V TRAILERS e g a t in
CAMPER Vol. 7, No. 5, Issue: 39 September-October 2018
AN ENGAGING TALE OF A GIRL, HER MUSIC, A DUDE AND A TRAILER
The magazine for all vintage camper trailer collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers.
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Inside This Issue Index
1962 Streamline Countess- 10
1966 Comanchee (on the cover)
6
1962 World's Fair Alohas
17
Campers and Glampers Rally
20
Aristocrats Anonymous
24
VintageAirstream Club - 25 years
16
Fridge Fix, How-To
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1960 Comet
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1958 Oasis
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
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1962 Mobile Scout, 73 & 80 Years Young
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USA Rally Calendar
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Details on page 45
1962 Worlds Fair Alohas- 17
See ad on page 25
Vintage Airstream Club- 26 4
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www.CampMunimula.com
American Tr a i l e r i t e By Paul Lacitinola Publisher VCT Magazine Volume: 7 - Number: 5 - Issue: 39 PO Box 354, Elverta CA 95626 (916) 572-8554
www.vintagecampertrailers.com vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com Published by: Paul and Caroline Lacitinola American Trailerites The VCT Magazine is published bi-monthly January, March, May, July, September & November. What you want, Baby, I got it What you need, Do you know I got it All I'm askin', Is for a little respect -Aretha Franklin Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine is a non-denominational supporter of the vintage camper trailer hobby. We welcome all collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers.
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Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine reserves the exclusive right to reject or accept advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. The editorial content contained in this magazine does not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine (USPS Publication Number 15940) is published bimonthly (in January, March, May, July, September, November) by Vintage Camper Trailers, 8416 Elwyn Avenue, Elverta, CA 95626-9552. Periodical postage paid at Elverta, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Camper Trailers, PO Box 354, Elverta, CA 95626-0354.
WE BUY Vintage Camper Trailers, Bicycles, Cars, Motorcycles and Pick-Ups. (916) 992-1427
The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine relies on the community of trailerites to contribute vintage trailering happenings from all corners of the USA. Hobbyists can be found in every state in the nation and there is no way we could cover all of that ground without our readers help. We have been very fortunate to have trailer owners, photographers and writers share their works with us. We want the VCT Magazine to be a product of the readers. If you have a trailer that you would like to see in the magazine, please send us original high resolution photos and a bit about your vintage journey. We welcome contributions for the following features: • Before They Were Vintage. Photos from the period depicting vintage trailering. • How-To. We get many requests for how-to articles or tips and tricks you have discovered doing trailer restorations. • Vintage Vendors. Vintage trailers that have been converted into businesses. • Rally Recaps. Photos and a recap of a rally you attended. • Camp Vintage. Did you find a neat old campground that was in business back in the 1940’s - 60’s? In addition to the magazine we are also working on our third Vintage Camper Trailers book. This one will be a cookbook! Our first book was all about the people in the hobby. Our second book told about the rallies, how we got started and more of the people (and their trailers) that share in the hobby with us. Our next book will continue to be about the people in the hobby. How they cook in their vintage trailer space and their favorite recipes. Do you have a favorite recipe that would fit in one of the chapters of the VCT Cookbook? • BBQ. Cooking with Fire. • One Dish Delights. Crock Pot Recipes. • Cast Iron Cooking. Camp cooking old school style. • Vintage Appetizers. Fun recipes inspired by mid-century memories. • Make it Ahead. Dishes that travel well for camping. • Desserts. More than a Smore. • Catch, can and preserve. Recipes for the real campers who hunt, fish or pick their food and prepare it themselves in their campers. We would also like to integrate potluck, kids, and vintage vendor recipes into the appropriate chapters. If you want to be a part of any of this craziness. Let us know. vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com www.vintagecampertrailers.com
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AN ENGAGING TALE OF A GIRL, HER MUSIC, A DUDE AND A TRAILER NAMED NANCY ROSE 6
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As an artist, I have a love for all things with a story. That's how I first became a lover of all things vintage. As a professional singer/songwriter for the past 8 years, I knew I wanted to someday hit the road and share my message with a broader audience. So when I finally got the chance earlier this year, I knew I would need a reliable tour bus for my travels. Even so, I didn't want to give up my visual need for expression just by settling on something that would 'get the job done. Then I got to thinking: Why not fulfill my lifelong dream of owning a retro camper and take THAT on the road? Instead of staying in hotels each night, we'd be able to stay at local campsites and experience so much more of what each new city had to offer. My search for the perfect vintage camper began. I spent six months researching and contacting so many amazing people, wanting to know every detail about their camper, its weight, what kind of hitch it had, what restorations and modifications were made to it, etc. There were some lovely candidates, but nothing felt quite right. And then, there she was. Nancy Rose. I knew the instant I saw this retro 1966 Comanche that she would steal my heart. I mean, she was perfect. A light teal stripe wrapped around her 18-foot frame, and a floral decorated interior welcomed all who visited. Camping in her was like living in a life-sized Barbie house from half a century ago. She still had the original 1966 teal stove; a bumper sticker that read “Tin Can Tourist;” and a small wooden Dutch shoe on the key ring that was left by the original owner. She had been loved. You could just tell. Someone had hand-sewn pillows to match the curtains, took immaculate care of the interior and kept nearly everything original. She had a story, and I couldn’t wait to add more pages to the book.
By Alizabeth Von Presley
Just a few days after purchasing her, we hit the road. My band mates and I lived in the camper for a month, touring from Iowa to Memphis, North Carolina to New York, Ohio to Chicago. We put 4,800 miles on Nancy Rose on that first trip. There were a few growing pains and setbacks. We got a flat in North Carolina and wound up having to www.vintagecampertrailers.com
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1962 Streamline Countess She is comfortable in her own skin and proudly shows her age, and attributes her youthful appearance to exfoliation and endless hours of polishing. Story by Caroline Lacitinola / Photos by Paul Lacitinola The vintage camper trailer hobby started for Craig Thomas and his wife Diana when they purchased a 1956 Airstream Flying Cloud. It was only a shell, yet Diana was excited about the possibilities of fixing it. At about the same time, they found a 27 foot, 1951 Spartanette Tandem. Craig instantly was drawn to the Spartanette as he recalled spending time in one as a child in the mountains of New Mexico. With the emotional connection to the Spartanette, the Thomas family decided to restore this prior to the Flying Cloud. This was a huge endeavor as the Spartan needed a full restoration. Fast forward a couple of years and the Spartanette as been completed and the Thomas’ have added a 1962 Streamline Countess to their fleet of backyard mobile mansions. We
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caught up with them at the Trailers in the Trees Rally in Felton, CA. Amazingly, Craig and Diana have done it again! Cranking out an incredible, classic trailer that respects the period in which it was created, but utilizes some modern design features and amenities. Gold fleck automotive paint is the background for the backlit wooden feature that adorns the center of the ceiling running the length of the interior and containing the controls for the roof mounted air conditioning. The Jetson’s style “control center” in the kitchen appears to be right out of the space age when in fact, Craig just dreamed it up. The living area is dominated by a booth style seating area that contains the apparatus that causes the flat screen to rise out of the side
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
additional bed. The original fell woefully short of this. I rebuilt the dinette boxes, but we kept the original springy dinette bench seats. We are in the process of recovering those.
Additional Tasks
Speaking of beds, I rebuilt the gaucho bed in the back and bought a new futon mattress for it. No one needs to sleep on a mattress from 1964 in the name of authenticity. The lamps are original; one is red and the other amber. We replaced the electrical box on the exterior. The propane hurricane lamp is also original and functions perfectly. It was certainly interesting
At Heffrons.com we love receiving testimonials from our customers. But sometimes they become more than just a positive review, they become a story. Everyone who owns a vintage trailer has a story. The journey can sometimes be difficult, and there are many lessons learned along the way. However, once the project is completed, the reward for their hard work is that much sweeter. Heffrons recently received a testimonial from a customer named Kathryn who recently purchased a 1964 Shasta Airflyte which she named “Kitty”. You could tell from her writing she couldn’t be more proud of her work and Kathryn was kind enough to walk us through the transformation.
Initial Purchase
We thought it was in pretty good shape until we got it home and really looked closely. She has great bones and a solid foundation, but really needed some interior work. Previous owners had put plywood over the original walls and painted the cabinetry. We ripped out the front and back walls, replaced it with some nice wood that would bend to fit the curvature, and shellacked them an amber color. We repainted the cabinets since they were already painted, choosing a subtle color scheme. When we bought the trailer it was blue and red. We chose pale yellow and a light turquoise that matched the stove and ice box and added red accents like curtains.
Kitchen Remodel
I totally rebuilt the kitchen counter using half inch plywood along with the retro boomerang laminate, and metal banding from Heffrons. I replaced the sink, kept the original faucet, and replaced the pump faucet myself. I built the dinette table using the same materials as the counter, making it big enough to drop down in between the dinette benches to serve as an 36
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lighting that for the first time! I did update the propane tank, regulator, and hose, which connected seamlessly to the existing copper fittings. That was a nice surprise. We replaced the flooring as well. That part was easy. The outside will be repainted over the winter but is in decent shape now. The remodel up to this point took about 2 months. It was not a "frame up" restoration but was moderately extensive.
Final Thoughts
We stick within a two hour radius of home with her, mainly because of time restrictions. She is certainly road worthy to go farther though. She garners attention wherever we go. People, both young and vintage themselves, love to see her and reminisce about vintage campers. Our very first outing brought an absolute deluge of rain all weekend, but she leaked not a drop of water. The jalousie windows kept the rain out even while open, due to the nature of their design.
It was great sitting inside at the dinette playing cards and games and drinking wine while it poured outside. I have owned an expensive, large, obnoxious 40 foot diesel pusher, and I have tent camped. This is absolutely my favorite way to camp. She is light and easy, with no mechanical parts to break down. We are fully set
up to camp within 10 minutes of arriving!
See You Soon!
Every photo Heffrons receives from customers is unique because a little part of the customer can be found through their hard work and vision. No matter the project, big or small, we hope this story gives you inspiration of what is possible
and helps you come up with ideas for your own camper, trailer or motorhome. To learn more you can visit our website: www.Heffrons.com or give our office a call. We look forward to hearing from you!
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