Series: What should I know before buying a vintage travel trailer? Part 4
There’s a lot to think about as you get ready to buy your next vintage camper. Being vintage trailer lovers for 16 years, we have owned and camped in a wide variety of camper layouts. Over that time, we’ve learned about what features were important to us, and what was just nice to have. In this fourth part of our series, we’ll discuss what we think are the most important features influencing a decision on which vintage trailer to buy.
While some of these considerations are important for purchase of any camper, new or old, we’ve tried to focus on the factors that are more unique or specialized due to the age or size of vintage travel trailers.
Narrowing things down
You can quickly narrow down your search by identifying a few critical features. Think about the following to make your search a little easier. Most of these tips assume that you will actually be using your camper for regular camping adventures.
1. Do I need a bathroom?
This small trailer spotted at a rally has a bathroom with plenty of storage and even a tiny sink
Some older campers were completely without a toilet, and usually without a shower. How important are these features to you? Will you be staying at campgrounds with full amenities?
We’ve found that modern “porta-potties” can be very nice and easy to use and dump. We recently took a trip with a truck camper that had no bathroom, and found that a porta-potti was all that we needed. We could easily make stops at any point on our cross-country trip without having to wait for the next rest stop. We found a little spot to slide it into, and just slid it out whenever we needed it. Some vintage travel trailers have a closet that would be the perfect size for something like this.
Another consideration will be whether you are boon-docking at dispersed camping sites or campgrounds with no amenities. Do you need a bathroom so you can stay at sites like this easily? If you do have a bathroom with shower, does the camper have a grey-water tank that will hold the sink and shower water that goes down the drain? (Note, it’s possible to get a portable waste tank with wheels if your camper doesn’t have one.)
2. What kind of heating/cooling/ventilation needs will I have?
Think about what types of environments you’ll be camping in, and what times of year you will be camping. Many vintage campers are without air conditioning, though not all. Many do have some sort of heating component though.
The trusty, original furnaces in 60s-era Shastas often still work today
Check with the buyer to see what heating and cooling features are in the camper, and whether they are in working condition. Many times the seller doesn’t even know if appliances work, or what options the camper has, but it’s always better to try to verify this information before you buy it, if possible. Non-functioning appliances and heating/cooling equipment could add to your list of restoration to-dos, not to mention your long-term cost. Also, remember that just because the seller says they do not know, doesn’t mean they don’t work! It may be that they just never had a reason to use them.
3. How much sleeping space do I need?
This Spartan spotted at a rally includes a bedroom layout that is becoming popular with modern campers, the two twin design
How many people are you camping with? It’s actually pretty surprising the sleeping accommodations that are available in some vintage campers. This goes back to the efficiency in design factor. We’ve seen a 16’ camper that slept 6 people through a combination couches and dinettes that turn into beds and hanging canvas bunks. Even our old 13’ fiberglass Burro could sleep three people!
Another important consideration for sleeping space is whether you want to have a permanent bed(s), or whether you are okay with furniture that turns into sleeping space. While convertible furniture offers more flexibility for how you are using your camper, there is also a bit of work that goes along with making up and tearing down a bed every night.
4. Do I need a table?
This seems like a pretty basic question, but considering the variety of ways dining options are presented (in smaller campers especially), it is worth planning how you will use your new-to-you camper. Many vintage campers have a dinette table that turns into a bed. Others have couches that turn into beds, accompanied by fold-down individual dining tables. Others yet have none.
The 1949 Kozy Coach featured a collapsible table and bench for dining (photo courtesy of Western Michigan University)
Think about how much you want to eat inside. Most campgrounds have picnic tables at the campsite, so maybe it’s not that important to you. It is nice to have some sort of dining option inside for cold or rainy days, even if you don’t typically eat indoors while camping.
Will you be using the table for other activities? A table can also be a good feature for playing cards or games in the evenings. There’s nothing nicer than the glow of a vintage camper at night, with the light warmly shining on the real wood paneling.
Rather than watching TV, why not go retro with the whole experience and take along some vintage (or new) board games for playing on your camping trip? Our boys have some great memories of playing games together on our family camping trips with our little Shasta camper.
So many factors to consider
As you can see, there are many things to think about before buying a vintage travel trailer. We hope this series was helpful to those looking to jump into the world of vintage travel trailers.
Now that you know what you need in a trailer, click here to see current projects at Blueberry Hill Classics.
If you missed any of the previous articles, you can find the links for those below:
Part 1 (Vintage: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Your Goals)
Part 3 (Maintenance and Towing)
Please comment below if you’d like to share your perspective of camper features that are important to you, or if you have tips on what someone should know before they jump into owning a vintage travel trailer!