(See also: Battle Convoy)
Many people talk about the 'supercharged' trailer...
This trailer type has caused controversy. So much so that people documented things very thoroughly. As a result...we've created an entire page just for it :-) Hehe. Prime variants are so many in number that he has his own page seperate from the other Autobots. And this trailer is separate from all the other prime variants listed....sigh. Anyways...as I said before, this trailer comes in two types. Paper-sided, and metal-plated. A bit of background story on each trailer:
|Paper-sided|*|Metal-sided|
Paper-sided Trailer:
In Joebot's own words: "I was going to take all my primes to make a giant G1 autobot symbol with them this year. As I was cleaning up my living room of prime debris, I happened upon this trailer. It was also paper sided, not metal, and was very difficult to open. That's not the big deal, though. Check the roller pusher. This unit never had the stopper pieces molded into the bottom. It's not a defect, there is nothing but smooth plastic there. It also doesn't have a pusher shroud, just a ribbed plate. It is clearly not modified, but cast that way. I have had it in my possesssion for at least five years, possibly much longer, based on the fact that it was on the bottom tier of trailers. Let me tell you, it shoots a roller about 3 feet, not 3 centimeters. IT IS AWESOME. The copyright dates on the bottom are: TAKARA CO., LTD JAPAN 1980, 1982. It clearly has the autobot logo on the side, so it's not Diaclone/Microman. Keep the faith, but give me credit...This would explain the roller with no rear pushrods that I have lying around somewhere..." Initially, it was thought that this was of the same type as the photoshoot trailer, but further inspection proved otherwise. "It is identical," according to Himawari, "to the trailer from the vs set in Japan." True that!
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As this type was the same as the vsx, Himawari goes on further to explain the differences between vsx, some types of standard american trailers, and the BattleConvoy trailer: "The VSX was similar to BattleConvoy in the fact that it came with a roller without pegs (like BC), BC type acc. missles, hands, gun, gas hose, pump, and nozzle. Howerver, the VSX trailer doesn't have metal plates, and is completely remolded from the one that did. Therefore it is different from the other trailers that have no metal plates, and since it was based on the first run mold retooled, it has the "lines" inside the small square on the bottom trailer that is lacking on trailers without metal plates (this goes for any convoy of any country), and doesn't have the mold defect of a double image degration around the circle area on any common no metal plates trailer. Also, the vsx trailer has a launcher that is flat like BC whereas the first release grey trailer has a longer part for pegs to slide into the launcher. And also, the arm and satalite thingy on the moving pod are similar between the BC, first N.A. release, and VSX whereas others are just completely simplified. Probably my favorite trailer is the VSX trailer because it isn't prone to break at the hinges for the door when you attempt to transform it like BC or the grey roller version w/metal plates (this would include the joustra prime since they would basically be the same mold.)"
"This brings up another point, the back trailer door is also different. The VSX again is modeled after the BC and N.A. first issue. I'll just mention right now that the cab of the vsx is molded after the regular japanese version, not BC or first N.A. release."
So basically in a nutshell it's: BattleConvoy:light blue roller no pegs, bloated parts, grey missles, blue trailer parts,metal plates. NorthAmerica, MB(first run)& joustra prime: grey roller w/pegs, bloated parts, grey missles, purple trailer parts, metal plates. Wierd blue roller prime: blue roller w/pegs, regular sized parts, black missles, blue trailer parts, stickers in trailer. Also has the defect on the side of the trailer and no lines in the small rectangle.....
Here's what was found in Canada for the 'supercharged' trailer. Note the bloated fists, but normal accs otherwise(and of course the pegless roller):
Metal-plated trailer:
As always, in the words of Joebot: "After looking at the revised prime stuff, and agreeing with Hamawarii that I was wrong about the photoshoot prime because I didn't see that the one in the pic had metal plates, I was perfectly fine in the belief that we've finally seen all of the Prime variants, and mine was nothing but a vsx trailer. So on October 31st, Wilson (you remember him, I'm sure) goes to the Catlin Gabel Rummage Sale which we would normally go to together, but it was Halloween night and I was stuck giving out comics all evening. He meets me this past Friday, and we look through the stuff he's brought for me. So in amongst all the Beast Wars stuff is the Prime trailer I'm sending you pics of.
I couldn't find this in your list of variants... heh heh heh.(editor's note: Grrrrr....)
Would this be the "second first transitional, photoshoot once removed, Prime Trailer Variant?" It's clearly not the photoshoot, as the innards are dark blue instead of blue. Note that this unit has the supercharged launcher, which would make it pre-grey roller. Admittedly, since this was obtained used, I am not 100 percent sure it was not modified. I did inspect the screw heads on the bottom of the central unit for tampering, but the wear and corosion seem to be normal and undisturbed under close magnification. Considering that this trailer is not broken in any way, and is as nice as a loose transformer can be, I'm betting it is original. There is a slight amount of stress to the left door mount hole, where the trailer door was pulled off at some point. Regrettably, Wilson did not find the door, or any other Prime parts at the sale, so we will never know more info on this piece.
This trailer fits the transition between Diaclone and Transformers, and would make it a first cousin of the Photoshoot unit, possibly a brother, just not a twin. Have a nice time updating the Prime area. I know, you hate me, but love me at the same time, right? ... Right?"
And so it begins again....
