What Got You Started in Vintage Trailers?
It’s not a common pastime, collecting and restoring vintage travel trailers. But each vintage trailer lover has a story about what brought them to the hobby.
In the Beginning
We had been regularly attending an annual music festival and one year there was a massive storm; we were miserable camping in our tent. We had to figure out how to keep our clothes and food dry, not to mention sleeping directly on the wet ground.
We had never pictured ourselves as camper owners - wasn't that something retired people do? But as our friends all slept comfortably around us in their cozy, dry RVs, we knew this would be our last camping trip in a tent.
The Search
After returning home, we started searching for our first camper. Initially the design of the Airstream was appealing, but we soon found that even older Airstreams were outside our budget. That pursuit for a unique look brought us to vintage Shasta campers. We only had an SUV for towing, so the small size (and small price tag) seemed right up our alley.
After losing a late 60s Shasta in the last seconds of an eBay auction, we joined the VintageShastaClub on the now-defunct Yahoo Groups site. We watched the message boards for a couple of weeks and then saw an ad from a fellow member for a 1962 Shasta SC, six hours away in Des Moines, Iowa.
A before shot of Ethel
The Find
That very next weekend we headed south to check out the 1962 camper. It was in fairly nice condition, aside from missing its wings. The seller told us the story of how the original owner was at a campground in the 80s and some teenagers made fun of the wings, so off they came after that trip, probably long-lost to the garbage dump. But we didn't care, and we bought it on the spot.
On the way home, we dubbed our "new" camper Ethel. The name seemed appropriately retro for a mid-century travel trailer.
Our First Restoration
We knew right away that the Shasta was worthy of a restoration, so we started looking for any information we could find about the proper way to restore it. As it turned out, the Vintage Shasta Club was a wealth of information.
When we saw that the Midwest Vintage Trailer Rally was scheduled to be held in Wisconsin, we set ourselves a deadline. We couldn't wait to show off our Shasta at the rally to other people who appreciated these old beauties. So it was full steam ahead; the only question was, could we finish it in time?
A Family Affair
It was our first time restoring a camper and we had no idea how long it would take, so it was all hands on deck.
Nicole was the researcher and resourcer of parts and supplies. John was the construction and paint specialist. John's mom jumped in to do the upholstery, and our boys Johnny and Bayley even helped with paint prep and clean-up.
It was a busy summer with many late nights.
The After
We did finally make it to Wisconsin, but it was a close call - we were working on the exterior lighting right up until the night before we hit the road. The wiring in these old trailers can be tricky sometimes.
At the rally, we found a whole community of vintage trailer lovers; there are actually other people who have multiple vintage campers, and don’t think you’re crazy! Life would never be the same for us again.
What About You?
Are you a lover or collector of vintage RVs? How did you get your start? Share your story in the comments section below!