Vintage Trailer Magazine 39 by Vintage Trailer Magazine

ISSUE 39 SUMMER 2018

$9.95

™ r tires?

Checked you TIRE & WHEEL

CARE TIPS

Gypsy

Buzzy Bee

1963 Bee Line Hornet

Dreams

My Tiny Caravan

1977 Millard York

Road Trip to Texas

1963 Shasta Compact

Bluebonnets, Brownﬁeld & the Junk Gypsy Prom

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style & Nostalgia P L U S

R O A D

T R I P

E V E N T S

G U I D E

S E R V I C E S

D I R E C T O R Y

Inside Dusty Caswellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1963 Shasta Compact

Vintage Trailer Magazine | Issue 39 Summer 2018

 contents Special Features

Cover Story: Gypsy Dreams

Feature Caravan: My Tiny Caravan

Dusty Caswell’s 1963 Shasta Compact “Ruby”

Carolyn Cameron’s 1977 Millard York “Annie”

Regular Features 2 . . About Vintage Trailer Magazine 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor’s Rave 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Letters to the Editor 5 . . . . . . . . . VTM Subscriptions Form

Feature Trailer: Buzzy Bee

Event Review: Bear Lake or Bust

Doug & Sue Owens’ 1963 Bee Line Hornet

Vintage Trailer Fest in Manawa, Wisconsin

24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Centerfold 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where We Went Texas Road Trip

44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Road Trip! Events Guide

46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Services Directory

Restoration Tips: Checked Your Tires?

Places To Stay: Lone Star Glamp Inn

By Doug Dwyer from Motorspot Inc.

Indoor vintage RV Resort in Round Top, TX

About Vintage Trailer Magazine Vintage Trailer Magazine is the world’s ﬁrst magazine solely dedicated to vintage, classic, retro-styled and custom trailers and those who love them.

intage Trailerites come from all walks of life and are drawn to vintage trailers for a variety of reasons. Some have nostalgic memories of childhood seaside holidays spent in trailer parks, some choose a retro camper because it looks good behind their prized classic car on its way to a car show campout. Along with a sense of classic style, lovers of retro trailers take delight in life’s many wonders – they enjoy adventure, travelling to new destinations, appreciating nature’s beauty and living a life less stressful. Vintage trailerites often also share a passion for classic cars or hot rods and will happily devote countless hours looking after their “toys”. They also have a very keen sense of aesthetic style and an eye for making small spaces look absolutely adorable. So, Vintage Trailer Magazine is about all of these things; an eclectic collection of stories, pictures, input and ideas from sources who all share so much more than a passion for camping. To the vintage trailerites out there living the dream, taking their rescued older trailers back out on the road, this magazine is for you! To those of you who wish you had one, or have one in restoration, I hope Vintage Trailer Magazine will inspire and motivate you to make your dreams come true and join the growing number of vintage trailer enthusiasts enjoying the wide-open spaces, dramatic scenery and fellow friendly travellers out there on the road.. Vintage Trailer Magazine always welcomes submissions from its readers. If you have a story you’d like to share, an amusing road trip photo or a trailer restoration you’d like to share: write to: editor@vintagetrailermagazine.com

TRAILER ISSUE 34, 2017 JUL/AUG

USA $7.50

™

Rolling Solo? 10 Tips

For First Timers

Tin Can Tourists

2017 Annual Gathering

Mellow Yellow 1957 Scotsman

Issue 34 2017

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style

& Nostalgia

PLUS ROAD TRI P EVENTS GUID E & SERVICES DIRECTORY

74470 29728 4

TRAILER ISSUE 36, 2017 NOV/DEC

USA $7.50

™

ok Nook

Top Road

Trip Reads

Hot August Nights

Vintage Trailer Revival

Chantilly Lace

1962 Fireball

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

Issue 36 2017

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Lisa Mora EMAIL editor@vintagetrailermagazine.com EDITOR’S ASSISTANT Alex Bouchet DESIGN & LAYOUT Kelsey Adams (www.kelseyjdesigns.com) Printed in U.S.A. CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn Cameron, Dusty Caswell, Doug Dwyer, Kevin & Rachel Schwaller (www.schwallermedia.com), John Gunnell, Sue Owens, Kaci VanCoutren, ADVERTISING EMAIL ads@vintagetrailermagazine.com PHONE (707) 277 8000 CONTACT Vintage Trailer Magazine PO Box 509, Oakland OR 97462 USA www.facebook.com/vintagetrailermagazine @vintagetrailermagazine

ISSUE 39 SUMMER 2018

$9.95

™ tires? Checked your TIPS & WHEEL CARE TIRE

Gypsy Dreams 1963 Shasta Compact

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

Issue 39 2018

25274 29728 3

Buzzy Bee

1963 Bee Line Hornet

My Tiny Caravan

1977 Millard York

Road Trip to Texas

Bluebonnets, Brownﬁeld & the Junk Gypsy Prom

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style & Nostalgia PLUS ROAD TRIP EVENTS GUIDE & SERVICES DIRECTORY

COVER PHOTO Cover photo of Dusty Caswell’s 1963 Shasta Compact “Ruby” at Junk Gypsies “Wander Inn”, Gypsyville, Round Top, Texas. Photo by Lisa Mora WWW.VINTAGETRAILERMAGAZINE.COM

VINTAGE TRAILER MAGAZINE

1959 Oasis www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

SUBSCRIBE TO

Production Crew

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style & Nostalgia DIRECTORY TS GUIDE & SERVICES PLUS ROAD TRIP EVEN

74470 29728 4

Six issues of Vintage Trailer Magazine delivered for only $32 (save 50%!) Subscriptions and all back issues are available from our website store at www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

vintagetrailermagazine

Vintage Trailer Magazine

« V i n ta g e , C l a s s i c , R e t r o S t y l e & N o s ta l g i a«

Vintage Trailer Magazine is a Registered Trademark

Vintage Trailer Magazine is published four times per year by Lisa Mora. UPC 07447029041. Vintage Trailer Magazine is a Registered Trademark. All rights reserved © 2018. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher/editor. Every eﬀort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in the publication, however the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions or consequences in reliance on this publication.

 EDITOR'S RAVE

Getting ready for that first big road trip of the season is always exciting… Nervewracking, but exciting. On March 25th, I kicked off my season with a massive 6,000mile road trip that took me across five state lines to attend five very different events: A Sisters on the Fly gathering, the Junk Gypsy Prom, Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Festival, Stage Coach Country Music Festival and Pismo Beach Vintage Trailer Rally in California, so packing for this trip proved to be quite an interesting challenge! Having a very big trunk and back seat in the Hudson solved the problem of where to put all those extra petticoats, shoes, faux fur shawls, tiaras and cowgirl boots! One week before I set off on this massive road trip, I acquired a new piece of luggage: a six-pound Pomeranian Chihuahua cross nine-month old puppy. Talk about baptism by fire for poor little Pixie Angel, my new doctor-prescribed service dog whose designated role it was to assist me with the side effects of my Rheumatoid Disease and the nasty medications I have to take to control it. Thankfully she held up to the pressure extremely well and turned out to be the perfect travelling companion out on the road and a perfectly well behaved little girl under a variety of challenging situations. Surprisingly though, she was not always welcomed, and we did encounter something I had never had

to deal with before: anti-service dog bullying, skepticism, questions about my “supposed” disability and snarky comments about her role in my life. I’ve been pretty open with most people about my struggles with severe Rheumatoid Disease and its wide and varied effects on my life. I don’t expect everyone to understand the full impact it has had on my life and functioning, although I’m happy to explain to anyone who really wants to know. But I’d rather not have to justify why I need a service dog to those who snigger and discriminate, and by law I don’t have to either. For the many and unexpected benefits she has brought into my life, as far as I am concerned she has more than well and truly earned her place on the VTM Crew. So, welcome to the team “Pixie Angel”! A lot of people have asked me recently how I plan my road trips and that is a good question. I guess it kind of feels like the same way I manage to put together a whole magazine each issue! I start with an idea, an outline, and then fill in the gaps. I look on my map and study which roads I haven’t travelled yet and work out what events might be happening along that route and at what time of year and kind of plan my itinerary like that. It sounds vague, but it kind of always comes together really well! After I have a few “stop points” planned, I look at Google Maps and work out how many miles I want to drive on any given day, and find a town near to that point on the route. I add in some readers, friends and a few more events that pop up in the process and find places to camp and RV parks along the way to break the journey up …Boom! I’ve planned a road trip!

Photo by Dusty Caswell

o here we are with summer well and truly underway. As I write this on this ﬁrst day of Summer, I have already attended six events and have another seven to go between now and the end of September when things will wind down again somewhat. It’s crazy to think that I am halfway through my crazy busy 2018 events calendar.

hurt either. Yes things do sometimes go wrong, as they do in all aspects of life, and often despite our best-made plans. You learn to roll with those delays and detours and treasure the unexpected beneﬁts they often provide: the new friendships formed, the kindness of a stranger, the change in route that takes you somewhere spectacular you’d have otherwise never seen. It all happens for a reason, I am sure and it has been my many roadside “perils turned pearls” moments that have given me the patience to deal with other disruptions to plans and ideals that life can throw your way at a moments notice. I’ve learned to deal with life’s problems as they occur, break it down into bitesized pieces, not sweat the detours and always look for the silver linings. Because they are there, out there somewhere. Out there in that “Oh Wow!” moment somewhere in the middle of nowhere, you’ll know what I am talking about. Enjoy the journey!

Bravery has a lot to do with all that I do, and a little bit of daring doesn’t

For more of Lisa’s “raves” and photos visit her Blog: “My Dream Home is Portable” link from the VTM website at: www.vintagetrailermagazine.com vintagetrailermagazine

Letters to the Editor Thanks Lisa,

I got my magazines this morning. Thank you so much. Love to send you a story on our van (pictured). YVONNE XX – BROOKFIELD, VIC, AUSTRALIA It’s gorgeous! Apologies if it takes me a long time to respond to every reader who wants me to consider their “babies” for feature consideration in the magazine. My goal is to feature you all eventually, but I do try to balance styles and locations of each feature trailer in each issue of the magazine and, along with the many feature worthy trailers I snap in my travels waiting to be featured, I also have quite a backlog of requests, so please be patient. If I don’t get back to you straight away, rest assured I will have you “ﬂagged” for future use and will be in touch when a spare slot that I think would suit your trailer well comes up! And if it’s been a while and you haven’t heard from me, it doesn’t hurt to remind me with a touch base email from time to time! Lisa

Hi Lisa,

Happy 7th publication birthday and congratulations on your success! Cheers to many more years ahead Lisa! We hope to see you on the road when we ﬁnally have a suitable trailer... KATHY SPROUT – YORBA LINDA, CA

Hi Lisa,

Just got my 1st issue today! I also just read the SOTF post about Lisa Mora!

vintagetrailermagazine

So cool!! What a coincidence! Just had to remark about how beautiful this magazine is! First it’s encased in plastic then housed in an envelope! Then I pull it out and see and feel the quality of the paper! The magazine is beautifully published and I was not expecting this. The pages are thick any glossy! I will read every inch including all the ads!! Thank you for putting out a quality magazine. I’m so impressed and thrilled at the same time! Sincerely LAURA GWILLIM – VALDOSTA, GA

Hey there!

Don’t ya want to come to South Georgia and do a story on our camper? It’s a hoot down here! You would love it! HOLLY TOOLE – LYONS, GA Stay tuned for my next year’s “Go South and East (not-so-young) Woman! Tour 2019”. No seriously, I’m already planning itineraries, dates of events, sponsors and friends to visit for next year’s planned

road trip straight across the middle and along the east coast so yeah, I do! Lisa

Hi there Lisa,

Well we just got our issue, wow what an issue!! I love that Woody Caravan!! Your Hot August Nights article was awesome too. On our way to and from Las Vegas we saw sooooo many vintage trailers in all the small little towns. So many were in disrepair that I just want to go back and save them all!! We may make a trip back to check out a few this coming Spring. We saw 5 Spartan Manors from Oregon to Nevada, just sitting there, no one doing anything with them. Randy and I would like to start looking for more Spartans. On the way back we stayed at the Mizpah Hotel in Tonapah (Nevada). It was like stepping back in time. It was built in 1907. Well, you take care. May God Bless, RANDY & SUE – LA PINE, OR

Vintage Trailer Magazine 6 issues of Vintage Trailer Magazine delivered only $32 (save 50%!) Subscriptions and all back issues are available from our website store at www.vintagetrailermagazine.com Phone (775) 409 5256

TRAILER TRAILERTRAILER ISSUE 31, 2017 JAN/FEB

USA $7.50

ISSUE 32, 2017 MAR/APR

ISSUE 30, 2016 NOV/DEC

USA $7.50

™

Trailer Treasure insid

Trailer Treasure

Road Trip!

EVENTS i GUIDE de ins

inside

TRAILERTRAILERTRAILER ISSUE 33, 2017 MAY/JUN

USA $7.50

ISSUE 34, 2017 JUL/AUG

USA $7.50

Life is an Adventure! ™

The Heart of Dixie

™

Snug as a Bug

Palm Springs

magazine.com

Issue 30 2016

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

1964 Shasta

ic, Retro Style

Vintage, Class

Issue 31 2017

Contine

Rolling Solo?

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

10 Tips Retro Style & Nostalgia Vintage, Classic,

74470 29728 4

Tin Can Diva

Issue 32 2017

For First Timers

DIRECTORY TS GUIDE & SERVICES PLUS ROAD TRIP EVEN

& Nostalgia

RECTOR VICES DI DE & SER ENTS GUI D TRIP EV PLUS ROA

1961 Kenskill

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style & Nostalgia

™

Book Nook

PLUS ROAD TRIP EVEN TS GUIDE & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Top Road Trip Reads

4 74470 29728

Tin Lizzy

1955 Aloha

Fairytale Fantasy Shasta 1963

Just Like Honey

Tin Can Tourists

2017 Annual Gathering

1961 Mobile Scout

1959 Oasis

www.vintagetrailermag

azine.com

Issue 33 2017

74470 29728 4

Style Vintage, Classic, Retro

& Nostalgia

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

IRECTORY SERVICES D S GUIDE & TRIP EVENT PLUS ROAD 0

74470 29728 4

Hot August Nights

Mellow Yellow

Vintage Trailer Reviva

1957 Scotsman

Issue 34 2017

Vintage, Classic, Retro Style & Nostalgia www.vintagetrailer

magazine.com

PLUS ROAD TRIP EVEN TS GUIDE & SERVICES DIRECTORY 0

74470 29728 4

Chantilly Lace

Issue 36 2017

Vintage, Class

ic, Retro Style

1962 Fireball

& Nostalgia

PLUS ROA D TRIP EV ENTS GUI DE & SER VICES

DIRECTOR

TO SUBSCRIBE MAIL TO VTM Subscriptions PO Box 509 Oakland OR 97462, USA

Vintage Trailer Magazine

OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE

PAYMENT OPTIONS

www.vintagetrailermagazine.com

Check (made out to Vintage Trailer Magazine)

NAME AND ADDRESS FOR DELIVERY

Money order (made out to Vintage Trailer Magazine) Visa

Name

Mastercard Card number:

Postal address

CCV code: City

State

Zipcode

(This is a 3 digit security number on reverse of card)

Expiry date:

Email address (so we can notify you when it’s time to renew) Full name on card

SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS Six issues delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32

Gift subscription

Twelve issues delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60

Gift subscription

Please begin my subscription from issue number:

USA $7.50

1969 Okanagan

1959 Bondwood

a Lil Sassy Shast ntal

VINTAGE TRAILER 1960 Sunliner SHOW

www.vintagetrailer

ISSUE 36, 2017 NOV/DEC

1968 Serro Scotty

Scruffy the Caravan

Betty Boop Doin’ the Do

Roll Times Rally Let the Good Vintage Trailer

North Georgia

Crazy for Patsy

1959 Aloha

Signature

Vintage Trailer Magazine is issued quarterly. Subscriptions start at the next available issue. Please allow up to 10 weeks for your ﬁrst delivery depending on time of order. Current issue and back issues are available from our online store.

Cover Story

WORDS DUSTY CASWELL PHOTOS LISA MORA vintagetrailermagazine

y name is Dusty Caswell. I’m also known as the Velvet Gypsy. My hilarious husband and best friend is Cory and our precious sidekick is our wolf Myhia. We are the proud parents of 18-yearold identical twin girls. We live in a little place called Brownﬁeld in West Texas where our coﬀee house and women’s

retreat center keeps us hoppin’. Our ultimate goal is to have our very own “indoor out” camping retreat center here soon as well. After we had been travelling abroad on our sailboat for a year and a half Cory said to me he felt like we were ready for a “whole new adventure”. Knowing I had always wanted a gypsy caravan,

I remember as a child camping next to an old trailer and telling my Grandma that I wanted my very own tiny trailer when I grow up.

vintagetrailermagazine

he showed me some photos of a 1963 Shasta Compact travel trailer he had found for sale online. I just giggled and said that would be a dream come true. He handed me the phone and said: “Call her it’s yours” and I burst into tears. My trailer is named “Ruby” after the most amazing lady in the world: Cory’s grandmother. She loved me as if I were

her own daughter. Ruby was a precious soul and is still my biggest inspiration. I camped with my grandparents my entire childhood. They are some of my greatest memories. I remember as a child camping next to an old trailer and telling my Grandma that I wanted my very own tiny trailer when I grow up. That was more than thirty years ago... although I have never really grown up!

We paid what I consider big bucks for my trailer but I wanted one that had an original title. I considered her to be in decent shape until we tore into it... then I change my mind! Of course there was extreme water damage. Cory and I put 2,200 hours together into redoing this trailer. We documented the entire process and put it on YouTube. Part of my reason for doing this is when I was looking for advice and ideas I couldn’t vintagetrailermagazine

ﬁnd anything I was pleased with. Lots of people were using duct tape and spray paint. Not the look I was going for, so we decided to share the entire restoration process, the good the bad and the ugly, so that other people wouldn’t make the same mistakes we did and would hopefully get inspired to do their trailers a bit more artistically. You can watch all the videos under Dusty Caswell on YouTube. The reason I decided to get a vintage trailer is because my entire universe is vintage. I love things that have a history, a past and a story... We also believe things used to be built better back then. I am in love with the Shasta Compact because of their body style and size. I’m very blessed in that Cory Is a painter. We were able to custom mix our own paint so that she would be truly one of a kind. One thing people say to me all the time when they see her is they never would

vintagetrailermagazine

My entire universe is vintage. I love things that have a history, a past and a story... have thought to put those colors together, but seeing it ﬁnished it’s amazing. I actually chose my colors because they are my favorite (sage green and rose gold). Everything else just fell into place once I started digging through my material stash. I am an interior designer but I like my work to look diﬀerent from everyone else’s. I don’t follow fads, I follow my heart. My husband is an amazing artist with a beautiful imagination. Together I love how we were able to mesh our ideas to create my dream trailer. Cory wanted to make sure it was everything I wanted it to be. He told me to make it my sanctuary, so

we did. You must know though that I am a Goodwill shopping queen. My mattress is actually European, but it was bought from a garage sale for only ﬁfteen bucks. The two bedspreads were ﬁve dollars each from an estate sale but the crystal ball was three hundred dollars. There’s time to be cheap and time to splurge, right? We spent four entire months working morning, noon and night on her, and it was worth every second and every penny we put into it. I learned so much from Cory about building and I even taught myself some new tricks on painting. I feel vintagetrailermagazine

that restoring a small trailer is just a new way to pour your heart into a canvas; just a moving one with white wall tires!

Ruby’s maiden voyage was another life-changing adventure for us. Cory and I took a trip on Route 66 from Cadillac ranch in Amarillo, Texas all the way to California. The trip lasted for sixteen glorious days and we got so many amazing photos. We hit every state park with my favorite place being Sedona, Arizona. It brought back so many childhood memories, but the campouts have gotten even better now that I can put Bailey’s onto my marshmallows! My big trip and the first time I ever pulled a trailer alone was to Round Top Texas for Antiques Week, where I stayed on the Junk Gypsies from HGTV’s property behind their store. I had been so honored to be the featured trailer for the Junk Gypsies “Junk-o-Rama Prom” ads. Also this is where I got to meet Lisa of Vintage Trailer Magazine who I now consider my precious friend. Ruby is now parked in our retreat center in Brownfield and will be used as accommodation for our guest speaker’s overnight stays. My husband loves to take naps in it, my daughter loves to read books in it and I just love to watch everyone’s reaction when they see her for the first time. My gypsy caravan truly is my dream come true. 12

vintagetrailermagazine

Feature Trailer

My Tiny Caravan W O R D S & P H O T O S C A R O LY N C A M E R O N

am ﬁfty-eight years young and have lived for the past ﬁve years in a small beach/lakeside town on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia with my partner Shane, our four year-old Australian Shepherd Claire and for the last twelve months with Annie… My Tiny Caravan.

I work full time as a Visual Merchandiser for an accessory company and travel all over Sydney and the Central Coast servicing major retail stores carrying my company’s extensive range of ladies fashion accessories. As a child I loved doing things with my hands, from sewing outﬁts for my dolls,

to drawing and cooking and as a young teen, inspired by a student home science teacher; a cake decorator. I grew up and have spent most of my adult life living in the south eastern suburbs of Sydney aﬀectionately known by its residents as “The Shire”. My mother also grew up in the area and her family spent their vintagetrailermagazine

summer weekends on my grandfather’s old cabin cruiser camping under the stars along the river banks of their local national park. She instilled in me a love of the outdoors that had me only ever living a short walk, bike ride or car trip away from the ocean and rivers of our eastern coastline. It wasn’t until my late teens that I discovered the joys of camping and when I married and had children this pastime continued. It was not long after the demise of marriage number two that I had the idea of buying a pop-top caravan. I thought it was a great idea but my enthusiasm was not met by family and friends who all thought it would be a waste of money and too much for me to handle as a single parent on my own. I raised the subject a number of times over the following years and it was always met with as little interest as it always had. It wasn’t until I met Shane eight years

vintagetrailermagazine

ago that I was introduced to caravanning. Shane had a modern 22-foot van that we took away a few times before it was unfortunately destroyed in a hailstorm. We decided not to buy another and to stick with what we knew and loved best: boating and camping. In June 2016, we happened across an American TV Show about Tiny Houses. I was hooked. As far as I knew, our councils and state government departments would not allow tiny houses to be erected on private land let alone be travelling along our motorways without a million permits to do so, but by golly we were allowed to have tiny caravans …and I wanted one! So my secret search began. Initially I took to Pinterest and when I found the size and shape I liked, I stalked Gumtree, eBay and all the other sales sites. By January 2016, I was ready to share my secret with Shane. I just spat it

out one morning over breakfast: “I want to buy an old caravan and do it up”. He was a little hesitant but took it quite well and I showed him a few that I was interested in. As I travel all over for work, I was able to ﬁt inspections into my daily schedule. I looked at three by myself and took video footage to show Shane and we looked at one together: All 11 Foot York’s ranging from 1970 to 1980 and in various stages of decay or demolition. Hmmmm… On the 29th January (Shane’s birthday) I entered “11ft York” into my online search as I did on a daily basis (well twice maybe three times daily) and up popped the most perfect 1977 11ft York, located in Callala Bay on the south coast of New South Wales –- ﬁve hours away. I said to Shane: “Wanna go for a drive?” I rang the number and organised an inspection with Carol the owner. I knew in my heart that I would have my tiny caravan by the end of

In June 2016, we happened across an American TV Show about Tiny Houses. I was hooked. the day. We negotiated a price of $5300 (a lot more than I had initially thought to pay for a caravan) and towed her home that night. I started a blog the very next day (www. caravannie.com) to document her progress. To begin with, I was that darn excited that my dream of owning a vintage caravan had become a reality that I was happy to give her a lick of paint inside, change her dinette seat covers and curtains from orange and grey to something fresh and coastal, hook her up and go. I hit the ground running as fast as my arthritic knees would take me to Spotlight where I found within ﬁve minutes of looking, a blue stripe cotton for the curtains and matching blue ribbed upholstery fabric for the seat covers. I whipped them up and had them ﬁtted and hung by the following weekend along with a few blue trinkets that I had around the house, just in time for a family BBQ where much to their surprise they were introduced to “Annie”. They all knew where the name came from and why. Annie was our family pet, a chocolate border collie who came to live with us at six weeks of age in 1996. She was my best girl and through all the ups and downs of life and family upheavals, she

stayed my loving and faithful companion until her passing in 2013. It was the only name beﬁtting of my tiny caravan. The following weekend we started looking closer at Annie’s interior. She was clean and tidy, all her appliances worked and her bed and seating were comfortable. I just wasn’t fussed about the textured wallpaper on either ends. It was a bit discoloured at the edges. On closer investigation of said wallpaper, life went into slow motion as Shane peeled back the bottom corner behind the dinette cushions revealing rotten, wet plywood. We followed the decay down the wall, under the seats and along the

joins to the side wall. It was the same at the back end behind and under the bed. The decision was made then and there to pull everything out of Annie except for the overhead cupboards which were in perfect condition and start from scratch. It took four days to get everything out including disconnecting the gas, power and water tank. The original Electrolux 240w gas fridge still worked and was in excellent condition. It was a keeper but we sold the original interior lights, sink and pump tap and the cooker. It took another two weekends to remove the three layers of ﬂooring. It started oﬀ well with the top layer not attached to anything – easy. The vintagetrailermagazine

next layer was stapled to the floor – not so easy. The original layer was glued to the floor. It was summer and it was hot outside and even hotter inside. This was to our advantage, or so we thought, as the heat was softening up the glue making it easier to pull back the forty year-old linoleum – Great! But at the same time our shoes were sticking to the floor. In the end, we were both stuck to the floor and had to step out of our shoes and make a leap for the door and our freedom. During the entire renovation process, I was working during the week and Shane had jobs that took him away for days at a time. Fine weekends were a bonus. Week days, I was calling local carpenters, kitchen installers and builders to give us quotes. There was little to no interest from these tradesmen in working on a caravan - some didn’t bother calling back or even turn up for appointments. Finally I found Peter from a local Joinery who had renovated a couple of caravans. He measured her up for a kitchen cabinet, a three-drawer cabinet, shelving, folding dinette table, new doors for the overhead cupboards and two push release slide out benches. The new cooktop and sink 16

vintagetrailermagazine

would take up most of the kitchen bench top and the TV would hang above the three-drawer cabinet. This cabinet work, electricals and plumbing would end up being the most expensive part of the renovation process. Meanwhile, Shane got busy building the new dinette seating and under seat storage, king bed framework and under

In retrospect it was at times all too much, but it was so worth it in the end. bed storage. He located all the leaks (mainly from the roof) and sealed them and patched up the side walls where the ply had decayed away. Between us, we laughed and cried, sanded and scraped, peeled and polished and removed and replaced just about everything. Installing

the front and rear walls was the most challenging. It took an entire day. I pretty much left Shane (and his colourful language) to it and kept myself occupied painting the new framework. In retrospect it was at times all too much, but it was so worth it in the end. It was great working together as a team and we feel confident in our renovating ability to do it again should we ever feel the urge to do so. It took three months to get the exterior sanded down and cleaned, the aluminium door and window frames de-oxidised and the fly screens replaced. It was winter by this time and almost every weekend it rained at some point. Shane is a painter by trade so when the flooring was laid and the new cabinets, shelving, railings and front wall mirror were installed he waved his magic brushes and rollers over her walls, ceiling, framework, cupboards and drawers, then moved on to her exterior. Wiring up her new LED driving lights was a nightmare. “Left blinker, right blinker, brake lights, side lights” He was one phone call away from ringing an auto electrician. Sheer determination over three weekends saw all the planets in alignment and the lights finally working.

It turned out that a screw was earthing out on a stray wire under the rear globe casing causing all the lights to blink in unison when the indicator was on. It took six months from the time we brought her home to her being road ready and another two months adding all her ﬁnishing touches. It was at this point that I discovered Instagram and set up the @my_tiny_caravan account sharing stories and photos with others all around the world doing exactly what I had been doing. What a hoot it was to be able to share with all these likeminded “glampers”! The Awning, that I decided would be easy to do after watching a YouTube tutorial,

was not easy. It was like sewing with a baby elephant on your lap and that infant throwing your sewing machine repeatedly on the floor. I would much rather go through childbirth again than sew another awning! The finishing touches are her fancy wooden entry steps and her WELCOME shelf. The white picket fence (every tiny caravan should have one), the matching retro gas bottle, the “the tin man” drawbar, the YORK logo, the detachable matching bunting on the front fold out awning, her personalised number plate, matching aqua wheel rims and newer shinier hub caps and of course her flower basket. I don’t leave home without it.

When choosing her colours I had already decided on blue and white - or so I thought. I was looking for a serving tray one day during her renovation and found one that my daughter had given me many years ago tucked away in the back of the kitchen cupboard. It had a retro icecream pattern on it. The colours jumped out at me and I was straight down to the paint shop with the tray under my arm, matching up colour swatches. She would be aqua, powder blue and white inside… and outside. I had a few exterior paint designs scribbled on paper with swirls and ﬂashes. These in the end, failed to compare to a grainy photo I found on Pinterest one night of a small caravan in

vintagetrailermagazine

England that had been advertised for sale and was painted lime green and bright blue. No more searching. I had found her groove. My job requires me to have a keen eye for detail and my eye can now pick out aqua and blue ﬁnery at one hundred paces. Every day, I would come home from work with carry bags rustling to Shane’s voice saying “What have you bought now?” For our maiden voyage I decided that

vintagetrailermagazine

seeing we were going to the mountains that she should take on a gypsy look. I made red curtains and cushions and of course chose some funky red trinkets to complete her look. Since then she has had a few mini makeovers including an Aussie Christmas and at the moment she is a very summery blue, lime and yellow and for now we will keep her dinette as a permanent day bed as we usually have our meals outside when away.

Our official maiden voyage was to Ferndale Park in Chichester near Dungog, a few hours away. Set on two hundred and fifty acres, it was everything we hoped it would be. The weather was perfect. Sunny and warmish during the day, yet cool enough at night for an open fire. The property is partly run as a dairy farm so the cows come and visit during the day. We set up camp on the banks of the Chichester River surrounded by trees

Two grownups and a twenty-kilo Australian Shepherd all tucked up cosy like in an 11 x 7 foot tiny caravan. It was awesome! with an abundance of birds during the day and native nocturnal animals whilst we slept. Two grownups (one 6’4” tall) and a twenty-kilo Australian Shepherd all tucked up cosy like in an 11 x 7 foot tiny caravan. It was awesome! We were one of maybe six occupied caravans in the park and possibly the youngest van as well. The other vans were onsite owned or onsite holiday rentals. It looked like a vintage caravan retirement home. It was peaceful and serene for the first four days of our stay until Friday morning. We were having a late breakfast when Shane looked up and said: “We’ve got company, Skip” (Shane calls me Skip after the song and 60’s TV show Skippy the Bush Kangaroo – “Skippy a friend ever true”) It was a huge modern fifth-wheeler making its way down the narrow winding mountain road. It eventually set up camp at the opposite end of the park, maybe one hundred metres away. As the day wore on another thirty vans took up residence in the same area. A few of the campers wandered slowly past and around us until eventually two young women introduced themselves and asked if they could “have a look”. We gave them the fifteen-second tour and they told us they were part of the Becky Cole (Australian country and western performer) Travelling Road Crew. A group of diehard fans that take to the road each year for two weeks and follow Becky on her tour whist she performs in country towns all over Australia. Word

quickly spread about “the little caravan” and more and more folks popped on by for a visit. Total adoration and admiration. I was in my element! That night we were treated to an impromptu performance by Becky and her sidekick Libby O’Donovan around the group campﬁre. Now Shane was in his element! He loves country music. Since our maiden voyage we have taken three more trips away. We relish our peace and quiet and have chosen beach or mountain locations away from the weekend and holiday crowds. I don’t think people we meet whilst away quite know what to make of her. They usually stand and stare for a while or drive past a couples of times before stopping and coming over for a chat, but once they do they have lots of questions like: “Do you actually like live in there? Do you travel with all those ‘things? I wish my wife/ husband/kids could see this. Can I take a photo?” It all adds to the fun, carefree atmosphere I think we have created in such a small space and setting. Our second trip to Bonnievale in The Royal National Park south of Sydney, was my lesson in towing a caravan. I agreed that being thrown in the deep end was the best idea (NOT). I sat in the driver’s seat and adjusted the side mirrors and the rear vision mirror. “Nothing to see there, Skip” was Shanes response accompanied by a lot of head shaking. Things started out well along the expressway. She towed vintagetrailermagazine

really well and I was killing it. Yeah! Shane even nodded off for a while and woke up suddenly saying: “Why are we swaying?” “I dunno!” I said “How fast are you going?” “Hmmm… 105 k’s” I replied “CRIKEY – SLOW DOWN WOMAN!” “Errr, what happened to Skip?” So that was “The Wobbles”! Hey, maybe I should have read: “Towing a Caravan for Dummies” before taking on this task. I stick to 80 kilometres an hour now. Our trip to Bonnievale was an especially memorable one for me. On the 19th September 2012, I received a phone call from my GP with the results of a biopsy on a funny little lump that had popped up in my neck 4 weeks earlier. I had Cancer. It was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. More tests showed that I had five tumours. One in my neck, two in my stomach, one in my chest cavity and one on my right side chest. Within two weeks I had commenced the first of eight rounds of chemotherapy. My hair fell out five weeks later. After my third round of chemotherapy, more scans showed that the tumour on my right side was not responding to treatment whereas the other three were. I was given an ultrasound and a mammogram. The tumour on my side 20

vintagetrailermagazine

was Breast Cancer. I would continue with chemotherapy for the Lymphoma and when my body was strong enough in between rounds, they would remove the tumour in my breast. I underwent two operations, three weeks apart to remove all the cancerous cells, leaving me with two-thirds of my right breast. When chemotherapy for the Lymphoma was completed, I had six weeks of daily radiation for the Breast Cancer. Nine months after my diagnosis, I was in remission. Five years later, I am still cancer free and so we took this beach break again to re-invent the 19th September with some new memories. Things I learned during my association with cancer: There is always someone worse oﬀ than you. Take life one day at a time and thank God for every day he gives you. Choose your battles and don’t sweat the small stuﬀ. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit (Desiderata) Little (tiny) things mean a lot.

To say that I’m in love with My Tiny Caravan is an understatement. She sits in our driveway most of the time, just outside our bedroom window. As I turn her key, and step up into her magical surround, an unexplainable happiness washes over me. A feeling all too real, like the fragrant vanilla hugs that only a mum can give. The hugs that leave you knowing that everything will be OK. The hugs I have missed so terribly for seventeen years since her passing. I have sleepovers in Annie quite regularly now and we have dinner and movie nights in the driveway. My grandson thinks that I live in “Ma’s Little House” in the driveway and that Pa lives in the big house. I wonder where he got that crazy idea? It sounds like a mighty ﬁne plan to me!

Feature Trailer

Buzzy Bee

WORDS & PHOTOS LISA MORA

veryone knows that I am a total sucker for tiny trailers. The smaller the better! The ﬁrst ever trailer that ever caught my eye was a cute retro teardrop trailer I spotted hooked on to the back of a hot rod at a Rockabilly

event back in 2006. I was instantly in love, and I wanted one… that was until I pondered how I would ever possibly manage getting dressed and my hair done lying down! I love my “Rosie” because she is, as I often tell people, “like a teardrop that I can stand up in”.

Doug and Sue Owens’ 1963 Bee Line Hornet is without a doubt one of the cutest tiniest trailers I have ever seen. When I ﬁrst spotted it at Pismo Beach Vintage Trailer Rally last year I was, once again, in love. Beautifully decorated with crisp white and cherry red accents, vintagetrailermagazine

red and white checkered flooring, red and white polka dot curtains, bunting and all the right accessories, this diminutive trailer had everyone buzzing. Having never seen anything quite like it, I asked Sue where they had managed to find such a cutie. She told me that they had actually been lucky enough to find it only about ten minutes from where they live. Apparently it was in pretty rough condition when they first got it and so it sat in their yard where it acted as “yard art” and a playhouse for their granddaughters for about a year before they began the process of restoring it. 22

vintagetrailermagazine

Sue admits that the “vintage trailer bug” ﬁrst bit them after they attended the 2nd Annual Buellton Trailer Bash as spectators, so it wasn’t long before they began the process of restoring the trailer that Sue had initially just wanted to use for “yard art” in order for it to be used as a functioning camping trailer again. “We had to totally restore the trailer as she was pretty much all rotten”, Sue told me. “We used the old trailer as a template and put her back to her original glory with just a couple of minor modiﬁcations to improve her function. She is red and white with a cherry on top... and she was

We used the old trailer as a template and put her back to her original glory with just a couple of minor modifications to improve her function.

designed long before we had her in my mind! We have been Junkers for many years and had most of our decorations and props already in our home and backyardâ&#x20AC;?. The Owens now take the Bee Line with them, towed by the matching red and white 1965 Studebaker Wagonaire that Doug rebuilt himself, to around ten vintage trailer rallies every year. Sue says that their favorite thing about the trailer is its size and uniqueness, and the fact that they have yet to ever have seen another 1963 Bee Line Hornet. It sure is a

vintagetrailermagazine

TRAILER

Doug & Sue Owens 1963 Bee Line Hornet at Pismo beach, California

Photo by Lisa Mora

one of a kind trailer! The Owens have since taken on another vintage trailer project with yet another wonderfully unique trailer – a 1956 Silver Streak Clipper – that Sue calls a “treasure”. “We will now have to choose which one we want to one we want to take to

vintagetrailermagazine

the many rallies we are registered for!” she laughs. “It is such a wonderful hobby with so many great people. We have had so much fun meeting new friends along the way and enjoy going to vintage trailer rallies. It just takes you back to a simpler time...”

Event Review

Bear Lake or Bust WORDS & PHOTOS JOHN GUNNELL

new event called Vintage Trailerfest held in Manawa, Wisconsin on June 1st – 2nd brought a host of vintage trailers and hundreds of spectators to the beautiful Bear Lake Campground Resort in the small Midwestern village. “We had over sixty vintage trailers signed up and parked throughout the campground,” Emily Conroy, who works full-

time at Bear Lake Campground, said: “It was great to have such an immediate response, especially with this being our ﬁrst year. We didn’t know what to expect and to ﬁll the campground was amazing.” Friday was mainly for setup and to give the vintage camping enthusiasts time to meet and relax. The big day was Saturday. vintagetrailermagazine

Starting at 10am the gates to Bear Lake were opened to everyone who wanted to walk through and check out the vintage trailers. The entrants ranged from boxy Volkswagen buses to shiny Airstreams. Other trailers there included Yellowstone, Shasta, Nomad, Comet, Pathﬁnder, Trailblazer, Layton, Serro Scotty Sportsman, Forester and Westwind models. Many of the trailers coming to the new event sported stickers from the Symco Hotrod & Kustom Weekender; a traditional hot rod show that also hosts vintage trailers. Symco is located two miles north of downtown Manawa and John Spence, the organizer of Symco, had a camper at Bear Lake that promoted his show. There were quite a few good examples of Wisconsin-made vintage trailers on display at the event. Dave and Weasie brought their 1958 Friendship trailer that they call the “Sh… Sh,..Sugar Shack”. It’s a pretty rare example of these “canned

The wooden “canned ham” style trailer made by Roth Trailer Manufacturing. Co

vintagetrailermagazine

It was great to have such an immediate response, especially with this being our first year. We didn’t know what to expect and to fill the campground was amazing. ham” type trailers made in Friendship, Wisconsin. The Hovlands had their 1959 Layton “Open for inspection” according to the nearby sign. Another family; the Smiths, also invited people to peek inside their 1967 Trailblazer, which was made in Spencer, Wisconsin. Inside, the orange curtains matched with the blue and orange upholstered seats.

The Smith’s 1967 Trailblazer was made in Spencer, Wisconsin

Danelle Hanna Schure shows off her artwork on the door of her GMC pickup

Participants in the Trailerfest were encouraged to dress up in period clothing matching the era of their trailers. Prizes were given to the best vintage-themed sites. Many were decorated with plastic pink ﬂamingos, authentic 1950s basket-weave tins, vintage TV sets with rabbit ears and classic Coca-Cola coolers. Trailers were never produced in numbers as large as the cars and trucks that pulled them. The owner of one small Airstream trailer made in 1963 pointed out that it was called a “Bambi” but stressed that the name did not come from the cartoon character. His research told him the Bambi model was produced from 1961-1963 and only 1,100 were made. Today, Airstream has introduced a similar new trailer model. Many of the trailers at the show were presented next to vintage station wagons or pickups. Parked near a trailer owned by Danelle Hanna Schure, an artist from Ripon, Wisconsin, was an early postwar GMC pickup that she had decorated with her “pinup art” on the doors. Schure’s Rush Lake Studio also does pinstriping and custom artwork.

Some owners with vintage vehicles parked near their trailers admitted they had found that their classic cars and trucks were not as good at pulling as a modern vehicle is. So, they displayed the trailer near the vintage vehicle, but had towed the trailers in with something newer. vintagetrailermagazine

The trailer owners at the show were very friendly and proud of their homes on wheels. They enjoyed showing off their interior décors, which featured a wide array of different seating arrangements, sleeping accommodations and kitchenette layouts. At many of the campsites there was a feeling of family fun with kids playing and dogs barking. Many owners were grilling out. One tongue-in-cheek chalkboard style sign read: “Weekend forecast: Drinking with a chance of camping.” The majority of the trailers exhibited some degree of restoration and a few had been rebuilt from the ground up. One couple from Oshkosh said they had been bidding online for a 1958 trailer and hoped to buy it for $300, but in most cases, prices are a lot higher than that. One trailer buff said that a complete frame-up restoration of one can cost in excess of $25,000. Steve Prouty of Vintage Camper Restoration LLC in Cazenovia, Wisconsin said that demand for his restored trailers is growing stronger every year. Jim and Tammy Roth of Helenville, Wisconsin posted their 1950s “canned ham” trailer rebuilding project on YouTube. Even more exciting is the wooden canned ham that their Roth Trailer 30

vintagetrailermagazine

The theme of the first Vintage Trailerfest was “Let’s socialize, shop and appreciate the campers of the past.” All three goals were met at this show. Manufacturing Co. is producing. It’s a full-sized trailer made of wood that the picture on their business card being towed by a 1949 Dodge pickup truck. The theme of the ﬁrst Vintage Trailerfest was “Let’s socialize, shop and appreciate the campers of the past.” All three goals were met at this show. The dates of the event were also well coordinated with the annual community rummage sale in Manawa, so the campers were encouraged to double as vendors and sell their rummage and craft items. Naturally, there were also some neat trailer gifts on sale for the Tin Can Tourists to buy.

Tom and Molly Schad of Valders, Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1962 Yellowstone.

Dave & Debbie Vanderwe rff Burlington, Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Century trailer & Chevy 1958 pickup.

vintagetrailermagazine

Restoration Tips

Checked Your Tires? WORDS DOUG DWYER FROM MOTORSPOT INC.

ads and trends come and go in the automotive enthusiast arena. In the over sixty years we have been involved, we’ve seen a plethora of wheel and tire combinations. Until recently, we’ve had few people request special applications for trailers, and then only the custom boat trailers, but that has all changed recently. Glamping vintage trailers with white wall tires and special wheels have become the latest rage. This trend comes with some challenges as there are correct ways and there are wrong ways to do things when it comes to trailers. Part of the “sticker shock” to a tire and wheel upgrade is the cost of doing it correctly, compared to doing it cheaply. You could throw some passenger car white wall tires on your old wheels and get by fairly inexpensively, but if you do that be prepared to spend a few hours stuck on the side of a highway in the wrong place at the wrong time.

People often ask me if they need special tires for trailers. The answer is that you do need tires that have load rating capable of handling the speed and weight of your trailer. Often that is an extra load rating than your typical car tire offers. We offer a variety of white wall tires in sizes and load ranges for most vintage style trailers. These days people are towing trailers at speeds never imagined when many of the vintage trailers were first manufactured. Not only are the speeds and distance more than originally contemplated, the weights of many of many have increased from the original design as people tend to carry a lot more stuff in them these days!

You could throw some passenger car white wall tires on your old wheels and get by fairly inexpensively, but if you do that be prepared to spend a few hours stuck on the side of a highway in the wrong place at the wrong time. Choosing the correct tire is essential for dependable towing. It is important to remember that the weight of the trailer is not static. The tire is also absorbing all of the bumps in the road, and the constant side to side sway that even the best hitches cannot prevent. And all of that energy is passed through the tires to the wheels, bearings, and axles. Ignoring the condition and maintenance of just one these components will put you on the shoulder of a highway.

vintagetrailermagazine

In addition to tire size, tires are designed for specific service. One of the key designators of what the tire is designed to do is the load rating. This is especially important for trailers. Somewhere on the tire, cast into the side wall of the tire will be the words: “Max Load” and some numbers, followed by: “Max Pressure” and more numbers. The “Max Load” is the amount of weight, in pounds that each tire can safely carry if the maximum (cold) pressure is achieved. Trailer owners should know what their trailers weigh, and if possible, how that weight is distributed (to each wheel and to the tongue). I would want the load capacity of the tires to have a capacity equal to at least 120% of the trailer’s weight. By far the most asked question is; “Can I run passenger tires on my trailer?” My answer would be a qualified “Probably not”. There are tires built specifically for trailer

use. There are also tires built with heavier load capacity. Trailer speciﬁc tires will have a designation of ST, as ST205/75R15. Any tire used on a trailer should have C, D, or E designating appropriate to the trailer weight. Tire pressure is the single most important thing to check. Inﬂate tires to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire and check tire pressures before, during and after any travel.

Wheels:

Wheels seldom need replacement, however they should not be ignored. When tires are changed the wheels should be inspected for rust, bent

lips, and especially irregular lug holes. Surface rust should be wire brushed and repainted, preferably with Rustoleum type paint and allowed to dry completely. Wheels with damaged lug holes should be discarded. Always check the lug nuts for proper torque before any travel.

Bearings and axles:

Maintenance of wheel bearings and axles is messy, but not diﬃcult. Youtube. com has a plethora of videos on “How to Repack Trailer Wheel Bearings DIY. I’d recommend it be done every 10,000 miles or two years. Check for axle nut tightness before every trip.

For more information or enquiries about ﬁtting your vintage trailer, classic car or hot rod with new wheels and tires phone (760) 731 8301 or go to: www.widewhitetires.com Your Wire Wheel, White Wall Tire, and Disc Brake Conversion Specialist

vintagetrailermagazine

Places to Stay

Lone Star

Glamp Inn WORDS LISA MORA PHOTOS LISA MORA & KEVIN & RACHEL SCHWALLER

vintagetrailermagazine

ne of the (many) highlights to my trip to Round Top, Texas for the Texas Antiques Week was a visit to the Lone Star Glamp Inn. Featuring a vintage trailer perched mindbogglingly high above the street on top of the entrance to the massive building with brightly colored cheery paintwork throughout, the location just screams: “Come on in!” Well aware of the curiosity factor, owners Sterling and Kaci VanCoutren have set aside times during the day for curious members of the public to have a peek inside the facility. These “visiting hours” are after check out time and before check in of the next group of guests so as to allow guests their privacy once they are checked in. When I visited on the last day of Antiques Week there was still a crowd waiting to come and have a look around. As bright and cheerful as the trailers she rents out, camp hostess Kaci graciously oﬀered to show me around her awesome indoor glamping park and cheerfully answered my barrage of questions.

Naturally I was initially curious to find out where they got the idea for creating the indoor glamping park. Kaci told me that they had bought the building back in 2013 from Sterling’s Uncle, Sterling McCall Jr. who had used it to house the Sterling McCall Old Car Museum. Kaci tells me that they had originally intended to use the 35,000 square foot building for antique dealers space to use during Antiques Week, but the space was too big and there simply weren’t enough traders to fill it, so it was back to the drawing board. “Desperation led to prayer, prayer led to the answers. We knew we wanted some type of lodging, but a hotel was just too expensive to finish out. At first we thought of Airstreams, but they were also very expensive and too big to put indoors. It all finally came together when we met Skip and Angela Leachman who run a business called Glitzy Glamper.” Recalls Kaci. “They are veteran Round Top shoppers and knew exactly what our vision was!” Most of the vintage trailers used in the Glamp Inn were bought already restored and decorated from the Leachman’s with

each having its own name, theme and personality. “We also have a few that were from our friends in California, Mike and Michelle Amoroso, and two that are from friends in Round Top, Tom and Diane Conlee. The teepees we created and decorated ourselves.” Kaci tells me. Having decided on the idea and sourcing the trailers, the rest fell into place fairly quickly and within a few months they were open for business. “The trickiest part was ﬁguring out the restroom situation’ Kaci says. “The ‘Powder Room’ is a vintage double axel Shasta that was gutted when we bought it. The decision to turn that into our bathhouse was made at the last minute and we were literally connecting the plumbing two days before it was to be rented out!” The Glamp Inn now hosts all kinds of people during the bi-annual Texas Antiques Weeks as well as during the rest of the year where it has proven to be especially popular with wedding parties, bachelorettes, mother/ daughter groups and women’s groups. vintagetrailermagazine

During Texas Antiques Week, they rent out individual units for $189 per night. For the rest of year the Glamp Inn mainly caters to groups with rates for the back half that can house up to eighteen people for $1,200 per night and the front half (with room for sixteen people) for $900 per night. Kaci tells me that the most popular of the trailers has been the Casita, which used to be the dressing room for an All Star dealer in Round Top: Punkie’s Place, but Kaci’s personal favorite is Goldie, the Chevron Cowgirl. “She’s deﬁnitely the star of the trailer park with her detailed exterior and interior paint job!”

We love the joy people get when they stay with us and that we are able to share these adorable glampers with everyone, even people who wouldn’t normally camp. One of the teepees called “Debra’s Vintage Rose” also has a special place in Kaci and Sterling’s heart. “This one was created on behalf of one of our beloved antique dealers, Debra, who recently passed away after ﬁghting a courageous battle with cancer”, Kaci says with fondness. “She dealt in all things vintage and taught us so much about the antique business. She loved to share her knowledge with us and we loved learning from her.” When I ask about famous guests Kaci does admit that one of Sterling’s highlights was the day that they served Miranda Lambert boxed wine and let her use their restroom. “He tells that story to every passer by and to everyone that uses that particular restroom!” she laughs. “We always say we should have a camera guy following us around, especially during Texas Antiques Week! So many people from all walks of life come to town. For a town with a normal population of 90, there are at least 100,000 people here during the show. This creates a dynamic 36

vintagetrailermagazine

like no other. Kind of an unexplainable little Vegas vibe; without the gambling!” “We love the joy people get when they stay with us and that we are able to share these adorable glampers with everyone, even people who wouldn’t normally camp. We’re proud to say that all of our guests are genuinely happy glampers.” Kaci and Sterling feel that their uncle Sterling McCall, Jr. would be proud of what they have created with his space, as apparently he loved large family gatherings and socializing. “Although he unfortunately passed away before the Glamp Inn was created, we like to think he would be thrilled at the way we have created a space that not only preserves the vintage trailers but is also a great place for families and friends to get together, unplug, and connect for an unforgettable, unique experience”. And of course I couldn’t leave without asking: “What is the go with that trailer on the roof?”

Kaci laughs as she recalls how they had bought a really cheap trailer that they had intended to do up themselves. When they realized that it was going to be a much bigger job than they had anticipated, they decided to put the “little gutted shell of a trailer” on the roof of The Glamp Inn instead. “My husband, the forever ‘We can do it’ guy decides, after a few beers, to ask a few guests to help him carry this trailer up the stairs to the rooftop deck. So there’s these poor guys walking it up the unfinished staircase, with no side rail ‘Fred Flintstone’ style where it now sits with curtains, flower boxes, and a chandelier, as our sign.” Kaci laughs. “Eventually, we hope to finish it out to be our rooftop bar because we know it’s not coming back down anytime soon!” Lone Star Glamp Inn can be found at: 4212 S. St. Hwy. 237, Round Top, Texas 78954 www.lonestarglampinn.com For bookings phone: (512) 797-9815 vintagetrailermagazine

Where We Went

DEEP IN THE HEART…

Bluebonnets, Brownfield & The Junk Gypsy Prom WORDS & PHOTOS LISA MORA

lthough it had been over ﬁve months since I had driven down to New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, it felt much less than that and very much like Déjà vu to be heading back down south again revisiting familiar territory in California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico as part of this big Texas Road Trip. Because I have done the Reno to Las Vegas to the I-40 and Route 66 way so many times now, and was too nervous about driving the Hudson through the snow to take the eastern route down through Salt Lake City. Plus, I am always looking for any ways to add more black lines to the map of America I have on my bathroom wall, I decided to take the I-5 all the way to LA where I then hooked into the 210 (bad idea that!) down to Palm Springs. Even though I went to college in L.A in the

On our way to the Junk Gypsy Prom

vintagetrailermagazine

eighties and my college roommates all went to Palm Springs for Spring Break and there’s a really cool vintage trailer show there every year and they apparently have awesome mid-century architecture that I LOVE, I still have never managed to get there. Much to my disappointment I was not able to stop there this time either. The 210 through Pasadena had taken up so much of my time that I was already running very late to get into my next stop: Quartzite, Arizona that night. Oh and I’d also lost ninety miles and one night the day before when my car’s Universal Joint had to be replaced in Bakersﬁeld, California… Ah, but I digress! As, it so often does, did my journey! On day one I drove from Oregon to Lodi, California. Day two was supposed to be to Castaic (just oﬀ the I-5 adjacent to Ventura) until the disconcerting wheel shudders and rattles had me phone ahead

to a mechanic in Bakersfield. Fortuitously, as it turned out, before my U-Joint gave way completely, which it was on the verge of doing had I not stopped to get it checked out when I did. You’ve heard of the saying “Know Thyself”? My road trip mantra is: “Know Thy Car”! If it makes any sounds that seem different from usual I always get it checked out! U-Joint replaced, day 3 was the 210 to the I-10 and on to Quartzite fiasco. Long. No time to stop at Palm Springs…

bummer! In Quartzite I joined up with another Sister on the Fly Marci and we drove together continuing along the (as yet unchartered by me) highway I-10 skootching though Phoenix to Tucson and the most expensive RV Park I have ever stayed in ever: The KOA in Tucson that charged a whopping $60 (and apparently that was the discounted rate!) for the night (and no, I did ask but that did not come with a free margarita, but we were able to order one for $8 and take it into the nearby pool and spa!)

We had met up with the other part of our Texas convoy and all three if us crossed the Arizona/Texas border and continued on to El Paso that night. Continuing along the I-10 on what was now day six on the road for me we stayed at Fort Stockton before spending day seven driving across pretty arid landscapes and USA/Mexico border patrol checks into the lush rolling green hills, wildﬂowers and verdant trees of the much welcomed oasis of the hill country east Texas region. Parked up on the riverbank at the River ranch RV Resort

The Junk Gypsies “Wander Inn”

vintagetrailermagazine

in New Braunfels, Texas, I felt more like I was back in sub-tropical Queensland, than in Texas. My campsite was right on the riverbank. We stayed there for four days as part of the Sisters on the Fly “Taste of Texas” event. I swam in the river every day and it was so cool and refreshing and reminded me of Maleny. After seeing all the sights of San Antonio with chartered trips to the Mercado and a fully catered riverboat cruise, with plenty of time to rest and recuperate, swim and relax, it was time to pack up and move to the next destination: Round Top, Texas for the Junk Gypsies from HGTV’s Vintage Trailer Show and Junk-O-Rama Gypsy Prom. Yeeha! Not only was this a chance for all of us to don our vintage ﬁnest ﬁnery, bling bling and fussery, it was a top notch night of great music, way too much dancing

and just a few bottles of smuggled in Champagne (Shhh….) and, No, Dusty and I did not get in trouble for dancing on the tables by one very grumpy Texas cop! Wherever did you hear such a vicious rumor? After so much fun, frivolity and friendships formed with the locals of Round Top (who are awesome and amazingly welcoming by the way!) it was with much sense of sadness that we merry band of roaming Gypsy women packed up and moved on yet again to destinations all across the land. I hate that moment. It always makes me shed a tear or two as your latest newfound family leaves you in solitude once again and waves goodbye as they set oﬀ in all directions. Where was I going to go next? I had an idea of the general direction,

River boat cruising in San Antonio

Pixie Angel loved the Texas wildflowers

Sharing fireside time with Miranda Lambert and friends at Wander Inn – Bonus!

Angela BishoffRoss with her 1961 Mobile Scout “The Hive” that was our issue #33 cover star

vintagetrailermagazine

Sister #2 Becky Clarke’s 1957 Westerner “Amazing Mazie” was named after her mother and was our issue #26 Cover Star back in 2015

Celebrating Easter Sunday – Sister style!

k Selfie with the Jun ie Gypsies Aimee & Jol

Dusty and I on our way to the Junk Gypsy Prom

because I had two weeks to kill until my next even in Las Vegas. My plan was to wind my way slowly north towards Santa Fe, catch up with my friends there, and head to Flagstaﬀ after to catch up with another friend before meeting up with one of my hot rod buddies and cruising together to the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. I had much to look forward to, but still this feeling of sadness enveloped me at the impending farewells. When, after our ﬁnal days scheduled photo shoot with Dusty’s Shasta was done, Dusty asked me which way I was

traveling and told me that was the same way she was going and asked if I wanted to travel with her and that I’d be welcome to stay with her for a day or two to recover before moving on to Santa Fe, I was quite relieved! I relished the chance to caravan and then chill for a bit with such a fun and creative kindred spirit. Even though Dusty’s home town of Brownfield was quite a scenic contrast from the abundance of wild flowers and green fields and trees that I’d had the pleasure of only days before, I had a really relaxing time being so far away from all

the hustle and bustle of everything in what felt like the middle of nowhere and very much “Deep in the heart of Texas”. Thank you Dusty and Cory! From Brownﬁeld I drove across the very gusty windy plains through Roswell, New Mexico, famous for its Alien sightings, up to Santa Fe and my regular Santa Fe home at Santa Fe Heights RV Park to visit with my good buddies Harvey and Randy who make the best Margaritas in New Mexico! I also stopped in to check out the nearby Vintage Trailer Supply Distribution vintagetrailermagazine

Center currently undergoing renovations in anticipation of its Grand Opening next year. During my stay in Santa Fe I experienced snow and freezing overnight temperatures and wind so fierce that I was forced to delay my departure until the winds died down fearing the effects on my teeny tiny trailer if I attempted to drive down the mountain to Albuquerque in the gale force icy winds that did not cease for several days. As soon as the winds died down, I headed down the hill for Albuquerque, where I stopped in to say “Hi” at Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post before hitting Route 66 and the I-40 west again to Flagstaff, Arizona where I caught up with my buddy Allen and had a great photo shoot with the talented Route 66 Images photographer Effren Lopez at the Neon-adorned Galaxy Diner back on old Route 66. The next day I caught up with Ritchie in Kingman, Arizona where we also happened to cross paths with Dan from the TV Show Fantom Works who was doing a Route 66 tour with some buddies in their Corvettes. I had no idea who he was, but Ritchie did, and after a random encounter in the parking lot of the iconic El Travatore Motel we found ourselves suddenly doing a Facebook Live feed to his viewers, which was absolutely hilarious fun! It was only 250 miles from Kingman to Las Vegas; an easy one day cruise and we made it in good time to the home of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend; The Orleans Hotel. The next few days were a total blur of Rockabilly goodness, with the legendary Car Show this year featuring Jerry Lee Lewis and the Stray Cats on the stage! OMG! OMG! OMG! Pinch me now! I think I died and went to heaven that day! After six weeks on the road, I eventually wound my way back to Oregon after all this madness and fun, with a little side trip to Pismo Beach Vintage Trailer Rally thrown in there for good measure as well! It was, as it always is, exhausting, exciting, fun, a little nerve-wracking at times and it took me a good few weeks to recover afterwards, but as it always does after a big road trip, it wasn’t long before I was gazing longingly on my map in the bathroom pondering the next “big one”. 42

vintagetrailermagazine

Marky Ramone stopped in to visit

Classic cam ping

AT THE LARGEST NOSTALGIC CAR SHOW IN THE WORLD

Virginia City Reno/Spar ks AugUST

3rd - 4th

AugUST

7th - 12th

Hot August Nights Vintage Trailer Revival will be the talk of the park, trailer park that is! Vintage trailers 1976 and older will be able to dry camp for the week long event. New this year, each day campers will get to experience fun and unique mini events like a pot luck and scavenger hunt! Visit www.HotAugustNights.net for a complete list.

r e g i s t e r

hotaugustnights.net

f o r

2 0 1 8

t o d a y

775.356.1956

CELEBRATING AMERICA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH CARS AND ROCK N' ROLL

! p i r T Road  EVENTS GUIDE  JUNE 29 – JULY 1: RALLY ON THE ROGUE Riverside Park, 304 E Park St, Grants Pass, Oregon 97527 Bring your trailer and show oﬀ your baby. Campers have fun at the campsite as well as enjoy a Friday Night Pot Kick-oﬀ in the Historic District of Grants Pass. Lots of fun activities planned thoguhout the weekend with the “Open to the Public” displays on Saturday 10 – 4 and Sunday 10 – 2. Vendors & demonstrations and information sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. Learn from the experts – great tricks and tips. Local wineries and Craft Breweries will be featured in our Local Faire Garden For more information visit: www.rallyontherogue.com

JULY 4 – 8: GRAFFITI WEEKEND VINTAGE TRAILER SHOW 3500 NE Diamond Lake Roseburg, Oregon 97470

Blvd,

Welcome to the First Annual Graffiti Gathering and Trailer Rally. Graffiti Weekend is the premier car show event in the Pacific Northwest. You can start arriving on Wednesday, July 4th to set up no earlier than 10am. The event runs until Sunday July 8th at 2pm. Plenty of room in wide open field. Payment on arrival will be $50.00. 44

vintagetrailermagazine

Teardrops and Vintage Type trailers will be given preferred parking. Entry fee includes two breakfast tickets and a BBQ ticket for Thursday evening. Breakfast is planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You can purchase extra meals for $6.00. Friday night will be potluck focusing on Dutch Oven cooking. Saturday night is a Chili feed so bring a can of chili and a bag of chips to share. The fee includes your campsite, water (no hookups), garbage service and restrooms. Off-site showers are also available. Your welcome package will include your meal tickets, a dash plaque and information about all the Graffiti Weekend events. Event T-Shirts will be available for purchase. Be aware that the public will be excited to see your trailers but we are limiting the time that they have access to the area. Any questions contact Ray Perry at Ray@RayPerry.com or phone: (541) 670 7479, or text: (707) 245-8376. For more information on the event go to: graffitiweekend.com

JULY 20 – 22: RALLY ON THE RIVER Pioneer Park, Park Avenue, Brownsville, Oregon 97327 This is the ﬁrst annual Rally on the River vintage trailer event. Bring your vintage trailer and camp in the shade along the

river at Pioneer Park in Brownsville. Pre registration is required. $35.00 per night two night minimum. We currently have power for 45 campers but I have made arrangements to setup a generator for another 45 campers if needed. Water is available but not for hooking up to your trailer. There are bathrooms and showers available. We want this to be a family event, so bring your kids and grandkids. There will be games for the kids, Horseshoe tournament for adults. The famous Glenn Dow will be putting on a painting class. There will be music Saturday night along with a potluck. Make Checks out to Wade Long put rally fee at the bottom of check! No refunds after June 22nd 2018. Mail to Wade Long 2495 Marcola Rd Springﬁeld Oregon 97477. Facebook event link: www.facebook.com/ events/2063958917171875/

JULY 27 – 29: HOOTENANNY VINTAGE TRAILER RALLY 316 NE 389th St, Woodland, WA Bring your Vintage (or Vintage in spirit) Trailer and camp on 10 acres along side Vintage treasures at this fun-ﬁlled event. Your weekend costs include: early shopper entry, trailer night glow & live music Friday and Saturday, appetizers Friday & dinner

Places to visit and things to see and do. Road Trip! is your essential guide to upcoming events, rallies, gatherings and campouts in the coming months. Saturday, access to the beer and wine garden (Friday night 21 and over only), movie night, showers & bathrooms, dishwashing station, & shared power. Rally attendees can sell their goodies outside their trailer too within a 10 x 10 space or under your awning! There will be a public trailer open house from noon-5pm on Saturday, but opening is optional. NO PETS ALLOWED. You can arrive as early as Wednesday the 25th and stay as late as Monday the 30th at no additional chargeTrailer parking will be decided upon based on the time you are planning to arrive and the length of your trailer. SPACE IS LIMITED TO 40 TRAILERS. Public event times are: Friday 4 -7pm & Saturday 10am – 5pm. Link to registration form: https://downrivertrailers.wufoo.com/ forms/z1txzjbw0lsthh9/ Link to main event: www.facebook.com/ events/167501293845039/

AUGUST 7 – 12: HOT AUGUST NIGHTS 2ND VINTAGE TRAILER REVIVAL Washoe County Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, Reno, NV. The biggest little city in the world puts on the biggest and best car show event in the world! All 1976 and older vintage trailers of all shapes, sizes and condition are again invited to camp at the beautiful and lush green pastures of Washoe County’s Rancho San Rafael Regional Park for the 2nd Hot August Nights Vintage Trailer Revival. Entered Trailers can also take part in a Show-n-Shine and parades. Don’t worry if your trailer isn’t a “show trailer”, just come along for the fun! Despite the name of the event, the nights in Reno are actually quite cool, so you’ll be ﬁne

without your A/C! Cost for the event is only $250 for the week, the cheapest accommodation in town and only 5 minutes from all the action downtown. Showers, restrooms and security provided with gates locked to the public after 9pm. Room for over 100 trailers! To book go to: hotaugustnights.net/vintage-trailer-revival

AUGUST 17 - 18: KUSTOM KULTURE FESTIVAL The Point Casino & Hotel, 7989 NE Salish Ln, Kingston, WA 98346 The Kustom Kulture Festival i s dedicated to promoting and preserving public interest in the cars, music, and culture of the 1950’s and 60’s. A charity car show and music festival, 100% of the proceeds beneﬁt the YWCA ALIVE shelter. For more information go to: www.kustomkulturefestival.com

AUGUST 24 – 26: 3RD ANNUAL VINTAGE CAMPER RALLY Fantasy Island Campground, 401 Park Dr, Sunbury, PA 17801 Friday night: 8pm Bingo followed by campﬁres and trailer talk. Saturday: 10:30am Canvas Painting Party ($5/Canvas all ages welcome) Dynamic Wings Concessions, Wine Tasting with Olivero’s. 1pm - 4pm “Tour of Homes”. Awards: Best “Oldie,” Best “Goodie,” Best “Newbie” Vintage, and Best in Show. 6pm Hamburger & Hot Dog Cook-Out/Pot Luck, 7:30pm Winners Announced/Raﬄe. 7:30pm-10:30pm Entertainment: “Randy Renard”. For more information email: fantasyislandcampground@yahoo.com To book your site phone: (570) 286 1307

SEPTEMBER 4 – 10: 18TH ANNUAL MT BAKER VINTAGE TRAILER RALLY The Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center, 1775 Front St Lynden, WA 98264 Held every year the weekend after Labor Day at the NW Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden, WA. This is ﬁeld camping with no assigned spots. You pay and register upon arrival. (Cash, check or credit card) Showers, restrooms and RV dump station are on site. Power and water is abundant and available for most everyone with extension cords and water splitters. Cost is: $25 per night and one time rally fee of $15 (+ 3% for credit card payments). All are welcome to attend. Those trailers that aren’t vintage or ‘in the Spirit of vintage’ will just be asked to park in a designated section along the perimeter. Join the Facebook group: www.facebook. com/groups/650646165103381/

OCTOBER 11 – 18, 2018 2ND ANNUAL MONSTER MASH VINTAGE TRAILER RALLY Cottonwoods RV Park & Campground, 4170 N. Oakland Gravel Rd Columbia, MO 65202 $30 per night all activities included. Oktoberfest food & beer. Fun monsterthemed activities. Vintage Trailer Open House and more… To reserve your spot email: contact@cottonwoodsrvpark.com or phone: 888-303-3313 or (573) 4742747

= Events Vintage Trailer Magazine will be attending

To advertise your vintage trailer friendly event here for free email details to: editor@vintagetrailermagazine.com

vintagetrailermagazine

Services Directory

Welcome to the Great Indoors!

Our little hotel has all the fun of camping, minus the bugs & unpredictable Texas weather. We house 9 vintage glampers and 8 teepees at our indoor “glampsite.” Plan your next girls’ weekend, bachelorette party, family reunion, or workshop weekend at one of the most unique lodging experiences in the US!

Lorem ipsum

4212 S. St. Hwy 237, Round Top, Tx 78954

www.lonestarglampinn.com

vintagetrailermagazine

Whether you call it a vintage trailer, a camper, a coach, or a caravan, it just isn’t complete without a custom awning from Pink Flamingo Awnings. Our custom awnings reflect your personal style and enhance the personality of your vintage trailer.

PinkFlamingoAwnings.com | 541.621.7333 PinkFlamingoAwnings@gmail.com

Custom built Bondwood caravans built in Australia and shipped internationally

Join us for the 2ND ANNUAL

Vintage Trailer Rally October 11 - 14, 2018

Monster Mash Weekend

Oktoberfest Food & Beer Fun, Monster Themed Activities, Vintage Trailer Open House, and More! Unit 3/14 Hilldon Crt Nerang, Queensland 4211, Australia Phone +61 0414 944 850 Email woodycaravans@hotmail.com Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

www.woodycaravans.com.au

Cottonwoods RV Park & Campground 5170 N. Oakland Gravel Road Columbia, MO 65202

$30 per night, all activities included with this rate Reservations: 888 - 303 - 3313 (573) 474 - 2747 contact@cottonwoodsrvpark.com

Wide Whitewall Trailer Tires Trailer Wheels

2.5 inch whitewall on left. 15 X 6 inch Gennie Chrome wheel above.

It is never safe to run passenger car tires on your trailer. We offer Extra-Load Trailer Tires in Load Ranges C-D-E. Tire sizes: 13, 14, 15 and 16 inch diameters. Let us build you a set of new wheels for your trailer to go along with your new tires. We also supply whitewall tires to match your tow vehicle. Friendly advice is a phone call or email away

Motorspot, Inc.

427 Industrial Way, Unit C Fallbrook, California 92028 Phone: 760-731-8301 www.trailerwhitewalls.com vintagetrailermagazine

Services Directory

RENT THIS SPACE! Tin Can Tourists is an all make and model vintage trailer and motor coach club. Rallies, trailer information, thousands of pictures, Facebook group and free classified ads

www.tincantourists.com

vintagetrailermagazine

VTM oďŹ&#x20AC;ers great value online and print advertising packages giving your business access to our 30,000+ customers. For your copy of the VTM Media Kit email ads@vintagetrailermagazine.com

Quality Crafted Weatherstripping & Rubber Seals

800-230-5824

rv.steelerubber.com Access Door, Compartment Door, Front Door, & Ramp Gate Seals 3M Peel-N-Stick, Glue & Push On Seals

50 YEARS

Vintage Weatherstripping!

FREE Catalogs Available

NEW

A3337

SUPERIOR ODOR CONTROL • Works around the clock in all weather conditions • Liquefies waste and breaks down tissue FAST to prevent clogs • Strong detergents clean tank walls and drain lines

From the RV Sanitation Expert!

NEW Shotz™ Micro Concentates!