unusually, the company was founded by George Hall and his mother. Initially they sold trailers, butane gas, and heaters, soon growing to become one of the major travel trailer distributors in Southern California.
The high-quality of Westcraft travel trailers with their aluminum frame ribs and heavier-gauge aluminum skin panels means that many of them have survived to the modern day. Image courtesy of Westcraft.
Earlier travel trailer designs from Westcraft typically used a steel chassis with a wooden body frame which then had screwed on exterior skins. During WWII the company shifted over to helping the war effort, as many manufacturers did, and then after the war they returned to travel trailer production, from 1946 onwards.
The trailers that Westcraft built after the war were similar looking to their pre-war counterparts, however the construction techniques that went into them had drastically changed.
The key reason for this change was the fact that the mass production of aluminum aircraft during the war had resulted in many new techniques being developed, and it would be these techniques that would be used by Westcraft from 1946 onwards.
The trailers would now be built on a steel chassis but rather than a wood frame they would be given an aluminum frame ribs and a riveted aluminum skin, much like an aircraft. The quality control at Westcraft was exemplary, and as a result the trailers rarely leaked through common trouble areas like skin seams, roof vents, and window frames.
This 1947 Westcraft Sequoia 28 footer is an excellent postwar example of one of California’s more high-end luxury trailers, it was restored between 2021 and 2024 after spending decades in a private Indiana collection.
By the early 1950s, Westcraft was building some of the best travel trailers in the country. The company was still the distributor for other items like travel trailer oil heaters and the controllers required by these heaters.
Issues with control valves on these oil heaters resulted in the creation of an entire industry dedicated to automatic controls, and this business had grown so much by 1955 that the company (regrettably) shut down their travel trailer production to focus on these automatic controllers.
The design of the Sequoia 28′ is undeniably beautiful, with a swept rear, a clerestory, or Pullman, roof and fender skirts over the wheels.
Though this was the end of Westcraft production for a time, it wasn’t the end of Westcraft production forever. A new iteration of the company was founded more recently and has returned Westcraft trailers to full production including recreational, commercial, and hospitality versions.
The Restored 1947 Westcraft Sequoia 28′
This 1947 Westcraft Sequoia 28 footer is an excellent postwar example of one of California’s more high-end luxury trailers, it was restored between 2021 and 2024 after spending decades in a private Indiana collection.
Inside, the Sequoia was entirely rebuilt with new wiring, plumbing, spray-foam insulation, and sub-flooring, overlaid with new vinyl flooring.
The restoration was handled by Above & Beyond Customs, and it retained the trailer’s signature “bread loaf” silhouette and 10 window clerestory roof while updating nearly every mechanical and interior component for modern comfort and convenience.
The exterior was stripped to bare aluminum and refinished in a tri-tone blue and silver paint scheme, complemented by refinished wheels, new seals and glass, and a custom-fabricated rear bumper, hitch receiver, and tongue platform that accommodates dual propane tanks and the mini-split condenser unit.
Inside, the Sequoia was entirely rebuilt with new wiring, plumbing, spray-foam insulation, and sub-flooring, overlaid with new vinyl flooring. The interior is paneled and furnished in pecan-stained Russian birch wood finished under multiple coats of clear, replicating the original cabinetry using period-correct hardware. At the rear, the sleeping quarters contain a custom bed fitted with a contoured memory-foam mattress.
The main living area has a refurbished 1947 sleeper couch reupholstered in red Relicate distressed leather, paired with matching chairs, a pull-out dining table, and custom wood blinds. Modern amenities include Buster + Punch electrical fittings, a Mitsubishi mini-split climate control system, and a full kitchen featuring mirrored stainless-steel countertops, a Kraus sink with InSinkErator hot water dispenser, and premium appliances.
The interior is paneled and furnished in pecan-stained Russian birch wood finished under multiple coats of clear, replicating the original cabinetry using period-correct hardware. At the rear, the sleeping quarters contain a custom bed fitted with a contoured memory-foam mattress.
Among these appliances are a Bertazzonni gas range with an electric oven, a Smeg refrigerator, and matching Smeg small appliances, all carefully chosen to suit the trailer’s retro-modern theme. The trailer is plumbed for clean and gray water but currently lacks onboard holding tanks.
This Westcraft Sequoia is now being offered for sale out of Indianapolis, Indiana and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
