sirdrakejr
Las Vegas, Nevada
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Joined: 11/18/2001
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My first trailer outing was with a rented 1965 Scotty 17 footer towed by my new Plymouth Fury wagon. That was a great combo. Then I bought my first trailer, a 1974 23' Kit Sportsmaster purchased in Alaska. It saw a lot of use and then I went to a Kit 5th wheel. Lots of changes since the first. I remember thinking the Holdiay Rambler trailer was WAY beyond my means but made me think of the future. Thnaks for the memories.
Frank
RV.net blog
For those of you looking for expert advice, here ya go!
Frank
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professor95
Mechanicsville, VA
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Joined: 10/03/2004
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Rubiranch wrote:There are 131 pages of them here, share your "vintage" RV pictures.
Thank you very much for the link to the You Tube slide shows and movies. I sat here and watched one after another - all with great enjoyment.
There was one slide that caused my brain to access some long forgotten memory cells. It was all the trailers lined up so that they appeared to be in a large camp.
I am one of the first WWII baby boomers who was born and raised in Oak Ridge, TN (often called the home of the atomic bomb). I have photos I need to find of Oak Ridge back in the construction era when there were thousands of trailers (not mobile homes) lined up in a construction camp. That photo has got to be one and the same.
I remember the teardrop plywood’s from my childhood, but never camped in one. I do remember a neighbor who had a camper he pulled with a behemoth '57 Buick Roadmaster. For some reason, the dolly wheels that he attached to the rear of the Roadmaster when he hooked up the camper made an indelible visual impression. Other than that, I can't remember squat about the camper.
I had another friend whose Dad was a Ham (as in Amateur Radio). They owned a small camper that hooked to the back of a ’54 Packard Clipper. Most weekends they would go out for camping with other Radio Hams and set up antennas and stuff in a field and see how many contacts they could make. The Packard had some sort of electric torsion bar rear suspension. When they coupled the trailer, the back of the Packard would make a whirring sound and lift to a level position.
It is fun to look back and remember when. The response to my postings has really been surprising. The world was a lot less crowded then and the amenities we expected were not nearly as demanding as they are today.
We often take our grandchildren camping with us. They demand their iPods, Gameboys and back seat DVD. Shucks, when I was a kid and we traveled my Mom and I entertained ourselves by counting dead animals on the side of the road and seeing how many different state license plates we could spot.
Camping was really camping - not modern day RVing. We had a smelly old canvas tent that Dad would haul out of the back of our ’53 Plymouth. Nobody asked for cable hookups, 50 amp electric, sewer or water. About the only thing I still posses from those times is a kerosene lantern and a Tru-Temper fishing rod and reel – and, of course – the memories. (But I have no real desire to go back to tent camping - we really love our RV camping).
So…… I tell my stories of “when I was a kid” to my grandchildren. They roll their eyes and mutter, “Oh no, not that story again!”
What’s sad to me is that there is so much I want to know from my Dad and his sister now that I can no longer ask. I really wish I had listened more closely to their stories and life experiences.
Professor Randy T. Agee & Nancy Agee, Mechanicsville, VA
2009 Cedar Creek 34SATS 5th Wheel - GMC 3500 dually
Generator Collection: Champion 40008 - ELM3000 - Kipor 2000Ti - Kawasaki 1400 - Champion 7,800W LPG (Home Back Up)
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jtbeck
Kentucky
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Joined: 04/23/2008
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Hey, we had that same Skamper PUP when I was a kid, too. Several of us here had that one, that's cool.
Our current deer camp camper is a Vega WheelCamper. I'll get some shots of it when I can.
Also, since a few of us have mentioned having that same Skamper, we should be posting some old pics of those, too. I'll scan some of Mom and Dad's old photos of the Skamper soon.
Thanks for the post, it sure was fun looking through those pics.
Me (69), DW (69), DD (95), DS (00), DS (01) and 1 camping toy fox terrier (08)
95 Fleetwood Utah, '00 Chevy Suburban LT 1500
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jtbeck
Kentucky
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Joined: 04/23/2008
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I thought you guys might enjoy this.
This is the Vega Wheelcamper that some of my hunting buddies are being kind enough to let us use this year at our deercamp. This is one of the most unique floor plans I've ever seen on a camper.
We spent today clearing the campsite with chainsaws, weed-eaters and rakes. So don't expect too much in the way of a nice tidy campsite in these photos. Inside or outside the camper.
Here we go.
This is the Wheelcamper in all it's glory!
Very strange name for a camper. I guess they wanted to differentiate it from all those TT's without wheels?
Here it is from the back:
Now we move inside. Be forewarned, we haven't gotten around to straightening up the camper yet. Be prepared for deercamp clutter when viewing these photos!
This is looking from just inside the door through the kitchen to the sitting area (lounge?). It's hard to tell from this photo but the mirror over the couch actually extends out over the couch. There's a bunk in the next room that extends over the couch. It's weird.
This is looking from the couch toward a little, narrow hallway that leads to the three rear bunks. Two on the back wall, and one over the couch area.
Here's a little better view of the hallway. Check out that crazy little half door! Do you suppose it leads to Narnia? Also note the iron scroll-work. You don't see much of that in campers anymore.
OK. This is me trying to give you a view of the bunk area from the hallway. The hallway is super narrow, and I couldn't back up enough to get a decent shot, so you'll just have to settle for this awful picture. You can clearly see the scrollwork underneath the front bunk, though.
This is a better picture of the bunk area. There's actually a pretty decent storage area between the bunks.
Looking from the bunk end towards the kitchen.
Here's from the kitchen/sitting area toward the dining area.
All in all, it's a pretty cool TT. I think it will sleep at least 6 people. I didn't get a picture of the bathroom. I just plain old forgot to take one. Right now it's full of archery targets anyway. I don't have any idea what year this camper is. I forgot to check for that as well. I'm assuming that it's early 80's or even late 70's. Hard to say.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.
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Horseplay
NC
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Joined: 01/03/2004
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Yellowstone?? used to make a camper just like it with THAT floor plan, was the best! I grew up with one. Parents slept on the front dinette. We kids could get up and have someplace to eat with a table, or leave our projects/games up in that back dinette.
The little door to the back was great for me to sneak out to go fishing and not wake anyone up. early'70's vintage.... Thanks for posting that. 
jtbeck wrote:I thought you guys might enjoy this.
This is the Vega Wheelcamper that some of my hunting buddies are being kind enough to let us use this year at our deercamp. This is one of the most unique floor plans I've ever seen on a camper.
We spent today clearing the campsite with chainsaws, weed-eaters and rakes. So don't expect too much in the way of a nice tidy campsite in these photos. Inside or outside the camper.
Here we go.
This is the Wheelcamper in all it's glory!
All in all, it's a pretty cool TT. I think it will sleep at least 6 people. I didn't get a picture of the bathroom. I just plain old forgot to take one. Right now it's full of archery targets anyway. I don't have any idea what year this camper is. I forgot to check for that as well. I'm assuming that it's early 80's or even late 70's. Hard to say.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.
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professor95
Mechanicsville, VA
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Joined: 10/03/2004
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jtbeck wrote:I thought you guys might enjoy this.
Harvest gold range hood, wrought iron accents, globe lights, orange plad cushions.
Yep, that's the stuff I remember from my VEGA too.
As for wheel camper..... this is my guess: If I remember correctly back in "those days" campers were the things that slid into the back of pick-up trucks. Trailers were exactly that - trailers. Perhaps this was VEGA's take on a camper with wheels (AKA trailer camper)?
Thanks for taking and sharing the pictures.
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nelson
Clio,Mi USA
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Joined: 07/01/2002
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I love to see many of the old RV's being used. Some have been restored and look like new and others show there age, What I like to see most is a young family starting out RVing in what they can afford and having fun and making memories as they do it no matter how old the RV is.
2002 Damon Challenger 348 Ford V10
Blue Ox Auto Stop and Aventa II Tow Bar
2001 Ford Sport Trac with Remco Driveshaft Disconnect
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nypatnva
Amelia Ct Hse Va
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Joined: 11/19/2005
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Hey Prof
I think I have that old Smokey. It is sitting out in back of my barn waiting to be restored. It needs a new ceiling and upholstery, probably start it in the spring. I have a 14 foot vacationaire and a 22" mobile traveler to finish first. Rebuilding old trailers is a UN-profitable hobby I have but have to do something in my retirement.
2000 Chev 1500 Silverado
1965 Airstream
Yamaha EF2800i generator
Prodigy
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professor95
Mechanicsville, VA
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Joined: 10/03/2004
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nypatnva wrote:Hey Prof
I think I have that old Smokey. It is sitting out in back of my barn waiting to be restored. It needs a new ceiling and upholstery, probably start it in the spring. I have a 14 foot vacationaire and a 22" mobile traveler to finish first. Rebuilding old trailers is a UN-profitable hobby I have but have to do something in my retirement.
Drop me an e-mail when you finish. I am close enough to cruise down 360 to take a peak. BTW, I spent the winter of '89 at Ameila Family Campground in a '84 Wilderness 22S while waiting to take possession of our new house in Old Church. Best I remember, it was COLD in that thing!
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KarenInTheWoods
Wisconsin
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Joined: 03/08/2008
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Here are mine through the years...
First off, as a child, we had a CamperBus from the 60's. Dad bought 2 busses and fixed them up, selling one to recoup the investment on both. It went through a few paint changes. First it was dotted with black sponges like a leopard, then next was green with a big W like a Winnebago, then finally a log cabin effect. We were the original Partridge Family before they even thought of it!
Then on to the 70's.... Dad bought this old Mayfair, I think it was a 1950's model. We would live all summer in it at the lake, and then in the winter it would be parked up on some leased logging land, where we would snowmobile in to get to it, even for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter (yes, Easter still has a lot of snow in the UP of Michigan)
Now it's the 80's and I am out on my own with my own family. After a few years of various tents, I fanaged to get this old Apache pop-up as a Mother's Day present. Gosh I hauled that old canvas monster for many a mile, and we had the best times! We would toss in the firewood, the kids bikes, and the lawnchairs, and off we would go! And it's still being used today!!!
On to the early 90's. We graduated up to a 1972 Winnebago Chieftan. Boy oh boy, did we hit the high life now! I had a water heater, a shower, and a real oven! AND a toilet... a God-send with having kids. I was able to get this for my own in my divorce, as my ex hated repairing it anyhow. I put on over 70,000 miles on it, just me and my kids. What a wonderful adventure, and LOTS of wrenching!
Ahhh met the man of my dreams in the mid 90's, who also didn't care to wrench on my Winnebago, so he convinced me to sell it and he bought us a new travel trailer in 96. ... it was a brand new 1997 33ft Sierra by Forest River. NEVER had I ever had anything SO NICE! And he put it in MY name, even though we had't even married yet. He wanted me to trust him, and also have a reason to sell the old Winnebago. We pulled it all the country on the tiniest of backroads. THEN we got married and even went for 2 weeks around Lake Superior for our honeymoon. We blended four teens into a family, and plenty of their friends along, camping was a delightful, if not tiring, adventure.
Now the kids are gone and it's 2002. My health circumstances changed, and hubby dearest felt a motorhome would be more comfortable. So loaded up with 2 dogs, our adventures continued. This was a 1994 Coachmen Santara, 28ft. gasser. We also bought a Honda Helix for up on a back rack to get around. We put a lot of miles on this rig, but it started suffering from delamination and needed more TLC than we were willing to put into it.
Ahhh, dear Steveio saw this 1996 Safari Serengeti for sale, and fell in love with it. (2nd to me, of course) He begged for 6 months for us to buy it, and I kept saying NO NO NO. Our lives drastically changed again in 2006, when our son suddenly died. We decided life is too short, things can change in an instant, and Steveio deserves a rig that he wants. So we tightened the belt buckle and bought it!
And the adventure continues.....
* This post was
edited 11/10/08 08:05pm by KarenInTheWoods *
Karen and Steveio
1996 Safari Serengeti 38 ft DP
Honda Helix up on back rack
(Camping/Family Photos) http://picasaweb.google.com/pfundt/
www.kareninthewoods.com
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