Check out today's TJJ entry. I saw a couple trailers at the roundup but didn't get a chance to check them out. Anyone have any pics of the interiors? Or any pics of cool vintage trailers in general?
I will see if I can get some pics of my cousin's trailer this weekend. It is a 60s model (I believe) that looks suspiciously like the 1953 Southland. The body is identical with the exception of one window, and the interior has one bed up front instead of two. It is still somewhat rough, but very functional and incredibly cool looking.
Here's one I'm restoring. Late 40's 10' long, 5' high. The front floor lowers to the ground by cables when (hopefully) stopped so you can stand up to change or cook. Probably homemade by airplane factory guy after the war, seams are all lapped, cause nobody who's into vintage trailers has ever seen one of these including Craig from Vintage Vacations. If you have...let me know.
heres my 63 scotty camper. hot rod camping is really fun. even if your the only one an old car. you should see the look on everyones faces when me and the family roll into the campground.. the wagons gone so ill be towing this with the merc this year.. do a google search for (vintage vacations) some real nice campers there, some for sale too..
That Sparton Manor kicks ass! Pssst... Theres a Sparton Royal on Ebay with a dirt cheap starting bid... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VINT...ewItemQQcategoryZ66470QQitemZ4627949103QQrdZ1 Lucky west coast fuckers... Rich
Try this album of mine... Vintage Vacations Rally There is one coming up next month that I plan to shoot also. Click on the pics to see more!
There's a pretty nifty couple books on Airstreams and the people who are doing the neo-vintage bit with them at my local B&N. I keep flipping through them, part of me wants to buy one. I still want to see a 1940s or '50s roundback schoobus converted into a motor home.
A few years ago, I ran across a company that made new campers in the old style, complete with birch interiors. They were sweet looking things and pretty reasonable...compared to the price of a "modern" camper. I kept the link forever, but, for the life of me, I can't find it now. Anyone know the company I am talking about?
One of these days I'm going to get myself a teardrop trailer to pull behind the bel air for those weekends when I just want to seperate myself from everything.
I'm old enuf to remember campin' in one. Actually, Pop bought one in '67 and landed it on our property in da UP. It became our 'vacation home' from '67-'72 as he cleared the land and built the cottage. It was from about '55 if I recall, but I cant remember the name of it - even tho we passed the nameplate by the door a gajillion times - eyeball high for a kid. Wasn't important at the time. while the exteriors of the old trailers are cool - it was the interiors that rocked. For some reason, the standard interior building material of a '50's trailer was birch veneer - lots of birch veneer - on every flat surface, and a few that weren't. When the light was right, the insides of the trailer glowed. Even on a rainy day, the warm yellows of the wood and varnish were cheerful - made bein' cooped up inna tin box all the more bearable. I had to share a bed with my kid brother in an alcove only big enough for a bed. Felt blissfully secure in that little hidey-hole of a room - to this day, I'm more comfortable sleeping in small spaces. We eventually sold the thing (a 2 bedroom unit - 8' wide and 30-ish feet long) for $600 in '73. I do miss it - or at least the memory of it. thunderstorms and hail inna tin box. If you think a hot rod's a wild ride...
I'll try to scan some pictures of my former 63 Airstream Bambi. It was 16' feet long from the front of the hitch to the bumper and really cool. I sold it to a guy that towed it to CA for resale. It was on the Iowa Boys website for a long time and may still be. According to the man I sold it to, Brad Pitt bought the crazy thing. I wonder if he and Jennifer are fighting over it in the divorce... That's the unfortunate thing about the Airstreams, everyone is kind of onto the value of them now and it is hard to find a decent one that is affordable.
Korny, that thing is gorgeous. Hey I have always wanted the Clipper I believe that looks like the Rocketeers helmet.....I think it is a 40ish model. I love em.
I was wrong on the years but here is what I want. http://www.maxitear.com/trailers/clipper/clipper.htm
I'll tell you what. I absolutely LOVE camping - and I have been hot to trot on building myself a teardrop camper to tug behind me. Seeing that on TJJ's front page send me into spank-off mode. I am on a very tight budget right now - trying to stay ahead of the game for awhile. I have to settle on a teardrop. I say that half heartedly. I actually am truely pumped about the teardrop!! But the idea is to progress up the scale. You know start small and work out the kinks - then ratchet up for the next size bigger - until, ultimately getting into a full 25(+) footer.... My mouth waters - and it has been for a while now as seen in this post a month or so back http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9197&page=2&highlight=camper I have been given the green light on the this project - and I am deep in the planning stages....a list of materials and time is all I need....
Ahh, what the heck, I can't shut up that easy. The reason that I have choosen the teardrop is kind of two sided. One - I get to build it myself!! and Two - teardrops are as traditional as eating supper at the table. Teardrops gained popularity during the depression because travelers who were going really long distances would just stay at a hotel or a relative's home (or whatever). The roads were not built as well as they are today and the camping trips weren't too far from home. Big 30' trailers were , well big, but most importantly expensive. Put that together with the pennywise attitude and the fact that camper/trailer plans were featured in almost every issue of Mechanics Illustrated, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science and Popular Popularity magazine on the rack and VIOLA teardrop fever.... Here are the links I have been refering to - I think you'll dig. They aren't as sleek as the fortresses featured in TJJ's front page, but they are a foot in the proverbial pool - checking the waters variety. They aren't all home runs, but they de-mystified the whole trailer construction thing for me. I've seen enought that I think I can do it all by my self. Here goes. http://www.teardropplans.com/ http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear00.htm http://www.westhoffdesign.com/michael/teardrop.htm http://www.teardrops.net/ http://www.samstoybox.com/teardrop/ http://www.mikenchell.com/ And here's a forum. (the next Atomic Industries target, lol - JJ) http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/index.php ahhh, that's plenty. Just google it....
here is a couple pics of a Spartan motor coach, er, bus that my dad is rodding right now... These are before pics....
bee's knees. If i was drinkin' milk, it would come outta my nose readin' that. That was a sayin' my great aunt Peg used, and she was born in aught four. bee's knees.
I love the looks of the old teardrop trailers, but didn't want to pay the price that some were trying to get. I built one about six years ago and dragged it all over the country on the Power tour with a flatty powered model A roadster. Had an absolute ball and slept cheap. Only thing I had to give up was a little dignity. I'd leave a picture, but I'm new to this site, and not to mention quite computer illiterate.
I love the looks of the old teardrop trailers, but didn't want to pay the price that some were trying to get. I built one about six years ago and dragged it all over the country on the Power tour with a flatty powered model A roadster. Had an absolute ball and slept cheap. Only thing I had to give up was a little dignity. I'd leave a picture, but I'm new to this site, and not to mention quite computer illiterate.
I've got a real beauty, a '47 KIT, built in California. It's a two person teardrop I bought for $650 way back when nobody wanted 'em. We made our son in that camper five years ago at Turkey Rod Run in Daytona. I'll put some pics up of it.
PS, it's called The Baby Maker. I've got a million great stories about that camper, it's like a member of the family.
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