About The Brush Wagon

The Brush wagon, sometimes called a Fen wagon, was the home of the original door-to-door brush salesman. There are no known Brush wagons still in existence. It was straight-sided, with wheels outside the body like the Reading, but had no skylight. Its internal fittings were not dissimilar from those of other types. It had two distinctive characteristics: the half-door and glazed shutters are at the back instead of the front as in all other Gypsy vans, together with steps that were a fixture. The exterior was equipped with spindled racks and glass paneled showcases along the side to accommodate brushes and brooms of various kinds and sizes, rush mats, baskets and other wickerwork articles. Running all around the roof were three light iron rails, and sometimes trade-name boards, used for stowing bulkier goods.

A typical Brush wagon measured 10ft long by 5ft 11in wide below and 6ft 9in wide at the roof. The wheels were about the same size as the Ledge wagon but built a little heavier as a fully loaded Brush wagon could weigh close to 4500 pounds. The inside length was 9ft long, 5ft 2in wide at the floor and 5ft 6 ½ in across the ceiling. The bed was very short at only 5ft 4in long. Headroom was a mere 5ft 11in high in the center. There were no carvings on a Brush wagon. Each side had a window with no shutters. Sometimes there was a window in the front.