September-October 2015 Volume: 4 Number: 5
Good News About Hard To Find Locks page 32
800k Trailers Roam America’s Highways
page 10
2016 Rally Dates Sure to fill up! page 39
The magazine for all vintage camper trailer collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers.
RESCUE
R E S TO R E
R A L LY
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Inside This Issue
The Good News pg. 32
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Vintage Resort pg. 14 2 Million Nomads pg. 10
Articles Two Million Nomads Lighthouse - A Vintage Trailer Resort Two Happy Endings Gypsy Chic - A Vintage Vendor
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Pictorials Gallaghers Starkraft Lil Ms Bliss 1970 Mountaineer Montana 1954 Traveleze Daisy, A Gluten Free Trailer Coke Inspired - It’s the real thing!
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Rallies Roslyn, WA Rally Riverbend Rally - Sweet Home, OR Trailers In the Trees - Felton, CA Tearjerkers 2015 Tiny Trailer Rally East Dummerston,VT Rally USA Rally Calendar
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Technical and How-To How To Install Laminate The Good News About Hard to Find Locks
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Publisher Paul Lacitinola Editors Caroline Lacitinola Nancy Veal Contributers to This Issue Thomas Miller Ilsa Hess Stacie Tamaki Richard Owens India Panico Zena Panico
American Trailerite By Paul Lacitinola Publisher VCT Magazine
Volume: 4 - Number: 5 - Issue: 21 PO Box 354, Elverta CA 95626 (916) 572-8554 www.vintagecampertrailers.com vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com Publisher: Paul Lacitinola American Trailerite The VCT Magazine is published bi-monthly January, March, May, July, September & November. I’d like to build the world a home And furnish it with love Grow apple trees and honey bees And snow-white turtle doves Vintage Camper Trailers is a non-denominational supporter of the vintage camper trailer hobby. We welcome all collectors, restorers, admirers and dreamers. SubscribeToday - See page 40 for details.
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 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, and Pick-Ups. (916) 992-1427
It is said that “variety is the spice of life.” The phrase pronounces that new and exciting experiences make life more interesting. Within the vintage camper trailer hobby, the two most obvious examples of “variety” are the models of trailers and the people. Not a week goes by that I don’t receive an inquiry about a trailer make that I have never heard of. At every event we attend we meet new and interesting people from all walks of life. The trailers bring us together as they are our common bond. They remind us of a different time in America’s history. A time that we try to preserve by restoring and protecting the things that remind us of the post-war USA lifestyle. Many small manufacturers of trailers entered the RV industry that was booming after WWII. This rush of builders made for many different makes of trailers being introduced, not all of which were able to stay in business long term. Leap forward 65 years and there are many “rare” trailers out there waiting to be rescued. We will be working with the California Auto Museum in Sacramento, CA to present a display that represents this era. It will run from November 2015 through April 2016 (See ad on page 46.) The variety of people in the hobby never fails to amaze me. We have met Santa Clause, a professional snow boarder, dentists, felons, television actors and an endless list of people that have their own story. Everyone has a story. Spending time with folks for 3-4 days at a rally gives you an opportunity to get know them. We see our “trailer friends” several times a year, for several days at a time. More often than most other friends and even most of our family. The variety of the people we have met inspired us to write a book. We wanted to share the stories of the people we have met in this hobby. This easy read coffee table book will be out in the spring of 2016. The stories will entertain, inspire and move you. We want to share not only the trailers with readers, but also the people that gave them new life. We have seen a variety of different rally formats in our travels. Some that have live bands and car shows, and others that don’t even provide electricity! Whether it is a full agenda or just rolling in and camping, change, and new experiences, make life, and vintage trailering, more interesting.
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Riverbend Rally Sweet Home, WA
The Rollin’ Oldies Vintage Trailer group is a loosely organized group of vintage trailer enthusiasts, based in Oregon. They have members throughout the Northwest and welcome all vintage trailer fans. An active group, headed up by Jerry Kwiatkowski, ROVT hosts vintage trailer rallies for members and welcome owners of retro trailers, teardrops, and motor homes. ROVT considers vintage trailers to be those built before 1980, or those built later with the same design as the original vintage trailers. Homebuilt teardrops are also welcome to attend their events. We attended this event’s open house on July 25th, 2015. The campground was beautiful with each site secluded amongst the large trees that provided shade and privacy. It was fun to tour each trailer as you could hardly see what was waiting for you in the next site. As always we made many new friends and we look forward to attending more ROVT events in the future.
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1954 Traveleze Dan and Sue Cutright Napa, CA
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Brattleboro North KOA Campground East Dummerston, VT photos by Richard Owens
1958 Ace (left) Airstream (above) 1964 Shasta Astrodome (below)
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1964 Aladdan (above) From top to bottom (right) 1967 Wildcat, 1966 Ace, 1964 Shasta, 1961 Serro Scotty
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PO Box 354, Elverta CA 95626
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