V TRAILERS e g a int
CAMPER Vol. 8, No. 4, Issue: 44 July/August 2019
One-OF-A-Kind
Ultimate Restorations
GOLDEN CARAVAN The magazine for all vintage camper trailer collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers.
RESCUE
R E S TO R E
R A L LY
We picked up a 62 Shasta trailer and the side looked like a kid took a stick to the side of it. It was bad. We brought the skin to Hemet Valley RV and they Made a new piece. The Bottom skin is new and the top skin was old, but they look identical. It had 6 inch lines and it turned out perfect. Thanks Guys. Great job. -Barry
What our customers DIAMOND QUILTED have to say about us
NEW ALUMINUM
ďƒŠ
Five Star Plus!!! Steve and his company demonstrate what customer service should look like. Thanks so much! -Glenn I recently purchased all of the siding,trim and entry door for an 1970 11’ foot trailer that I rebuilt using only the metal frame of the original trailer. I contacted Steve at Hemet Valley RV and sent him a side view of the trailer with the dimensions on it. Steve figured out what material I needed and the amount and sent it. Everything that I needed I received in a timely fashion and it was packaged in very strong boxes...Thanks so much for the great job Steve, I have no doubt that your business will have continued success, Great Job. -Wayne M.
2" x 6" diamond quilted aluminum. 24" width - .024 thick. High polish, raw mill or polar white finish.
Located in Hemet, California, we offer a wide variety of RV siding and camper siding for a variety of vintage camper trailers. Our panels and products are ideal when it comes to completing seamless repairs to siding, roofing and edging on your vehicle. Hemet Valley RV guarantees to deliver the results that you expect right to your door.
Extensive knowledge and quality materials. Very fair pricing and quick turn around time. Steve and Tammy are always helpful. -Larry
www.hemetvalleyrv.net 2
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VCT's new Capri Camper has polished quilted aluminum siding to give it a more "vintage" look.
Inside This Issue
WIN IT ALL FOR $10 CELEBRAT ING 34 YEAR S OF SAVING LIVES!
Giveaway Date is October 20, 2019
WIN A DELUXE GLAMPING PACKAGE FEATURING A 1954 FORD CONVERTIBLE AND 1957 VINTAGE WESTERNER CAMPING TRAILER
NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN! Tickets are $10 each 3 for $20, 8 for $50 17 for $100, 73 for $400 LAST YEARS LUCKY WINNER
of the 1954 Chevrolet Delux Pickup and Vintage Camping Trailer was Gerald Ernst from Sparks, Nevada who bought $200 worth of tickets to win!
2018 Lucky Winner!
For the past 34 years, the Intl’ Good Samaritans Safe Ride To get tickets, send Check or Money Order Program has provided safe rides for intoxicated drivers in the (and a self-addressed stamped envelope) to: IGS Lake Tahoe area for free. These safe rides are provided from the proceeds from a raffle for an Old Car, Truck, Motorcycle, 636 Anita Dr. or Camper. This year the giveaway raffle is Oct. 20 and the South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Raffle is for a 1954 Ford Convertible and a 1957 Vintage Or call 530-541-7300 Westerner Camping Trailer, plus nine other great prizes. Or purchase on our website Need not be present to win.
Purchase tickets with your Visa or Mastercard at:
GoodSamSafeRide.com See the full size ad inside of the back cover of this magazine.
Index 1961 Airstream Golden Caravan
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1947 Spartan Manor - Glamperfest
10
1956 Airfloat Land Yacht
14
Vintage Trailer Shapes
18
Vintage Trailer Vacation
20
Vinyl Wrapping Campers
22
1979 Silver Streak Deluxe Atlas
24
Valuing Unique Vintage Trailers
26
Not For Sale
28
SoCal Aristocrats Anonymous Rally
30
Automotive Grrraminals
32
Buying Your First Vintage Trailer
34
MarketingYourTrailer for Maximum Profit 34 Seasons Greetings
36
1952 Saratoga
38
USA Rally Calendar
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ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN PRINT AND/OR ONLINE WITH VCT MAGAZINE
Your subscription to the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine includes: • 20% Discount on classified ads on the Vintage Camper Trailers classifieds website. • FREE shipping on our books and back issues in our Camp Store. • Discounts on the rallies that we host. Coupon Code: CARAVAN
www.vintagecampertrailers.com ___________________________________
In the next issue of the VCT Magazine: Fiberglass Trailers? What have you got?
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American Tr a i l e r i t e By Paul Lacitinola Publisher VCT Magazine Volume: 8 - Number: 4 - Issue: 44 www.vintagecampertrailers.com vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com Published by: Paul and Caroline Lacitinola American Trailerites Some questions I ask may sound dumb, but I won't learn as much if I act smart. -Harold Warp, Pioneer Village, Minden, NE Inventor of Flex-O-Glass Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine is a non-denominational supporter of the vintage camper trailer hobby. We welcome all collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers.
Subscribe in the USA by mailing a check for $32 or by visiting our website. Available on line and in print. Any changes to your subscription must be made in writing. Your mailing indicia contains info about your subscription. PO Box 354, Elverta CA 95626 (916) 572-8554
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
I am writing this column in Troy, Ohio in a Starbucks with Wi-fi. We are traveling across the country with the Golden Caravan Airstream and finishing this issue of the magazine so we can go to press. Our routine has been to get up early, work a couple of hours and then hit the road or go exploring. Today was Caroline’s birthday so we had a special “birthday brunch” at a truck stop restaurant. The restaurant was owned by a Greek family so Caroline got a piece of Baklava with a candle in it. The joys of working from the road are worth the headaches. Last night, my daughter Grace and I saw our first “Lightning Bug”. It was really something to see spontaneous bursts of light in the night sky. Grace was even able to catch one – a worthy childhood achievement that most kids from the west coast don’t get to experience. We have passed by or stopped to explore 4 State Capitols: Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Topeka and Jefferson City. We have seen beautiful scenery and experienced things we have only read about like the Continental Divide and the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. We were able to visit Modern Litho in Jefferson City, MO. They print and mail the magazine for us. Modern Litho’s state of the art facility prints and ships over 500 niche magazines. Visiting this family owned business deepened our confidence that we are doing business with the right company. They are a large company and while we are not their biggest customer, they treat us like we are and rolled out the red carpet. We have also met great people along the way that have either met up with us intentionally at one of our camp outs or that we have serendipitously crossed paths with. The vintage Gold Striped Airstream is always a conversation starter. The gold stripe throws Airstream aficionados off their game. It is a fun story to share as we make new friends. The new Capri Camper mounted to our truck has been a comfortable retreat with its modern A/C and beds for everyone. For all the positives, there are a few challenges. Wi-fi has been our arch nemesis. The first few days of work time were spent trying to figure out how to connect to the Internet rather than accomplishing any real work. Messing around with technology is part of the price we must pay to be working on the road. Thankfully, we have figured out how to create a workable hot spot off our phones so we can get on-line to work. My son Angelo took over our shipping department until he flew out to join us on the road in St. Louis, MO. There is a bit of boss versus parenting relationships that need to be worked through. While challenging, it is still a wonderful growing experience for all those involved. We are grateful that Angelo is responsible and is working at getting all the orders to the post office in a timely manner. Working from the road does present some extra hoops we have had to jump through, but it is worth every moment of consternation to make the memories and share the experiences we are having as a family.
www.vintagecampertrailers.com
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UNIQUE FEATURES:
THE GOLDEN CARAVAN A one-of-a-kind trailer with a mysterious past and a promising future.
A gold anodized band around the trailer. Factory painted gold trim. Fiberglass bathtub finished in gold metal flake. Dual axles on a 24’ Tradewind. Unique jalousie windows on both sides. Jalousie window in the entrance door.
By Paul Lacitinola Each and every week I am contacted by someone with a trailer name I am not familiar with. An Airstream on the other hand is probably the most easily recognized name in the trailering hobby. Even the layman knows what you mean when you mention an "Airstream". They probably immediately visualize a silver bullet, or Twinkie, but can hardly tell the difference between a 1950's model and the new Airstreams produced today. I always tell people that there were hundreds (if not thousands) of travel trailers produced from the late 40s through the 70s. Most of which were not well documented. Who would have thought anyone would care 70 years later? With Airstreams there is an abundance of information available. There are books, clubs, magazines, websites and archives that tell the history of Airstream. The company itself is the only one from the mid-century that is still in business today. Documenting an Airstreams origin and history should be a breeze, right? WRONG! To this day we can only speculate on what we know about the history of this trailer and for the time being, the FACTS may still be a mystery. 6
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Paul Lacitinola with Pete DeAcosta, the owner of Capri Camper in Bluff Dale, Texas. We outfitted our Ram 2500 with a camper that fit in our 6.5' pick-up bed allowing us to tow without hitch extensions. The camper features adult sized bunk beds and a queen sized bed. Room for us and the kids as we travel across the country with the Golden Caravan!
“It is to be an Airstream with distinctive external identification as a Golden Caravan; offered in a limited number of floor plans‌.it is to be built to the principle that no cost shall be spared in providing the finest and most advanced mechanical contrivances and materials for both world cruising and domestic pleasure travel; it is not to be customized for individual customers but shall be signed by Airstream.â€?
Found in an overgrown side-yard in Modesto, California by Gary Vulkich, this one of a kind Airstream will be featured in a television documentary by Ultimate Restorations and travel across the USA after being restored by trailer owner Paul Lacitinola and Tim Brown.
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What ensued waswas an an epic taletale of preparing, transporting to Whidbey Island, disassembling, andand What ensued epic of preparing, transporting to Whidbey Island, disassembling, attempting to simultaneously construct a functional travel trailer andand make an an artistic statement. attempting to simultaneously construct a functional travel trailer make artistic statement. I am a woodworker/designer, NOT an an RVRV technician, mechanic, experienced building contractor, I am a woodworker/designer, NOT technician, mechanic, experienced building contractor, or cabinet maker so so justjust about every possible mistake waswas made in the structural andand technical or cabinet maker about every possible mistake made in the structural technical realm. ForFor instance, installing thethe floor andand paintings before electrical andand plumbing. At the same realm. instance, installing floor paintings before electrical plumbing. At the same time notnot being aware of what is expected andand “correct”, allowed for for developing unusual solutions. time being aware of what is expected “correct”, allowed developing unusual solutions. After I was able to extract Monica from thethe corporate world, virtually every element of the design After I was able to extract Monica from corporate world, virtually every element of the design hashas been a collaboration. To To mymy surprise, herher aesthetic waswas as as eccentric andand whimsical as as mine, been a collaboration. surprise, aesthetic eccentric whimsical mine, herher attention to detail waswas even more refined, andand ourour drives were harmonious. attention to detail even more refined, drives were harmonious. Dinette area. of the 1920’s bronze sconces. Below: Monica Walter; spiral dining table. Top:Top: Dinette area. Left:Left: oneone of the 1920’s castcast bronze wallwall sconces. Below: Monica andand Walter; spiral dining table.
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Above: one of the 40 paintings - inspired by mosaics in the Mosque of Cordoba in Spain. Above right: view from the very back. Right: Top cabinet doors; bedroom area; drawer pull; parquet floor panel; switch plate.
More stories, pictures, and details about design, construction, materials, and processes are available on DillUhlsional.com/Airfloat. Unique details include: • Mollycroft (raised roof area) and front dinette bump-out. Framed with rolled square aluminum tubing. • 40 paintings based on mosaics in the Mosque of Cordoba in Spain. • 10,000+ piece fine hardwood parquet floor. • Original aluminum siding is painted with Kynar, an industrial architectural finish for aluminum. • Industrial rubber hose fabricated to fit on most exterior edges. • Tow vehicle is a 1999 F450 7.3L diesel box truck. It’s the woodshop where most of the work on the trailer has been done. • Original cabinets, which were painted white, are dark Philippine Mahogany. • Custom fresh and gray water tanks. Would we do this again? Certainly. We look at this trailer as a prototype. So many valuable lessons (are still being) learned, along with treasured connections made with numerous skilled and knowledgeable people. Write to Monica@DillUhlsional.com or Walter@DillUhlsional.com for questions and to be put on our email list. www.vintagecampertrailers.com www.vintagecampertrailers.com
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The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine, Back Issues and Subscriptions, now availablein Print and digital format on-line! Gift a Friend WITH The VCT Magazine Use this form or subscribe to this magazine on-line at: www.vintagecampertrailers.com
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Name _______________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________ City_______________________________________________State ______________ Zip ____________________ Email________________________________________________________________________________________ Start the subscription with ___ current issue ___next issue Phone (____________)_________________________ ___ Gift ___ New Subscriber ___ Re-newing $32.00 annually ($64 for two years) in the USA. Subscriptions outside of the USA must be done on-line. Mail this form with a check to: PO Box 354 Elverta, CA 95626.
Package for Vintage Trailer Owners
Oct. 25th to 27th, 2019 Breakfast provided Saturday & Sunday - Best Halloween Costume Contest - Best Halloween Decorated Vintage Trailer Contest - Murder Mystery Dinner Friday Night - Saturday Trick Or Treating Open To The Public - Pumpkin Carving Contest. Secure your site today.
Call To Book 877-624-4140 Visit www.EmeraldDesert.com/vintage 46
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WIN IT ALL FOR $10 CELEBRA TING 34 YEAR S OF SAVING LIVES!
Giveaway Date is October 20, 2019
WIN A DELUXE GLAMPING PACKAGE FEATURING A 1954 FORD CONVERTIBLE AND 1957 VINTAGE WESTERNER CAMPING TRAILER
NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN! Tickets are $10 each 3 for $20, 8 for $50 17 for $100, 73 for $400 LAST YEARS LUCKY WINNER
of the 1954 Chevrolet Delux Pickup and Vintage Camping Trailer was Gerald Ernst from Sparks, Nevada who bought $200 worth of tickets to win!
2018 Lucky Winner!
For the past 34 years, the Intl’ Good Samaritans Safe Ride To get tickets, send Check or Money Order Program has provided safe rides for intoxicated drivers in the (and a self-addressed stamped envelope) to: IGS Lake Tahoe area for free. These safe rides are provided from the proceeds from a raffle for an Old Car, Truck, Motorcycle, 636 Anita Dr. or Camper. This year the giveaway raffle is Oct. 20 and the South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Raffle is for a 1954 Ford Convertible and a 1957 Vintage Or call 530-541-7300 Westerner Camping Trailer, plus nine other great prizes. Or purchase on our website Need not be present to win.
Purchase tickets with your Visa or Mastercard at:
GoodSamSafeRide.com www.vintagecampertrailers.com
47