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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Throwback: Dutch oven trailer at 2005 IDOS spring convention

The Dutch oven trailer was the most impressive piece of Dutch oven equipment at the 2005 Dutch Oven convention in Farmington, Utah. Builder Lynn Benson made the trailer for personal use. A trailer dedicated to cooking made sense to him as Lynn was tired of loading and unloading the pickup each time he cooked in Dutch ovens.

Benson manufactured trailers in Sandy, Utah, at the time. When I talked to him at the convention, the plan was to use trailer as the prototype for a line of cooking trailers. He was still in the process of finishing a smaller version of the trailer during the convention. The trailer was to be known as the Dutch wagon.

Though no longer active, Benson hosted a website to market and sell the trailer for a couple years. It doesn't look like the business took off. I suspect that little demand led to low sales numbers for the trailer. With a niche market, it'd be a tough business pursuit.

Benson's trailer is one of the best ideas for a cooking trailer that I've seen. The trailer featured efficient use of space for a cooking trailer. A chuckbox -- appropriately situated on the back end of the trailer -- provided storage for staples, utensils and supplies. Cooking surfaces on either side of the wagon allowed you to cook in cast iron Dutch ovens, over a gas or charcoal grill and on a two-burner propane stove.

While I doubt that I would ever purchase such a trailer, it intrigued me. Enjoy the photographs from the convention.

The larger of the two Dutch wagons at the convention. The right side is set up for Dutch oven cooking, with space for several ovens. Propane is stored under the igloo jug. A traditional chuckbox is situated at the rear of the trailer.

The right side of the larger trailer. The trailer is designed so you can drop your own two-burger stove in place -- no need to purchase a new stove. The gas or charcoal grill is located under the silver and green cover.
Like the chuckwagon of cattle drive days, the Dutch Wagon includes a roomy chuckbox at the rear of the trailer.

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