Daughter and son-in-law's vintage camper hobby


 
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Thanks for the valuable insight Rich! The plus of a motorhome for me is NOT having to tow anything (an irrational fear on my part). The negative side is having another drivetrain to maintain. I tried backing up my friend's tent trailer just to see what it's like...on the 5th try I managed to back it up my uphill-sloped driveway into my single wide carport without hitting anything! So I guess I could get used to it eventually, and a small, used trailer makes the most sense for us and our budget.




Thanks for all of the help and suggestions guys! I really appreciate the voices of experience![/QUOTE]


You can always have your better half guide you when backing a trailer up. Oh though I've heard 55% of all divorce cases start with that:rolleyes:
 
Hey Mike, check out something like an Aliner. It is a hard walled A-frame on a pop up sized base. Forest River and Chalet also make them as well. New prices are high, but used become much more affordable.
Mike Willis said:
I have Bob. They are nice and (unfortunately) hold their prices quite well! Plus, I discovered the hard way that the top of the door is lower than my forehead when I try to exit one!



Thanks for the valuable insight Rich! The plus of a motorhome for me is NOT having to tow anything (an irrational fear on my part). The negative side is having another drivetrain to maintain. I tried backing up my friend's tent trailer just to see what it's like...on the 5th try I managed to back it up my uphill-sloped driveway into my single wide carport without hitting anything! So I guess I could get used to it eventually, and a small, used trailer makes the most sense for us and our budget.



Yeah, looking around has amazed me too Jeff! The new, lightweight camping trailers are really nice. Some have GVWRs at 3500 lbs or less (that's my cutoff point for my Taco). One guy near our neighborhood had an older Shasta for sale for $7500.00. It looked REALLY nice...but I was taller standing next to it than it was! Moving around inside would have been interesting!

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions guys! I really appreciate the voices of experience!
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Rich Dahl said:
You can always have your better half guide you when backing a trailer up. Oh though I've heard 55% of all divorce cases start with that:rolleyes:
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Well Rich, she's been my guide for 42 married years (as of July 14th), so I'm guessin' we'll survive a few backing up mishaps!:D

Bob H. said:
Hey Mike, check out something like an Aliner. It is a hard walled A-frame on a pop up sized base. Forest River and Chalet also make them as well. New prices are high, but used become much more affordable.
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I've seen those online Bob and they look intriguing. I like that you can see over it when pulling it, like a tent trailer, but set up faster and no wet canvas to worry about.

I just need to hit some RV shows and look at the options that are out there, then try and find something we like on the used market.
 
Mike Willis said:
Well Rich, she's been my guide for 42 married years (as of July 14th), so I'm guessin' we'll survive a few backing up mishaps!:D

Congrats Mike on 42 years, you're 10 years ahead of Barb and I, and yeah we've survived a whole lot of backing up mishaps with as much camping as we, did it was inevitable.
Worst one wasn't backing up it was pulling out to leave, forgot to put the leveling jacks up, couldn't understand why the trailer was so hard to move, bent all four jacks. $400 to replace all four, never had the problem again.
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Well, since this thread is still showing interest, I'll add a little more.
I sent the link of this page to my daughter, she said thanks for not showing the mess we currently have around here. :)

Here's their 1955? Aljoa canned ham:
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Interior:
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And a 1957 Dalton canned ham:
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My daughter names them all.
I think Shelby Mae is the Aljoa, Sally is the 18' Silver Streak, and the 28 footer is Wildflower, can't remember the others.
Two were picked up local, the Shasta came from Colorado near where my oldest son lives, one from Little Rock, AR, one near St Joe, MO, and one in Michigan.
I asked Jeff, my son-in law, if he had been stopped for no plates on any of them when pulled home, he said not yet.

I'm giving them my 18" yellow kettle to keep things retro around the campsite.
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Here in MI you're allowed to tow your trailer home with no plates after a purchase, just need to have a signed and dated bill of sale. No idea what happens once you cross state lines.
 
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Thanks for the update Bob although its killing me, like I said I always wanted to do a older spam can rehab. Add the latest and most modern appliances inside with modern low draw LED lighting. Solar on the roof to charge the battery along with roof air, add a water tank and small grey water tank, light weight interior fixtures and paneling etc.
And restore the outside to it's original look.
Of course a retro truck of the same period with a modern power train and A/C to pull it would be nice too.
Ah well at least I can dream.
 
That is an awesome thing they are doing Bob. Really wish I had the skill to do something like that. The older campers are so nostalgic. I would take one of the older models over these new ones any day. They need to start there own show as there is one on GAC of a couple that has a business up in Washington state I believe.
 
Craig Alumbaugh said:
They need to start there own show as there is one on GAC of a couple that has a business up in Washington state I believe.
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Funny you mention that, I told them they need their own reality show.
Told them I'd grow a beard and be the grumpy old dude getting cuss words bleeped out.
 
Sally the 50 year old Silver Streak is road ready and they are heading for the Rockies.
I'll post pics when I get them, here's a b&w my daughter took a few minutes ago:

sally%252520silver%252520streak.jpg
 
Hate to bump this thread, but wanted to show a pic of Sally camped out in the Rockies.
Still waiting on some interior shots.

sally%252520in%252520the%252520mountains.jpg
 
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Love it, now that's camping with some comfort. Not like those huge motor homes that are like a five star resort on wheels, but to each his own.
 
Sally looks nice as she sits now in the Rockies, but imagine how cool she would look with that aluminum polished to a high gloss. She would be a show stopper
and they could probably get much more money for her. Just a thought.
 
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